Back in November of last year, I took an in-depth look at the Arlo Pro 2 wireless security camera system. Long story short, I came away very impressed. Sure, the convenience and slick design didn’t come cheap, but if you invested in Arlo’s streamlined surveillance solution, you wouldn’t (and still won’t) be disappointed.
Fast forward a bit and now I’ve had the chance to check out the next iteration in the company’s ever-evolving security camera product line: Arlo Ultra. And while it doesn’t render the Pro 2 obsolete, per se, it improves upon the basic formula in key ways that make this upgrade an absolute no-brainer.
Right off the bat, it’s easy to see that Arlo Ultra has largely been redesigned. The camera unit itself has more heft to it than the Pro 2 devices and now includes a built-in spotlight, something I didn’t realize I’d been missing until I saw it in action on the Ultra. Before this release, you needed to buy a separate Arlo spotlight if you wanted that kind of active deterrent, so it’s nice to see the baseline integration.
Like I previously mentioned, it’s one of those features that you don’t think you need until you see how useful it can be. Because it’s motion activated, the bright light is excellent for illuminating the dark sides of a house, like if you’re taking out the trash, for instance, or brightening up a porch at night in the presence of intruders. And it’s completely adjustable via the Arlo app, so you can change the brightness and behavior (constant, flash or pulsate) on the fly. The light also makes the new color night vision incredibly clear, and blows the Pro 2 out of the water in this regard.
Additionally redesigned are the new SmartHub (required for the new 4K tech) and also the method by which you charge the cameras. Underneath each camera, there’s a magnetic contact that easily connects to the included magnetic charge cable. You just set the camera down on the plug and you’re good to go, and it makes the old Pro 2 micro USB seem clunky by comparison.
The two-way microphone also seems improved, boasting a much higher sound quality than the Pro 2, though I did experience some strange hissing/squealing feedback on occasion while using the real-time chat feature. Not sure if this is something that the Arlo team is working on or I have a defective unit, but either way, I thought I’d mention it.
Perhaps the biggest upgrade when it comes to the Ultra is the addition of 4K video and HDR, along with a ‘Super Wide’ 180 degree panoramic viewing option. I spent a lot of time comparing the footage from my old Arlo Pro 2 cameras and the new Ultra, and I can honestly say the difference is overwhelmingly significant. The clarity you get via 4K and HDR is unmatched, especially when zooming in on objects within a given frame.
Also, the new lense with its extra viewing real estate is extremely noticeable, especially when using the Ultra outside in a wide open space, like out in a yard (the camera is weather-resistant, by the way). You can always reduce the field of view down to ‘Wide’ (155 degree) or ‘Full’ (120 degree), but I can’t think of many reasons why you’d want to.
Additionally, there’s an auto-zoom and tracking feature included. This is a neat tool that follows moving objects, though if you have this turned on, 4K resolution is disabled for some reason. I can see this being handy when it comes to areas of property that get high foot traffic and you need to keep a closer eye on potential intruders, but you’ll be lacking the extreme clarity of 4K.
Know that to record 4K videos to the Arlo cloud, you’re going to need to purchase an additional PVR (Premium Video Recording) subscription for $2 USD a month. If you don’t want to cough up the cash, the highest quality recordings you’ll get out of your Ultra will be 1080p. That is unless you insert a micro SD card into the SmartHub, and then you can record 4K videos for free until you run out of storage.
Note that you can also stream from any Arlo Ultra in 4K (2 cameras simultaneously), free of charge, as long as your Arlo app is connected to the same network as your SmartHub. As far as I know, you can’t stream in 4K video over a mobile network, though you probably wouldn’t want to, given how quickly that would eat through your data plan.
All of this tech is still connected to the same Arlo app, which keeps getting better every day. From what I can tell, the dev team is continually trying to improve notifications, which you can set to detect people, vehicles, animals or even packages. It’s still not entirely perfect, but it’s leagues better than when I first started using it. Setting activity zones really helps reduce the number of false notifications, so I’ve been diving into that more and more.
Let’s not forget you still have a siren that you can activate if you’re house is being burgled, but it’s important to note that it’s been moved out of the SmartHub and packed into the Ultra camera unit where it isn’t nearly as loud as the Pro 2’s siren.
My biggest gripe with Arlo Ultra is that it’s not backwards compatible with Arlo Pro 2 hardware. The Ultra has a totally different battery, which means you can’t use it in your old Pro dual-battery dock and need to charge it separately on the included magnetic dongle (or the new and sold-separately Ultra charging station). Additionally, the Ultra requires the use of the new SmartHub and will not connect to the old base station.
The good news is that the Ultra hub will pair with and manage all of your old Arlo cameras, but it just doesn’t work the other way around. I get that new hardware requires new connection standards, but it would have been nice if they could have somehow updated the aging base station firmware and allowed for more connection options. Might have also lowered the price of a single Ultra camera, which comes packaged with the mandatory upgraded SmartHub.
My other complaint is that there’s still no 2-factor authentication, which I’ve been told is still coming at some point. To have a system that records surveillance video and no way to protect it with a second form of authentication is just silly. I really hope this update is on the way soon.
Lastly, it’s stated on the box that Arlo Ultra can take advantage of smart home devices that utilize Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant and Apple HomeKit, but since I don’t use any of those services, I wasn’t able to test them out.
Other than that, Arlo Ultra boasts the same slick, easy-to-operate experience that Arlo users have come to expect, but with a handful of excellent (and much appreciated) upgrades. If you already have an army of Pro 2 cameras, I’m not exactly sure that it’s worth trading it all in just for 4K, HDR and color night vision. It really depends on what kind of image quality you’re after. If you need more clarity in your recordings, and if you want the best of the best, maybe the plunge is warranted—just know that you’ll pay a premium.
On the other hand, if you’re new to Arlo and looking to invest in the ecosystem, or if you want to add maybe one or two UHD cameras to your existing setup for superior coverage, I’d wholeheartedly recommend Ultra. I think my personal goal is to eventually replace all my Pro 2’s with Ultras, because Arlo has created, in my humble opinion, the ultimate home security camera. I can’t wait to see what they do next.
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Manufacturer: Arlo
MSRP: $399.99 (1 camera kit w/ SmartHub), $299.99 (single camera)
Availability: Now
