While digging through the Arlo app earlier this week (hello Chime 2), I also uncovered the Arlo Essential Indoor. Although the 1080p camera had been announced at CES, I missed it… suggesting many others did as well.
Taking a page from SimpliSafe, the new Arlo cam features a retractable privacy shutter. Beyond that, there’s a multicolor indicator light with at least three states: purple/red for privacy, blue for recording/activity, and yellow for maintenance activities. And, as with nearly every other budget camera, like the Blink Mini, the new Arlo is powered over microUSB.
References to Arlo Essential Indoor “biometrics” remain a mystery to me. Perhaps there’s some sort of unique, maybe local, person detection functionality baked in — despite the graphic’s appearance, no one would be prompted to stick their thumb on the (large) lens area. Or, perhaps, this is simply an extra layer of security that implements smartphone face/fingerprint biometrics to release the privacy filter via app.
As a public traded company, fielding custom development the Arlo Essential Indoor will never hit Wyze Cam lows. However, I expect the video camera to be competitive with the Ring Indoor Cam — perhaps a bit higher given the automated mechanical shutter and without Amazon’s economic might. In any event, it won’t be long before we find out.
Now available to order, in white or black, with shipping beginning in a few weeks. Price came in a bit higher than I expected at $100: https://amzn.to/3bafgWQ