Home surveillance and monitoring are still on the minds of Singaporeans even with how safe the country has been. According to The Economist’s 2017 Safe Cities Index, Singapore ranks second just behind Tokyo, Japan, which clinched the world’s safest city spot. To alleviate concerns of homeowners, Arlo launched their new home security camera onto the shores of Singapore – the Arlo Ultra.
The device is the top-of-the-range out of their camera system line-up, and the Arlo Ultra has the capability to capture a 4K resolution video with High Dynamic Range (HDR) so that users can get the sharpest detail possible out of their video feed. The Arlo Ultra is currently the only wireless surveillance camera that is able to produce a resolution as high as that.
Additionally, several quality-of-life improvements have been made after garnering feedback on their previous product, the Arlo Pro 2.
The magnetic mount system makes a return to the Arlo Ultra, which now sports a concave mount instead of the previous dome-shaped mount found on the Arlo Pro 2.
The change in form factor is due to switching the placements of the magnet and metal plate. On the Arlo Ultra, the magnet is located on the mount, while the plate is found just behind on the back of the device. This allows for more variations in which the camera can be mounted, such as a top-down mount underneath ceilings, for example.
The accessories for the Arlo Ultra have also been updated. Cables such as the one for indoor use now uses magnets for easy attachment and detachment, as compared to the use of micro-USB from before.
Messy wires is also a key consideration for the team at Arlo, and the Arlo Ultra’s mount now incorporates cable management onto its base to keep in line with the clean and sleek aesthetic.
With the physical features of the device out of the way, there are several things about the new software on the Arlo Ultra: Along with the 4K capabilities, homeowners can also choose to see the camera footage in colour for videos shot in the night, allowing users to discern more details, such as a person’s clothing or hair colour should the need for such detailed recognition arises.
Other features include new AI capabilities such as Enhanced 911 (e911), which allows users to call local emergency contacts and dispatch them to the address specified in the Arlo app.
The device’s AI is also smart enough to discern differences between people, vehicles, animals and packages that come into view, and allows you to customise which of these that you want to be notified of.
Other customisable aspects in the UI include choosing activity zones within the camera’s peripheral view and selecting custom sounds to play when people walk within those zones, like dog barks to deter prospective thieves.
The Arlo Ultra starts at S$1,199 for the 2-camera system and includes a one-year subscription to Arlo Smart Premier (worth S$143.88), which allows users to receive real-time notifications on their smartphones when motion or audio are detected. For more information on the Arlo Ultra, visit arlo.com/asia.
Photos by Soloman Soh of the DANAMIC team.
