The Arlo Go 2 ($249) and the Eufy 4G Starlight ($229) are two new 4G LTE sensible safety cameras that stream or ship footage over a mobile knowledge connection. They’re among the many few options for monitoring locations the place Wi-Fi could also be unreliable or unavailable: an off-grid cabin within the woods; the far finish of your yard; a development web site; or a storage facility.
They may also be used to regulate your RV, camper van, or tent web site if you’re tenting or watch over your boat whereas docked. A mobile safety digicam can be choice when you’d like a digicam at your property that will keep up even when the Wi-Fi and energy are down. Or maybe you journey loads and need to surveil your Airbnb or resort room if you’re out and about and never depend on public Wi-Fi.
Overpriced path cams was once the one choice for a really wi-fi digicam setup like this, and it’s thrilling to see extra choices tailor-made to safety moderately than simply recognizing animals (though they nonetheless do an excellent job of that). The Arlo and Eufy fashions look and work the identical approach their firm’s normal out of doors sensible residence safety cameras do — simply with larger batteries and a mobile radio on board. This implies they don’t want a Wi-Fi connection to document or stream video, however you will want to pay for mobile knowledge to make use of the digicam, which will be an costly add-on.
I put these two LTE-connected cameras to the take a look at in numerous areas: the Eufy at my in-laws’ off-grid cabin in Alaska and the Arlo on the backside of my backyard in South Carolina, the place there’s not a whiff of Wi-Fi available. Each did what they stated on the field, working reliably and impressively on just one to 2 bars of mobile service. However there are some vital variations between the 2.
Most notably, the Eufy doesn’t want a cloud subscription to view or save recorded video, whereas the Arlo does. The Eufy makes use of edge computing to course of the information solely on the digicam; all of the footage lives on the digicam’s 8GB of native storage. Whenever you view video within the app, you might be connecting on to the digicam. However when you run out of knowledge or your digicam is destroyed, you gained’t have entry to any footage.
In distinction, the Arlo shops its recordings within the cloud, and also you’ll must pay for its Arlo Safe service ($3 a month) to view motion-activated recordings within the Arlo app. (There’s the choice of a microSD card, however that may solely be accessed regionally.) The Arlo is the second-gen of the Arlo Go, and it provides Wi-Fi, which the Eufy doesn’t have, plus it helps a wider vary of sensible alerts.
Eufy 4G Starlight versus Arlo Go 2: specs and setup
The cameras each comply with the design language of their respective non-cellular sensible safety cameras, with glossy white rectangular our bodies and stark black faces. The Arlo has the choice of a black casing, which might be extra discreet in an out of doors setting. Eufy says it has plans to promote a camouflage pores and skin.
Each cameras are absolutely weatherproof: the Eufy Starlight is rated to IP67, and the Arlo Go 2 is barely decrease at IP65. This implies the Eufy might survive underwater for a bit and in opposition to larger stress water jets, however each will stand as much as heavy rain and thunderstorms. Each additionally work right down to damaging 4 levels Fahrenheit; the Arlo Go 2 is rated for as much as 113 levels Fahrenheit and the Starlight for a blistering 131 levels Fahrenheit.
The usual safety digicam options are provided on each: two-way audio; spotlights and sirens to scare away any potential hassle; and coloration evening imaginative and prescient. (The Eufy has a starlight sensor for improved evening imaginative and prescient in low gentle, because the identify signifies, whereas the Arlo doesn’t). Each even have built-in GPS that will help you find the digicam must you neglect the place you set it.
The Arlo can document and livestream in as much as 1080p HD video, whereas Eufy is able to 2K. The Arlo has 12x digital zoom for getting a greater have a look at any motion in comparison with Eufy’s 4x, however with the upper decision of the Eufy, this distinction isn’t as giant in apply as on paper. The Eufy is barely smaller and lighter, however they each have the identical huge 13,000mAh battery capability, and each have non-compulsory photo voltaic panels to maintain the batteries topped up.
The Arlo additionally features a Wi-Fi radio, that means it could possibly double as a normal safety digicam if and when you’ve gotten entry to Wi-Fi and don’t need to pay for mobile knowledge. That is additionally useful as a fail-safe choice in a house safety digicam setup, that means you’ll nonetheless have at the least one digicam you may entry remotely in a Wi-Fi or energy outage. The Eufy solely works on mobile.
Setup for each cameras was easy. It’s precisely like putting in any of their Wi-Fi counterparts, simply with the additional step of inserting a SIM card. Nevertheless, neither of them works with their respective model’s hub (which additionally means no HomeKit compatibility for both). They do each work with Amazon Alexa and Google House ecosystems, and you’ll livestream footage to a wise show. Arlo additionally works with IFTTT.
You’ll want a knowledge SIM card and a knowledge plan to get the cameras up and working on a mobile community. Arlo affords the choice of shopping for the digicam direct from suitable carriers by means of its web site. It really works with Verizon ($20 / month for “limitless” 15GB), US Mobile ($15 / month for 1GB knowledge), or T-Cellular ($20 / month for 5GB). If you happen to go this route, the digicam will include a SIM card, and you can even select to unfold the price of the system out over two to 3 years. The Arlo additionally works with European carriers.
Eufy says it consists of an IoT-specific Eiotclub SIM with its digicam (in my testing, I used an AT&T SIM). It is a digital operator that makes use of the AT&T and T-Cellular networks and affords a $10 / month plan with 2GB of knowledge. You may as well use an AT&T SIM; a pill / hotspot plan begins at $25 month-to-month for 20GB. Eufy recommends the pay as you go $35 for 15GB AT&T knowledge plan. (You’ll be able to’t use a T-Cellular SIM card within the Starlight cam, though it helps T-Cellular’s 4G bands.) The Eufy additionally works with these carriers within the UK. For any of those plans for both digicam, you may get a reduction right down to as little as $5 when you’re an current buyer of the service.
Eufy says the Starlight will use 60MB of mobile knowledge to stream 5 minutes of dwell, 2K video or roughly 500MB / month when you entry the dwell view 10 instances each day for 10 seconds every and document 25 occasions for 10 seconds every. Arlo says the Go 2 will use between 700MB to 2GB month-to-month relying on the variety of movement triggers and size of recordings. The massive distinction right here is as a result of the Arlo uploads mechanically to the cloud, whereas the Eufy solely makes use of knowledge if you entry the digicam.
Eufy 4G Starlight versus Arlo Go 2: efficiency and options
The Eufy 4G Starlight captures a younger bull moose at a cabin in Alaska.
The Arlo Go 2’s daytime footage from the underside of the backyard in South Carolina.
The important thing characteristic of any safety digicam is video high quality. The Eufy edges the Arlo right here, delivering a clearer, crisper picture in daylight, with extra element within the background than the Arlo, which loses some readability additional out. The Eufy did an excellent job catching a younger bull moose in all his glory on the Alaska cabin, and the Arlo confirmed my 70-pound canine prowling across the yard clearly, though the rooster coop behind him was barely blown out.
Each cameras have coloration evening imaginative and prescient, and the Eufy has starlight evening imaginative and prescient, utilizing a starlight sensor to choose up extra element within the darkness (which might embrace coloration). The Arlo depends on activating the highlight for any coloration evening imaginative and prescient. The Eufy may also be set to activate the highlight at evening based mostly on movement, and each supply infrared black and white evening imaginative and prescient.
Except that you must see what coloration T-shirt an intruder has on, I discover the infrared evening imaginative and prescient, which each cameras have, to be higher for catching element at evening. In my testing, each cameras carried out nice at evening within the two comparable modes, with the Eufy being higher at capturing extra element and respectable distance, aided by its starlight sensor. I did have hassle testing the Eufy’s starlight-only evening imaginative and prescient choice; on this mode (with no infrared LEDs or highlight), the image was very darkish and under no circumstances clear. Nevertheless, there is no such thing as a full darkness in Alaska in summer time, and in my earlier expertise with starlight evening imaginative and prescient, it labored greatest in true darkness.
Each document in 1080p HD, with the Eufy able to going as much as 2K, however you may go for decrease within the app. If you happen to’re on a restricted knowledge plan, you may need to keep on with 1080p. Arlo has a extra spectacular digital zoom at 12 instances, nevertheless it will get very pixelated in a short time, making that much less helpful than on Arlo’s 4K Wi-Fi cameras. Arlo has a barely wider subject of view at 130 levels in comparison with Eufy’s 120, however this distinction isn’t very noticeable in apply.
The Arlo has a lot better two-way audio, utilizing full-duplex audio, which is like having a telephone dialog, whereas the Eufy is simply half-duplex, which is like utilizing a walkie-talkie. This may be irritating when you’re attempting to have a dialog by means of the digicam. Each had loud and clear audio whereas speaking or listening.
Each cameras suffered from a typical downside with motion-activated, battery-powered cameras; they picked up movement late. The battery has to get up the digicam as soon as the movement sensor is triggered. This meant a variety of my take a look at movies had been of the again of my head as I walked away.
However they each delivered alerts of movement promptly, with wealthy notifications (I examined with iOS) that included a snapshot. On the Arlo, you may long-press the notification and see a preview of the recording in addition to entry a shortcut to activate the siren or name 911. Eufy doesn’t supply this. However you solely get these options when you pay for the Arlo Safe subscription (for $3 a month with a three-month trial if you purchase the digicam).
With an Arlo Safe subscription, you may tailor your alerts to let you know solely about individuals, animals, and / or autos moderately than all movement. You may as well add exercise zones to focus the digicam on particular areas. Eufy has individuals detection and exercise zones totally free however no animal or car alerts. Arlo Safe additionally provides a wise e911 characteristic (US-only) in order that in case you are calling from one other location, you’ll be linked to emergency dispatch at your digicam’s location — not yours. (You’ll be able to solely have one handle per subscription, so when you arrange the LTE digicam someplace aside from your private home, you’ll must pay for a second Arlo Safe subscription for this characteristic.)
Eufy doesn’t supply any cloud storage service for the Starlight, and it doesn’t cost any charges for entry to its options. As an alternative, the app accesses footage immediately from the digicam. Eufy says its 8GB native storage can retailer as much as six months of occasions (based mostly on 15 “motion occasions” per day with every “occasion” lasting 15 seconds). I examined the digicam for a month, and all of the movies had been nonetheless viewable within the app. I used to be additionally impressed with the velocity of notifications for the digicam and the benefit of pulling up the dwell view; there was little to no lag.
Arlo Safe permits you to retailer as much as 30 days’ value of movies within the cloud. Arlo makes use of AES encryption to safe recordings in transit to and from the Arlo digicam, and the app requires two-factor authentication. The Go 2 does have a slot for a microSD card for native storage, so you may document movies with out paying for Arlo Safe. However that footage can solely be seen by inserting the SD card into a pc, not within the Arlo app, that means you need to bodily be on the digicam to see any footage it’s captured.
The drawback of no choice of any cloud storage is that if the Eufy digicam had been destroyed to the purpose it might not obtain an LTE connection, you wouldn’t have the ability to view any earlier footage until you had already manually downloaded it to your telephone’s digicam roll from the Eufy app. At one level throughout testing, all of the clips disappeared from the Eufy app as a result of the preinstalled SIM had run out of knowledge. Once I topped up the information and the Starlight digicam reconnected to the web, they reappeared.
Battery life was about the identical. Each cameras have 13,000mAh batteries on board. In three weeks of use, the Eufy was at 65 p.c — about 11 p.c every week and on monitor for two-ish months. Eufy estimates it’ll final three months, however the digicam was in a poor service space, which the app warned would cut back battery life. In my one week of testing, the Arlo was at 89 p.c, additionally 11 p.c every week. Arlo claims its digicam has 4 months of battery life on 4G, however that didn’t maintain up in my assessments.
The Arlo has a detachable battery, so you may have a spare available (extras value $59.99). However, in case you are putting in a mobile digicam someplace distant, you’ll want to pair it with a photo voltaic panel to maintain it charged. Each firms promote suitable ones for $59.99. (The Eufy is commonly on sale in a bundle for $249.99).
I examined the Eufy photo voltaic panel, which was easy to put in and comes with a weatherproof connector for the USB-C charging port, and it was capable of hold the digicam near one hundred pc. The Eufy digicam fees utilizing a USB-C cable, whereas the Arlo makes use of the proprietary magnetic cable that its higher-end cameras use. You should purchase an out of doors charging cable and energy adaptor for the Arlo for $49.99, nevertheless it makes use of the identical connection because the photo voltaic panel, so you may’t use each without delay.
For a digicam you could pass over within the woods, some anti-theft options are vital. Each have built-in GPS to trace the digicam. The Eufy additionally has an Anti-Theft Detection Mode that may sound the alarm if the digicam is moved, though that’s simply going to present the thief a headache. Arlo has a Theft Alternative Program that may substitute the digicam if it’s stolen so long as you purchased the digicam new, have an Arlo Safe plan, and file a police report.
One other vital level of comparability is the apps. Right here, Arlo’s expertise edges Eufy’s, primarily as a result of the Eufy app has one too many pop-up advertisements, plus an entire tab dedicated to promoting you extra merchandise. The Arlo expertise is far cleaner. Nevertheless, each work nice for viewing a livestream from the digicam or recorded video. They each pull up the feed promptly after tapping on a notification, with the Eufy being barely sooner — because it doesn’t must undergo the cloud. Each even have a helpful Occasion (Eufy) / Library (Arlo) view the place you may filter recordings by the kind of movement and the date of the recording.
Each apps even have good choices for fine-tuning movement detection and occasion recording lengths, plus choices for tweaking settings to avoid wasting battery life. An choice on each cameras permits you to schedule it to activate or off at a set time or based mostly on geo-locating your telephone.
Eufy 4G Starlight versus Arlo Go 2: which must you purchase?
These are each excellent cameras, and the liberty from hanging on to a weak Wi-Fi connection was liberating. I cherished lastly with the ability to get a dependable digital eye on the rooster coop on the backside of my backyard so I might be careful for the numerous issues that need to eat my chickens. My in-laws had been very impressed with the standard of the Eufy digicam, particularly in comparison with the mobile path cam they use to maintain tabs on their cabin, which has a slender subject of view and low decision. When you’ve got a necessity for a non-Wi-Fi-dependent safety digicam, both of those cameras could be a superb alternative.
The Eufy 4G Starlight is cheaper to purchase and run (mobile knowledge plans apart). There may be additionally no month-to-month price for cloud storage, sensible alerts, or exercise zones — Arlo fees $3 a month for these. The Eufy additionally has a better video high quality, higher evening imaginative and prescient, native storage, and on-device processing. So, you want this digicam in case you are leery about storing your video on another person’s server. But it surely comes with the tradeoff that if the digicam is destroyed or loses its knowledge connection, you may’t entry any footage you haven’t manually downloaded. If that’s a situation that worries you — say you’re monitoring a cabin in an space with a wildfire danger — the Eufy’s local-only storage might provide you with pause.
The Wi-Fi radio within the Arlo additionally provides you extra flexibility than the Eufy’s cellular-only choice and means you should utilize LTE as a fallback. Arlo’s sensible alerts and interactive notifications present a greater monitoring expertise with fewer false alerts to verify, and e911 help might be essential relying on the place you propose to make use of the digicam. Arlo’s digital zoom can be higher, and its two-way audio is far simpler to make use of.
Choices exterior of Eufy and Arlo are restricted. Reolink has a few mobile fashions, together with one which pans and tilts. However I haven’t examined any Reolink cameras, whereas I’ve spent a couple of years testing each Arlo and Eufy’s cameras and ecosystems and am comfy recommending each.
In case you are already invested in both digicam safety ecosystem, I might positively go together with the highway already traveled. Keep in mind you could must get a second Arlo Safe subscription for the Go 2 when you’re placing it in a unique location. If you happen to aren’t including this to an current system and aren’t postpone by the subscription plan or cloud storage, the Arlo Go 2 is a superb alternative. If these are deal-breakers for you, the Eufy 4G Starlight will match the invoice very properly — simply keep in mind to maintain that mobile knowledge topped up.
Arlo Go 2 and Eufy 4G Starlight specs comparability
Class | Eufy 4G Starlight | Arlo Go 2 |
---|---|---|
Class | Eufy 4G Starlight | Arlo Go 2 |
Worth | $229.99 | $249.99 |
Worth with photo voltaic panel | $289.98 | $309.98 |
Subscription price | no | sure (from $3 / month) |
Connectivity | 4G LTE | 4G LTE and a pair of.4GHz Wi-Fi |
Highest decision | 2K | 1080p HD |
Digital zoom | 4x | 12x |
Native storage | sure | sure* |
Sensible alerts | individuals | individuals / animals / autos ($) |
Battery | 13,000mAh | 13,000mAh |
Siren / highlight | sure | sure |
Two-way audio | sure, half-duplex | sure, full-duplex |
GPS monitoring | sure | sure |
Climate score | IP67, -4 to 131 F | IP65, -4 to 113 F |
Detachable battery | no | sure |
Works with | Google House / Amazon Alexa | Google House / Amazon Alexa / IFTTT |
*requires microSD card |
Created by Jennifer Pattison Tuohy
Images by Jennifer Pattison Tuohy / The Verge