Surveillance cameras represent a growing segment within home electronics, and Arlo has established itself as a prominent player in this niche. This review focuses on the Arlo GO 2, a surveillance camera designed with extended battery life (up to four months), 4G connectivity for locations lacking Wi-Fi, a memory card slot, optional cloud storage, GPS, and both spotlight and night vision capabilities. It presents a comprehensive feature set.
The Arlo GO 2 is charged via Arlo’s proprietary magnetic USB charger connected directly to the camera housing. While functional, this design is a dedicated solution, posing a potential inconvenience should the cable be lost. A standard connector such as USB-C or micro-USB would offer greater flexibility. The initial setup remains a notable area for improvement. Synchronizing the app with the camera on both iOS and Android can be cumbersome, and the subsequent download of updates (over 2.4GHz) can be time-consuming. The camera may remain in a blinking state for an extended period – up to 15 minutes – which can be frustrating due to the lack of clear progress indication. Once the initial setup is complete, using Arlo’s products is generally straightforward. However, streamlining the initial process and enhancing user-friendliness would be beneficial. The ability to copy schedules from previous surveillance cameras to new ones would also be a welcome addition.
Once operational, the camera is easy to configure and use. The app supports geofencing (preventing alarms when authorized users are nearby). However, our testing with multiple users (e.g., a family) revealed inconsistent reliability. Disabling the camera upon arrival and re-enabling it upon departure offers a more reliable alternative, although this depends on remembering to do so. Notifications are delivered promptly; the camera provides rapid alerts for movement within the designated area, focusing on larger moving objects, and can activate the spotlight as a deterrent.
The inclusion of a SIM card slot and support for 4G (and 3G, depending on coverage) expands the Arlo GO 2’s versatility compared to earlier models. While Wi-Fi availability is increasingly common, the 4G capability is valuable for monitoring locations such as leisure boats or temporary outdoor installations. It is crucial to adhere to the camera surveillance regulations established by the Swedish Authority for Privacy Protection (Integritetsmyndigheten). These regulations may prohibit permanent installations that monitor public areas. The camera triggers alerts rapidly over Wi-Fi, but response times may be slower over 4G, likely depending on signal strength. This is an important consideration when selecting a deployment scenario.
The wide-angle lens provides an effective and natural perspective with minimal distortion (see image below), capturing a sharp image across a broad area. The camera also offers intelligent zoom functionality, such as focusing on faces. The Arlo Secure app, which provides cloud-based recording and storage, is well-designed but requires a subscription after the free trial period (starting at 29 SEK per month). While affordable for individual users, the cost can accumulate with multiple cameras. Local storage via memory card is a useful addition, but offers limited value if the camera itself is stolen. While acknowledging Arlo’s need to offset the costs of server infrastructure for storing user footage (up to 4K resolution), the option to integrate with third-party cloud services such as iCloud or OneDrive would be a valuable enhancement.
In conclusion, the Arlo GO 2 is a versatile and competent surveillance camera offering several innovative features that justify its price of 3,500 SEK. Users requiring extended battery life and lacking 4G requirements may want to consider the Pro 4 XL model, which boasts a battery life of up to one year. While the initial setup process remains somewhat lengthy and cumbersome, and the app offers potential areas for improvement as noted above, the Arlo GO 2 is a product we can confidently recommend to users seeking a surveillance camera suitable for a wide range of deployment scenarios.
Arlo provided test samples for this review. The provision of materials does not influence our editorial independence in conducting these tests.
