That said, the Arlo Ultra 2 does cost a lot more for the upgrades and we don’t think you need to pay the higher price for the Ultra 2 when the Pro 4 would work just fine. Despite its minorly downgraded specs, the Pro 4 actually has some benefits over the Ultra 2—and you can get it for cheaper. You can buy a single Arlo Ultra 2 security camera, but it still costs almost $100 more than the Arlo Pro 4 camera, and you can’t use the Ultra 2 without an Arlo SmartHub. (The Arlo Pro 4 doesn’t need a hub.) You can still use the Arlo SmartHub with your Pro 4 camera if you want to. And the SmartHub has some perks, namely local storage. You can store video recordings and footage locally on the SmartHub without relying on Arlo’s cloud storage service.
- 4K resolution is available on Arlo Ultra Pro 2 but not on Arlo Pro 4. We can’t emphasize enough how great smart alerts are. Most motion-detector security cameras can’t tell the difference between your spouse and a squirrel. But Arlo security cameras can tell you right in the notification whether they see a person, package, vehicle, or animal. It’s awesome. The Ultra 2 doesn’t take amazingly better video than the Arlo Pro 4, and the 4K resolution puts a bigger burden on both your internet connection and the camera’s battery. Our Arlo Pro Ultra 2 battery died twice in one month while the Arlo Pro 4 was still going strong. With the Arlo Pro 4, you get to skip the hub installation. But otherwise, these security cameras are about the same. They use the same Arlo app, they have the same setting options, and they send the same types of alerts. The light makes it easier to see when you’re walking through your yard, and it helps the camera record better quality footage at night. Both the Pro 4 and the Ultra 2 have standard night vision, but the built-in spotlight lets the cameras record in color instead of the usual black-and-white night vision quality. If you need a real person, you can reach out to Arlo over the phone, through live chat, or by posting in Arlo’s community forums. You can also submit a case if you have an issue that’s covered by Arlo’s one-year warranty. Arlo customer service phone number: 1-408-638-3750 We love that Arlo has so many ways to access support resources, but some customers still don’t seem to have great experiences with the company. Arlo has a measly 1.3 stars on Trustpilot, albeit with less than 200 customer reviews.1 Most of the negative reviews seem to focus on Arlo cameras’ build quality and battery life.
Price: Arlo Pro 4. The Arlo Pro 4 costs a lot less than the Arlo Ultra 2, and you get almost the same features. Features and installation: Tie. The Arlo Ultra 2 has slightly better features, but the 4K resolution takes up more internet bandwidth and strains the battery. User experience: Arlo Pro 4. These security cameras work almost exactly the same, but the Arlo Pro 4 doesn’t need a hub and its battery lasts longer. Customer service: Tie. These are both Arlo cameras, so they’re backed up by the exact same support resources.
Want to check out an even cheaper Arlo security camera? Read our Arlo Essential Review.
- Local storage available with optional SmartHub.
Price Equipment Home automation Cameras Customer service
We tested the Arlo Ultra 2 and the Arlo Pro 4 cameras side by side for over a month before writing this review. We assessed features, video quality, battery life, and internet speeds while using these cameras to find out if the Ultra 2 is ultimately worth the higher cost or not.
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You can use an Arlo SmartHub with the Arlo Pro 4 camera if you want access to local storage, but you don’t need one. The Arlo Ultra 2 technically has better features, but the 4K resolution uses more internet bandwidth and strains the battery. The Arlo Pro 4 works almost exactly the same, but it doesn’t need a hub and its battery lasts a lot longer. Arlo’s Continuous Video Recording (CVR) plan costs $9.99 per month for 14 days’ worth of recording or $19.99 per month for 30 days’ worth of recording.
