Arlo Go 2 review

The Arlo Go 2 is Arlo’s second attempt at an LTE (mobile data, not WiFi) home security camera, bringing some welcome improvements over the original Arlo Go.

The Go 2 has a more functional design and more of the features you want – like two-way talk, an integrated spotlight, a siren and 1080p recording. More importantly, it doesn’t solely rely on a cellular connection. It’s compatible with WiFi as well.

At $489, it’s fairly priced; however, you’ll need an Arlo Secure subscription to get any actual use out of the Go 2. Arlo’s free tier lacks crucial features, making the Go 2 an expensive purchase. 

If you’re looking for a home security camera for an area that doesn’t have WiFi, you can’t beat the Arlo Go 2 in terms of performance. Just expect to pay for it. Every month.

Price

The Arlo Go 2 costs $489. This is a competitive price for a security camera compatible with cellular connections. 

The Reolink Go costs $448. 

Design

The Arlo Go 2 has adopted a design similar to other Arlo cameras like the Ultra or the Pro. Instead of the pyramid shape of its predecessor, the Go 2 has a more extended, cylindrical design that makes it much easier to position.

It is big, though. Around 3cm longer than the Arlo Ultra 2, it’s not as subtle. This is due to the large, replaceable battery inside, so I was okay with it. 

Unlike the newer Arlo cameras, there’s no magnetic mount here. The Go 2 comes with a support that screws into the back of the camera. I preferred this. I found it easier to position, especially on harsh angles. Also, the screw system makes it harder for a baddy to quickly take the camera off the mount as they could with the magnetic connection.

This is a wireless security camera, but for charging, you’ll need to connect via the magnetic port on the bottom of the camera. This port also connects accessories like a solar charger ($166).

The Go 2 is all-weather resistant, so you don’t have to worry about it being outside. It comes with an integrated spotlight, and it also has GPS built-in. Like “find my phone,” you’ll be able to “find your camera” if someone takes the device. You will need an Arlo Secure subscription for that functionality, though (more on that below).

Specs

The most attractive feature of the Go 2 is its compatibility with LTE networks. It’s ideal if you’re looking to place the camera in an area without WiFi. 

This is the same as the original Arlo Go; however, the Go 2 is now compatible with WiFi as well. It will prioritise a WiFi connection over 4G and seamlessly switches between the two. If you have the Go 2 on your campervan and you’re parked at home, it will use your home WiFi. But if you’re on a trip, it will switch to the LTE network. It works well. 

It pays to remember that 4G does cost, though. You’ll need to activate a SIM card with your chosen telecommunications provider to set up the LTE connection. To do that, you’ll need to install it on your phone, activate it and then put it into the camera. Data prices will vary depending on your provider, and you’ll have to top the SIM card up with data to use the 4G connectivity. For me, this was easy. I could top it up with the 2Degrees app without having to put the SIM card back in my phone. I imagine the process will be similar with other telecommunications providers.

The Go 2 records in 1080p full HD definition. It isn’t quite the 4K capabilities of the top-of-the-range home security cameras, but it does the job. It also supports colour night vision. This will illuminate the video recording in low light situations, and paired with the integrated spotlight, the Go 2 is a solid nighttime security camera.

The Go 2 is compatible with 2-way talk functionality, so you can talk to someone through the camera, and it also has a built-in siren in situations where you want to scare off intruders.

Setup & App

Setting up the Arlo Go 2 is simple. The app will run you through everything you need to know. 

Using the app is also simple. You can watch a live stream of the camera feed, access notifications, check your camera battery and a lot more. It all works as it should.

To unlock advanced features in the app, you will need an Arlo Secure subscription, though.

Arlo Secure

There are three tiers of the Arlo subscription: the “No Plan” tier, which is free, “Arlo Secure,” which costs $5/month for a single camera or $15/month for unlimited cameras. And “Arlo Secure Plus”, which costs $24/month for unlimited cameras.

You need at least an Arlo Secure subscription to get the most out of the Arlo Go 2. Compared to other home security cameras, like the Google Nest, Arlo’s free tier is lacking. It only comes with two features: watching your camera’s live stream and receiving motion notifications. There are no event recordings here. It means if you capture footage of an intruder or an incident, you won’t have access to the footage. Google’s free tier comes with a 3-hour video history in which you have three hours to download and save the footage. It’s a much better deal.

The Go 2 comes with a MicroSD slot for local storage; however, local storage cannot be used on its own as a substitute for cloud recording. Basically, it’s there in case the camera loses connection with the cloud. This is disappointing. It forces you to purchase an Arlo subscription.

With Arlo Secure, you get essential functions like activity zones, which you can set up so the camera alerts you where it’s seen movement. Advanced object detection where the camera differentiates between a car, human, animal or package and, most importantly, 30 days’ worth of video history in up to 2K resolution, that’s stored on the cloud, available for you to access.

The only difference between Arlo Secure and Arlo Secure Plus is the latter allows you to watch your recorded videos in up to 4K. This is only relevant if you have an Arlo camera that can record in 4K, so it’s a bit pointless for the Arlo Go 2.

Battery

The Arlo Go 2’s battery will vary based on how much it’s recording or how active it is. You can expect 2-3 months of battery life with average use, where average means recording for around 5-minutes per day. Anything more than that and the battery life will lessen.

We found the battery was impacted by mobile signal strength as well. If the signal was bad the battery wouldn’t last as long. It was still a decent amount, just slightly less than Arlo claimed.

I was okay with the 2-3 month battery. I would receive a notification when the battery was low, so I could take the camera home and charge it. This did pose a problem, though, as while I was charging the camera, I no longer had it set up to record. Charging only took 2-3 hours though, which is fair trade for its 2-3 month lifespan. 

Verdict

The Arlo Go 2 is the best 4G LTE home security camera on the market. 

Setting up a security camera in an area without WiFi access is hugely beneficial. And better yet, the Go 2 is compatible with WiFi connections this time. 

It will seamlessly switch between an LTE connection and a WiFi connection so you don’t have to spend money on data when the camera is at home.

The Go 2 comes with all the features you need in a home security camera. It records in 1080p, has an integrated spotlight, is easy to set up and has a long-lasting battery. Unfortunately, though, you will need to subscribe to Arlo Secure if you want to get the best out of the device.

Arlo’s free subscription tier is still lacking, it doesn’t offer as much as the competition and crucially, it doesn’t have any event-history storage. $489 for the Arlo Go 2 is a fair price; however, an extra $5/month or $15/month (depending on how many cameras you have) to get any meaningful use out of the camera quickly adds up. 

The Arlo Go 2 is a very good cellular home security camera but Arlo’s subscription model lets it down.