Smart security brand Arlo has unveiled its first smart doorbell, which is capable of sending live high-res footage and two-way audio straight to your phone.
From the HD resolution and square aspect ratio to the two-way audio, the smart home device is set up to be your eyes and ears whether you’re in the house or out and about.
The camera has an extra-wide, 180-degree field-of-view with a mobile-friendly 1:1 format to show a complete view of your front door. When a visitor presses the doorbell, the button will instigate a high-res live video call directly to the users smartphone. The user can then choose to answer the call and speak to the guest in real time or to respond with a pre-recorded, quick-reply message.
The doorbell can also detect and differentiate between packages, people, vehicles and animals for personalised alerts and so you’ll know as soon as your next Amazon package hits your doorstep. Arlo also promises that the doorbell will capture vivid detail in both bright and low light environments thanks to HDR video and night vision.
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Other features include live zoom, silent mode, weather-resistance and tamper detection, so you’ll be in the know if anyone tries to mess with your new kit.
The doorbell can be hooked up to an existing wired mechanical or digital chime for fast installation, continuous power, reduced latency when transmitting videos to your smartphone.
“We engineered the Arlo Video Doorbell with an array of advanced alert and picture quality features to help homeowners identify and engage with visitors even before they knock”, said SVP product and chief information officer Tejas Shah. “To ensure a visitor is never missed, we went above and beyond industry standards to create an innovative solution that delivers a fuller vertical field-of-view so users can see more from their front door, from head to toe”.
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When you purchase the doorbell, you’ll also receive a three month trial of Arlo’s subscription AI service Arlo Smart. This means personalised notifications and 30 days of rolling cloud storage to store and watch back video footage.
The Arlo Video Doorbell will be available to pre-order from early 2020 (so, too late to keep an eye out for pesky trick or treaters) with pricing to be confirmed closer to that date.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
