In the war against porch pirates, Arlo adds its own video doorbell

By Alina Bradford Updated October 17, 2019

The security system company Arlo introduced its first video doorbell. It includes a vertical field-of-view with an optimized 1:1 aspect ratio and night vision, so users can even monitor their porch in any condition, even in the dark. “The Arlo Video Doorbell is designed to capture what traditional video doorbells can’t and boasts an industry-leading vertical field-of-view, allowing users to get a bigger, more precise picture of their front porch,” a company representative said.

In addition to the great view, the doorbell includes motion detectors that will send alerts to your phone to help combat porch pirates and unwanted intruders. You can also get video calls sent to your phone from the doorbell so you can talk to visitors, whether you’re home or not. If you can’t see the person on your porch very well the Arlo video doorbell’s camera can zoom in. This gives you a better look at who you’re talking to, which can be handy if the video needs to be used in a court case.

If you’re not in the mood to talk, you can set up pre-recorded quick messages to reply to visitors for you. The Arlo video doorbell can be put on silent mode, too. This mode disables push notifications and silences the chime.

To keep the bad guys from outsmarting your security system, the Arlo doorbell has built-in tamper detection. A siren is triggered if someone tries to remove the doorbell from the wall. It’s safe from the weather, too. The weather-resistant casing is rain-, heat-, sun- and cold-proof.

The new Arlo Video Doorbell will sell for $150 and will be available for pre-order at Best Buy and other authorized Arlo resellers. Arlo is offering 10% off your first order and free shipping on orders if you sign up for its mailing list. The offer is good for up to $100 off your purchase price, though it excludes accessories and refurbished items. If you don’t want to sign up, they are offering free ground shipping on all orders that are $35 or more.

Confused about the different security systems on the market? Check out our list of the best home security systems for 2019 and the DIY home security systems for 2019.

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Former Digital Trends Contributor

Alina Bradford has been a tech, lifestyle and science writer for more than 20 years. Her work is read by millions each month…

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