CES 2021: Arlo Highlights Touchless Video Doorbell and Essential Indoor Camera, Adds HomeKit to Wired Doorbell

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Home security company Arlo highlighted two upcoming products at CES this year, both of which received Smart Home awards at the event. The Essential Indoor camera and the Touchless Video Doorbell are both new product offerings that will be released in the coming months.

arlo video doorbell
The Essential Indoor camera is designed to let families choose when the camera monitors and records video through a "disarm mode." In disarm mode, recording, motion, and audio detection is disabled and won't be re-enabled until manually done through the Arlo app. Video recording resumes when the camera is placed into arm mode.

arlo camera ces
The Touchless Video Doorbell is a new entry in Arlo's camera-equipped doorbell lineup. It uses Proximity Sensing Technology to gauge a visitor's distance, and when it sees someone approaching, it gives off an audible chime and lights up to let guests know that the doorbell has been virtually "pressed" and that the homeowner has been alerted.

Arlo says that it designed the Touchless Video Doorbell to allow for interaction with limited communal contact, while also keeping the homeowner's front entry secured. Additional details on the Essential Indoor Camera and Touchless Video Doorbell will be provided closer to their launch date, which has yet to be shared.

Along with these announcements, Arlo today appears to have quietly added HomeKit support to the Essential Video Doorbell Wired, based on an updated support document.

The support page lists the Essential Video Doorbell Wired as a HomeKit-compatible device alongside the Arlo Ultra, Pro 3, Pro 3 Floodlight Camera, Pro 2, and more. Enabling ‌HomeKit‌ compatibility requires an Arlo SmartHub or base station with the latest firmware, with Arlo providing instructions on adding ‌HomeKit‌ connectivity.

Tags: Arlo, CES 2021

Top Rated Comments

purpleparrotuk Avatar
purpleparrotuk
7 months ago
What’s the point of the touch free one. Isn’t it going to keep sending alerts and chime when a leaflet person puts something through your door. Not everyone who comes to your house needs to speak with the owner. Seems silly.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
cknibbs Avatar
cknibbs
7 months ago

Just HomeKit from what I'm seeing. Arlo would *never* give up an opportunity to charge you a monthly subscription fee!

Arlo Ultra vs Logitech Circle, in homekit, there is no comparison - event recording, notifications, and time to load a video stream with Logitech is WAY better. Often times Arlo doorbell would ring, it would take 20 seconds to connect, by that time the person was gone or door was already answered.

Arlo is merely adding low hanging features they should've had for years as a publicity stunt at CES.
Yeah - unfortunately Logitech decided to not sell the circle doorbell in Canada.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Marli Avatar
Marli
7 months ago
I have Arlo products.They are absolute rubbish.. just Google them.. Rubbish Hardware, Rubbish architecture, rubbish platform. Rubbish solution.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Commodore 64 Avatar
Commodore 64
7 months ago
...and what about Spotify integration??
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
MarkAtl Avatar
MarkAtl
7 months ago
I have a ton of Arlo cameras, and if I wasn’t already invested AND grandfathered into their 10 camera plan I’d drop them (I have 2 Arlo Pro 2 and 8 Arlo Pro cameras). They significantly raised their prices while cutting # of supported cameras in the plans.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Brien Avatar
Brien
7 months ago

Just HomeKit from what I'm seeing. Arlo would *never* give up an opportunity to charge you a monthly subscription fee!

Arlo Ultra vs Logitech Circle, in homekit, there is no comparison - event recording, notifications, and time to load a video stream with Logitech is WAY better. Often times Arlo doorbell would ring, it would take 20 seconds to connect, by that time the person was gone or door was already answered.

Arlo is merely adding low hanging features they should've had for years as a publicity stunt at CES.
I guess this is why there are only two that support HSV. They don't get that sweet sweet subscription money.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
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