Traditionally, security cameras are costly. You have to pay for the cameras and the professional installation, as well as buy tapes to record your videos. Thankfully, that is no longer the case. You now have IP security cameras that you can install by yourself and that has more affordable ways to store your videos, like a memory SD card or a cloud storage service.
The Logitech Circle 2and the Arlo Pro are two great examples of this type of security camera. Which one should you get?
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Logitech Circle 2 Review
Logitech International is a Swiss manufacturer of computer peripherals, including mice and Webcams. What can you expect from the Logitech Circle 2?
Design
There are two versions of the Logitech Circle 2: wired and wire-free. The wired Circle 2 measures 3.4 x 2.8 x 2.6 inches and weighs 0.5 pounds. The wire-free is bigger and heavier at 3.8 x 3.2 x 3.7 inches and 0.8 pounds. The Logitech Circle 2 lives up to its name. It is a white, circular device that you can place indoors with its swivel mount or outdoors using the provided wall anchors. The company also sells optional mounts for your use.
Features
The Logitech Circle 2 delivers up to 1080 pixels full high-definition resolutions that use digital zoom to bring far-off objects closer. The camera also has a field of view of 180 degrees, which means that it can see everything in front of it. What’s more, you can pan and tilt your camera’s viewing angle to see things that it would not see otherwise.
With the automatic night vision, you can also see things in the dark and within 15 feet of your camera. And depending on the accessory that you choose, your camera can also detect movements and alert you when it senses something is moving. It is also dual band so that it does not have to compete with most devices that use the 2.4 GHz band. Your videos are all encrypted with AES, HTTPS, and TLS security. You would not have to worry about your video feeds being seen by other people.
Apart from all these, the wire-free version also has a rechargeable 6,400 mAh lithium-ion battery that powers the camera. There is a quick-release mechanism to make it easier for you to access it.
Easy setup
Put the camera together and download the Logi Circle mobile app on your iOS or Android device. You should pair it with your mobile device using Bluetooth. After this step, you should be able to control the camera using the app on your phone.
Status lights
The camera’s lights will change colors to let you know what it is doing. For instance, when you are pairing, the light shines blue and will change to white. The back unit also has a light that shines amber if the unit is charging, then green if the camera’s battery is already full. It will flash red if the battery is running low.
Smart integrations
You can use voice commands to operate the Logitech Circle 2. It works with Apple HomeKit, Google Assistant, and Amazon Alexa. You can also connect the Logitech Circle 2 to a Logitech Pop to switch your camera on and off or to start recording.
Logitech Circle Safe
Logitech Circle 2 comes with free 24-hour cloud storage that gives you unlimited live streaming and downloads. It will also give you a short time-lapse video that would show you your entire day. It will also give you smart notifications or alerts.
You can get Circle Safe subscriptions if 24 hours is not enough for you. You can get the Basic subscription for 14 days of cloud storage for $4 per month per camera, or $7 per month for up to five cameras under the Home option.
You can also get the Premium Plan for 31 days of storage, with person detect, motion zones and customizable time-lapse videos. This costs $10 per camera per month or around $18 for up to five cameras under the Home option.
Arlo Pro
Arlo used to be part of the multinational computer networking company Netgear, until it was spun off in August 2018. What can you expect from the Arlo Pro?
The Arlo Pro is a wire-free camera that gives you the flexibility to put it anywhere. You can also plug it in if you like. The security camera uses a rechargeable battery that lasts a long time. You will love how the Arlo Pro is able to withstand rain, shine, heat, or cold with its IP65 waterproof rating.
The camera allows you to see things in high definition, even during live streaming. It has an embedded microphone and speaker, allowing you to have two-way communication with people who are near the camera. The Arlo Pro offers a motion detector and night vision that lets you know when something is moving outside and lets you see things even in the dark.
You can connect a USB flash drive to your base station if you want to store your videos locally. However, for the most part, you can also rely on Arlo’s cloud services for storage. Furthermore, the Arlo Pro comes with a siren that is more than 100 decibels loud. The loud siren is triggered by either sound or movement.
Integrations
The Arlo Pro can be controlled with voice commands if you have either Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant. You can also use IFTTT recipes to make it work with other devices. It is compatible with Stringify, too.
Plans
Arlo Pro comes with free Basic service that gives you seven days’ worth of recordings. You get this at no cost for up to five cameras. However, there are some features that you would get by paying for cloud storage. There’s the Arlo Smart Add-on, which costs $2.99 per camera per month. This gives you the ability to get rich notifications for motion and audio alerts. It also allows you to set motion zones and setup person detection.
If you need bigger storage, you can get the Arlo Smart Premier for $10 and Arlo Smart Elite for $15. These packages give you up to 30 days and 60 days of cloud recordings, respectively.
How does the Arlo Pro compare to other security cameras?
Logitech Circle 2 vs. Arlo Pro: What’s the Difference?
Both the Logitech Circle 2 and the Arlo Pro have great cameras that give you an excellent way to keep an eye on your yard, room, or property. Where do these two cameras differ?
Where the Circle 2 wins
Whether you need a wired or wire-free camera, both the Arlo Pro and the Logitech Circle 2 can be an option for you. However, the Arlo Pro is more expensive. That is more expensive than the Circle 2. (Check out the latest rates here!)
What’s more, the Circle 2 has a wider field of view and higher camera resolution. The Arlo Pro only delivers 720p HD video, but the wired version of the Circle 2 can give you up to 1080p HD. It should be noted, however, that the wire-free Circle does not deliver full HD since this resolution is only possible when the camera is wired.
Moreover, the Circle 2 can have person detection and motion zone features, even if you have to pay $10 for it. Arlo Pro does not offer these features.
Lastly, if you have Apple HomeKit, then you should just choose the Circle 2.
Where the Arlo Pro wins
Circle 2 users complain about delays in receiving alerts, unlike the Arlo Pro, which sends out a warning in just five minutes. More than this, Arlo Pro has local storage options and a loud siren, thanks to its base station. The Arlo Pro may not support Apple HomeKit, but it works with IFTTT recipes.
The most significant advantage of going with Arlo Pro, however, is that it gives you seven days of free storage on the cloud. (Check out the latest rates here!)
A side-by-side comparison of Logitech Circle 2 and Arlo Pro
To make it easier for you to see the similarities and differences, here is a side-by-side comparison of Logitech Circle 2 and Arlo Pro:
| Model | Arlo Pro | Logitech Circle 2 Wired | Logitech Circle 2 Wire-free |
| Price | (Check out the latest rates here!) | (Check out the latest rates here!) | (Check out the latest rates here!) |
| Wired | Yes | Yes | No |
| Wire-free | Yes | No | Yes |
| Video quality (pixels) | 720 | 1080 | 720 |
| Field of view (degrees) | 130 | 180 | 180 |
| Local storage | Yes | No | No |
| Free cloud storage | 7 days | 24 hours | 24 hours |
| Person detection feature | N/A | $9.99 | $9.99 |
| Motion detection zones feature | N/A | $9.99 | $9.99 |
| Siren | Yes | No | No |
| Amazon Alexa | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Google Assistant | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Apple HomeKit | No | Yes | Yes |
| IFTTT | Yes | No | No |
Final Say
When it comes to features, the Logitech Circle 2 wins with person detection, motion detection, 180-degree field of view, and 1080p HD video resolution. However, it does experience some delays when alerting you. And the subscription plan is quite expensive.
Arlo Pro, on the other hand, offers excellent features that work really well. Plus, with its siren and local storage, you could easily forgive it for not having full HD resolutions.
Read here my Best HomeKit Compatible Smart Devices!
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