I thought the lighting would be improved, but sometimes the Essential (1st gen) model has better lighting than this camera. I was also able to compare it with the essential 3rd gen.

I have these at home and at my business. They are simple to set up, easy to use via the app and overall a good value for money. The only thing I wish, was a little longer battery life.

I got the 2 pack 2nd generation with solar panels in june. Hooked up one in our high traffic area and one in front of house. The one that gets used the most started having to be charged every other week. Solar panel could not keep up even though its mounted in direct evening sun. Camera finally stopped charging at all. Brought in house to use all chargers we could find to fit it. Its still dead as a doornail. Had it less than 6 months and i suppose we'll have to replace or move the other one to where this one is mounted.

So far these seem to work well, we haven't seen how the solar panels work yet. BE AWARE - we have a set of the Arlo Pro cameras with a base station and installing these Essential.cameras did an app software update that made these older cameras still on the system, but unable to do any adjustments or add them back in if you remove them from any list. So adding two new cameras has disabled most of our control of the majority of our security system. These cameras do not have removable batteries, so if you need to charge them because the solar won't, you have to dismount them from their mounts and take them inside for a few hours and remount the whole camera outside.

The Arlo Essential 2nd Generation cameras offer a high-resolution 2K entry point into the Arlo ecosystem. While the physical hardware and value are strong, users should be aware of the software limitations that come with the "Essential" branding compared to the Pro or Ultra lines. Hardware and Video Quality In terms of pure hardware, these cameras are impressive. The panels and cameras are good, providing a clear 2K HDR image that performs well in various lighting conditions. They are well-built for outdoor use and "work okay" for basic monitoring and recording needs. Feature Limitations: The "Essential" Trade-off The primary drawback of this model is the software restriction. These Essential cameras lack many basic features that Arlo users might expect from higher-tier models. Most notably: Restricted Mapping: The software offers limited flexibility in how you can define your view. Lack of No-Go Zones: It is not easy to set up specific activity or "no-go" zones with the Essential model. This can lead to more frequent false notifications since you can't easily exclude high-traffic areas like sidewalks or moving trees from the motion detection. Value for Money Despite the missing features, the price was good. For a 2-pack of 2K cameras, this set provides a budget-friendly way to secure your home. If you only need basic video surveillance and don't require complex zone mapping, this is a solid choice. Final Verdict The Arlo Essential 2nd Gen is a capable but stripped-back security solution. It delivers great video quality and a reliable build, but the restricted software features mean it isn't as customizable as other models in the Arlo lineup.

I bought this generation of cameras. The solar panel doesn't charge the camera. I have 4k with exchangeable batteries. Those charge great. Please stop selling this brand to upgrade your members to the good ones.

I own the spotlight camera (first generation) and this 2nd generation model…. The second generation is terrible at battery life. Even with the solar panel it has to be manually charged every few days. The first generation can go a month on a single charge without hooking the solar panels up. Either I was sent defective 2nd generation units (same defect in 2 units in a pack seems unlikely) or the 2nd generation simply isn’t as good. Also, the 2nd generation does not integrate with the google home nest system at all. The first generation does.

I bought the set of 2 on sale and only installed 1 after about 10 days of slowly discharging even while on the solar panel, I took it inside to charge and would not recharge at all, I tried different charges and cords to be for certain but in the end the device is faulty.

I've had Arlo cameras for a while with no problems, thought I'd add a couple more. Not compatible with my base station so now I am forced to be nickeled and dimed to death. I'll return them.

The camera night vision no longer works and customer service is useless. You either have to chat, request a call, or send them a message through their website. My credit card needs updated and I keep getting errors trying to update it using different browsers and the phone app. Spent an hour on chat only to have them request the "HAR" file, which I sent and then they said they didn't receive it and closed the case. New case opened three days ago, still no response. I notice their plans have doubled since I bought the camera, apparently others are saying they are purposely keeping people from updating their cards so that you will get cancelled and have to renew at a higher price.