Arlo Smart Plans & Questions About Upgrading

[EzlosCap]

Hi All, I have an old Arlo system (before even the pro models came out) and I've been looking into upgrading the system. I like Arlo and would like to stick with them, but a few questions have come up.

1. With my current system, we get 7 days recording to the cloud. This appears to be a paid option now, but I can't get confirmation? I can't make heads or tails of this, so if I upgraded would I have to pay for the $100 annual plan (I have 5 cameras) to be able to view back 7 days? Is there still a free plan that I'm missing?

2. What is the battery life really like in cold weather? With my current system, the cameras boasted a good battery life, but when cold weather hits (and this is in the documentation) the battery life drastically decreases. 3-4 months of battery became 3-4 weeks, if I was lucky. We purchased the rechargables from Tenergy, which has helped decrease the cost significantly, but we still only get about a week or two per charge and in the cold months, and it's a pain to get up on a ladder. I'd like to reduce that as much as possible which brings me to my next question.

3. How well do the solar panels work? I'm thinking this would be the best option for me as 3 of my 5 camera locations are directed to the east, the other two are north and south respectfully. Just want to see what people have experienced on them to see if I should justify spending the extra money on them.
4. How well do the updated cameras work at the edge of the wifi, and what does that do to the battery life? My home is mostly brick, and because of this the wifi penetration is iffy at best. I have one camera currently that is at the furthest reaches of the signal, and I haven't had any problem with as far as connectivity. I was wondering if the signal strength is boosted on newer models or if this would be similar as far as connectivity is concerned. The only issue I have with that camera is that the notifications take a bit longer to get to me than the other cameras.

5. And I think this is my last question. What are you personal thoughts on how your system works: Are there any features you have trouble with (I'm an Android and Windows user without Smart Home connectivity) that you would suggest one version of the system vs another? I'm sure the Ultra, while top of the line, is great, but can I get away with something a little older to maintain my system during the upgrade?

Thank you in advance for taking time to respond to my questions. Hope to hear from you soon.

[TomMac]

1) 7 days and total 5 cameras are still free, The Smart option is the extra

2) cold does effect battery usage life as you found out

3) solar panels only work on the Pro/Pro2 models not the original Arlo

4) newer Pro and Pro2 have about the same signal range... have found the newer bases to have slighty better range, maybe just internal antenna changes, it will prob be about the same as older base

5) The system ( and I run some older Arlos too ) runs fairly well, tho will say in the past couple of app releases there have been a bunch of issues... I use mostly the web / firefox for all my programing/settings and really just use android for arming/disarm so I have very few issues overall. ( also run iOS on an older iPad, but that hasn't updated the app as it's on 9.3.5 OS.. funny I find that older app very stable )

[Flex1493]

Hey guys I looked at your question about your upgrade and I was curious because I am considering buying the system but I’m so confused about the competition that’s out there and also between the old model and the new one I also know that for 2019 there is 4K coming out I’m sure it’s going to affect the battery life to some degree not to mention the price I really think the system is a little pricey but I like the simple set up that most people talk about before I pull the trigger to buy this do you guys have any advice before I d hey guys I looked at your question about your upgrade and I was curious because I am considering buying the system but I’m so confused about the competition that’s out there and also between the old model and the new one I also know that for 2019 there is 4K coming out I’m sure it’s going to affect the battery life to some degree not to mention the price I really think the system is a little pricey but I like the simple set up that most people talk about before I pull the trigger to buy this do you guys have any advice before I do Thanks for any help and advice