So I buy an Arlo for its outdoor wireless capabilities

[Fredbloggo]

Great a wireless camera I can use outside. Good reviews so I buy one.
Oops. Activity zones don’t work. That’s no good. It’s outside and I want my door, not the cars going by.
I need a power supply. Cool. Arlo has a solution. There’s a solar panel available. Not cheap but hey, that’ll do the job.
Install it. Still no activity zone feature. Still need wired power. Never said that on the tin either.
Then I find Arlo now has a plan I can purchase that does offer activity zone analysis. Hmmmnnnn. Feels like Arlo keeps taking a bigger share of my wallet. Well, not for much longer guys. It’s going on eBay tomorrow and I’ll get a more customer friendly product

[steve_t]

Sorry to hear your expectations weren't met. I hope Arlo will make it even more clear that Activity Zones are only available when the AC power adapter is used. The solar panel doesn't cut it. I guess they expect people to realize that a solar panel doesn't provide constant power.

Arlo Smart is different to Activity Zones but as many people are finding, the batteries will still drain quickly if the camera is in a  high traffic area. The video is recorded and sent to the Arlo servers for analysis BUT they only appear in your library or give you a notification if they meet the criteria you set. IMO Arlo Smart basically needs AC power as well because users will get it because of high traffic areas. I guess this is where the solar panel can be useful.

Anyway, sounds like you'll be best off with a wired solution or at least wired for power and transitting over wifi. Happy shopping