Arlo Q Plus vs Essential for indoor use

[jdbrown]

Hi everyone. I have an Arlo video doorbell and three Pro 3's outside. I want to add one or two indoor cameras, so I assumed the Q Plus would be the best option. From the reading I've done, I am now wondering if I should not just get Essentials? They are cheaper and will use the hub, so everything is still integrated (I had initially assumed Q would use the hub). Is there any downside to this or any reason why Q Plus would be better for me? Thanks for your feedback.

Darren

[jguerdat]

You pretty much need to wait for it to be available for real world reports. However, one thing to remember is that the Q+ can use Ethernet, if that's important. Otherwise, newer is likely better, especially if some the new camera's features are more important.

[jdbrown]

Thanks @jguerdat for the quick reply. I did not realize the Q+ was so new. PoE aside, I guess my question could apply to the Q instead. I put Q+ because it's cheaper than the Q right now, so with form factor and most functionality being pretty much equal, I figured I would not pay more for the Q.

With that, I think my deciding questions are more around app integration. As I understand it, the Q does use the same Arlo iPhone app, however it has 7 day free cloud storage. So is the same Library section of the app used to view cloud storage? That is, Q videos will appear the same as my doorbell and Pro 3 cams in the app; except they will only stay for 7 days and do not count as one of the "up to 5 cameras" in my Premier Smart Plan? Thanks again.

[jguerdat · Accepted solution]

The Q+ is only slightly newer than the original Q. That makes them both old in computer years.

All videos will show up along with any other cameras' videos as long as you have a subscription for those that need it (the Essential cameras do need one). The Q or Q+ would not count against your Premier plan since it's a grandfathered device. So, yes, your supposition is correct.