Arlo Q vs Arlo Q Plus: Pros & Cons and Verdict

There are dozens of security camera manufacturers on the market that advertise their products as top-notch, functional and durable. Sadly, only a few of those companies can be trusted since the majority advertises poorly-built security cameras that are useless.

Arlo is a famous security camera manufacturer who released several best-selling and highly-rated products. Two of these devices are Arlo Q and Arlo Q Plus. These two are the best indoor security cameras with outstanding features and capabilities.

Arlo Q vs Arlo Q Plus: Pros & Cons and Verdict

In this comparison article, we’ll review, compare and evaluate the most important aspects of Arlo Q and Arlo Q Plus. Lastly, we’ll come up with a reasonable verdict and state which of these two is a better buy.

To make things even more interesting, we’ll present some detailed charts that’ll help you better understand how exactly Arlo Q and Q Plus differ.

1. Installation Process

Since these two are quite the same, the installation process of Arlo Q and Q Plus is no different. Smart home shoppers always look for devices that are easy to install and activate. The setup process for these kinds of smart home products should be straightforward and not require professional assistance.

Suggested Read: Arlo Pro vs Ring: Pros & Cons and Verdict

If Arlo Q and Arlo Q Plus required hours of intensive work to complete the setup process, it would be quite disappointing. So let’s find out if these two security cameras are easy to activate.

Instead of writing a step-by-step guide, I’ll drop an excellent installation guide that was uploaded by Arlo. It perfectly explains how to activate your security camera, and you’ll understand it in no time.

If this guide doesn’t seem to be enough, the package of your security camera will include a detailed guide that explains every step perfectly. Alternatively, you can reach out to Arlo’s support team. Those people are friendly and courteous and will help with anything you think is relevant.

2. Design

Regarding design, Arlo Q and Q Plus look identical. Even the dimensions (4.93 x 5.99 x 4.45 inches) are the same. Visually, Arlo didn’t feel a need to change the security camera. I own the Arlo Q and love the design.

I’ve also met other owners, and everyone seems to be happy with the looks of the security camera. Arlo Q and Q Plus are only available in the colour white. In the package of both, you’ll find a square metal bracket and four screws for wall mounting, if that’s your preference.

In case you’re interested how Arlo Q and Q Plus look, take a look at the picture above. Within the inner diamond of translucent white, there are ten infrared LED lights. Whenever the camera is connected, a blue light will shine to indicate that everything’s OK.

3. Features

When people decide to purchase a security camera, the decision will, to a large extent, be based on the device’s features and performance capabilities.

If Arlo Q and Arlo Q Plus weren’t able to meet our requirements, there would be no incentive to purchase. So that we can be informed about the main features – and hence the abilities – of Arlo Q and Arlo Q Plus, we’ve created a detailed chart that lists the features of both models.

 

ARLO Q	ARLO Q PLUS
Amazon Alexa/Echo Support	Amazon Alexa/Echo Support
Live Video 24/7	Night-Vision
Free 7-day Cloud Storage	Live Video 24/7
1080p HD Video	8x Zoom
Instant Alerts	1080p HD Video
Built-in Microphone	Free 7-day Cloud Storage
Web Application	Enhanced Sound and Motion Detection
Enhanced Sound and Motion Detection	Instant Alerts
Night-Vision	Web Application

So, the features of both security cameras are nearly the same. There’s only a slight difference between them, and we will discuss below how exactly Arlo Q and Q Plus differ.

4. Performance

Knowing the performance capabilities can be considered as the crucial aspect of our comparison article. We need to know if these two can perform at an acceptable level and meet our needs and expectations. If Arlo Q and Arlo Q Plus fail to do so, we must look for alternatives.

Arlo Q and Arlo Q Plus

The camera capabilities of both security cameras are outstanding. The 1080p records in clean quality and the colours of the image are close to reality. If you’re interested how well these two record, take a look at this:

We get a 130-degree field of view while watching the live feed. If you’d like to take a closer look, you can use the zoom feature. As for the night vision, it’s flawless. The only issue I had with it is the blurriness when someone briskly passes by.

The motion and sound detection of Arlo Q and Q Plus is terrific. Sadly, it can’t distinguish pets from people, but it still does an exceptional job detecting activity. Honestly, these two security cameras have the most advanced motion detection system we’ve tested.

Read: Arlo Q vs Nest Cam Indoor: Pros & Cons and Verdict

What I like about Arlo Q and Arlo Q Plus is the ability to set activity zones. It’s a useful feature that makes the security camera smarter and more focused. We’ve created a custom mode with specific activity zones, and, if you’re interested how it looks, take a look below.

The configuration was to make the security camera record and send alerts as soon as it detected activity. It turned out a success since both security cameras sent alerts instantly. We noticed that the Arlo Q Plus sends less false alarms compared to its predecessor. It seems the second-generation model is enhanced and free of all the bugs that were present in the first-generation model.

The motion sensor is powerful enough to monitor a range of 15 feet. If you feel that the motion sensor is too sensitive and regularly sends false alerts, you can adjust it so that the Arlo devices focus on less space.

The audio quality of both cameras is clear. While watching the live feed, you can hear people having conversations. And, if you listen carefully, it’s sometimes possible to hear discussions held in rooms nearby.

The two-way audio system of both Arlo Q and Arlo Q Plus is also high quality. You need to press the ‘Push-to-Talk’ icon to speak, and after releasing, you’ll be able to hear what others have to say.

Suggested Read: Arlo vs Arlo Pro: Pros & Cons and Verdict

Another cool thing about Arlo Q and Q Plus is that both offer seven days of FREE cloud storage. But don’t think of it as Arlo allowing you to store seven days of continuous video. Just the footage/clips that your security camera records will be saved in the cloud for seven days. As soon as a week has passed, Arlo will start removing the old clips and add new ones to the cloud.

If you think that seven days of free cloud storage isn’t enough for you, Arlo offers paid plans that offer better options. If you don’t like the idea of paying for a cloud storage, Arlo Q Plus provides an incredible opportunity. It has a built-in microSD slot that supports up to 128GB. That’s pretty useful since it grants the ability to record continuous video without any paid subscriptions.

5. Mobile Application

Since these two share the mobile application, let’s talk about it. Today, it’s essential for a smart home device to have a functional mobile app since we use it quite often to navigate, control and monitor our security cameras.

If Arlo’s mobile application is useless, buggy and messy, the user experience will be low, and people will start looking for alternatives. So we need to make sure that Arlo’s mobile app is functional and easy to use.

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While Arlo’s mobile app isn’t my favourite, it is one of the best. I’ve rarely heard of people reporting it being buggy or messy. Still, there have been cases when Arlo’s app refused to load or unexpectedly froze. Luckily, the latest updates have solved the majority of the issues, and since then, I’ve never heard a single complaint.

If you don’t know how the app looks on the inside, take a look at the screens uploaded below:

So there are three main sections – Mode, Devices, and Library. Before we move forward, let’s find out the purpose of those sections.

• Mode – There are three main modes – Armed, Disarmed and Geofencing. For instance, whenever Arlo is in ‘Armed’ mode and detects activity, it’ll record a 5-second clip and will send a notification to your smartphone.
• Devices – The section shows all of our Arlo devices with their current statuses and connectivity.
• Library – In the library, you can locate all the recorded clips and review the ones you want.

Before we move forward, let’s find out what the geofencing mode does. It’s still in beta mode but works pretty well. Geofencing tracks your phone’s location and acts whenever it sees fit. For instance, if Arlo detects that you’ve left home, it’ll automatically go into ‘Armed’ mode so that it doesn’t miss any unusual activity.

Arlo’s mobile application allows you to control up to 15 connected devices. You can also use the 2-way audio feature from the app and talk with whoever is home. The scheduling feature of Arlo is nice, but lots of buyers reported it as being confusing. So if you find it hard and can’t find enough time to read and watch all the guides, activate the geofencing feature and Arlo will automate everything.

Also Read: Piper vs Canary: Pros & Cons and Verdict

In brief, the mobile application of Arlo Q and Arlo Q Plus is nearly perfect. It never lags, bugs, freezes or crashes. It’s intuitive, easy to use and has lots of features and capabilities. Besides, it also has a lot of potential for upgrades.

6. Advantages and Disadvantages

What we need to write about next is the pros and cons of Arlo Q and Arlo Q Plus. These two security cameras are well-known for being quality, reliable and durable devices. We need to know if there are any significant flaws to avoid misunderstandings prior to purchase.

Arlo Q

PROS	CONS
Flexible Mobile Application	No Local Storage
Sharp Night Vision	No Ethernet
1080p HD Recording	Single-User Mobile Application
Smart Alerts	Difficult Custom Zones Setup
Different Modes
130° Field of View
Motion & Sound Alerts
Activity Zones
Clip History
7 Day FREE Cloud Storage	Purchase Arlo Q

Arlo Q Plus

PROS	CONS
Two-Way Audio	Single-User Mobile Application
1080p HD Video	Difficult Custom Zones Setup
130° Field of View
Flexible Mobile Application
Night-Vision
Ethernet
Built-in microSD
Motion & Sound Sensors
Activity Zones
Enhanced Motion Detection	Purchase Arlo Q Plus

So both security cameras have nearly identical advantages and disadvantages. Arlo Q and Arlo Q Plus are top-notch devices with amazing pros and just a few cons. The only drawback of Arlo Q I’d love to change is to upgrade it to have the built-in microSD.

7. Support

When people purchase smart devices, sometimes they have a hard time understanding how to complete certain steps. When they fail to find answers on their own, the remaining option is to reach out to the support teams.

Luckily, Arlo’s customer care area is well-known for being superb.

So, should you feel stumped by anything, feel free to reach out to Arlo’s customer care. I’ve called them a few times and always received professional answers and tips.

Arlo Q Review: Key Takeaway

Before concluding our comparison article, we’d like to list the key features of both security cameras for you to know which one takes the top spot. In this part of our article, we’ll list the primary and crucial features of Arlo Q.

• Video Quality – The 1080p camera of Arlo Q is outstanding. It captures perfect images, and the zooming feature is stunning. Arlo records clean videos both day and night. We’ve only encountered blurry images when someone passes by pretty fast.
• Motion and Sound Sensors – Arlo Q has enhanced motion sensors that are sensitive and catch any activity happening in its field of view. In case you feel that the security camera is sending a lot of false alerts, adjust the sensitivity levels so that it becomes more human activity oriented.
• Free Cloud Storage – Arlo is kind enough to allow seven days of free cloud storage. After the week passes, those recorded clips will disappear, and new ones will appear instead.
• Integrations – Arlo Q is third-party integration friendly and works with big names like Amazon Alexa, IFTTT, SmartThings, and Wink.
• Two-Way Audio – The two-way audio feature of Arlo Q is a bit problematic. There were cases when people couldn’t hear our voice, and the issue is proven to occur quite often.

So that’s the main takeaway for Arlo Q security camera. It’s a capable product that exceeds the majority of its competitors. Arlo Q is a reliable security camera that is durable, functional and competitive. If you want an excellent indoor security camera, Arlo Q can meet your needs.

Arlo Q Plus Review: Key Takeaway

We also need to find out the primary capabilities of Arlo Q Plus. The newer version of the Arlo Q is proven to be more reliable, functional and durable. The features of Arlo Q Plus exceeds its predecessor, and as people claim, Arlo fixed the majority of bugs presented in the previous model. So let’s find out how precisely the Plus model has improved.

• Built-in MicroSD – One of the main improvements of Arlo Q Plus is the introduction of the MicroSD. Unlike other security cameras, the Q Plus has local storage. In other words, you don’t need to purchase the subscription plan. With the 128GB MicroSD, you can store a lot of recorded clips there.
• Ethernet Power – While Arlo Q Plus isn’t a wireless security camera, besides powering it with an AC, by plugging an Ethernet cable to Q Plus, you can get rid of the power cord. So that’s a huge plus.
• Motion and Sound Sensors – The sensors of Arlo Q Plus are slightly enhanced. When we tested the security camera in action, we didn’t see any noticeable differences. It works a bit better, but there’s nothing special about it.
• Two-Way Audio – The two-way audio of Arlo Q was buggy. Luckily, the Q Plus’ two-way audio works much better. We’ve rarely had problems with it.

Arlo Q and Arlo Q Plus integrate with the same third-party devices. So don’t be scared of Arlo Q Plus being less integration friendly. If we compare these two models, Q Plus exceeds its predecessor in some aspects, but there aren’t any significant improvements.

8. Comparison Chart: Arlo Q vs Arlo Q Plus

Before concluding our article, the last thing we want to present is a detailed chart where we compare these two products in every critical aspect. 

NAME OF THE SECURITY CAMERA	ARLO Q	ARLO Q PLUS
Security Camera Name	Arlo Q	Arlo Q Plus
Video Quality	1080p HD	1080p HD
Field of View	130°	130°
Mobile Application	Yes	Yes
Night Vision	Yes	Yes
Motion Detection	Yes	Yes
Intelligent Alerts	No	Yes
Audio Capabilities	Yes	Yes
Live Stream	Yes	Yes
Third-Party Friendliness	High	High
Easy to Set Up	Yes	Yes
Notifications on Phone	Yes	Yes
Dimensions Of The Product	4.93 x 5.99 x 4.45 inches	4.93 x 5.99 x 4.45 inches
Problems	Buggy Audio Capabilities	Nothing
Unique Feature	None	Built-in MicroSD & Ethernet
Warranty	1-year	1-year
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This chart proves that Arlo Q and Q Plus share the majority of the features and there’s a minor difference between them. The only upgrade Arlo Q Plus had was the Ethernet and a built-in MicroSD. Plus, a few bug fixes.

The Bottom Line

If you already own the Arlo Q, the only reason for you to upgrade is the built-in MicroSD. If this feature doesn’t mean a lot to you, there’s no reason for you to purchase the Q Plus.

If you don’t own either of these security cameras, getting the Arlo Q Plus is a better option since the MicroSD offers quite a lot of storage and you can use it effectively. Plus, you can save some money on subscriptions, and that’s a nice thing.

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As for the rest, Arlo Q and Arlo Q Plus are the same. There’s minimal change in terms of capabilities and Q Plus doesn’t offer any enhanced features (just minor bug fixes). So before upgrading or purchasing either of these two, make sure it meets your needs and requirements.