Arlo Hoping to Make Arlo Essential for Everyone
Arlo is about to start selling its most budget-friendly outdoor camera, the Arlo Essential Spotlight Camera. With a price tag of $130, the battery-powered camera has 1080p HD video, 130-degreee field of view, two-way audio, color night vision, weather resistance, and integrated spotlight (as the name suggests). It also does not require Arlo’s base station, though it can be connected to one for consumers who already have an existing Arlo security system. Arlo Essential comes with a 3-month trail of Arlo Smart.
The NPD Take:
- In comparison to Arlo’s higher end cameras, the video quality is lower, the field of view is narrower, it doesn’t have local storage (unless paired with a base station), and is wire-free only. But Arlo Essential also comes in at a much lower price point than either the Arlo Ultra or Arlo Pro 3, or for that matter, the Arlo Pro 2. Arlo has clearly seen the writing on the wall (the wall that says lower cost brands like Wyze are gaining a lot of momentum), and is adjusting its product portfolio to appeal to a broader audience.
Google Forecasts Purple Rain
According to a variety of anonymous sources, a new Google Nest speaker is on the way. Not many specifics are known about the speaker except for its internal codename: Prince. So say the sources, this new speaker will probably act as a replacement for the mid-sized Google Home (which is, coincidentally, no longer available in the Google Store). The new speaker is supposed to be closer to the Sonos One, at least in terms of having larger speaker drivers. More affirmative is that the speaker will not have a display.
The NPD Take:
- While the Google Home Mini has received a second generation upgrade treatment, neither the Google Home or Google Home Max has, and have been on the market since 2016 and 2017, respectively. A refreshed mid-sized speaker should be welcome among Google Assistant fans looking for a speaker that also sounds good to play music as a speaker.
The Future Is Looking Bright
Leave the dark days behind. Signify (the brand behind Philips Hue) has announced a brighter 1600 lumen Philips Hue White A21 bulb…that is the equivalent of a 100W bulb – up from Philip’s existing A21 bulbs that mirrors a 60W bub. It will be available in July for the grand price of $19.99. The company also announced the Bluetooth-enabled Philips Hue Lightstrip Plus, Hue Bridge not necessary. Finally, Signify launched a new version of the Philips Hue Bloom table lamp, with a new finish and richer colors.
The NPD Take:
- As the market leader with a lot of brands (many of them lower cost) hungrily looking to take sales away, it is definitely in Signify’s best interest to keep the product portfolio fresh. Feit for example, already has a 1600 (color) bulb.