Reolink Argus 4 Pro Review

About the Reolink Argus 4 Pro

• Resolution: 5120 x 1440 pixels
• Field of view: 180 degrees (horizontal), 50 degrees (vertical
• Connectivity: Wi-Fi 6 (2.5GHz and 5GHz), Bluetooth 5.0
• Power source: Built-in battery, Reolink Solar Panel 2
• Audio: Two-way audio
• Smart home support: Google Home, Amazon Alexa
• Color: White
• Dimensions: 6 x 4.5 x 3.1 inches
• Weight: 14.1 oz.
• Price: $219.99

The camera is only available in one variant—it comes in white, and at the time of this writing, I could only find the camera sold with the solar panel. Reolink may sell the camera on its own at some point, though. The Amazon listing makes the Reolink Argus 4 and Argus 4 Pro seem like different variants of the same camera. The difference is that the Argus 4 uses infrared technology for its night vision and has a smaller sensor with a smaller aperture. The Argus 4 Pro uses powerful spotlights for color night vision and has a larger sensor. The standard Argus 4 costs $189.99.

The Argus 4 Pro comes with all the accessories you would need to mount both the camera and the solar panel to a wall, including articulating bases, screws, cable management, and more.

What we like

It offers a wide-angle, high-quality image

The significant advantage of this camera over others is the broad field of view; indeed, the camera delivers a very wide image. It was far wider than I would ever need for my home now, but I can imagine it coming in handy when placed in the center of a large backyard, for example. It was wide enough to save images to the iPhone through the camera, which was labeled as a panorama. Really, most people won’t need this camera—the average user who wants to track activity on their driveway or medium-sized backyard will be able to get by perfectly fine with a more traditional camera. But it’s nice that there’s an option for a camera with such a wide field of view.

However, I do wish that the vertical field of view was a little wider. At 50 degrees, the camera wasn’t great at catching things immediately above or below it. That’s worth considering, considering that the camera is built to cover large properties.

The camera doesn’t just have a wide image but also a high–quality one. The resolution sits at 5120 x 1440 and is crisp enough for a detailed image. When viewing the camera feed, you can choose between two resolutions and notice a difference in the higher-resolution mode. And, given the vast field of view, you’ll likely pinch to zoom at times, which can make the higher resolution helpful. The colors seemed vibrant and mostly accurate, though highlights could look slightly washed out.

As mentioned, this camera has a color night vision thanks to the built-in spotlights that can illuminate the environment. The color night vision looked good, but it really only worked for things close to the camera, as the lights weren’t powerful enough to light up objects in the distance. Thankfully, the camera also has an infrared night vision for those details.

The Reolink solar panel allows for continuous power

My permanently installed security cameras, which I use because they support HomeKit Secure Video, are battery-powered—and charging them once a month or so is a bit of a pain, especially considering it requires using a ladder to access them. Reolink fixes this issue by selling the camera with a solar panel that can continuously power it, so you never have to worry about charging the camera or figuring out a way to permanently wire the camera in.

The solar panel is a bit of an eyesore, and it’s noticeable when you mount it to a wall, considering how far it sticks out. However, its convenience is pretty helpful, and if you don’t mind the look of it, you’ll be able to constantly power your camera without worrying about extra wiring. If I were to use the camera permanently, I would have installed the solar panel. I tested the solar panel to ensure it worked properly but didn’t have it attached for much of the testing.

The Reolink app is easy to use

The Reolink app is a little clunky and dated in terms of design, but it’s easy to use and works quite well. The app’s home screen shows a snapshot of each Reolink camera you have connected, and from there, you can dive into the settings of each camera or see a live feed by tapping on the snapshot.

There’s a menu button on the top right, but you probably won’t need to press it much. It’s full of options like “deals” and “user feedback” that you won’t need to use unless you’re explicitly looking for a new camera. The most helpful menu item is the “Expand My System” option, which you’ll use to set up a new camera. There’s also a “Settings” option, but that’s used to access global account settings and notification settings—with actual camera settings accessible when you tap on individual cameras on the home screen.

The camera settings are detailed enough. The Argus 4 Pro supports two video streaming resolutions (the lower-resolution setting is helpful for poor networks and doesn’t impact the resolution at which footage is recorded), alarms, variable motion sensitivity, and more. You can also set up motion zones like any modern, high-end security camera.

It has local storage support

One of the most helpful things about this camera is that you don’t have to rely on cloud storage for recorded footage if you want. Instead, the camera supports both basic and more advanced local recording options.

For starters, a MicroSD card slot is built directly into the camera, which can store footage when the camera detects motion. Beyond that, the camera supports FTP uploads, so the nerdier users, like me, can have the camera storage footage on your cloud service or network-attached storage. Handy! You can also pair the camera with a Reolink hub and store footage. The Reolink hub has expandable storage, so it might be a good option for those who don’t want to rely on a built-in MicroSD card but don’t want to set up an FTP connection.

These features would be relatively easy for other companies to implement, but there’s an apparent reason that they don’t—they want you to subscribe to their cloud services. Reolink also offers cloud storage, starting at $5.99 per month. However, it’s nice that you don’t have to subscribe to get extra features out of the camera if you don’t want to.

What we don’t like

It has limited smart home support

One of the most significant trade-offs of using a Reolink camera is the limited smart home support. The Reolink Argus 4 Pro works with Google Home and Amazon Alexa, which isn’t bad—but there’s no Apple HomeKit or Matter support.

You can add the camera to your setup if you use Google Home or Amazon Alexa, but otherwise, you can only control it through the Reolink app.

A little expensive

The Reolink Argus 4 Pro isn’t unreasonably expensive, but it’s certainly not cheap. Given the features on offer, it’s worth the cost, especially for the right buyer. But that doesn’t take away from the fact that spending $200+ on a security camera can sting a little.

Should I buy the Reolink Argus 4 Pro?

Yes, if you need a security camera with a wide field-of-view

The Reolink Argus 4 Pro fits a specific need—it offers a wide field of view thanks to two camera sensors that are seamlessly stitched together. If you need a camera to see more of your yard or driveway, it’s an excellent option, especially if you don’t mind using the app or Google Home and Amazon Alexa for your smart home devices. If you don’t need that wide field of view, then it’s not worth going for this camera—it’s overkill for those who don’t need to see more of their property.