Keeping eyes on your home typically needs a security camera, but they can be costly. Blink’s alternative isn’t, and that could be a way to bring more folks into the Amazon hardware fold.
Like so many gadgets, internet-connected security cameras typically follow a familiar design and approach regardless of who makes them: a small-ish camera either wired or wireless with a USB rechargeable battery that sends its data to the cloud.
They come in all sorts of shapes and sizes, and some may require their own specific hub, but the ideas are roughly the same. Very few manufacturers think outside the box when it comes to designing and building gadgets.
A security company owned by Amazon could well fit into that box-less category, however, and it’s one launching in Australia this week.
Blink has launched two products locally, as its fourth-generation Outdoor camera arrives, as well as its second-generation Mini camera, each of which do things just a little bit different.
On the one hand, there’s the Blink Outdoor 4, a small weather resistant camera with up to two years of battery life that runs on two AA batteries. That last part makes for a unique feature for a security camera, as replaceable batteries typically aren’t the common store-bought variety style.
However, the Outdoor 4 has that, and also some other features you mightn’t expect a battery-operated camera to have. It includes 1080p Full HD video, motion detection, night video, and two-way audio to talk through the camera.
It also comes with an extra gadget, the Blink Sync Module 2, which allows the Outdoor 4 to have its clips stored on a USB drive plugged into the Module, as opposed to just uploaded to the cloud.
Priced at $149 for one and available in a pack of two, three, or five, the Outdoor 4 appears to be going for price and features, and it’s not the only one.
The Blink Mini 2 will skip the batteries and be wired only, but comes with Full HD video, night mode, two-way audio, and motion detection in a $69 camera. It also sports weather resistance, but needs a water resistant power supply, which costs $19 extra.
“We know that Aussies want to invest in home security products but that cost-of-living pressures are impacting us all. We’re thrilled to launch Blink in Australia and New Zealand, bringing our customers more feature-packed options at incredible value,” said Mark Fletcher, Managing Director for Blink in the APAC region.
They’re clearly different from Amazon’s other security cameras, the Ring doorbells, which also offers security cameras, differing heavily on price.
Both Blink cameras definitely sit on the inexpensive side for security cameras, though will likely need a Blink plan, with both a basic and plus variety available from $5 per month or from $49 per year, so you might want to factor that into the overall cost.
The plans provide cloud storage for videos, and open up other features, such as person detection, as well as an automated way to turn videos into a small story called “Blink Moments”.
The Blink cameras are available now from Amazon and Bunnings across Australia.
