Blink Mini 2: The cheap security camera gets a bundle of upgrades!
One of the most popular smart home security cameras of recent years has been the Blink Mini, helped in no small part by its accessible price. It probably hasn't hurt that Amazon's ownership of Blink has ensured the camera regularly shows up prominently in deals, and is compatible with the popular Alexa assistant.
The Mini, though, has been strictly confined to the indoors until now, with other devices in Blink's range covering the outdoors. That is one of the things being fixed with this update – though the price is staying impressively low.
Aside from the option of outdoor use – with a weather-resistant power adapter – the new model boasts a wider field of view, at 143-degrees (beating 110), a built-in spotlight which enables color night view, and person detection (when a Blink subscription plan is in use). For followers of the brand, the person detection AI has previously been seen on the Blink Outdoor 4, which also boasts the same 143-degree field of view.
Just like its predecessor, it can be used to provide a live two-way talk feature from your phone to the camera using its built-in microphone and speaker. Video is still 1080P. It is capable of sending real-time alerts to your phone, and (by subscribing for $3/£2.50 a month) it can also manage person detection as well as more useful alerts.
Unlike the Blink Outdoor camera, it still requires power, and the camera costs more with a weather-resistant power adapter. You'll find different pricing options on (of course) Amazon. The curvy new design is available in black and white, but sadly is not compatible with the pan-and-tilt base for the Blink Mini. (Strangely enough, the other Amazon-owned security camera and doorbell company, Ring, released their own pan-and-tilt indoor camera today!)
While the Blink Mini 2 arrives at $39.99 / £34.99, the older Blink Mini remains on sale at $29.99 / £24.99.
(Blink Mini 2 on Amazon US, Blink Mini 2 on Amazon UK)
We've not tested it yet, but will this be one of our favourite indoor cameras?
