Blink and you’re Home
With this being one of the latest products to come onto the UK smart doorbell market, we think this Blink model is going to be extremely popular. Not just because it’s designed to be a companion to Alexa and Amazon’s other compatible products and services, but also, because it’s the cheapest by some margin.
Amazon has gone with standard AA batteries to power the Blink (you can use rechargeable), making switching them out/recharging them when flat, no harder than operating a remote control (now Amazon claims a 2-year life from a pair of AA batteries, hmmm).
Installation is super easy and involves screwing the backplate to a suitable location, syncing the Blink doorbell with the Blink SmartHome app, and connecting the (if purchased).
This module allows you to save video clips from the doorbell to the app, or store them locally on a USB flash drive.
The system could be more seamless, and if you want to save videos to the cloud you’ll need the Blink Subscription Plan (from £2.50 a month per device – for the Basic Plan. Or from £8.00 a month for the Plus Plan – all your devices).
For more ecosystem connectivity, you can use a Blink Mini camera as an additional indoor chime and also can install the Blink SmartHome app on an Amazon Echo device to enable Doorbell announcements.
The Blink doorbell itself works well, with the obvious button and surrounding light making it easy for visitors to use it, even at night.
The app is decent, if not a little laggy when the button is pressed, and the audio quality is ok rather than fantastic. Two-way audio works reasonably well, though, and the video quality is solid too.
We like the Sync Module as an alternative to a subscription, and being able to connect to other Alexa devices will be a major draw for many, as is the low price point.
For an even lower upfront cost, you can buy the doorbell without the Sync Module for under £60 – just bear in mind you’ll need the subscription plan for video storage.
Technical Spec
• Type (battery or wired): Battery
• Video resolution: Full HD, 1920 x 1080 pixels
• Field of view: 135 degrees horizontal
• Two-way talk: Yes
• Motion detection: Yes
• Night vision: Yes
• Voice assistants: Amazon Alexa
• Dimensions: 13 x 4.2 x 3.4 cm
• Weight: 91g