The Blink XT2 is now on sale in the UK: Save 22% right now
More efficient, two-way audio and cheaper. What’s not to like?
I’ve reviewed a lot of smart security cameras for Expert Reviews, and I personally feel that Amazon’s Blink XT has the right balance between features and price. An outdoor camera with free cloud storage and long-lasting battery for £150 seemed like a pretty good deal when I wrote the review.
Now, though? Not so much. Because Amazon has just released the Blink XT2 in the UK and, like the second generation of Kindle and Echo, it’s seen a price cut despite its extra features. The Blink XT2 is available now, priced £90 for a single camera, or £100 for a camera plus the (required) sync module.
That’s a competitive price, considering the improvements. Amazon claims that the new camera can record up to 80,000 seconds of video on a single set of AA lithium-ion batteries, which is twice as much as the old model. Just over 22 hours, in fact, but Amazon says that the two-year battery remains unchanged. So presumably the default clip length has doubled to ten seconds.
Also new: two-way audio, meaning that if you spot an intruder you can use the included microphone to question them about what the hell they think they’re doing. Or just scare them off. Amazon also says the new version of Blink includes “enhanced motion detection” with “customisable micro-activity zones” to reduce false alerts.
Blink XT2 has been out in the United States since May, but had a bumpy introduction with Amazon temporarily pulling the device from sale after mixed reviews. Apparently critical reviewers had the company contacting them directly about issues, with software updates subsequently knocking issues on the head, one at a time.
Hopefully its release in the UK means that all the problems are resolved and it’s ready for showtime. We’ll know for sure when we get our units in for review.
Buy now from Amazon