Why You Can Trust CNET Amazon's Newest Outdoor Blink Cameras Promise Better Battery Life and Range
The online megaretailer announces some new additions to the lineup of battery-powered Blink outdoor cameras, as well as a new Stick-Up Cam from Ring.
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The new Blink Outdoor 4 Floodlight Cam provides 700 lumens of motion-activated light.
Amazon's annual September showcase of new devices and services on Wednesday featured the usual mix of Echo, Eero and Fire TV gadgets, but there were also a couple of new cameras and accessories for the Blink and Ring lineups making their debut.
First, on the Blink side of things, comes a new $160 Blink Outdoor 4 Floodlight Camera with motion-activated security lighting, as well as a new battery extension pack for the existing Blink Outdoor 4 standalone cameras. That battery pack promises to extend the camera's battery life by up to four years for an upfront cost of $30. Both devices are available for preorder starting today and expected to ship later this year.
Coming in 2024, a Blink Battery Extension Pack attaches to the back of the Blink Outdoor 4 wireless camera to boost its battery life by up to four years.
Beyond that, Amazon also teased a new Blink Sync Module Pro that's slated for release next year at a price of $50. Add it to your setup, and it promises to extend the wireless range of your outdoor cameras significantly further than Wi-Fi, which might be useful if you have an especially large yard or property to keep an eye on.
On the Ring side of things, Amazon made sure to tout the arrival of the new indoor/outdoor Ring Stick-Up Cam Pro, available for preorder today at $180. The new wireless camera promises better audio from an improved array of mics, as well as smarter motion detection with refined alerts that only notify you when a person is detected within a specified area. You'll also be able to switch to a bird's-eye view of your property, with any detected paths of motion plotted out for you.
Hardware aside, Amazon also noted that new, Ring-specific Alexa routines are on their way to the Alexa app. Presets include routines that turn your lights on whenever your Ring Doorbell is rung, or whenever your Ring Alarm security system is disarmed. Alexa users can look for those features via software update later this fall.
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