Josh Hendrickson
Amazon’s other security camera brand, Blink, has a new $35 Blink Mini camera for you. It’s low priced, easy to use, and hits all the basics that you need for a simple indoor camera. If that sounds a lot like Wyze’s business model, you wouldn’t be wrong. But the two cameras do have their differences.
The Blink Mini is a series of firsts for the Blink brand. It’s the first wired camera Blink has offered, the first to come in at less than $40, the first to offer 1080p video, and the first to charge for a cloud subscription.
For $35, you do get a lot, though. In addition to the 1080p resolution, the camera acts as a two-way radio, you also get a highly adjustable (and optional) stand, and you can pair with Alexa displays (like the Echo Show) to stream your video.
It’s all very similar to the $25 Wyze Cam, which clocks in at 1080p, includes a two-way radio, and even an adjustable stand. The stand is different, though. You can remove the Blink Mini’s stand while the Wyze Cam stand is permanent.
You’ll find differences in storage as well. Wyze offers free 14-day cloud storage of 12-second videos, an optional subscription for 14-day rolling capture, and a microSD card slot for local storage.
The Blink Mini, on the other hand, is a little more expensive. Until the end of 2020, you get free cloud storage, but after that, it will cost $3 a month per camera or $10 for unlimited cameras. You do get 60 days of storage, a significant step up from Wyze’s 14-day offering. You can’t use a microSD card for local recording though. Instead, you’ll have to purchase the Blink Sync Module 2 when it releases later this year.
The Blink Mini and the Wyze Cam offer comparable features for a similar price. We haven’t gone hands-on yet with the Blink Mini, but the choice may come down to which company you trust more, and how much the minor differences in price and features matter to you.
You can pre-order the Blink Mini now, and it will be available on April 15th, 2020.
