Amazon's Blink Outdoor 4 Cam Is One of the Easiest Setups We've Found - CNET

When I find a new Blink home security camera to test (like the Blink Mini 2), I know I'm in for swift installation process. Blink has streamlined cam setup and installation better than nearly any other brand, thanks to a few stand-out features. And with Amazon's 2024 Big Spring Sale going on, you can find one of the best models, the Blink Outdoor 4, for more than 30% off.

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The Blink app itself is an effective example of great UI design and how it can make the setup experience so much better. The app fits a large number of settings in a small space without disorienting the user. Everything from sliders to control motion detection to flipping spotlights on and off is just a couple taps away. 

The setup walkthrough is simple and speedy -- as long as you know your Wi-Fi password off the top of your head (or from your password manager), it takes only a few minutes. The features are intuitive enough that I always have a good idea where to find a setting, which is very helpful when putting a camera through its paces for a review or recommendation.

Blink's app is easy to use and filled with quick settings adjustments.

Blink's Outdoor cams shine for an additional reason: Its AA lithium batteries are rated for up to two years, so depending on the frequency of activation they can last a very long time. That makes their wireless approach a nice choice for home-havers who may want to put their cams in unconventional locations and really don't want to worry about recharging a battery every month.

The Blink Outdoor 4 has a number of camera features I like to see, including night vision, two-way audio and motion detection zones. As an Amazon brand, it works very well with Alexa (although not with much else), and if you want to spend extra on a Sync Module 2 the cam supports local storage. As is common, some great features like person recognition or cloud storage are locked behind a subscription, but Blink's fees are particularly low, starting at $3 a month. That's a pretty strong price-to-feature ratio if you don't mind a subscription model.