Amazon has released the latest generation of the affordable blink outdoor security camera as a replacement for the highly successful previous generation of Blink. How well can Blink outdoor camera replace the very popular but much more expensive Arlo? Read here Blink vs Arlo security camera.
Blink Outdoor 3rd G
Blink outdoor camera is the 3rd generation of Blink outdoor security camera, the next generation of the previous Blink xt2 camera.
It seems that Amazon no longer displays your choice of blink xt2 when you search on the Amazon website and will display Blink outdoor (latest generation) as your choice of blink camera. Besides that, you also get a choice of blink indoor and blink mini indoor.
From the physical appearance of blink outdoor 3rd G, it is slightly different with the previous Blink xt2. If on xt2 you can see the PIR sensor clearly located under the camera lens, in the new version the PIR sensor is located above the camera lens and is protected by a plastic cover.
See also Blink xt2 vs Amcrest wire-free camera
Blink xt2 vs Blink Outdoor 3rd G
Basically not much different between the blink xt2 and the latest blink outdoor (3rd g). However, you will find new regulation in the way you opt to subscribe the cloud storage. See more details about cloud storage plan.
With xt2 you can either use blink sync module 1 or module 2, but with latest blink outdoor camera you need to connect to sync module 2. With sync module 2 you can connect USB 2.0 or USB 3.0 flash disk for local memory video clips footage instead of cloud storage. You can compare later with Arlo pro 4 which connect direct to your home wifi network, no hub needed.
Table 1. Blink xt2 vs Blink Outdoor 3rd G
| Blink Model | Blink XT2 (2nd generation) released 2019 | Blink Outdoor Camera (3rd generation) |
| Recording resolution | 1080p @30 fps full HD | 1080p up to @30 fps |
| Field of view angle | 110 degree | 110 degree diagonal |
| PIR Sensor | IR PIR Sensor with adjustable sensitivity; range up to 20 ft Located under the camera lens | IR PIR Sensor with adjustable sensitivity; range 6~20 ft (2~6m) Located above camera lens, covered by plastic cover. |
| Night vision | PIR sensor with IR LED | IR Night vision with PIR sensor |
| Power | Two AA 1.5V Lithium batteries – non rechargeable battery | 2x AA 1.5V lithium metal (non-rechargeable) batteries Sync Module 2 power: 100-220V AC to 5V DC converter included |
| Processor | Immedia Proprietary – AC1002B, 4 cores / 200MHz | Immedia Proprietary – AC1002B, 4 cores / 200 MHz |
| Need hub | Sync Module 1 / Module 2, can manage up to 10 cameras | Sync module 2 up to 10 cameras – managed by Blink app |
| Storage | Free cloud storage (used to be), since this xt2 is likely discontinued product and is replaced with Blink Outdoor, Blink Indoor | Cloud storage plan; Locally to Blink Sync Module 2 with a USB flash drive up to 256GB USB 2.0 / USB 3.0 |
| Outdoor | Yes, Indoor / outdoor with IP65 | Yes, IP65 rated weatherproof |
| Dimension | 71 mm x 71 mm x 34 mm | 71 mm x 71 mm x 31 mm |
| Weight | 4 oz (with 2 AA Lithium batteries) | 4 oz (with 2 AA Lithium batteries) |
Now, how good this blink outdoor camera is compared with new model of Arlo Pro 4 wire-free camera?
Blink vs Arlo
Arlo released the latest model of Arlo Pro 4 wire-free camera. Unlike the previous model Arlo Pro 3 which still requires Arlo Smarthub, this Pro 4 doesn’t need to connect to Smarthub. It can connect direct to your existing wifi network, even though it can also connect to your smarthub with USB disk for local storage.
You can use table 2 below as a reference for Blink vs Arlo spec comparison.
Probably some folks comment that comparing Blink and Arlo is a far and useless comparison. The consideration is whether the specs and features difference that is quiet far between the two products can be compensated for by the large price difference.
The camera difference
Judging from the detailed images of the two cameras is different; Arlo provides a resolution that is twice as high as blink. The higher the camera resolution, the more detailed the image performance is displayed. And if you zoom in via your Smartphone, the 2k camera resolution will still be sharper than a full HD camera.
Besides that, the Arlo uses very wide angle lens up to 160 degrees covering larger area compared to blink outdoor which is only 110 degrees. However, with a 160 degree view angle, the video display is slightly curved, except for the object of the person that becomes point of attention still looks normal.
Night vision
In dark condition both cameras use IR LEDs to render black and white night vision. Arlo comes with spotlight and when it turns on can illuminate surrounding and render color night vision. Even in ambient light Arlo still gives you color night vision.
Power
One more major difference from the blink vs arlo is the battery power to provide power to each camera. Blink outdoor camera only requires two AA batteries which can last up to two years in minimum use. It is very practical if in the blink app on your Smartphone you see that the battery notation has run out, then you can buy two new AA batteries that are widely sold in retail stores. While Arlo uses rechargeable batteries, in time these batteries can also be damaged and need to be replaced. However in normal use you can recharge the battery when it runs out.
Storage
This new generation of Arlo pro 4 does not require a Smarthub like the arlo pro 3 do, so it can connect directly to your wifi network at home. However, Arlo doesn’t have local memory storage to store video footage event snapshots so you can’t review footage that you haven’t seen yet. For that you need cloud storage with a paid Arlo secure plan.
When you compare to blink outdoor, blink cannot connect directly to the wifi network at home except through Blink sync module 2 which is already in one purchase kit. You can add a USB flash disk to the sync module and make it local as local memory storage so you don’t need to subscribe to cloud storage. However, with the blink subscription plan there are many richer features including motion detection video recording, rapid video access, video sharing, 60-day unlimited video history and more.
Smart events
One more thing that can’t be done on the Blink outdoor compared to the Arlo is auto tracking and auto zooming. When there is motion detection, Arlo will automatically track the person detected in the detection zone and zoom in automatically you can view from your Smartphone. Auto tracking and zoom in are features of all Arlo products, including the Arlo floodlight camera.
See also Eufy vs Arlo floodlight cameras and also Arlo vs Ring floodlight cameras.
Blink offers motion detection only and sends an alert snapshot to your mobile device. And in live view, you can’t zoom in on Blink, this is one of the drawbacks of blink.
Comparison table Blink vs Arlo
See more details on the following spec comparison table between Arlo and Blink outdoor.
Table 2 Blink vs Arlo
| Model | Blink Outdoor Camera (3rd generation) | Arlo Pro 4 Spotlight Wire-free Camera |
| Recording resolution | 1080p up to @30 fps | Max video resolution 2560 x 1440 (2k); 1080p; 720p with HDR |
| Field of view angle | 110 degree diagonal | 160 degree diagonal |
| Zoom | N/A | 12x digital zoom |
| Night vision | IR Night vision | B/W night vision with high powered IR LEDs 850nm and IR Cut filter; Color night vision in ambient light or spotlight |
| Siren | N/A | Built-in Siren, triggered automatically or manually via Arlo app |
| Spotlight | N/A | Integrated LEDs 42Lux @1m with 6500K color temperature |
| Audio | Two way audio with built-in microphone and speaker | Full duplex audio with single microphone with noise and echo cancellation |
| Power | 2x AA 1.5V lithium metal (non-rechargeable) batteries Sync Module 2 power: 100-220V AC to 5V DC converter included | 5V 2A Output AC; Rechargeable battery; AC Adapter Input: 100-240V AC, 50/60Hz |
| Smart features | Motion detection and alerts to your mobile devices; you can customize motion detection zone with your blink home app | Motion detection with auto tracking and zoom in; With Arlo secure plan: person, package and vehicle detection |
| Processor | Immedia Proprietary – AC1002B, 4 cores / 200 MHz | Unspecified |
| Need hub | Sync module 2 up to 10 cameras – managed by Blink app | No, connect direct to home wifi network |
| Storage | Cloud storage plan; Locally to Blink Sync Module 2 with a USB flash drive up to 256GB USB 2.0 / USB 3.0 | Live view, no local storage but can connect to base station with storage. Cloud storage plan: unlimited cloud storage for 30 days video footages |
| Outdoor | Yes, weatherproof | Yes, water proof and UV resistant |
| Connectivity | Standard wifi 802.11b/g/n @2.4GHz | Standard 802.11b/g/n @2.4GHz single band |
| Works with smart home | Yes, works with all Alexa connected products including all echo models, fire TV and Tablets; Cannot connect to Apple HomeKit or Google Assistant | Works with Alexa, Ok Google; SmartThings, and Apple Homekit (requires Arlo Smarthub). |
| Dimension | 2.79 in x 2.79 in x 1.22 in (71 mm x 71 mm x 31 mm) | 3.5 in x 2.01 in x 3.08 in (89mm x 52mm x 78.4mm) |
| Price (Amazon Jul 2022) | $146.00 (3-pack) | $466.00 (3-pack) |
Now you can consider which product suits your needs. Blink outdoor camera with a price of almost a third of the price offered by Arlo is certainly attractive with some drawbacks that you can’t get like Arlo off course. Among the cons are the lower resolution; no auto track and auto zoom features, and no spotlight and siren.
Click the product’s link below to read more details each of the product and shop in Amazon (#ads).
Related products
You may also like to consider the cheapest camera Wyze, see Wyze cam vs Arlo security camera which also has much price difference. You may also consider Nest doorbell vs Arlo doorbell as part of your front door home security.
To help you work from home amid pandemic, consider Nexigo 4k webcam vs Logitech 4k webcam (Brio).