Are you looking to secure your entrance without playing electrician? The new Blink video doorbell is set to revolutionize your daily routine… with a smile to boot! Designed by Amazon, this second generation is landing on the French market and stands out for its formidable simplicity, an autonomy that would make even the most enduring envious, and perfect compatibility with Alexa.
Express installation and zero (bad) surprises
Install, connect, and hop! All that’s left is to enjoy your coffee: the installation literally takes just a few minutes, without pulling cables or sweating profusely behind the drill. Three lithium AA batteries, supplied with the doorbell, are enough to power the entire unit for a duration of up to two years. Yes, you read that right: two years of monitoring the landing without lifting a finger. Peace of mind, XXL version, is right here!
That’s not all. Thanks to the new Sync Core module provided (or an old module if you’re already equipped with the Blink system), communication with the Wi-Fi is optimized to save maximum energy. In short, just mount the doorbell on the wall, launch the Blink Home Monitor app on your smartphone, and the guided setup does the rest. One can almost wonder why all installations aren’t this zen.
See, hear, respond… simply
Imagine this: you’re waiting for a package (that infamous order placed on a whim on a rainy Sunday). The delivery person rings the bell, even if you are busy cooking or playing hide and seek with the kids. A notification appears on your phone, or better yet, your Alexa speaker lights up and announces the visit. A quick look at the app, a button to chat live, and the delivery person leaves with the feeling that here, we don’t mess around with hospitality. The Blink video doorbell offers you this frictionless experience, with two-way audio and HD image at your disposal, day and night thanks to infrared vision.
The secret lies in the camera that films in a square format (1:1) with a 150° field of view. The result: impossible to miss a single delivery or the tardy visitor who dares to ring the bell. From floor to face, everyone is under the watchful eye of Blink, and the complete scene displays without any acrobatic cropping. Here, no more excuses for losing track of the package slipped under the flower pot or the neighbor who came borrowing sugar.
Smart detection: goodbye to “neighbor’s cat” alerts
Alert on the porch… no need to jump at every pigeon passing by! Thanks to its built-in AI (and the famous Blink subscription), person detection differentiates humans from objects or roaming animals. Gone are the false alerts that lead you to believe there’s an invasion when it’s just the local cat out for a stroll. The subscription also allows for video recording in the cloud, access to the Blink Moments feature, and extended video streaming. A one-month trial is provided with the purchase, just to get a taste before spending €3/month or €30/year to continue enjoying these impressive services. For fans of “everything is under control without cloud,” nothing prevents, of course, using a Sync Module 2 and a USB stick to store videos locally (if privacy or budget remains a priority).
Spotlight on the Alexa ecosystem
Of course, the Blink Doorbell 2 does not go solo. It loves chatting with Amazon Echo devices: an audible announcement as soon as someone rings, the instant video feed on an Echo Show (handy when cooking and you want to keep an eye on who is lingering at your door), voice responses without taking out your phone… the uses are many. Even the Blink Mini 2 camera can act as an indoor chime for those who like to multiply options. You can definitely feel Amazon’s influence, which takes care of compatibility in every nook and cranny.
Small price, big ambitions
Not everything is always overpriced at Amazon! The Blink 2nd generation is offered at €54.99 as a pre-order without synchronization module or €64.99 with Sync Module Core, available in black or white, to better match your entrance to your mood of the moment. For this price, it’s hard to find something as flexible and durable, especially on the autonomy side which remains the star of the category. Availability is announced starting August 19.
Conclusion
The Blink video doorbell succeeds in making accessibility a reality without sacrificing performance. Easy to install, generous with autonomy, and equipped with clever functions that are effortlessly adopted, it enters the smart home landscape with a real breath of fresh air. Yes, we can always discuss the differences with Ring or Nest, but here, at less than €65, the quality/usage/price ratio doesn’t lie: it’s a smart choice.
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