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Blink Outdoor 4
Blink’s latest and greatest
$100 $120 Save $20
Blink’s new Outdoor 4 camera has received some big upgrades when it comes to image quality, along with improved motion detection and, for the first time on a battery-powered camera, a person detection mode.
Pros- Person detection
- Improved image quality
- Long battery life
Cons- Sync module required
- Slight price increase
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Blink Outdoor 3
An oldie but a goodie
$60 $100 Save $40
Blink’s third-generation Outdoor camera is still worth considering if you don’t need a wider field of view or person detection, and if you look around, you’ll likely find a discount.
Pros- 1080p video
- Long battery life
- Bargain price (when on sale)
Cons- No smart alerts
- Narrow FOV
Blink’s lineup of smart security devices is growing bigger each year. There’s now a whole selection of cameras, doorbells, and floodlights to choose from, all of which can give you peace of mind over your home’s security.
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Released in August 2023, the Outdoor 4 is the latest security camera in Blink’s portfolio. Similar to the third-generation Outdoor camera, the Outdoor 4 is completely wireless and can function for up to two years on a single battery charge. For the first time, the Outdoor 4 includes person detection — something that up until now was limited to Blink’s Wired Floodlight Camera.
Whether you already own the Outdoor 3 and you’re figuring out whether to upgrade to the latest model, or if you’re buying one for the first time, and you’re debating how much to spend, here you’ll be able to compare the two side-by-side. We’ve created this simple guide to take you through everything you need to know about the Blink Outdoor 3 and the Blink Outdoor 4 before you make a decision.
Blink
Price, specs & availability
Blink’s Outdoor 4 camera has been available since its launch in August 2023. It’s priced at $120, which includes the camera, any necessary mounting hardware, and Blink’s Sync Module 2. The module is required to set up and use the Outdoor 4 camera.
The third-generation Blink Outdoor camera first launched in September 2020, and is still listed as part of Blink’s camera lineup after the launch of Outdoor 4. The Outdoor 3 is listed at $99.99 on Blink’s website. It’s worth mentioning that both devices are regularly marked down at Amazon, Blink’s parent company and Best Buy.
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Blink Outdoor 4 Blink Outdoor 3 Brand Blink Blink Resolution 1080p, 640 x 360 still photos 1080p, 640 x 360 still photos App Compatibility iOS, Android iOS, Android Power Source AA Batteries AA Batteries Integrations Amazon Alexa Amazon Alexa Hub Required Yes Yes Field of view 143 degrees 110 degrees Power Up to 2 years of battery life Up to 2 years of battery life Dimensions 70 x 70 x 41mm 71 x 71 x 31mm
To start, both cameras feature the same picture and video resolution, capturing 640 x 360 pixel stills and clips at 1080p. However, Blink’s Outdoor 4 camera has a wider field of view, and the “best image quality yet,” thanks to improved low-light performance and clarity, according to Blink.
The Outdoor 4’s field of view is 143 degrees compared to 110 degrees on the Outdoor 3, which translates to a big difference in how much of the area in front of the camera you can see. The Outdoor 3’s narrower field of view works best for narrow pathways or even the entrance to your home or backyard. The Outdoor 4 will work in those situations too, as well as providing a better overview of an area like the front of your home.
I haven’t used the Outdoor 3, but I did test the Outdoor 4 prior to its launch and can confirm that the video quality of the new camera is a big improvement over older Blink Outdoor cameras. (Again, I can’t compare it to the 3, so I’m speaking to older versions of the Outdoor camera.) The Outdoor 4 does struggle with overcast or cloudy conditions, overexposing the clouds and most of the shot, but you’re still able to see who or what is in front of the camera.
Otherwise, video captured in normal lighting situations is clear and crisp, with minimal pixelation around moving objects — something that’s common on home security cameras like these.
Amazon
Features, video storage, and subscriptions
Blink added two new features to the Outdoor 4 that are a clear advantage over the third-gen version of the camera in the form of improved motion detection, and, for the first time, on one of Blink’s battery-powered cameras, person detection. That means you can set the Outdoor 4 to only monitor for and send you alerts when a person is detected in its field of view. With the Outdoor 3, the camera can’t differentiate. You either receive alerts for all motion or nothing at all.
Both cameras are powered by AA batteries and have the potential to last for two years of use outdoors before the batteries need to be replaced. I say potential because battery life for either camera is dependent on how often motion events are detected, operating temperature (colder climates are harder on batteries) and other factors such as how often you livestream from the camera to the Blink app.
When it comes to storing any recorded video and clips, you have a couple of options for either camera. You can use the included Sync Module 2’s USB port to connect to a storage device such as a thumb drive and locally save any recorded clips. You can also sign up for Blink’s subscription plan, which starts at $3 a month per camera — or you can do both.
Whichever camera you buy, Blink’s subscription plans give you up to 90 minutes of continuous live-streaming, live view recording, 60 days’ worth of video history, quicker access to video recordings, video sharing and an automatic timelapse feature that takes a photo every hour between motion events and stitches them together into a video. Additionally, if you have a storage device connected to the sync module, your videos will be backed up to your local storage every day. The only benefit of buying the plan for the Outdoor 4 camera over the Outdoor 3 is that you’ll add person detection to that list as well.
Without a plan, you’re limited to five minutes of live-streaming, motion alerts, and motion video recording only if you have a thumb drive connected to the sync module.
Smart home compatibility
Blink is an Amazon-owned company, and as such, your smart home options for interacting with and viewing your Blink cameras are limited to Amazon’s Alexa platform. That means you’ll need to have an Echo Show or Fire TV to view live-streamed video from one of your Blink Cameras. To add to that, any of Amazon’s smart speakers can be used for motion alerts, or to arm and disarm your cameras.
If you use Google Assistant or Siri through Apple’s HomeKit, then you won’t be able to bring your Blink cameras onto either of those platforms. That could be a dealbreaker for some people.
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Blink Outdoor 3 vs Blink Outdoor 4: Which should you choose?
Blink’s Outdoor 4 is a big improvement over the third-generation Outdoor cam, with a wider field of view, better video and person detection. At $120, it’s only $20 more than the standard price of the Outdoor 3 and is worth the extra investment.
Having said that, for those who already own the Outdoor 3 camera, the extra features are unlikely to be worth the upgrade, unless you absolutely need person detection, we’d recommend sticking with what you’ve already got.
Blink Outdoor 4
Editor’s Choice
$100 $120 Save $20
If you are buying your first outdoor security camera, and can’t see yourself making use of the extra features that the Outdoor 4 brings to the table, then the Blink Outdoor 3 is good enough. It’s undoubtedly the better option for anyone on a tight budget.
Blink Outdoor 3
Best value
$60 $100 Save $40
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