Amazon's latest Blink security camera lasts two years on AA batteries
The XT2 also packs two-way talk and a lower price.
It's now clear what the Blink team has been up to since Amazon acquired it in 2017 -- namely, a much-improved version of their core security camera. The newly-unveiled Blink XT2 looks similar on the outside, but packs several upgrades that include a dramatic improvement to battery life. The outdoor-capable camera lasts for two years of motion-activated use on a pair of AA lithium batteries. You'll also get two-way talk to ward off intruders, and refined motion detection that lets you define "micro-activity zones" to minimize the chance of false alerts. When recording video, Amazon says the XT2 will last twice as long as the previous model.
The new Blink cam captures footage at an unspectacular 1080p, but it does talk to Alexa.
For many, the price might be the draw. The XT2 costs about 25 percent less than its predecessor with a $90 price tag by itself, or $100 if you don't already have the mandatory Sync Module. It'll reach the US on May 22nd and Canada this summer. And when cloud storage for videos is free, you don't have to worry about recurring costs. As such, this may be a decent set-it-and-forget-it option for safeguarding your house.
Update 5/8/19 12:15PM ET: This post has been clarified to note that the XT2 has double the battery life specifically when recording video when compared to the previous XT, not that it has double the battery life overall.
