When looking at the Blink vs. Blink XT side by side you, the only difference seems to be the color. However, there are a few other important differences to keep in mind when choosing between the two cameras like video quality and night vision support.
So, TL;DR no matter where you decide to set up the smart camera (indoor or outdoor), we recommend going with the Blink XT instead of Blink Indoor. Why? Well, let’s dive straight into the differences for more details and if you want to get a full picture of what each camera has to offer, just keep on reading the whole article or use the navigation bar to jump right to the sections you care about most.
Blink vs. Blink XT — Differences
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Difference #1: Video Quality – The first main difference when comparing Blink vs. Blink XT is the video quality. Blink records in 720p HD, while the Blink XT can record in 1080p — a significant upgrade. The video feed on both cameras has a solid 30 FPS in both low light and good lighting, a 110-degree field of view and H.264 video compression to ensure that your cameras don’t put too much stress on your WiFi network.
Additionally, both cameras have different settings that will adjust the quality of the video. Blink and Blink XT have “Saver” and “Best” while the latter also has the option for “Enhanced.”
Saver, as the name suggests, is designed to help stretch out the battery life of your cameras. This setting downgrades the quality of the video feed to 360p, but in return, the company claims you’ll get up to 2.7 years of battery life with standard use. This equates to roughly 55,000 seconds of motion clips and live view sessions.
Best is the default option, and will record in 720p. This should give you roughly 2 years with standard use of up to 40,000 seconds of motion clips and Live View sessions.
Enhanced, available only on the Blink XT, is a 1080p setting that should give you around 1 year of battery life with standard use of up to 20,000 seconds for motion clips and Live View sessions. Keep in mind that this quality requires at least 5mbps upload speed, so make sure that your internet is strong enough if you’re investing in Blink XT for the better video quality.
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Difference #2: Night Vision– Both cameras are technically capable of recording at night, but there are some pretty significant differences in their capability.
The Blink XT has infrared night vision, which allows you to maintain clear video footage day or night.
Unfortunately, Blink Indoor doesn’t have any night vision — instead relying on a small LED illuminator to record in the dark. Quite frankly, the results of this illuminator are pretty terrible and in no way compare to the infrared that comes standard on the vast majority of smart cameras.
So, if you’re looking for a camera to monitor the exterior of your home, Blink XT is the way to go, no question about it.
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Difference #3: Weather-Resistant – This is perhaps the biggest difference when comparing the Blink XT vs. Blink Indoor. Ans also another reason that the Blink XT is the superior option for outdoor monitoring is that it’s the only option. The Blink Indoor (as its name suggests) doesn’t have any weatherproofing, and only works with a temperature range of 32 to 95 degrees F.
The Blink XT, on the other hand, works from -4 to 113 F.
Blink vs. Blink XT — Comparison Chart
| Blink Indoor | Blink XT | |
|---|---|---|
| Video resolution | 720p HD | 1080p HD |
| Frames per Second | 7.5 – 30 (low light – good lighting) | 7.5 – 30 (low light – good lighting) |
| Video Format | H.264 | H.264 |
| On-Demand Live View | Yes | Yes |
| Record Live View | No | No |
| Field of View | 110° | 110° |
| Zoom | No | No |
| Power | 2 AA Lithium Batteries | 2 AA Lithium Batteries |
| Optional Power Source | Micro-USB AC Plug | Micro-USB AC Plug |
| Battery Life | 2 months – 2 years | 2 months – 2 years |
| Two-Way Audio | No, only mic | No, only mic |
| Motion Detection | Yes | Yes |
| Built-in Temperature Sensor | Yes | Yes |
| Motion Zones | No | No |
| Person Detection | No | No |
| Facial Recognition | No | No |
| Sound Detection | No | No |
| Night Vision | No | Yes |
| WiFi | 2.4 Ghz | 2.4 Ghz |
| Requires a Base Station | Yes, Blink Sync Module | Yes, Blink Sync Module |
| Max # of Cameras per Base Station | 10 | 10 |
| Siren | No | No |
| 24/7 Recording | No | No |
| Local Backup Storage | No | No |
| Cloud Storage | Free 7,200 Seconds | Free 7,200 Seconds |
| Review, Share, & Save | Yes | Yes |
| e911 Emergency Call | No | No |
| Instant App Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| App Support | Android, iOS | Android, iOS |
| Rich Notifications | No | No |
| Weather-resistant | Indoor use only | Indoor/Outdoor |
| LED Lights | Yes | No |
| Amazon Alexa | Echo Show, Echo Spot | Echo Show, Echo Spot |
| Google Assistant | No | No |
| IFTTT | Yes | Yes |
| Stringify | No | No |
| Operating Temperature | 32° to 95° F | -4° to 113° F |
| Dimension | 2.8 x 2.8 x 1.3 in. | 2.8 x 2.8 x 1.3 in. |
| Color | White | Black |
Blink vs. Blink XT — Things in Common
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Sync Module – The is a hub that connects your Blink wireless cameras with the cloud. You’ll be able to connect up to 10 cameras per module, at which point you can access the system from wherever you are using the home security app. The Sync Module is available in both white and black to match your decor, with only cosmetic differences between the two shades.
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Live View – At any time, you can access an on-demand live view from your cameras using the mobile app. However, one of the biggest drawbacks to the Blink and Blink XT is the lack of any ability to record live view. This puts it a good distance behind competitors like Ring, and especially Arlo which allows live recording for no additional cost.
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Power – One aspect that Blink touts in their marketing is the battery life of their cameras. With just 2 regular AA Lithium batteries, your Blink or Blink XT will reportedly run for 2 years on a single charge. However, some initial research reveals that you shouldn’t expect much more than a few months with those AA batteries. Add to that the fact that you only see the words “OK” for battery rather than any sort of percentage information, and it’s pretty difficult to get a feel for when you’re going to have to replace the power source.
Thankfully, you do have the option to power your camera with a Micro-USB AC Plug which cuts down on some of the variability. It’s definitely a bit of a disappointment, however, since the battery and the “proprietary chip technology” has had a lot of fanfare around it.
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Audio – When it comes to audio support, there’s little to no difference between the Blink XT vs. Blink Indoor. Both cameras have a mic that they can use to record sound. However, unlike some other smart cameras from competitors like Ring or Arlo, there’s no speaker. This makes two-way communication an impossibility, so don’t expect to be able to scare off any package thieves or scold your cats for eating the plants.
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Motion Detection – Both models include basic motion detection, and you can adjust the sensitivity as needed to avoid false alarms from your pets. There are no advanced features on these models like motion zones or person detection, so you’re essentially just dealing with a camera that will activate with any activity (with a simple slider to make it more or less sensitive).
Currently, the motion detection features are the same regardless of whether you opt for the original Blink or the Blink XT.
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Temperature Sensor – One rather unique feature common to both the Blink and Blink XT is the inclusion of a temperature sensor. This allows you easy access to temperature information at each camera’s location, and you can also enable alerts to be instantly notified when the temperature goes outside a certain range. This is great for keeping an eye on your home while on vacation or even just out and about running errands, as it will let you know when the temperatures get too cold for your pipes or too hot for your pets.
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WiFi – The Blink and Blink XT are only capable of communicating with 2.4 GHz WiFi. This can potentially cause network congestion issues. So, if you’re looking for dual band WiFi support, we recommend checking the All-New Ring Stick Up Cam Battery vs. Plug-in vs. Elite.
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Cloud Storage – One of the better aspects of the Blink and Blink XT is the fact that both cameras come with a free 7200 seconds of storage. Once you reach that point, new footage will record over the old. It’s not a huge amount of space, but we never complain about free stuff!
The 7200 seconds equates to about 1440 five-second “events” which should be enough to get the gist of any activity within a month.
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App Support – Both Blink and Blink XT feature an Android and iOS app that gives you the ability to access and control your system while away from home. Unfortunately, neither camera supports web access, so you’ll be out of luck if you were looking to view the feed from your computer.
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Voice Control – Last but not least, both of these cameras support voice control over Amazon Alexa, which is especially useful for viewing your live feed on the Echo Show or Echo Spot.
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Blink vs. Blink XT — Accessories
There are a few accessories you might want to purchase to go along with your new Blink cameras, most of which are focused around mounting.
To begin with, the is an excellent option to keep your battery topped off without having to charge. The life of the batteries is already pretty good, to begin with, but having a small panel to keep it powered takes an occasional hassle out of the way. An Outlet Wall Mount for the Blink Sync Module is also a great choice to free up some space on your shelves or counters.
If you’re planning on installing your Blink XT outside, the Outdoor Wall Mount Bracket is one of our favorite options for installation. Either camera would also work well with the Adjustable Gooseneck-Like Twist Mount or the Camera Wall Mount Bracket as well.
Blink vs. Blink XT — Our Thoughts
Overall, when comparing the Blink vs. Blink XT, it’s pretty clear that the Blink XT is the superior choice. It’s an upgrade in literally every metric, although it’s also a little more expensive.
However, despite being one of the cheaper brands on the market, we don’t feel like Blink is affordable enough to warrant a buy when you take its specs and features into account. We strongly recommend paying just a little bit extra and upgrading to the Ring Stick Up Cam Elite for a much more impressive video monitoring solution. It’s pretty great, check it out.
Last update on 2024-04-26 at 02:43 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
I’m pretty pleased with my blink xt however when I purchased it I was under the impression it had two way audio.. Even though it does not it does give quality video..