Customer Ratings & Reviews

Good product and does what it claims. There is live 24/7/365 customer support which is a big plus. The camera itself provides very good video (haven't really had the chance to evaluate the audio, but it seems OK). Two drawbacks I've seen so far is that the lag time to register and report motion is pretty significant (not a deal breaker, but mildly annoying) and the mounting capability is a bit limited. Specifically, there is no way to mount the camera on a wall and have it aimed 90 degrees to the mounting axis (for example, to mount it on the wall of an entryway and point the camera at a door that's at right angles to the wall). Attached photo shows camera mounted on the wall in question and it's at the maximum angle possible. There is a "right angle mount" included but it is only useful for a ceiling mount.

Packaging good. Quality of cameras is great. Video quality is good. The only problem I have is they sometimes start recording after the person is out of the cameras visio. In other words, slow to start recording after motion detection. I only have 1 mounted at my front door. I would still recommend them.

I have been using blink for the last 5 years they are great security cameras and wherever you are as long as you have internet connections you can view your house. That is why I recommend blink to everyone.

The next generation Blink 4 outdoor cameras are a pretty good upgrade with the XR module, being able to extend the range of reach of my wireless system helps to keep every square inch of my property visible and in recordable reach. Using the xr module i have been able to use the xr mode to get my cameras to the far reaches of my yard, there is also an XR+ setting to extend it even further if i ever need to. I have 10 total cameras with the addition of these new version 4's, I was never able to get that last part of my yard without random disconnects before, so this really helped to fix that issue. I havent had these long enough to see if the battery performance is any different with XR enabled as opposed to the outdoor version 3's that i have elsewhere. The version 3 cameras i have had over 2 1/2 years now and honestly, i did not have to replace the batteries on them until about 2 years and 2 months later; so i am hoping for similar results from the new version 4 cameras, which claim to have even better battery life when using xr. In comparison to the ver 3 outdoor cameras, these version 4s offer better field of view, further reach, improved night vision, improved camera quality (less pixelation), option to use person detection if subscribed, the motion detection has also been improved. Overall I am loving these new cameras, I subscribe to both blink and ring and I seem to have alot more Blink cameras than Ring, they are just more convenient; I only need a couple batteries every couple years, I can mount them literally anywhere without restrictions, this holds even more true now with the XR module. Honestly so far the quality of the cameras have been great, I like the extended FOV i get from them compared to the last model, and obviously as i have overstated the extended range of these have been fantastic. I would definitely recommend this newest model if you are looking to extend your current ecosystem, or even starting a new one, you really can't go wrong here, the ability to store locally and on the cloud for a small fee is great. I can't wait to see what they come up with next.

Great cameras, work great, fast system, no delays or lags, weatherproof casing that they will replace if it gets water damaged, happy with the product and the customer service.

I will start by putting the biggest "flaw" in my opinion to the side and that's the fact that these cameras need but not fully necessary an Active subscription (3$/month per camera or 10$/month full features). I'm not a fan of subscription for everything specially if you have to buy the device full price upfront but putting those aside the Blink 4 it's a great security starter kit! So assuming that you will use the local storage now they turn to be one of your better options at the curent pricing on the market! The cameras are light weight and use 2xAA batteries to power them for a very long time. Video quality is decent with great color rendering and even nice adjustable night vision. Connection appears to be stable most of the times and the motion detection works just fine. Now here the extended range module makes a huge difference allowing you to go as far as up to 400ft for a nicer surveillance coverage capturing farther then just the vicinity of your home. I think that put aside the subscription model(that is not worth it in my opinion), since they allow local storage. At the curent market pricing, this Blink 4 2pack Outdoor cameras are a prefect starter kit that will offer a degree of protection specially with the 400ft extended range module!

I am no stranger to security camera set-up, in fact I've had a system installed at my house for years now. I wanted to add to that set up, at the back of my yard, without the need to be constantly changing batteries or running wires through my yard to the back of my fence. And therefore, the Blink Outdoor 4 was a great choice for me. With 'up to' 2 years of battery life and 'up to' 400 feet of range, this is the perfect solution for my needs. We recently got a new Corgi puppy and wanted to be able to monitor her in the back yard, and with these cameras, we have all angles covered! Now - the reason for docking one star is the initial set up. Both online, in the app, and in the little booklet, it states 'scan the QR code on the back of the device'. Simple enough, but when you turn the device over, you don't see a code. Intuitively, you have to remove the back cover off of the device (using a coin or the 90-degree mount angle supplied) to put the batteries in, but the instructions also don't tell you to do that. No diagrams, no explanation, aside from 'scan the QR code on the back of the camera. This is not a deal breaker, but to some people, especially as these are touted as a simple set up camera, they might like to have a little more information about removing the back cover, installing the batteries and finding the QR code. Aside from that note, as I say, not a deal breaker but something to take under advisement, these cameras are great for what I need them for! You set up your Blink Sync Module XR - plug it in and follow the instructions in the app. This is your extender, connected to WiFi and then out to your cameras. Then you set up your cameras by pressing the '+' symbol on the app and adding them. Once they are connected, you can then move around and position them where you need to set them up around your property. I chose to mount them both along the back edge of my fence, facing back at the house. That way I have full coverage of my yard. I have notifications set up, and while I am out, if my wife takes the puppy out into the yard, I get notified and I can check in. I was many miles away and had no issues with connectivity to the cameras at all. I tested the voice feature and spoke to my wife through the cameras without issue at all. The communication had a small amount of lag, but nothing significant at all. They connected quickly to my phone, even being so far away. Very impressed. You can connect your cameras to your Alexa account as well, and summon them onto your Echo Show devices if you so wish. Overall, very happy with these cameras, they have a 1080p resolution which is fine for keeping an eye on our puppy, they have not dropped connection from the base station at all since we've had them running. So the 'up to' distance hasn't been an issue at all, but I do wonder in what scenario that the 'up to' 2 year battery life exists. I am sure that taking out puppy out in the yard, with drastically reduce that battery life. And also - checking in on the app for the battery life, it would be nice to have something other than 'OK' as the status, being as the product is sold on battery life. That way we can pre-empt changing out the batteries, or what the battery life will be, rather than an 'OK' guesstimate. Very happy with the cameras so far, we're just have to see how well that battery life lasts!

Blink’s latest Outdoor 4 two camera system is a great basic video camera option offered at an affordable price. The kit comes with the following: 2 Blink outdoor 4 cameras 2 Mounting kits 4 AA lithium metal batteries 1 Blink Sync Module XR 1 USB cable 1 Power adapter Setting up the system was a breeze. Download the Blink app, create an account, plug in the Sync Module, install the AA lithium metal batteries in the cameras, follow the step-by-step directions on the app to link the Sync Module to the home wifi, sync the two cameras to the system, and mount the cameras. The Blink Outdoor 4 comes with a 30 day trial subscription of the Blink Subscription Plus Plan. The options available are the Plus Plan, the Basic Plan, or No Plan. The Blink webpage details what features are available for each option. The Outdoor 4’s new feature is the Extended Range ‘XR’ capability of the Blink Sync Module when paired with the new Outdoor 4 cameras. With the Blink Sync Module XR and the Outdoor 4 cameras, a maximum of two Outdoor 4 cameras can be positioned up to 250 feet from the Sync Module XR with the Extended Range (XR) option, and up to 400 feet with the Extended Range Plus (XR+) option. In practice, obstructions such as interior walls, materials, and objects will reduce the actual range when using the Extended Range options. It is important to keep in mind that the Extended Range options won’t work for previous generations of Blink cameras. There are compromises when using either of the two extended range options above. The Extended Range drops the video quality down to a maximum resolution of 720p, while the Extended Range Plus drops it down further to 360p. In addition, the two-way talk function is not available using the Extended Range Plus option. If the cameras can be located within wifi range, then there is the third option to connect the cameras to the sync module via the wifi connection, which allows for the full HD experience at 1080p resolution. Also, when using either the XR or the XR+ with two cameras, both cameras have to be set up using the same connection. For example, it is not allowed to have one camera be on an XR+ connection and the second camera be on the XR connection. Both will need to be set on XR or XR+. However, it is okay to have a camera on a wifi connection while another one is on the XR or XR+ connection. Finally, a total of four cameras can be used in XR and XR+, but this will require the purchase of a second Sync Module XR. The Blink app is user friendly and easy to navigate. There are a number of options to adjust settings. Video is stored in the cloud with a subscription plan. As an alternative, videos can also be stored locally in the Sync Module XR. A micro SD card with a max capacity of 256GB can be inserted to store videos. I used the camera system with both the Subscription Plus Plan and with No Plan. The motion detection on the cameras were good at detecting motion moving across the frame. The ‘Person Detect’ feature that comes with the subscription plan works well at detecting people. With the subscription plan, the videos were stored in the cloud, and I was able to retrieve the videos almost instantaneously. Night mode using the infrared sensors on the camera was clear, with good contrast and details. Details at 1080p were sharp. The field of view of the camera is 143 degrees, which is limited, but acceptable. When the system is armed, and motion is detected, a notification is sent to the smartphone via the app. Two way communication also worked well. The subscription plans are affordable. As of the time of this review, the Blink Plus Plan which offers the most features costs $10/month, while the more limited Blink Basic Plan costs $3/month. Again, the comparisons about what features are included in each subscription plan are on the Blink website. However, what happens when no subscription is purchased? Is the system crippled as to render the Blink Outdoor 4 useless? Thankfully, No. The system without a plan, is still very much an effective security system at its most basic level. These are the features that are still operational: 1. The Blink Outdoor 4 camera system can still be armed and disarmed with the Blink app. 2. Schedules can still be set to arm and disarm according to day of the week and times. 3. Motion Detect push notifications still work. 4. Two Way Communication still work 5. The cameras will still record and store videos when armed. 6. Videos will be recorded locally on the micro SD card. You will need to supply your own micro SD card. 7. Locally stored videos can still be retrieved, viewed, downloaded, and shared from the “Clips” menu of the Blink App. Retrieval of videos from the app is nearly instantaneous in my experience. It will be dependent on the speed of your wifi or your phone data network. Videos that are recorded when the camera detects motion are available for viewing almost immediately after they are recorded. 8. Live View feed still works. However, recording in Live View is disabled. 9. The XR and XR+ range options still work. Under the No Plan option, the essential features at the core of a video security system that are important to me are still there, making the Blink Outdoor 4 Camera system a great, affordable option. For me, the only feature missing which I hoped could have been made available in the No Plan option would be the ability to record in Live View. Other than that, I am happy without the subscription. In summary here are the things I like about the Blink Outdoor 4 Wireless Security System +Ease of Use, User friendly Blink App +AA Lithium Batteries are easy to replace, readily available, and cost effective compared to proprietary batteries +Affordable purchase price of the Blink 4 Two Camera system +Affordable subscription plans +The camera system is still effective with essential core features intact in the No Subscription Plan option +XR and XR+ options offer the ability to locate the cameras at greater distances from the Sync Module +Ability to add up to 10 video cameras to the Sync Module +Local storage with an micro SD card There are no cons that I can think of. The Blink Outdoor 4 two camera system is remarkably a great value given its price and features offered. I highly recommend that this be on the short list for anyone considering a security camera system.

The Outdoor 4 XR is the latest security camera by Blink. What makes this camera special is its long range capability. There are 3) connection options: WiFi, Extended Range up to 250 feet (XR), & Extended Range Plus up to 400 feet (XR+). Initially, I connected the cameras to XR+; then I reconnected to XR, and achieved faster response & better resolution. Hint: scan the QR code in the camera battery compartment before inserting batteries & screwing on the back. The integrated enhanced motion detection uses dual-zone for fast response. Video resolution is 1920 x 1080 HD; photos 640 x 360. Optional infrared night vision is available. Two-way talk is selectable on the Blink app. An optional MicroSD card is not included, but can be added for local storage. Battery life up to 2 years is claimed; the lithium metal non-rechargeable batteries are long lasting & are readily available. I can confirm that battery life is very good. CONCLUSION: The Blink Outdoor 4 XR has the longest range of any camera I have tested. If your application requires long distance security, this is the best camera for you. However, if maximum resolution is your highest priority at a closer vantage point, you may prefer a 4K security camera.

I’ve used all sorts of wireless security cameras over the years and I’m finding Blink to be one of my favorites even to this day and the XR hub only adds to the value. TL;DR for things I like & don’t like: Good: Multi-platform Blink App Size Mounting Hardware Lithium Battery Benefits Range in normal & in the Extended Range modes Bad: New accounts don’t get any cloud storage Local Storage can be laggy Meh: QR code adding of cameras Local storage playback speed Blink (Amazon) has definitely gotten their packaging game going. These cameras and the base came in a small box with everything inside packed individually and orderly - easy to determine what needed to go where. Once the hub was powered on, I followed the prompts in the App to add the camera - one at a time and name them; when setting something up like this, I like to take extra steps so I don’t make a mistake and have to re-do everything. While scanning the QR code is nice on a first add, having to do this to move cameras around to different hubs could be challenging - especially because the qr code is next to the battery itself and requires to take the camera down and get into it. Camera acquisition was quick and so were the subsequent firmware updates. With new cameras, there’s a 30-day trial of the subscription which adds a bunch of features to the Apps capabilities - like, Person detection, auto-update of the thumbnails for the camera and for benefits like longer cloud storage. While I haven’t pulled the trigger on the subscription - it’s very tempting. A microSD card can be used in the hub for local storage, so if you have a new Blink account, that’s the only way to save your clips locally and not pay for the subscription. While not horrible, there are benefits to the subscription it seems. I’ve used the Blink cameras in a few places around the outside of the house. In areas that are person traveled & animal traveled and the quality and responsiveness are pretty good. Notifications happen within seconds and given my settings, record for a longer time than default - which will of course, lessen the battery life. The included mounting hardware, when attached properly, holds the cameras in place very well. I’ve attached them to brick/stucco and to a wooden sawhorse that lives in the middle of my property (using XR mode) and haven’t had any malfunctions. Speaking of battery life - lithium batteries will do these well. While not cheap, they’re surprisingly light and are meant for electronics with this usage type. All in all, I like these cameras and it may be time to grow the number of them!

I have the Blink Outdoor 4 XR, in the box you get - 2 x Blink Outdoor Cameras - Mounting Kits + AA Lithium Batteries - Blink XR Sync Module Setup was easy with the Blink App, but I did make a mistake. When you remove the cover to install the batteries, I screwed it back onto the cameras, not realizing there is a QR code behind the battery cover to scan. Oops! The other thing I learned during setup was setting up on WiFi first then switching to the XR module just makes things easier. The Blink Cameras use 2 x AA Energizer Lithium Batteries. I was kind of surprised at this, in some ways it's good. These batteries are easy to buy and replace, but I'm not sure how it will go on battery life. My Nest Smoke Alarms use the same batteries and I get a solid year, but they take a lot more batteries. After a week, it's too early to tell on battery life. I have wired Ring cameras on my house, but have never been able to use battery powered ones at the end of the driveway as my WiFi signal didn't reach. With the Blinks, the XR module I now have a Camera at the front of my driveway facing the whole yard, and another at the back of the house covering the whole yard. The small form factor and black color make the Blinks very discrete. I haven't measured the distance, I think my driveway is about 150 feet long, but never had a signal drop in the week I am testing. The sync module is compact (see photo). What I can tell you is the quality of the video and XR module is very good. I was a little worried that using the XR signal vs WiFi would mean video quality would not be as good. But day (and night) videos are crystal clear. I also had no issue with audio. The Blink App is also very good, kind of like the Ring app and there are optional subscription plans, the $100 annual plan is fair value and also gives you an extended warranty. Overall, I'm pretty happy. The Blink Cameras are small, discrete, and the range is amazing. It's too early for me to know if the battery life will be great. Best Buy has battery extender packs for the Blink, so may grab that if I need it in the future. Overall, nice cameras, very good video but the range is amazing which makes the Blinks one of the better outdoor cameras I have used, as you can truly cover almost anywhere.

I have been in need for long-range wireless cameras because my mom has a work shed in our backyard and she often forgets to turn stuff off in there when she is done working but none of the cameras I have reaches that far adequately with our Wi-Fi. The Blink Outdoor 4 XR solves this issue and covers all the blind spots other cameras have been unable to fulfill. *Unboxing and Set-Up* Unboxing was pleasant as everything came grouped together and was intuitive to figure out. Both cameras come with a stand, two AA Energizer batteries, a key to open them up, and screws for the mount. The Sync module comes with a USB-A to USB-C long cable, a charging block, and a quick-start guide. It took me a bit of tinkering before I realized the plastic gadget was a key, I was about to go find a flathead screwdriver. The guide does not give much info beside a QR code and some app steps to follow. The QR code leads to a website which takes some exploring to find the information on physical steps to take for set-up and mounting. Turns out the plastic gadget can also be used as part of the mount. Setting up on the app was also time consuming. I missed a digit on my Wi-Fi password and instead of letting me retype it, it just said failed and I had to reset the camera several times before I could get back to setting it up. After that, it took a while to connect, update firmware, and finish up. Then I had to do it again with the next camera. I did set-up the Sync module before any of this and that part was quick. Once I was done, able to see live video from each camera. *App* The Blink app is quite streamlined and easy to navigate. It comes with a one-month subscription that offers cloud-recording, AI-detection, stitched-together videos, and a few other bonuses. Thankfully, you can insert a Micro-SD memory card into the Sync module and keep videos localized instead of on a cloud. My favorite part of this is the videos that are stitched together, they call it Blink Moments, but I’m not keen on adding another subscription to my life, especially since this is part of the higher tier package. *Recording* The amount of time the camera records per clip can be changed in the settings, the longer it records, the more battery it drains. It does seem to start recording a tad bit late in my opinion. I have tested it out, and during times I passed by it began recording when I was almost out of view. The night view is okay, I could see enough to make out the scene, but other cameras do night vision far better than this. *Live View* Live view works well and sometimes loads up fast, while other times does not seem to load at all. Many cameras I have tried do this, so I can’t complain too much, but it does seem to be tied to changes in settings and happens more often than not to the shed camera. *Sound* The sound quality is amazing in these cameras. They pick up and record sound in a way that brings out the natural tones, even the crickets chirping in the night sound great over this both on live view and in recordings. *Mic* Like the sound, the speaker on this has great transmission quality. You sound like yourself when talking over this. *Distance* As I previously stated, one of the cameras I placed is at the furthest corner from my house inside a shed. This camera reaches 400ft, but it is only about 60ft away. I tried every distance setting to see which worked best, and ironically, it worked great even on regular Wi-Fi. It loads just as fast as when on XR, even though it has lower signal strength. Not sure why that is, but none of my other cameras load this fast when placed that far and most state much weaker Wi-Fi signals, so this has the upper hand in connecting to the network. *Video quality* These cameras have wonderful video quality. Even in the dark, the closer objects are properly discernable and defined. Colors come off as natural too. The only time video quality goes down is when the cameras are on XR+. *Alerts* The camera can be set to alert you whenever it detects movements. It even comes with its own options of tones to alert you with. With the subscription, AI tells you what it thinks it witnessed. You have to make sure the app is set to “Armed” in order to receive the alerts though. *Overall* I really like how this camera works, the features, and the quality. I do wish it had better night vision, that set-up was simpler, and that it began recording sooner than it does. I still believe that this a worth a shot, especially when distance is an issue, because these are very well-built to handle that.

I live on 15 acres of rolling hills, 5 of which are heavily wooded, with a barn halfway between the road and the house. One of the largest challenges I face with this property is ensuring security at the barn because I cannot see it from the house. This review is based on a week of using the Blink outdoor 4 XR camera system. TL:DR - Overall the cameras work as expected, and can support their claim of 400 ft unobstructed connectivity. They seem to be sturdy enough to survive the elements, and trigger appropriately. Setup is a bit cumbersome, but once settings are in place the cameras, so far, are maintenance free. There is a subscription fee, currently $3/month for basic and $10/month for premium. Pros: Cameras are easy to install Long battery life from 2x 'AA' batteries Cameras perform well, even in low light Cons: Setup is cumbersome, especially if you have two different distances to navigate. Subscription required for event recording, video access, photo capture once the 1 month trial has expired There is about 5 second lag on load times when cameras are placed at 400 ft from sync module In the box are the 2 cameras with mounting bases, 'AA" batteries, the sync module, and paperwork. Initial setup is straight forward, install the app, plug in the sync module, and follow the guided workflow in the app. To install the cameras, you'll want to scan the QR code that is located under the battery cover. In system settings there is an option for camera network, options include wi-fi, extended range (XR, up to 250 ft), and extended range plus (XR+, up to 400 ft). I had intended to set up a camera on the chicken coop, which is approximately 225 ft away, and the second camera on the barn, which is at 400 ft away. After placing the chicken coop camera in XR mode, I found out that I couldn't put the barn camera in XR+ mode, as for some reason the cameras have to both be in the same distance setting, XR or XR+. While it does seem that if you have a camera close enough for wifi range, you can have 2 different options selected, I found that a bit odd, since these are sold as long range cameras. To resolve this, I went back into the chicken coop camera, moved it to XR+ and then finished setting up the barn camera. The downside to XR+ is that 2-way talk is not supported and video quality is standard, at best. Overall, neither of which were deal breakers for what I'm using these cameras for. I posted screenshots from the app, as you'll see, it shows that both my signal strength and connection to the sync module are poor, however the cameras continue to work as expected, trigger appropriately, and will update / show live view when selected. It does take a few seconds to load, but since I am pushing the distance limitations, I assume this will not be an issue if the cameras are located closer to the sync module. You can also change the motion sensitivity, motion zones, and time before the camera will trigger again after an event starts, these will let you refine based on your need. As part of the trial, the software will also tell you if the motion event is from a person, vehicle, or other. I am happy to report that the barn cats do not trigger the motion events in most instances. Other notable features include the arm/disarm options, in armed state, the cameras will alert on the app if motion is detected, you can also schedule to arm/disarm each day. I found the daytime alerts to be a bit excessive, so I set a schedule to only arm in the evenings, once most of the chores are completed. If you choose not to pay for the subscription, you can add a microSD card to the sync module to collect camera feeds. No, it is not accessible remotely, but it does allow you to go back and review motion event recordings. One other consideration is that these cameras struggle to capture vehicles going 25 mph+. My driveway is 1/3 mile long, so folks can go a bit fast past the camera. I typically will only get the last half of the vehicle when this happens, but it does trigger the motion recording, so if they stop once they pass the camera, I will still capture someone moving around the barn. Bottom line, this is 4 stars for me, I wish that setup was better optimized. I had expected there to be a signal strength guide in the app workflow so I could move the cameras around to find the best placement during setup. I also wish that the advertised 400 ft distance wasn't the absolute limit, and the connectivity was faster at the max advertised distance. That being said, this is the first thing that has worked for my farm since we moved here. I've tried wifi boosters, game cams, and motion alarms, but nothing compares with being able to see these events when they occur via the app. For this reason, the issues feel rather minor, when trading off the fact that I now know when someone is at my barn and I have the peace of mind that the horses and barn equipment are secu.

Blink Outdoor 4 XR is a security surveillance system in a tiny package. The ease of use combined with good enough video quality from the cameras creates a package that is quite appealing. The ability to go offline and store local files on a micro-SD card is convenient. Unfortunately, some features are behind a subscription. While XR is great in helping maximize camera range, it comes with a quality hit to the performance of the cameras. Still in terms of ease of use, installation, and operation, you really cannot beat Blink cameras and this XR package is an excellent value. Unboxing: Blink includes two cameras, 4 lithium AA batteries, mounting kits, the Blink Sync Module XR, a USB cable and power adapter. Setup: First thing is to download the Blink App to your Android or Apple phone. I used a Samsung Galaxy S24+, and setup went smoothly. After setting up the app and your account, set up the Blink Sync Module XR before adding cameras. This is not my first Blink camera or sync module, and I know from prior experience, installing the sync module first can help eliminate technical hiccups down the road. Also, be sure to sync cameras to your Blink account / app before you mount them. Experience: I ran my cameras in XR mode and mounted them to the backyard fence. The quality has been good, but I do notice some occasional pixelation. Nighttime shots are not particularly clear, but daytime videos and pictures look good. Initially, Blink gives you a trial with their cloud-based services. Cloud based services are nice and do help speed up access to videos. But accessing videos from device storage only is much better on the Sync XR Module versus the USB options on the Sync 2 module. I am not sure I understand the temperature alerts as both of my cameras seemed to have a challenging time calibrating to the temp and would report wildly inaccurate temperatures. I know Blink says that direct sun exposure can affect the temperature readings, but even when the cameras were not in direct sunlight, the readings were way off. Blink subscriptions still seem very pricey to me. I have a subscription on my Blink doorbell, but I prefer local storage for the Outdoor cameras. Conclusion: Video quality is good enough. The cameras are rugged and easy to install. The application works well most of the time. Overall, this is a good package. Buyers should research the cloud-based packages, and the features gained / lost if the user decides to keep their cameras on local storage only. But, with the MicroSD slot on the XR sync module, local storage is much more viable now than it used to be with prior Blink systems.

This review is for the Blink outdoor 4 XR battery powered camera (extended range). Unboxing - The kit comes with everything you need to get started. It comes with two outdoor cameras, (x2) AA lithium ion (non-rechargeable) batteries for each camera and Sync module XR with power supply. The cameras feel cheap but feels like it can withstand outdoor elements. The size is very compact about 1.5 inch thick and 2.5x2.5 square. Set up was very easy - if this is the first Blink camera system then you should first download the app on your phone or tablet and create your account. After creating your account you will need to plug in the Sync module XR and add it to your network. This to was easy because all I had to do was scan the QR code specific to each item you are setting up. The website is very user friendly so after scanning the QR code it updated the firmware and then the set up screen popped up. I changed the name of each camera to the location I was placing them in so I can easily select them on the dashboard. After setting the sync module and the cameras the set gets some used to especially if you are used to other brand home security cameras. As far as the user interface after set up its quite confusing because on the dashboard it was not monitoring real time, this maybe because its only activated when you press the play button on the camera. I guess I’m used to going to my dashboard and viewing all camera and activities real time even when I am not alerted. You have to refresh each camera in order to see a snippet in time. If you want to review any activities you have to view clips and it only captures a maximum of 1 minute of time. So that was a negative for me for a non-plan option. Video and image quality - a lot of lag when positioning the camera to capture area. There is no zoom or pan options of the camera lens. It’s a bare bones outdoor camera that would be good as a front door camera to capture up close images or video. You have three options for video quality - Best (1080p), Standard (HD) or Saver. Choose the best option to preserve battery life which is stated to be 2yrs - I can’t speak to battery life but after trying it out for a week the app still says both cameras have OK battery life. Would be nice if it would have bars to indicate when it’s close to needing to be changed. What was frustrating with these cameras is that it does not have continuous monitoring so you can’t playback a clip in time unless you pay for a plan. This is the same across all DIY home security cameras or systems. I’m over having to pay for services/plans for monitoring and paying extra to have a feature that no one on the other end is even monitoring. Overall, because of mediocre image quality, inability to pan a little left/right and cheap camera feeling I gave it three stars. At this price point I feel there are way better options out there with better image quality. However, I do like that it was easy to set up and that the app is user friendly. Also, a two year battery life if you optimize the settings to conserve the battery life. The compact size does allow you to place in a discrete location outdoors (in your mailbox as well :)).

Includes 2 “Outdoor 4” cameras, one Sync Module XR, 4 AA lithium metal batteries (the really nice ones), 2 mounting kits, one USB-C cable, and one power adapter. Does not come with MicroSD card. But supports up to 256 GB. CAMERA 8/10: The cameras themselves are small, feel well made, with weatherproofing, and I think what I like the most about them is that they take Double-A batteries. Which means, if they are low, you just swap them out and your back running again. No having the camera be down for a period while the rechargeable battery is getting juice. Can still get rechargeable Double A batteries as well so you aren’t just constantly buying batteries. I didn’t have enough time to test the battery life on these before posting this review. But I think that is a major reason to consider this guy. Can arm and disarm camera easily. And with it having batteries you can just remove them in case you are storing them for a bit. Which a lot of other cameras don’t give you the ability to do. Making it a great as needed wireless camera. Another main selling point. PICTURE QUALITY 7/10: As for the picture quality. It is solid. It isn’t great. Keep in mind it is 1080p and you can tell. Bit rate isn’t amazing. And goes down the further you go. Which is to be expected. But for the cost and especially for how far away they can be (400 feet max) is solid. The smart functions are fine. Mostly it is just motion detection but with a subscription you can get a few more features that fall behind the competition. Personally, I find the use case for this camera to be like watching a bird feeder, monitoring pets, or some edge of your yard or something like that. Instead of the main camera that is picking up people and doing serious work. They have three modes; one is like short range which gives you the best quality of recordings (as the camera itself doesn’t record I don’t think, it is sent to the Blink Sync Module XR). Then you have the option for XR mode which is 250 feet. Last, you have XR+ which is 400 feet. You can sync up to four cameras to each box. You are able to turn on or off the light on the camera so when it is recording it can be stealthy. Night vision was surprisingly excellent. No complaints on that end for close by objects. App itself is simple, straightforward, and user friendly. SYNC MODULE XR 10/10: The box itself is a bit bigger than the camera but slimmer. Some LEDs on it. USB-C for power. Rubber back to prevent slippage. No complaints. STORAGE 10/10: As for storage. You can back up locally to the Sync Module XR with a MicroSD card (up to 256 GB) which I really like. Meaning you don’t need a membership. Which is becoming increasingly rare in our lives. However, there is also the Blink Subscription Plan which includes cloud storage and some other neat features. Additionally, when you first setup the cameras it automatically starts a 30-day trial (without needing a credit card or anything) of their subscription plan. That I believe auto cancels itself assuming you didn’t put any card information in. CONCLUSION 7/10: In the end, this isn’t the best wireless camera I’ve owned. But it is the smallest, most convenient one. As swapping batteries is effortless. You can remove the cameras to turn off the device making it a perfect as needed wireless camera. Plus the range is way more than any of the others I’ve tried. By a significant margin. But the picture quality and other quality of life features aren’t as good as some of the competition. Which is to be expected at 1080p and for the size and weight. But for 1080p I thought the picture quality was where it should be for price to performance and is solid.

I was really looking forward to the expanded range the Blink Outdoor 4 XR Wireless security cameras claimed to provide. Unfortunately, my experience was poorer than I had expected. The Good: - The cameras and the sync module were very easy to set up and connected to my wireless network. - The app is fairly intuitive which is good because the instructions were rather lacking in both content and continuity. - Camera quality is excellent. - Package comes with two cameras, a sync unit, and hardware for installation. The Not-So-Good - I was not able to use one of the cameras based range the Blink Outdoor 4 XR cameras claim to offer. - I installed one of the cameras on my mailbox to monitor when mail is delivered. My mailbox is 240 feet from the sync unit. - No matter where I put the camera (inside, on the top, below the mailbox itself), the sync module lost connection. - I ran a test watching the live video on my phone while walking down my driveway. It seems to lose signal at about 100 feet, significantly less than the 400 feet claimed by Blink. Overall, this was a disappointing product. I was able to relocate the "mailbox" camera to another place outside my home to get some use of out it, but the 400 foot claim just isn't the case.

Blink Outdoor 4XR is a wireless outdoor security system designed to offer a long-range solution for those that cant hardwire cameras. The setup is easy, everything just clicks into place, all you do is download the app. The Blink app is one of the best on the market, you can change the range of cameras/motion sensitivity/set motion zones/privacy zones and do all of this within 3 clicks. As Blink is a Amazon company you can even join the neighbors app. The main app page shows you the last recorded motion while allowing you to arm/disarm the system. The main page shows what mode the cameras are in and you can easily add/remove cameras or go to settings. Blink even offers local recording by adding a microSD card to the Sync Module. Blink also does something that most battery powered cameras don’t do and that is to add a battery pack to extend the battery life. The camera quality for pictures is decent during the day time, pictures are clear and vibrant, its not the best I have seen but it’s a decent image/video. The best thing about the Blink outdoor 4XR however is the fact that the Sync module works as a range extender. You can take the Sync module to the edge of your WiFi range and from there place the cameras another 300 feet away, Blink claims 400+ feet but at that range the response times from the cameras is terribly slow and you can forget about live view. While Blink does some things well it also needs improvements in many areas. The first is identifying motion, this is very inconsistent. Adjusting the sensitivity settings does make detections better but it wasn’t able to capture all motion events, even if the event was going on for 4 seconds. The night vision on the camera is bad, you will catch motion at times but the picture/video doesn’t provide much detail. The speed of the system, when changing settings, viewing clips or moving the sync module is extremely slow. When I moved the Sync module to the very end of my WiFi range it took about a minute for it to connect to the cameras again. What’s worse is during this time the cameras are not recording, so should you have a power outage the cameras will not record footage unless the sync module is active. Most wireless cameras with a base or sync module usually are much quicker at reviewing data when away, this is not the case with the Blink system. Reviewing a motion clip is slow, at times it doesn’t work at all and when it does it takes 15+ seconds to load. While the Blink cameras are known for their excellent battery life and the sync module allowing you to extend the range of where you can place your cameras is great, the system just has too many areas where it comes up short. The extended range makes the video playback slower than it already is and the detections just don’t work well. To make things worse some of features are hidden behind a paywall so once the trail subscription runs out you have to pay monthly for certain features.

I already had several older model Blink Cameras install using an older Sync Module. I really thought that it would be a little difficult getting the new XR Sync Module to pair with the older cameras, but it picked them all up after I logged the XR into my internet Wi-Fi without issue. Also, the new cameras are a nice upgrade from the older ones with a further distance range. I’m still using all my older cameras and was able to install the newer ones at our storage buildings that is more than 250 ft from my house. The units are working great and has no problem giving us really good video being that far away. I’m very well pleased with this purchase and will probably be purchasing a few more of these newer models soon.

I had a specific use for getting this Blink Outdoor 4 XR kit. I have more signs of deer in our yard than we actually see, and I was curious what was all walking through. The surveillance camera brand I use is Wifi and my wifi doesn’t reach far enough into the yard for a reliable connection. The extended range of the Blink XR seemed like an option that might work. The Blink XR setup was one of the quickest and easiest I’ve ever done. Install the app, add the sync module, add the cameras and pretty much done other than configurations you might want to change. Both cameras and the sync module needed firmware updates which happened automagically during the install. The included mounting plates are simple and functional, but don't include any fasteners, which you’ll need and will vary on what you mount to. After I had all installed I noticed one of my cameras was on wifi, and the other was on XR. I had to delete the camera and re-add it to get them both on XR. My original plan was to have 1 camera on a tree 150’ away and the other at 375’ away, but I started with both cameras on XR (and they will need to be set the same, you can’t have one camera on XR and the other on XR+). I placed 1 camera at 150’ and the other at 100’. The 150’ camera basically was line of sight to the sync module through 1 exterior wall. The 100’ camera was line of sight to the sync module through a window. Both cameras are functional and work at that distance but signal strength is low and quality isn’t great. (resolution goes down even more if you put them into XR+ mode). Based on my signal strength at the XR setting, I doubt the XR+ would give me the theoretical range listed. With this setup I have received motion notifications and played back the clip and nothing is there. The night vision quality isn’t ‘great’ but it’s usable for my specific purpose. I wouldn’t expect to be able to identify a person at night in the XR or XR+ mode, but I can see the deer walking through. The trigger to record is also fairly slow. With a deer just walking across the frame of view, the video doesn’t start until the deer is almost out of frame. I understand this is a limit to running from battery, they probably have to set the motion polling rate low enough to give acceptable battery life. Just something you should be aware of. There are smart motion detection settings, when enabled if a person walks past the camera the push notification to the app says “Person detected at XXXX camera”. The best I can tell, this smart motion detection for people and vehicles is part of a paid subscription that is free for 30days only. Linking to Alexa was painless. In use, asking alexa to show you the XXX camera, only takes a second or 2 for the video feed to show up. Other brand cameras I’ve tried have taken up to 10 seconds. From the app you can do a live view from the cameras, but it will keep nagging you with a pop-up “continue?”, again I assume this is to help with battery life. These Blink Outdoor 4 XR cameras and sync module are just average to mediocre. They are usable as long as you understand their limitations. I personally would never use these as a surveillance/security camera, but they are fine as a trail camera for me. I am going to give the average 3 stars. I’m also going to say I would recommend to a friend ONLY if I can tell my friend about the limitations I’ve listed above.