The new Blink Video Doorbell is one of the simplest and most affordable models around

Blink has just announced the second-generation Blink Video Doorbell (a follow-up to one of the best video doorbells around) and it’s sticking to what the brand does best: affordable, easy-to-use home security.

It’s priced under US$60 / £50, making it potentially one of the most budget-friendly ways to keep an eye on your front door without faffing around with wires or complicated installs.

The new doorbell runs on three AA lithium batteries and uses the Blink Sync Module Core, giving you up to two years of battery life. That means once it’s up and running, you can pretty much forget about it.

Its upgraded 150° head-to-toe field of view gives you a clear 1:1 perspective – so you can see everything from a guest’s face to the parcel they just dropped off. Night vision is built in, too, so you’re not left squinting at blurry blobs after dark.

New to this version is person detection, which uses on-device computer vision to spot actual humans and filter out things like passing pets or rustling branches. You’ll need a Blink subscription for that feature, but for those who want smarter alerts, it’s a handy upgrade.

You can pair the doorbell with Alexa devices for real-time alerts and two-way talk, and it comes in both black and white finishes. It’ll start shipping mid-August and is available to pre-order now for just $59.99 in the US and £49.99 in the UK.

If you’re looking to build out a bigger home security setup, Blink has a full range of affordable gear. That includes the Blink Outdoor 4 for garden and driveway coverage, the Blink Mini 2 for plug-in monitoring inside or out, and the Blink Mini Pan-Tilt if you want 360-degree room views. All of them are very affordable and all work seamlessly with the Blink app.

It’s not flashy, but the new Blink Video Doorbell nails the basics – and at this price, that’s exactly what a lot of people want.

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Spencer Hart Buying Guide Editor

About

As Buying Guide Editor, Spencer is responsible for all e-commerce content on Stuff, overseeing buying guides as well as covering deals and new product launches. Spencer has been writing about consumer tech for over eight years. He has worked on some of the biggest publications in the UK, where he covered everything from the emergence of smartwatches to the arrival of self-driving cars. During this time, Spencer has become a seasoned traveller, racking up air miles while travelling around the world reviewing cars, attending product launches, and covering every trade show known to man, from Baselworld and Geneva Motor Show to CES and MWC. While tech remains one of his biggest passions, Spencer also enjoys getting hands-on with the latest luxury watches, trying out new grooming kit, and road-testing all kinds of vehicles, from electric scooters to supercars.

Areas of expertise

Watches, travel, grooming, transport, tech