So, comparing the Blink Mini 2 to the original Blink Mini, the biggest upgrade is the addition of color night vision. The Mini 2 has a built-in LED spotlight that helps capture clear, color video at night, which is a big step up from the black-and-white night vision on the original model.

Our research shows that people generally like this feature because it makes the footage clearer and more detailed in low-light conditions. Just keep in mind that the brightness and quality can vary depending on the settings and where you have the camera set up.

The LED spotlight on the Blink Mini 2 can either turn on automatically when it detects motion or be controlled manually through the Blink app. According to our data, the spotlight does a good job of lighting up areas within its range, which is super helpful for spotting details and boosting your security at night.

That said, the night vision might not always be as clear as some other cameras on the market, so you might get some grainy footage occasionally.

Another cool feature in the Blink Mini 2 is person detection. This, along with other upgrades, can be made even better with a Blink Subscription Plan, which offers more extensive surveillance options.

To wrap it up, the Blink Mini 2 has some solid improvements over the original, especially with its color night vision and spotlight. It's a great pick if you need strong nighttime surveillance.

Just remember that if you want to fully utilize features like person detection, you might need to subscribe to the Blink plan.

Nope, the Blink Mini 2 doesn't strictly need a subscription to work. Right out of the box, you can use live view, get motion alerts, and use the two-way audio all through the Blink app for free. So, you'll still be able to see what's happening at home and chat with whoever's there, whether it's a visitor or your pet. 🙂

But if you want a few more bells and whistles, you might want to consider a subscription. According to the manufacturer, with a subscription, you get cloud storage for your video recordings. That means you can go back, review, save, and even share footage.

They offer two plans: the Basic Plan, which gives you 60 days of video history for a single camera, and the Plus Plan, which supports unlimited cameras at a single location and includes some extra perks like extended warranties.

We've found that many folks who use this camera think the subscription is worth it because it makes storing and managing video clips super easy. Otherwise, you'd have to deal with local storage, like using a USB with the Blink Sync Module 2 (which you have to buy separately). Some people find the subscription easier and less of a hassle.

And hey, the camera also features customizable activity zones. This lets you select specific areas for motion detection and helps avoid false alarms, which is handy if you’ve got a busy household. People who've set this up generally find it pretty useful, though you might need to fine-tune it a bit.

So, in short, you don't need a subscription, but it does add extra features that could be beneficial depending on what you're looking for.

The night vision on the Blink Mini 2 is decent but has its limitations. It does feature color night vision, which sounds great, but according to our research, the quality can be a bit hit-or-miss.

If you use it inside, you might find it more reliable, but using it outdoors (even with a weather-resistant adapter) might produce grainy or fuzzy footage. This can make it harder to see details like faces or small movements clearly at night.

Daytime video quality is really good, but the night footage doesn't quite match up. If having super clear night vision is a big deal for you, you might want to consider something like the TP-Link Tapo C110.

It's known for its 2K resolution and tends to perform better in low-light scenarios. But if you’re mainly looking for good quality during the day and can overlook some of the night vision flaws, the Blink Mini 2 should still do the job.