Amazon Blink Mini keeps an eye on your home from the inside

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.

Many people are being advised or even forced to stay indoors but that doesn't mean you can be lax about home security. Keeping tabs on what happens indoors, especially at night, can sometimes be just as important as knowing what goes on outdoors. Fortunately, indoor cameras are often less sophisticated and less expensive than outdoor ones. Especially when you take into account the latest Blink Mini camera from Amazon, offering many basic features at the fraction of a price of its rivals.

There's no getting around it. The Blink Mini from the Amazon-affiliated company is cheap. Like $35 cheap. Many indoor cameras at that price point have only the basics. The Blink Mini does cover those, too, and then adds some of its own, including one that will literally cost you.

The Blink Mini records videos in 1080p resolution and supports two-way audio that lets you talk to people and pets as you wish. Naturally, it lest you view and control the camera using a smartphone app or, better yet, Amazon's own Echo Show. On top of that, the tiny camera boasts customizable motion detection zones and infrared night vision.

Now the catch. Given its tiny body, it shouldn't be a surprise that the Blink Mini can't store its own recordings. Unlike the Blink XT2, however, Amazon is charging $3 a month or $30 a year for cloud storage. That said, Amazon will only start charging buyers on January 1, 2021. Amazon assures that the free cloud storage arrangement for its other Blink cameras remain the same.

The Blink Mini will go on sale next week for $34.99 for one camera or $64.99 for a two-camera bundle. For those who prefer to save their recording locally, you'll have to wait for the $35 Blink Sync Module 2 to launch later this year. Then again, you have the whole year to use the cloud storage for free anyway.