Amazon’s $ 40 Blink Floodlight camera mount challenges rival Google Nest

Amazon launches new Blink Floodlight camera as as part of its fall launch event, a $ 40 mount designed to work with its Blink outdoor camera. The offer is expected to help Amazon’s Blink brand better compete with Google Nest, who previously announced a version of its Nest Cam that comes with a projector. (International prices weren’t immediately available, but $ 40 turns into around £ 30 or AU $ 60.)

The new LED camera mount will provide 700 lumens of motion-triggered lighting, compared to the Nest Cam with Projector with 2,400 lumens of illumination. Amazon sells the Blink Floodlight camera mount as an add-on starting at $ 40, but it will also offer a combination that bundles the Floodlight camera with the Blink outdoor camera for $ 140. Amazon also introduced a new solar panel mount that charges the Blink Outdoor and will be available in a pack with the camera for $ 130.

The new Floodlight add-on will also extend Amazon’s offerings beyond the Ring Floodlight Camera, which starts at $ 180. By launching an optional camera mount for the Blink Outdoor, Amazon offers more flexibility for those who may not want to spend more on a dedicated projector camera.

Amazon’s Fall Echo event regularly delivers a handful of new devices from Amazon and Ring. The 2020 event unveiled redesigned Echo and Echo Dot speakers, a rotating smart display and that elusive Ring drone, the Always Home Cam. Today, Amazon executives are once again on stage to showcase new Alexa devices, services and features. The introduction of the new $ 50 flashing video doorbell, which will be available wired or wireless and works with the Alexa assistant.

The move also comes after Google announced a slew of new Nest products in August. Google is Amazon’s biggest competitor in the broader smart home space, although Amazon is still the market leader. Echo devices accounted for 28% of the global smart speaker market in 2020, with Google devices coming in second. In the United States, Echo dominated 70% of the market in 2019. Ring security cameras dominate the market, followed by Arlo products. Amazon’s Fire TV is the most popular media streaming device, capturing over 12% of a competitive market.

The launch of the affordable Blink video doorbell and accessories like the Floodlight camera mount are other signals that Amazon is hoping to maintain its top spot in the market with aggressive pricing.

CNET’s Molly Price and Laura Hautala contributed to this story.