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Description
Capture video while driving with this Nextbase 422GW dash camera. Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity automatically sync footage to your phone for easier editing and sharing, and the 2.5-inch IPS touch screen offers intuitive control with upgraded resolution. This Nextbase 422GW dash camera with Alexa built-in uses a G-sensor and SOS response service, safeguarding your footage upon impact while alerting emergency services for safety and a prompt response.
Features
Alexa built in
Use voice commands to play music, check the weather, control smart home devices, and talk directly to your dash camera.
High-quality (1440p) video recording
Allows you to capture sharp high-definition footage at 30 fps.
140° viewing angle
Provides expansive shooting coverage with minimal edge-to-edge distortion.
Integrated 2.5" IPS touch screen
Offers an interactive interface and high clarity.
Build-in G-sensor
Supports emergency video file backup when an accident happens.
Emergency SOS
Features an emergency response to alert the emergency services to your location in the event of an accident.
Bluetooth 4.2 and Wi-Fi enabled
Lets you automatically synchronize files to your phone.
Supports microSD cards up to 128GB
Expand your camera's storage and recording capabilities with an SD card (sold separately).
Click & Go Pro mount
High strength integrated neodymium magnets offer easy installation and removal in your vehicle.
Customers highly value the 422GW Dash Cam for its excellent video quality, user-friendly touch screen, and simple installation process. They appreciate the parking mode that automatically starts recording when the vehicle is bumped, as well as the Alexa integration and compact design. However, some customers have expressed concerns about the app's usability and the limited battery life display.
This summary was generated by AI based on customer reviews.
The vast majority of our reviews come from verified purchases. Reviews from customers may include My Best Buy members, employees, and Tech Insider Network members (as tagged). Select reviewers may receive discounted products, promotional considerations or entries into drawings for honest, helpful reviews.
Page 1 Showing 1-8 of 99 reviews
Pros mentioned:
Parking mode, Touch screen
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
Small Footprint Dash Cam w/ Great Performance
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Posted .
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
Nextbase 422GW Dash Cam
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*****Review*****
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The Nextbase 422GW Dash Cam, a small footprint on your windshield. But don’t be fooled... It has excellent image quality and is built with quality material to give it that premium feel/look.
With the 422GW Dash Cam by Nextbase, you are equipped with an IPS touchscreen that is pretty responsive to the touch and as a plus it looks good as well. When it comes to the touch screen, you pretty much have all your options where you need them so it’s readily accessible and user friendly. I did encounter a weird issue where the touch screen stopped responding to my touch and then the dash cam rebooted; this only happened once. There’s also several different ports/button to keep a note of such as power/reset, HDMI and microUSB. The power button is pretty much self explanatory while the reset button acts as a “factory reset” button. The HDMI port gives you the ability to plug it into a TV/monitor (for projection of your clips) as well as other units that Nextbase has to offer. The microUSB gives you the ability to plug it into a PC if you decide you want to transfer footage, do firmware updates, or simply if you want to plug in the microUSB instead of the 12-24V car power adapter. You also have the ability to transfer footage if you simply eject the microSD from your dash cam and insert it into your PC (given you have that ability on your PC). Also just as a side note, Nextbase doesn’t include a microSD card so make sure you buy one to expand the memory capability (128GB).
I’m not going to dive into installation because in my honest opinion, it was super easy to install and you essentially have 2 “methods” to choose from (suction cup or sticky pad). So it ultimately depends on which option you want to go with (I went with the suction cup method). I personally didn't have any problems installing the actual dash cam in my car. What I did encounter were issues with the MyNextbase app for my iPhone. It had trouble communicating together and I also ran into an issue updating the firmware through the app for a solid 45 minutes which was a little bit frustrating. I even tried to delete the app, unpair it from my phone, and I even ended up resetting the dash cam itself… I finally got the firmware to update by downloading MyNextbase Player on my PC and completing the firmware update this way instead.
I really like the features of the 422GW Dash Cam by Nextbase as well. Parking Protection is pretty spot on and I didn’t run into any issues using the feature. You can select different sensitivity settings but I personally felt like the normal/medium worked the best for me. What Parking Protection does is that if someone taps your car in the front while reversing, the dash cam will trigger and capture the footage. Along with the Parking Protection feature, you also get an Emergency SOS feature. Basically if you get into a car accident, the Emergency SOS feature will trigger and EMS (Emergency Medical Services) will be contacted. It doesn’t stop here with the features, you also get Amazon Alexa. Basically the thing(s) you normally do with Amazon Alexa you can do with your 422GW Dash Cam as it has built in Amazon Alexa.
When it comes down to the performance of the 422GW Dash Cam by Nextbase, I am thoroughly impressed. With the footage that I was able to catch on my daily (day) commute, it was perfectly clear to make out the make/model and color of the vehicles around me. If you’re wondering if the 422GW Dash Cam can get the license plates around you as well; let me just say that there’s no need for wondering here. My only complaint that I have is when it comes down to footage at night. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still relatively clear in case of an emergency… But I personally feel like the quality is a bit grainy.
In conclusion, all in all, I am pretty impressed with the 422GW Dash Cam by Nextbase. It’s a fantastic dash cam that can record with clarity, has some stellar features and has a small enough footprint to not be obnoxious on your windshield. If you run into issues with the MyNextbase app like I did, I’d recommend going the route of the software which is MyNextbase Player. My only recommendation here is that Nextbase fine-tune their MyNextbase app (resolve any issues/bugs that users encounter). That being said, if you’re someone that is currently in the market for a dash cam for either your daily commute or you actually need it for something like Lyft and Uber; I wouldn’t hesitate to consider the 422GW Dash Cam by Nextbase.
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*****Quick Features & Specs*****
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Alexa built in: Use voice commands to play music, check the weather, control smart home devices, and talk directly to your dash camera.
High-quality (1440p) video recording: Allows you to capture sharp high-definition footage at 30 fps.
140° viewing angle: Provides expansive shooting coverage with minimal edge-to-edge distortion.
Integrated 2.5" IPS touch screen: Offers an interactive interface and high clarity.
Build-in G-sensor: Supports emergency video file backup when an accident happens.
Emergency SOS: Features an emergency response to alert the emergency services to your location in the event of an accident.
Bluetooth 4.2 and Wi-Fi enabled: Lets you automatically synchronize files to your phone.
Supports microSD cards up to 128GB: Expand your camera's storage and recording capabilities with an SD card (sold separately).
Click & Go Pro mount: High strength integrated neodymium magnets offer easy installation and removal in your vehicle.
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*****What's in the box*****
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Nextbase 422GW Dash Cam
12-24V car power cable
USB cable
Power cable fitting tool
Adhesive mount
Suction mount
Click&Go PRO mount
Owner's manual
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Video quality
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
Lots of reflection from the windshield.
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Posted . Owned for 1 month when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
This Dash camera must have a reflection free lens for high quality videos.
I would recommend this to a friend
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Tiny dash cam packed with features and clear image
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Posted . Owned for 3 weeks when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
this thing has already paid for itself. within a couple weeks, i was hit by another driver and caught it on my dashcam. I quickly sent the footage through the app at the scene of the accident. My claimed was processed and i had my car fixed in the shortest amount of time ever.
luckily i didn't have to use the SOS tech for this accident, but it's nice to know it's there for me and my fam. i love the alexa auto function as well. Maps, weather, traffic, music, etc. so easy to just boss my car around and tell it what to do.
the rear cabin module is dope. you can see out all back door windows and rear window and also catch all the funny that happens inside the car.
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Alexa integration, Parking mode, Touch screen
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
I can see you make that left in front of me!
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Posted .
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
What’s to like: Sharp picture, clear in low light, parking mode, speed & location embeded in video, good app integration
What’s not to like: larger than some, screen stays on, No SD card provided
Why do you need a dash camera? It’s them, not you. It’s to capture the moments when someone does something stupid to cause an accident. Why should you look at the Nextbase 422? It gives you nearly everything you need to prove you did nothing wrong. Easy hook up to your 12V power jack means it will work in every car. Suction cup mount keeps the camera out of the way, but also lets you switch cars when you want to. GPS built into the mount lets the camera record your speed and location. It even lets you display a speedometer on the screen instead of the scene it’s recording to reduce distractions.
How good is the picture? It’s clearer than the Garmin 55 this replaced. It’s sharp and adapts well to different lighting conditions. The touch screen makes it easy to navigate the options which include time lapse mode, dual video recording mode, and entering your license plate on the video. You can also take a picture or protect a video clip from being overwritten. Nextbase also includes a rechargeable battery which keeps this powered in parking mode for your camera to watch your car when you’re not around.
Nextbase went beyond just a dash cam with the current line up, including the 422: Alexa integration. Oddly, this doesn’t mean voice control of your dash cam. It means you can use the camera as an always on voice control for anything you might otherwise do at home: play music, add items to your shopping list, or get directions. You can also use it to initiate phone calls.
It’s not quite perfect, but comes close. The Garmin I had included lane change warnings, speed & red light camera notifications, and a close car warning. Nextbase has no safety alerts. One other note, the camera does not come with an SD card. Nextbase recommends a high speed U3 card or better to handle the high resolution video. These cards run ~$10-15 for a 32 GB. I did have a connection issue with my unit, but customer service was very responsive and quick to take care of it.
Overall: This is one of the better dash cams that I’ve used. Between features and quality it beats all the other ones I’ve tried.
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Easy to install, Parking mode, Video quality
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Excellent dash cam
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Posted .
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
I have owned other dash cams, and after a few weeks of using the Nextbase, I can attest that this an excellent device. The video+audio quality is, and the field of view is about right, not too narrow and not too wide. The main strengths found with the Nextbase dash cam is the effortless installation, includes GPS location+speed, integrated with Alexa, and great software (both mobile app and PC). The device is very lightweight and made of durable plastic.
INSTALLATION: The kit includes all the required hardware and cables to complete the installation. Car charging wire is long enough for all vehicles, even running the wire under the dash, side panel, and the car’s ceiling. The kit comes with two window/dash holders, sticker mount or suction base mount. The suction base is excellent for rental vehicles.
RECORDING: Before using the dash cam, it is highly recommended having the device charge for 2hrs. After this, Inserting and formatting the memory card, install mobile or PC/mac software, perform a firmware update, and complete the final configurations. It has a parking collision sensor that captures images when motion is detected. The camera records quality video and at a wide field of view. In case you are in an accident, you want good images as evidence. Nextbase cam produces good quality video + audio. Going cheap on a dash camera will be regretful whenever you need evidence for an accident. Having recorded video/audio is to have evidence. Also, it can be used to file a claim with the insurance company.
WORKS PERFECTLY: The dash cam records everything in front of a vehicle. I like how useful are the mobile app and PC software. With the mobile app, I can live view what the cam is recording, connect to Alexa, activate S.O.S., and view recorded video. Using the PC software is extremely easy and useful. With it, I can quickly find a clip, zoom in, locate GPS location, and it includes the exact location using Google Maps. Overall, I am satisfied with the Nextbase dash cam. In an accident, I will be glad to have great audio and video. This product could save you money in an insurance claim. I highly recommend the use of a dash cam.
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Video quality
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
One of the best dashcams available
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This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
I've played around with a few less expensive dash cams that did a decent job, but none of them felt like the Nextbase 422GW at any point in use. The short and sweet of this camera is that it might be a bit pricier than alternatives, but the whole experience - from setup, to viewing and editing videos, even to just holding it in your hand - feels top notch. At no point in using this camera did I wish to go back to one of the other models I've used in the past. Nextbase has done a great job on this unit.
Everything you need is included in the box except for a micro SD card. A small USB cable is included for charging and transferring videos. A semi-permanent adhesive mount, and a more portable suction cup mount is included to provide options. A 12v vehicle power cable is provided that is long enough to conceal behind your vehicle trim and dash, and it plugs into both mounts so you can leave it once the cam is positioned to your liking. A small plastic vehicle trim tool, the "Cable Tidy Tool", helps you tuck that power cable out of sight. And a quick guide helps get you up and running fast. A full manual is available for download from the Nextbase website and I highly recommend reading it. The info it provides is extremely useful for advanced options, and for operating the camera effectively.
Video quality on this unit is excellent. It records 1440 res at 30FPS, and the recordings look great both during the day and at night. I set mine to 1080p at 60FPS, however, and found the video quality to still be excellent, while also saving some file size. While recording you can tap the screen to generate a still shot while the recording continues. Recordings default to 1-minute clips to provide an easier time transferring and managing space. You can change this setting to 2 or 3 minutes if desired. The camera features a battery on it for loss of power or Parking Mode. While it only supports about 15 minutes of recording time, it's a decent amount of standby time since it only records when necessary. The camera also features loop recording meaning once the micro SD card fills up, every time a recording is needed an existing 1-minute clip is removed.
To make a longer video of your drive, the MyNextbase player offers an easy editing experience with simple stitching options. Using the MyNextbase Player also allows you to add annotations, title screens, and cut videos to shorter clips. The interface on the app is simple but effective, and I found the viewing experience of videos to be much better than using the camera for this. The player also provides GPS information, speed, heading direction, and a route map. The route map not only shows your location during playback, but also allows you to click a point on the route to jump the video to that time, which I really liked.
The camera is best used with the MyNextbase app installed on your phone and your phone connected to the camera during use. The app allows you to update firmware and modify more advanced settings, which gives you greater control over the cam. It is also how the Alexa integration and Emergency SOS feature works. Since I don't use Alexa as much as some may, I found the Emergency SOS to be one of my main reasons for the app, and one of the primary features I liked about this camera.
Emergency SOS alerts emergency services in the event of a crash. The camera uses the GSensor to detect a crash and uses the app to sense driver movement or interaction afterward. If no motion is detected via the GPS, accelerometer, or pedometer, the app displays a countdown to emergency alert. If no one cancels the countdown on the camera or app, an emergency SOS message is sent out with GPS and personal data for emergency services. I like this option over other in-car monitoring services, since nothing is transmitted unless an incident occurs, and you can’t cancel the countdown.
Speaking of incidents, there is a protect button right below the screen and Nextbase logo that allows you to manually protect recordings, and it is also activated in the event of a detected incident. When activated, a 10 second lead and 20 second tail is added to the recording and the recording is saved in a protected folder on the micro SD card. Files in this folder are not removed when the card fills up.
There were very few things I didn't like about this camera, but nonetheless there are some.
The first thing was right out of the box. The USB port on the camera is mini USB, not micro, which was a shock for a modern device. Brand new USB devices are going to USB C, and most modern devices are at least using Micro USB. I have even begun purging my excess mini USB cables since I only have 1 or 2 devices using them. I don't understand the decision to go with the dated Mini USB form factor and think they could have easily opted for at least Micro.
The second thing I didn't like was also something I really like, sort of. The camera secures to both mounting options using a magnet in the front. It's very secure. Too secure. I love that the camera doesn't seem like it will ever fall off, but removing it is also a really difficult task because the magnet is so strong. With the adhesive mount this is less of a problem, but I have had the camera pull the suction cup mount with it when trying to remove it.
The last issues I had were with file transfers from the camera to the computer. First, when moving from camera to computer I found transfers to be rather slow when moving multiple files. It's much faster direct from micro SD card plugged into your computer. Second, I found duplicate videos on the card, varying only by a couple letters (FH or FL) but with very different file sizes. It's easy to overlook the part in the Video Settings section of the manual that indicates "both a high and low quality video are saved." It turns out FH means "Front High" and FL means "Front Low". Adding a rear cam accessory will also generate a RH and RL recording.
Overall, as I mentioned, I really like this cam. The built quality is spot on, the recording quality is excellent, the size is just right, and the feature set is perfect. There are many more features I haven't mentioned in detail, like Parking Mode, Screen Saver, and Time Lapse, that this cam supports, and they all work very well. Add in the support for hard wiring and any number of rear camera accessories, and what you end up with is a great package that feels well planned out and like it will last.
I would recommend this to a friend
Cons mentioned:
App
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
Great hardware, poor software
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This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
=== Summary ===
The Nextbase 422GW dashcam is a pretty good & quality dashcam that is easy to mount and set up with good video quality, excellent audio quality, and several neat features. The 2.5" IPS touchscreen display is clear and bright and very responsive to touch inputs. The only major glaring flaw is the MyNextbase smartphone app that needs lots of improvement. Overall, I give it a 4 out of 5 due to software issues.
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*Pros:
-Easy to set up and mount.
-The mounting magnet system is very strong & secure.
-Bluetooth and Wifi connections are made quickly and reliably every time.
-Small & light components = highly portable. Easy to carry from one car to another.
-Auto-recording upon car start has been very reliable.
-Rechargeable battery inside.
-3 recording modes: 1440P@30 FPS, 1080@60 FPS, and 1080@30 FPS.
-Parking Mode is useful for recording bumps & hit-and-runs.
-Adjustable G-Sensor sensitivity to minimize false alerts.
-Daytime video quality is crisp & sharp but oversaturated. Nighttime recording is better & good.
-Audio recording quality is very good and clear. Good background noise filtering.
-Supports microSD cards up to 128GB.
-GPS fires up quickly and is accurate.
-The Emergency SOS feature is a thoughtful feature.
-Is compatible with several add-ons - polarizing filter, rear view camera, rear window camera, and cabin view camera.
-Supports Amazon Alexa AI assistant.
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*Neutral:
-I wish the car charger had at least one USB port for phone charging.
-Colors are overblown, especially the red and orange colors (see picture).
-I wish it came with a hard carrying case.
-Due to the strong magnet connection, it's kind of hard to detach the dashcam from the mount. Gotta wiggle it a lot.
-The rechargeable battery capacity is small (320 mAh) and runs out of juice quickly without the car charger.
-The Emergency SOS feature costs money after the 1-yr free trial period. It's $4.99/month - kind of expensive.
-I wish Google Assistant was an option.
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*Cons:
-Once disconnected from the car charger, the dashcam won't turn off fully unless Parking Mode is disabled or the battery runs out.
-The MyNextbase app is buggy - Live View lag, frequent Live View disconnects, changing settings loses connection to phone with no automatic resuming of video recording.
=== Hardware & Performance ===
All the hardware components & accessories of the Nextbase 422GW dashcam inside the box are of high quality and exhibit excellent build quality and fit-and-finish. The Click&Go Pro GPS Mount attaches smoothly to the Suction Mount and the Suction Mount, in turn, connects strongly & securely to the dashcam via a very strong magnetic connection. I chose not to use the Velcro mounting option because I didn't want any glue residue melted onto my dashboard (SoCal weather during summer often goes above 100 F).
The suction cup stuck onto my windshield very securely and thanks to the light weight of the 422GW, the camera never fell down despite my car having a relatively rough suspension system due to an aftermarket coilover system.
The main dashcam unit is very light (105 g) and well-built and it was easy to handle. The 2.5" IPS color display is bright and very responsive to touch inputs. The Power Button and the microSD card slot are located on the left where access is fast and easy for the driver. The car charger cable plugs in to the right side of the 422GW and it stays out of my way when driving my manual stick-shift car. It would've been nice if the car charger included at least one USB port for phone charging.
The 140-degree viewing angle captured a wide swath of the road and the video quality at both 1080P and 1440P was crisp, sharp, and satisfactory. Street signs and license plate numbers were clear and easy to read during video playback. Nighttime videos were especially impressive & noticeably brighter than my other dashcam as it contained much less noise and showed more colors. Both dashcams are around the ~$200 MSRP pricepoint but the Nextbase proved superior.
Daytime videos, however, fell below my expectations. Despite having high FPS and crisp images, I was constantly bothered by the extremely saturated colors, especially the reds. I really wish that Nextbase, in future firmware updates, will either tone down the color saturation levels or give the user the option to change color profile settings. Adding or improving the HDR option would be nice as well.
When it comes to the quality of audio pickup from the microphones, this is another area that the 422GW excels in. It picked up low background voices much better than my other dashcam and the volume was louder and more clear.
Bluetooth and Wifi connections are yet another set of strong attributes of the 422GW. My phone was immediately recognized upon opening the Nextbase app and swiftly connected. When I initiated a Wifi connection, that also went over smoothly. As for file transfer speeds over Wifi, however, I wasn't very impressed. Nextbase calls it a "High-Speed Wifi" connection but it was very slow, peaking at ~2.5 MBps (20 Mbps) transfer rate. When I transfer files from my laptop to my desktop over my home Wifi (dual-band 801.11ac), I get much higher transfer speeds than that and reach speeds up to 14.5 MBps (116 Mbps).
Charging is done via a mini-USB B port and the 422GW has an extra port on the side for future expansion modules such as a rear view, rear window, or cabin view camera. Other optional accessories for the 422GW include a hardwire car kit (to neatly tuck in the power cable), a polarizing filter to reduce glare & reflections, and a carrying case. At this price point, I expected a carrying case to be included instead of being a separate purchase. Oh well~
On the topic of GPS, it worked very well. I compared the GPS coordinates reported by the 422GW against Google Maps and my location was spot-on and accurate. Impressed.
The Intelligent Parking Mode that runs the 422GW on battery power and detects for bumps and motions while the car is parked worked as intended and recorded clips in a timely fashion.
The G-Sensor, which informs the 422GW about possible accidents, worked great & "locked" videos so that they couldn't be overwritten. I set sensitivity to Medium to minimize false alerts.
Besides the oversaturated color profile in the videos, I see no other faults with the 422GW. It's a quality modular dashcam with a robust accessory ecosystem.
=== Software Integration ===
In terms of software, mainly the MyNextbase smartphone app, I didn't like it very much. Upon launch, there are big notices/ads for Amazon Alexa, Nextbase News, and accessories that take up more than half the screen. And they don't go away which is irritating.
Another negative is the Live View video feature. It was always lagging behind by one to two seconds and the connection would break off at random times. The feed did eventually reconnect on its own but it was annoying regardless due to its high frequency of cutouts.
Another thing that annoyed me was when I made changes to the dashcam inside Settings, the dashcam would stop recording and not begin recording automatically once I exited the Settings section. I had to manually restart the recording process each time by tapping on the display. If I forgot to hit record, then there would be no important footage to review later in case something happened to me and my car.
Onto some positives. A nice and thoughtful addition is the Emergency SOS feature whereby the 422GW detects a car crash and sends my GPS and medical data to an emergency responder. It is free for one year then it costs $4.99/month. It's on the expensive side and I, therefore, won't be continuing the service after the trial. I'm sure some will appreciate it though.
Since I use Google Assistant on my phone and at home, I didn't try using the Alexa AI. I didn't want to install another app and go through the learning process.
I didn't use the MyNextbase Player application either as I use Cyberlink Power Director for my video editing needs.
Overall, the software is very "meh" and I'm hoping for future refinements from Nextbase.
=== My Take ===
To sum it up, Nextbase offers good hardware and so-so smartphone app. After considering the two together, I cannot rate the Nextbase 422GW package higher than a 4 out of 5. It gets points for its crisp, sharp, and smooth videos. Also for its Intelligent Parking Mode, excellent microphone quality, and its slick mounting system. They just need to fix the oversaturated colors and improve the smartphone app.
I would recommend this to a friend
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
Does the important things right
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This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
After proof of fault could not be 100% determined by the insurance companies in a recent fender bender, I decided it was time to try a dash cam out in case of another instance. Positive feedback online led me to Nextbase. I considered other dash cams but the positive reviews and features of the Nextbase were just what I was after. While this dash cam does most everything right, there are a few very minor issues.
In our current web and tech world, specs and features for almost anything you want to purchase is readily available. Instead of focusing on the specs and features that you can read about in better detail on the Nextbase or Best Buy websites, I will focus on real world use.
First off, the packaging is quite nice. Everything was secure and there was protective film over the lens element and the touch screen. The camera was surrounded by soft foam and fully protected. When you open the box and view the included items, you get the sense that Nextbase cares about presentation. In this competitive world, that is a good practice.
Initial Android pairing and setup was a little wonky. I do believe this was in part to my phones WiFi settings, so not too big a deal. Once I corrected the WiFi issue and got the firmware updated, it was ready to be installed. The whole pairing and update process only took about ten minutes even with my Wifi issue.
Then the battery. What battery? Not sure what the mAh rating is, but it is absurd. If you have it unplugged, you are lucky to get 10 minutes before it is depleted. If you take it inside to update or adjust settings with the app, be sure to plug it in immediately. Also, don’t lose the cable they provide to attach it to your computer, because it is a USB 2.0 Type B - 5 position cable (see attached photo). Why they didn’t design it with the standard micro USB input that’s so common is beyond me.
SENSITIVITY!? After I updated the firmware, I unplugged the cam and set it aside for a few minutes to read the install instructions and unpack the mounts, etc. I noticed immediately that any time I bumped my desk or set something on it, the camera would turn on and start recording. When I picked it up to take to the car, it also woke up and immediately started recording all the way outside and into the car. That is one touchy accelerometer! In one way this is good because this is how your camera detects when you start driving, or if it is bumped while in a parking lot, etc. In another way it is annoying. I just wish there was a master switch so it could be turned off (and stay off) when removing it from the car. This means you will have a lot of wasted space and black video clips on your SD card if you keep it in a bag or purse. There may be a way to disable this auto on/recording feature, but I have scoured the app and have not found a way yet. Simply turning it off by pressing the power button does nothing, because it will just start right back up and start recording again the second you move it. On the other hand, once you leave your car or set it down and it is completely still, it will shut off and be in stand by mode until it detects movement again.
Installation is very easy and comes with a tuck tool to help hide the cable. Once installed and plugged in, I took a test drive around the neighborhood to check it out. I have mine set for max resolution and the files look great on my computer. Definitely good enough for an insurance company. The field of view covers my entire windshield, so it is very wide angle and captures the whole scene in front of the car easily. These cameras are also upgradeable with cool and functional add ons, such as a rear facing camera that I may look into later. The touch screen is bright and relatively sharp, just don’t expect high end tablet or phone quality. The screen is also small, so the icons for Alexa, start/stop recording, and settings, are really small. That said, you don’t really need to touch the camera at all once it is set up and ready to go. I have also noticed that the cam gets pretty hot. I am guessing that is because it is recording max resolution and also because it is summer. It remains to be seen, but the heat could be an issue with longevity of the device.
Another cool feature is the screensaver. If turned on, the screen will change to a digital speedometer after a short time. This is great and helps keep your eyes on the road, not a screen showing what you are recording. If you want to check to make sure it is recording while in screensaver mode, simply tap the screen and it will show you the live view.
Alexa integration is a nice feature and seems to work well so far. I do not use a music service that works with Alexa, so I cannot comment on dialing up music while driving. I mainly use it for easy commands like weather updates.
Emergency SOS is a VERY cool feature and quite possibly the BEST feature of this device. For instance, the unit can automatically send an information stamped video file to select email(s) of your choice if you are in an accident. It can even send GPS coordinates to emergency services automatically if you are unable to press the SOS button. This is only two amazing SOS features. There are other extremely useful features with the SOS system that I highly recommend reading about on the Nextbase website. These features alone make this dash cam worth buying. Keep in mind that this is a paid subscription after the first free 12 months.
All in all, I am happy with the device. It does the important things right, therefore I am only knocking one star for the minor issues.
PROS:
Good wide angle resolution and IQ
Nice small design and seems well built
Easy install, set it and forget it
Emergency SOS
SUPER sensitive
CONS:
What battery?
No way to override or turn off the auto on/recording
USB 2.0 Type B (5 position)? Really?!
Gets hot while recording 1440p
Touch screen is small so therefore the icons are small
A:The manual says don't leave it in an unattended vehicle in direct sun, don't operated outside of -4*f to 113*f, and don't store for extended periods outside of 32*f to 77*F.