Nextbase iQ 4K review: Super-capable LTE dash cam for the connoisseur

Price When Reviewed

$700 plus month-to-month LTE charge if desired

Best Prices Today: Nextbase iQ 4K sprint cam

$699.99

Nextbase is taking sprint cams to the nth stage, packing the corporate’s new iQ collection with all the fashionable monitoring and security options you’ll be able to consider. It’s a implausible product, however beginning at $500 for 1080p plus a further $200 for a rear view digital camera, it requires a good quantity of coin to amass.

Not to say one other $10 or $20 a month to make the most of all of the LTE-related options resembling incident storage to the cloud.

Further studying: See our roundup of the best dash cams to study competing merchandise.

What are the Nextbase iQ {hardware} options?

I examined the iQ 4K, which sports activities a 180 diploma field-of-view (FOV) 2160p entrance cam, and a 140 diploma FOV 1440p inside cam. Nextbase didn’t embody the 1440p rear digital camera, which ups protection to almost 360 levels. The sensors are courtesy of Omnivision, although Nextbase didn’t specify which fashions.

There are additionally an iQ 2K 1440p/1440p and iQ 1K 1080p/1080p model accessible. All the Nextbase sprint cams I’ve examined take good captures, so I’m guessing that would be the case for the lower-resolution items as properly.

Nextbase shocked me with a really intelligent energy answer–a cable with modular suggestions, which embody two sizes of piggy-back fuse field connectors plus an OBDII connector. The extensions connect to the primary cable by way of a single-pin connector.

No stripping or tapping of wires required in any automobile. Sweet.

My solely criticism right here may be that the OBDII isn’t a pass-through connector, so I’ve to take away it once I need to use OBDII diagnostics. Not an enormous deal, however one thing you ought to be conscious of. Perhaps go for the fuse sorts.

The cable (proven above) makes use of an angle connector to marry flush with the digital camera base. The connector seems at first look to be a Type-C USB, however its squared off corners prohibit plugging it into a regular Type-C port. The rear digital camera (Nextbase didn’t embody one) makes use of the identical connector.

Jon L. Jacobi / Foundry

The digital camera physique itself is minimalist, with the entrance and cabin digital camera lenses on both facet, a save seize button on the underside, plus a coated (captive plug) SD card slot on the correct facet. That’s it, aside from the tiny pinhole for the microphone within the entrance.

Then after all, as you’ll see beneath, there’s a moderately giant, round base with twin antennas–one to a facet — that measures 3.8-inches throughout complete. The digital camera portion is round 2-inches vast and 4-inches tall. In between the grill and the plastic on the underside of the bottom is a round LED that lights as much as match typically what you see on the digital camera portion’s tiny 0.7×0.4-inch (approximate) show.

I used to be greater than happy that Nextbase makes use of three moderately than one tremendous capacitor. This means it could actually energy the digital camera for a full 5 seconds moderately than the one second a single-capacitor unit (all others I’m conscious of) will run. Nice contact.

Nextbase features a 64GB SD card and the unit can deal with something as much as 256GB. Given that you simply’re capturing in 4K, the extra space the higher. Of course, in case you make the most of the LTE some movies shall be saved within the cloud.

How is the Nextbase iQ setup?

The iQ makes use of a skinny, semi-permanent adhesive mount with the facility connector on the digital camera itself. It’s straightforward to put in, nevertheless watch out with the orientation. The digital camera solely swings ahead and again and may’t be adjusted horizontally.

Once in your windshield, you connect the facility cable to the OBDII port or fuse field, and have at it. Having at it begins with downloading the Nextbase IQ app to your cellphone, then working the setup. You’ll then have the ability to buy an LTE subscription for both $10 (no historical past for dwell view, automated cloud uploads, or emergency SOS), or $20.

Connecting the cellphone to the digital camera is so simple as scanning a QR code that’s displayed on the sprint cam’s small show. It’s a properly clean and splendid out-of-box expertise. Or it is going to be anyway– my prerelease mannequin required some upgrading.

Beyond that, the digital camera simply begins working.

What are the Nextbase iQ’s monitoring and security options?

There’s a cornucopia of automobile safety and driver “safety” options on the iQ. You can see some listed within the captures of the app beneath. The dwell view is the primary display screen on the left.

“Safety,” aka ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance System) is in quotes as there’s some debate as to how lane-departure et al alerts have an effect on completely different drivers. If you’re a boob, they’ll save lives. If you’re a superb driver, you would possibly discover they distract you.

Included are the standard lane-departure, collision-imminent, and so on., as in addition to driver monitoring and alerts to assist preserve you from nodding off.

Everyone is bandying in regards to the time period AI nowadays, even when the sample recognition they’re speaking about is just one aspect of intelligence. But the iQ collection will finally be aware the velocity and site of automobiles and different objects round you. Combined with the built-in GPS (it routinely units the time for you!), which embeds data into the video, you’ll have the ability to examine your travels in nice element.

Nextbase has created Guardian mode (applied quickly), which principally means you’ll be able to monitor junior (or low-IQ thieves that aren’t sensible sufficient to take away the iQ) once they’re driving round.

There’s after all a parking mode, which Nextbase prefixes with Smart Sense, as it’ll be aware the motion of these round your car to evaluate threats and activate the complete seize and save routinely.

Another Nextbase characteristic is SOS mode, which can contact assist do you have to be incapacitated throughout and accident.

The digital camera understands a number of voice instructions, together with what it calls “Witness mode,” which instantly saves the current seize and uploads it to the cloud (LTE required).

How a lot does the Nextbase IQ sprint cam value?

While there’s a boatload of engaging tech on board, the iQ’s value will daunt the typical purchaser: The 4K mannequin reviewed right here is $700. An iQ 1K and 2K are additionally accessible, for $500 and $600, respectively. Add the $200 rear sprint cam and also you’re speaking $700 to $900. Plus $120 to $240 a 12 months for the non-obligatory LTE options. Gulp….This isn’t your common Amazon throwaway sprint cam.

As sprint cams are continually uncovered to the solar, longevity is at all times a priority–particularly with pricier fashions. I give away many of the sprint cams I evaluation, and sadly, the reply to my inquiries about how they’re understanding is commonly that “it died.” Especially these utilized in extra desert-like environs.

Why am I discussing endurance within the value part? While Nextbase assured me that its environmental testing is rigorous, at these costs, a 12-month guarantee doesn’t appear notably reassuring given the expense. It’s higher than the 90 days you get with some Amazon specials, however nonetheless.

How are the Nextbase IQ sprint cam’s captures?

Captures are fairly good, thanks. Detail is excellent, and colour may be very near pure. If I’ve any gripe in any respect, it’s that shiny white areas within the first seize beneath are a bit overexposed. Most cameras undergo the identical difficulty, in order that’s not an enormous knock.

There’s nothing to complain about with the daytime inside captures aside from the shoddy state of my automobile’s inside. They present good element and colour. My face is blurred intentionally–exactly as a result of element is so good!

The solely factor flawed with the entrance night time captures is my windshield. I cleaned it, however apparently I missed some spots due to the darkness. (Official excuse.) Any blooming or streaks you see are due to that. You can’t learn the license plate instantly in entrance, however my headlights have been off. With them on, it’s simply readable.

Cabin captures at night time aren’t fairly as detailed as these taken through the day, however they’re good given infrared mild. My face is blurred intentionally, and sure there are two canine within the passenger seat–I mixed their stroll with the testing. There’s a beagle in entrance of them on the ground.

The iQ 4K takes two movies for each seize: a 10MB per minute 480 for cellphone and different low-res viewing, in addition to a 300MB per minute principal 2160p seize. At these charges you’ll get round 3.5 hours of storage from the 64GB card earlier than the oldest movies are overwritten. If you’re happening a protracted journey, purchase a 256GB card, which can get you thru round 15 hours of driving. Note that saved movies reside completely and subtract from the whole accessible.

The Nextbase iQ 4K’s captures are up there with one of the best I’ve seen. You needn’t fear about purchaser’s regret in that division.

Should you purchase the Nextbase IQ 4K sprint cam?

The Nextbase iQ is a wonderful sprint cam with some distinctive options which have it vying for better of breed. However, you need to deal with lifestyles-of-the-rich-and-famous pricing and the continuing month-to-month expense to take full benefit of its options.

Financial timidity apart, for these with financial means–it’s probably the most succesful sprint cam on the market.