If you’re looking for a comprehensive dash cam package with cameras inside and out of your vehicle, the Nextbase iQ Dash Cam is just the thing
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(Image credit: Future)
(Image credit: Future)
T3 Verdict
Reasons to buy+Covers all surveillance bases+Quality design and impressive build+Clever smart features add valueReasons to avoid-Subscription fee for all the features-Needs to be plugged into OBD II socket-High purchase price and ongoing costs
Reasons to buy+Covers all surveillance bases+Quality design and impressive build+Clever smart features add value
Covers all surveillance bases
Quality design and impressive build
Clever smart features add value
Reasons to avoid-Subscription fee for all the features-Needs to be plugged into OBD II socket-High purchase price and ongoing costs
Subscription fee for all the features
Needs to be plugged into OBD II socket
High purchase price and ongoing costs
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Jump to category:Price and availabilityDesign and buildFeatures and functionsPerformanceVerdictAlso consider
Jump to category:Price and availabilityDesign and buildFeatures and functionsPerformanceVerdictAlso consider
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Nextbase iQ Dash Cam review in a sentence: A high-tech dash cam that offers a one-stop solution for your vehicle, albeit on a subscription basis for the best features.
We were just about to pull away at the lights when the other car ploughed into us, with our front-facing dash cam footage showing how our vehicle was pushed across the carriageway and into the verge after the impact. There’s no doubt that it made the job of contacting our insurer that much easier. Therefore, I think that having a dash cam fitted is prudent and fast becoming nigh-on essential. Well, just as long as you’re happy with having a record of your own driving too that is.
If you can get a model with a camera facing the rear as well as out the front, then so much the better. Even more useful is this smart cam, the Nextbase iQ Dash Cam, which also monitors the interior of your car. In fact, the innovative new model from this leading British brand covers all bases and a little bit more to boot. In short, it’s a complete surveillance solution for vehicles, even though you’ll need to buy the supplementary rear-facing Nextbase camera as an extra.
All told then, the Nextbase iQ Dash Cam is not going to be cheap,plusthere’s a subscription fee to pay if you want all the bells and whistles. Nevertheless, itiscurrently one of the best dash cam packages on the market.
While you’ll find a whole stack of front-facing options in thebest dash camguide, there are rather less to choose from in thebest front and rear dash camsfor any kind of vehicle. It’s currently quite a sparsely populated part of the market and the Nextbase iQ certainly stands head and shoulders above the competition, for now at least. Just as long as you don’t mind buying the Nextbase rear-facing camera as an additional extra, even though it’s not essential.
(First reviewed December 2023)
(Image credit: Future)
(Image credit: Future)
Nextbase iQ Dash Cam review: price and availability
Nextbase iQ Dash Cam review: price and availability
You can purchase the Nextbase iQ Dash Cam in one of three different versions and it’s available now fromAmazonand other leading online outlets. Cheapest of the trio is the 1K resolution model costs, which is priced at $499.99 / £349. Next up is the 2K resolution model, which costs $599.99 / £399. Meanwhile, the best of the bunch is a 4K resolution model, which costs $699.99 / £449.
It’s worth noting that while you can use the camera without the frills, the whole point of this package is to exploit its smart features. Therefore, you’ll need to sign up for the Nextbase iQ subscription packages. The Protect subscription costs £6.99 monthly or £69.99 annually, while the Protect Plus is £9.99 per month or £99.99 annually. The entry-level Solo edition is, however, free to use as is.
If you also want to kit yourself out with the Nextbase supplementary rear camera, that will cost you $199.99 / £149.
Nextbase iQ Dash Cam review: design and build
(Image credit: Future)
(Image credit: Future)
The Nextbase iQ Dash Cam arrives in a chunky box that is packed with everything needed to get setup and running including the camera unit itself. This is a beefy unit, which contains a section with the camera lens and sensor, while the other part of it is a bulbous microphone sandwiched with what are presumably two antennas. There’s a circular-style sticky pad, which mounts to your screen and ports for the various cables, all of which are included.
Considering its high-ticket price, the money does feel justified as it is nicely designed and feels solid enough too, even if you’re making do with the cheapest 1K resolution model. My test unit was the 4K package, which obviously includes more muscular innards. It’s worth noting however, that whichever model you plump for, the Nextbase iQ Dash Cam needs to be plugged into your vehicle’s ODB II port, which is generally found underneath one side of the dashboard.
(Image credit: Future)
(Image credit: Future)
Nextbase does give you the option of hardwiring the camera into your car, but some people like the flexibility of being able to move their dash cam from car to car. You can do that with the ODB II route, although they can be quite tight to unplug again once you’ve clicked it into place.
(Image credit: Future)
(Image credit: Future)
In addition, for anyone fretting about their battery, the Nextbase iQ monitors this and shuts itself down if power runs low. What you definitely cannot do with the Nextbase iQ Dash Cam is plug it into a circular 12V socket, which might strike it off the shopping list of anyone who prefers that connectivity route.
Nextbase iQ Dash Cam review: Features and functions
(Image credit: Future)
(Image credit: Future)
Nextbase has incorporated three major features into the iQ Dash Cam. These are made up of Smart Sense Parking to help make parking easier, Witness Mode, which is a voice-activated control for capturing evidence when it’s needed, while instantly saving it to the cloud as well as notifying a specified emergency contact. Meanwhile, Live View lets you keep tabs on your vehicle at any time, using the accompanying Nextbase iQ app.
Sign-up for the Protect version and you get the Nextbase iQ app voice control, real-time image notifications, Live View (up to 60 minutes), Smart Sense Parking, Witness mode, RoadWatch AI, Guardian Mode, Remote Alarm along with Cloud Storage for 30 days.
(Image credit: Future)
(Image credit: Future)
Head for the Protect Plus subscription though and you’ll benefit from the Nextbase iQ app voice control, real-time image notifications, Live View (up to 120 minutes), Live View Look Back, Smart Sense Parking, Witness mode, RoadWatch AI, Guardian Mode, Remote Alarm as well as substantial Cloud Storage for 180 days. There is also the ability to have multiple user accounts along with Emergency SOS and Automated incident back-up. Nextbase points out that the RoadWatch AI and Guardian Mode features are arriving soon, along with a Push to Talk option.
Nextbase iQ Dash Cam: Performance
(Image credit: Future)
(Image credit: Future)
Aside from all those features, the hardware credentials of the Nextbase iQ Dash Cam are solid too. If you’ve got the 1K version, it records at 1080 x 1920p, or full HD but the mid-range 2K iQ model records at 2560 x 1440p. Pick of the crop though is the 4K version of the iQ, which captures video at a resolution of 3840 x 2160p. All models have the same 140-degree field-of-view along with the same interior-facing camera too, which is built-into the main unit.
My 4K model worked perfectly, with quality footage and excellent audio in a wide variety of driving scenarios. The great thing is that it just gets on with the job, so you don’t really have to do anything unless you want to manually intervene. Alternatively, when you’ve finished driving you can review any footage using either the app on your phone or on your laptop because everything is stored in the cloud, so it’s safe and secure.
This is a great option as, in the event of an accident you can tend to forget to remove the media card from the unit. Having that piece of mind adds value in itself. In fact, the smart tech of the Nextbase iQ, which includes GPS, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi along with 4G connectivity through Vodafone in the UK and Europe and T-Mobile in the US makes it a real winner with me.
Nextbase iQ Dash Cam review: verdict
(Image credit: Future)
(Image credit: Future)
Overall, then, it’s a pretty impressive bundle, just as long as you’re happy with the purchase price, the fact that you get the best features using a subscription package and don’t mind the way it connects to your car.
Nextbase iQ Dash Cam review: also consider
If you’re looking to save a little money then you can check out ourbest cheap dash cam dealspage, and if you’re looking to record all angles then you can read ourbest front and rear dash camguide.
Nextbase iQ Dash Cam: Price Comparison
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