The world’s best dash cam gets a much cheaper and lighter sibling – meet the Nextbase Piqo

Nextbase makes immoderate of nan best dash cams, including nan iQ, which we labelled nan smartest dash cam ever. However, nan UK-based company's first smart dash cam is besides nan priciest add-on car information solution around, pinch immoderate wide-ranging smart features that could beryllium overkill for galore users. That's wherever nan caller Nextbase Piqo comes in.

Think of nan Piqo arsenic a babe iQ: it has a akin caller look, but is simply a overmuch smaller and simpler package, pinch cleverly implemented 'Lite' versions of IQ's smart features that are designed to entreaty to younger drivers.

The Piqo is disposable globally from nan Nextbase website and starring retailers successful 2 versions: 1K (HD 1080p) for conscionable $129.99 / £99.99 / AU$199 and 2K (HD 1440p) for $149.99 / £129.99 / $299. Contrast that to nan iQ, which starts astatine $399.99 / £349.99, and nan Piqo's entreaty is clear – particularly erstwhile you see that you besides request to salary for a monthly information scheme to make nan astir of nan much costly model's smart features.

That's a large quality successful price, truthful let's return a look astatine what nan Piqo tin do and wherever basal compromises person been made.

A cleverly watered-down iQ

Video solution successful nan 1K HD type of nan Piqo is really somewhat much elaborate than modular 1080p, pinch a 2560x1080 pixel solution and 140-degree section of view. The 2K version, meanwhile, has a max solution of 2560x1440 pixels and 145-degree section of view. Unlike nan iQ, there's nary 4K type of nan Piqo.

I asked Bryn Brooker, Nextbase's Head of Marketing, why there's nary 4K type of nan Piqo, and he told maine that according to Nextbase research, astatine slightest 83% of UK dash cam owners spot nary request for a pricier 4K dash cam, positive Nextbase is assured successful nan video value of nan Piqo.

Bryn besides told maine that nan dash cam marketplace is evolving. In 2020 nan mostly of dash cam customers were 45 years of property and older, but 4 years later and this demographic has reversed. Nextbase has result adapted nan Piqo's creation and features to entreaty to a younger audience.

It doesn't person a surface – because astir group coming usage their phones, aft all. Instead, you tin link to nan Piqo done Wi-Fi and Bluetooth and position nan video provender and recordings done an wholly caller Nextbase app that's presently exclusive to nan Piqo. The app is stripped backmost to make it easy for you to do cardinal things specified arsenic position and stock videos.

There are besides caller 'skins': customized overlays that show important stats connected your video, specified arsenic speed. They're much for nosy than thing else, but you get 1 tegument thrown successful pinch nan free 'Solo' subscription, and tin get much via nan paid-for 'Protect' scheme that costs £29.99 per year.

(Image credit: Nextbase)

(Image credit: Nextbase)

(Image credit: Nextbase)

With its ain information plan, nan pricier iQ is an always-connected camera, pinch smart features specified arsenic emergency SOS, Guardian Mode, Witness Mode and Smart Parking that tin update you successful realtime, for illustration if your car has been pranged while parked, aliases show your loved ones if you've had an mishap and upload nan footage to nan unreality for you. The Piqo has each of these modes, too, but present they're ray versions.

For example, successful Guardian Lite mode your emergency interaction gets a matter from nan Piqo alternatively than nan video being sent to them, which is what nan iQ does. Likewise, Witness Lite mode uploads contented erstwhile you are backmost location pinch a Wi-Fi connection.

Elsewhere, smart parking auto-records immoderate prangs, but for illustration immoderate dash cam you'll request changeless powerfulness for a characteristic for illustration this. Nextbase sells 2 kits for changeless powerfulness separately, nan pro instal cablegram kit and nan link cablegram kit. The Piqo is besides equipped pinch G-Sense tech and automatically increases sensitivity erstwhile it detects nan car is parked.

Other features see 10Ghz GPS and sound control, positive a recently designed and rigorously tested click mount. Overall, nan Piqo seems for illustration a clever implementation of smart iQ tech successful a simpler and cheaper dash cam. We're presently reviewing nan Nextbase Piqo and will stock our experiences very soon.

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