Nextbase 522GW Dash Cam Front Camera – 1440p QHD, GPS, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth – Emergency SOS, 3" HD Touchscreen – Built-in Polarising Filter – Loop Recording, Intelligent Parking Mode

I did A LOT of research on dashcams before choosing one. Even this one had some bad reviews but given the 70%+ 5 stars, I decided to go for it. Overall it's great. Its better than my previous full HD and 2K should be the minimum these days. So far I've only driven in bright sunshine so can't comment on night or rain picture quality. I just reviewed the videos on my PC and you have to be quite close to the car in front to make out the reg plate - stopping distance close. The picture is good enough for accidents but it won't pick up say facial features unless they're very close. If the 622 was more affordable I would have got this for the 4K. Image was stable and not jerky/ washed out/ reflective etc. It stores files in 1min files but it is all continuous. The 1min files are easier to email/ save etc rather than downloading a whole hour of video to find one moment for example. Set up was easy - my USB port is below my radio so I just plug that in and don't bother with hardwire or hiding the cables. I bought a 128GB Scandisk U3 card because it was so much cheaper than the Nextbase one. Formatted it straight away after reading all the reviews - works perfectly. Downloaded the android app to set it up which I did in the house and this was easy. When I'm parked up somewhere and want to use the app, it does struggle to connect over WiFi. Sometimes it looks like it hasn't connected but when you press 'back' you're suddenly connected. Its fine because I plug the camera into my PC (downloaded the Nextbase Player for PC) and it works great - really great. Has speed info and a little map that shows you where you were. Would definitely recommend but if you have the funds, get the 4K.

My old camera packed up after 6 years ( not nextbase) so this time I decided to go for front and back cameras. Nextbase seems to be regarded as the market leader so I went for this. Once installed it’s very easy to set up and I’ve had it about 5 weeks and I’m very pleased with it. The picture quality is very good both night and day and it’s so far performed perfectly. What’s really nice feature is when it saves footage from front and back it names the files in a format that the free PC software recognises as linked and you view front and back footage playing simultaneously in split screen. The only difficulty I had was mounting. The front camera is kind of offset due to its shape and in my car the mirror assembly is really bulky so the camera ends up a fair bit off centre in the windscreen when mounted on the passenger side of the mirror. I deliberated for ages but that was the best spot I could find. The rear camera is easy to mount but difficult to tidy the cable in a hatchback and as it’s on a magnetic ball mount if you are not careful dangling cable will move the camera when you open and close the boot. I have a Range Rover. All in all very good though and I would recommend

I spent nearly a week with Nextbase customer support (who were brilliant and very patient) but could not get this to work properly. Connection with the GPS module in the mount was intermittent, so sometimes you had speed and lat/long data on the recording, and sometimes it wasn’t there. Sometimes the screen saver works, sometimes not. Sometimes it freezes and can’t be turned off (reset button in frequent use). Sometimes it records the rear camera, sometimes it pretends it isn’t there. We tried an new Nextbase-branded SD card (quite expensive) and even moving the camera to the corner of the screen away from the rain sensor, but next day it was back to its old tricks. It’s a shame, because when it’s working it’s a great bit of kit, but I ended up sending it back. As an accident can happen *at any time*, your dashcam needs to be working *all the time*. If it doesn’t, it’s no use really. To be fair, Amazon refunded without question.

Very fast delivery. Great product.

I ordered the dashcam at a competitive price and it was delivered to my pick-up point on time. As is normal with tech it required charging and updating before use but that was relatively straightforward. It installed easily as it was to replace a 3 year old unit which had a failed battery. Now the rant; Nextbase were torture to deal with as with most chats. I have subsequently got a replacement battery and how to do it videos are available online. As the battery is a relatively cheap consumerable item you'd think some thought would have been given to simple replacement, however, don't consider it unless you're confident and have some mechanical and electrical skills.

Initially had a Nextbase 422GW for years but for some reason it had a lot of difficulty being attached to the windscreen of my old Volvo XC70. Nextbase support sent a couple of replacement suction cups to no avail and only when using the 3M foot attached to the windscreen it worked. The XC70 was replaced by a XC90 and I had it hardwired but still used the 3M that came with it. It automatically switches on, the footage is fabulous as bright and sharp as the images come (guess this is where the difference lies with cheaper dashcams) and during night time as well. I guess when one becomes involved in an accident the £130 or so that I paid is peanuts in the bigger picture if the details can not be shown properly. Connects easily to the app on the phone to view footage and I purchased a 128Gb micro sd card for hours of footage. I also purchased the add-on rear cam .... see the review about that but caveat emptor, a separate cam attached to the rear window and connected through a cable is properly worth its money as it is hard to find a proper place to place the dashcam as it needs to be positioned in such a way using the add-on rear camera that it can almost only be attached in the middle. And when you have a Volvo, you know how massive the rain sensor/City Safety camera's area around the rear view mirror base is so please keep that in mind. The camera comes with an additional holder and slots in place properly but takes some effort to take off. But then again, as it also responds to shocks when parked, I never take it off and leave it always on to be "protected" when being parked too. I think Nextbase is still ahead of the game with this one !

UPDATE: I've had to downgrade my review to 1 star as the unit has completely stopped working when plugged into the car. I've not even had it one month and it's barely been used due to the global coronavirus lock-up. I have sent Nextbase support a message about it via their website so I will see what they say. Hopefully they will provide the necessary assistance to enable me to re-instate my original rating... ORIGINAL REVIEW: The build quality and packaging/presentation of this dash cam is excellent. Everything has a premium feel to it. The camera itself is very easy to use, but I feel like the quality should be better. This brand / cam is pretty much top of the range and yet the video quality simply is not good enough. The main purpose of these cameras is to capture bad driving - so what good is it if you can't clearly identify the driver and number plate? It's possible to see the number plates of cars that are passing you on the motorway, but unless you are tailgating the car in front, the number plate cannot be made out from the video. I suppose if you needed the reg of the car in front, you could read it out loud for the camera microphone, but it should be visible on the video itself (and yes, I have tried the zoom feature of the MyNextBase Player Mac app and it is still blurry). Another nice feature of this camera is that it tracks your journey and speed via GPS. This information can be seen when you connect the camera to computer and open the MyNextBase Player app (free) - I use the Google Maps option which displays the map along with the current location of my car. The app also has other features like a video editing tool. If, like me, you want to cover yourself while driving, I'd definitely recommend this camera. There are far too many lunatics and insurance scammers on the roads these days. I will be adding the rear window camera to my setup in due course.

My second Nextbase dashcam. Bought this one as I wanted the quick release magnetic mount and easy cannection of a rearview camera while still retaining the polariser lens. The recorded quality is extremely good. I haven't used the 4k settings as I prefer the 1080pfor both front & back camera setting. The desktop application has improved a lot with the ability to join several clips and also able to clip 'dead' footage from the beginning and end makes for easy & simple editing. Not very keen on the constantly shwing a red screen reminding you the mobile phone isn't connected though it's not really noticeable due to being hidden from the drivers view by the rearview mirror. It can be annoying for passengers though. I don't rate the touchscreen highly as for me the screen is too small to warrant a touchscreen. Great if your fingers are 2mm diameter, not so great with normal sized fingers. Easy to install with a hardwire kit, even easier if you just want to use the supplied 12v aux plug connector. Remember to research the legal requirements for placing a dashcam. I see so many people driving with the camera showing the footage continuously in full view of the driver. This practice is a road traffic offense and you can be stopped by the police which will likely cost you money & points.

Very happy with the price and with the postage. Arrived in a few days, well packed. Thanks

Nextbase ist sicherlich mit die beste Dashcam auf dem Europäischen Markt. Was auch der Grund ist weshalb ich mir im November 2019 eine Nextbase 522GW gekauft habe. In erster Line nutze ich diese Dashcam zur Reisedokumentation aber auch im normalen Kurzverkehr ist sie sicherlich eine große Hilfe, wenn man Situationen Dokumentieren möchte. Nun nach knapp einem Jahr habe ich einiges an Erfahrung mit dieser Dash Cam gesammelt. Dieser Bericht soll Helfen das Produkt noch attraktiver zu gestalten und Informationen zu geben wie normale Benutzer mit der Handhabung und den Möglichkeiten umgehen. Meine Dashcams 522GW ist in einem VW Golf Variant Baujahr 2018 montiert. Ich benutze die Halterung mit dem Saugnapf, die im Übrigen sehr gut ist. Gerne würden wir natürlich die Klick & Go Halterung nutzen aber das ist wegen der umständlichen Handhabung keine gute Idee. Natürlich ist die Dashcam immer mit der neusten Firmware ausgestattet und auch die Software MyNextbase Player ist immer auf den neusten Versions Stand. Wie ich bereits erwähnte Dokumentiere ich in erster Linie damit längere Reisen. Bei dieser Gelegenheit habe ich die Erfahrung gemacht das die Lage des Micro-SD Karten Slots auf der linken Seite eine sehr unpraktische Lösung ist, da die Dashcam rechts in Nähe des Rückspiegels montiert ist. Für Fahrzeuge die ihr Lenkrad auf der linken Seite haben ein echtes Handicap. Jedes Mal, wenn man die Micro-SD Karte wechseln muss ist es notwendig die Dashcam mit Saugnapf zu demontieren um die Karte zu wechseln. Besonders bei Nacht ohne Licht ein Problematisches unterfangen. Aber auch am Tage ist es äußerst schwierig die Karte zu wechseln. Fahrzeuge die ihr Lenkrad auf der rechten Seite haben sind hier klar im Vorteil. Schön wäre es, wenn man den Kartenslot nach unten auf die rechte Seite oder in die Mitte verlegen könnte. So wäre es völlig egal auf welcher Seite das Lenkrad ist. Da ich aber, wenn ich auf Reisen bin sehr lange Strecken fahre und oft zwischen 12 und 17 Stunden unterwegs bin wünschte ich mir eine Unterstützung größerer Micro-SD Karten wie etwa 256GB oder 512GB. So bräuchte man wenigstens die Karte während der Reise nicht zu wechseln. Besonders bei einer höheren Video Auflösung ein echter Mangel. Die Geschwindigkeit als Bildschirmschoner anzuzeigen ist wirklich ein schönes Feature. Aber könnte man nicht noch eine gut sichtbare Anzeige hinzufügen welche den noch vorhandenen Speicherplatz auf der SD Karte anzeigt? Und vielleicht nur dann zur Anzeige bringt wenn der Speicherplatz auf der SD-Karte recht knapp wird bevor die ersten Videos wieder überschrieben werden. Soviel zur Handhabung der Dashcam. Für den normalen Stadt Betrieb sicherlich ausreichend. Für eine Reisedokumentation kann man noch einiges besser gestalten. Die Video-Bild-Qualität ist eigentlich schon recht ansprechend. Doch bei Nachtfahrten wird es schwierig. Besonders bei schlechtem Wetter wie starken Regen. Einzelheiten in einer schwierigen Situation zu erkennen ist faktisch unmöglich. Hier wünschte ich mir schon noch etwas bessere Technik. Um eine Verbindung zwischen Handy (z.B. iPhone) und Dashcam aufzubauen um eventuelle Einstellungen zu verändern erfordert viel Zeit und Geduld. Was den eingebauten Akku betrifft, so ist dieser sehr schwach. Selbst bei sehr langen Fahrten wird der Akku nie auf 100% aufgeladen. Nun etwas zur Software dem MyNextbase Player. Im Grunde ein Player mit einem recht guten Ansatz. Doch auch hier gibt es noch einiges zu verbessern. Die Version 4.7.6 hat sich zwar gegenüber der Vorgängerversion gesteigert, aber es gibt noch Luft nach oben. Immerhin laufen die Videos mit 1080p endlich flüssig. Bei 4K Videos welche die 622GW aufnimmt ruckelt es hingegen heftig. Videos mit MyNextbase Player zu bearbeiten erweist sich als sehr aufwendig. Hier wünschte ich mir eine schnellere und bessere Handhabung der Videos. Merkwürdig ist die Anzeige von zwei verschieden Uhrzeiten in der MyNextbase Player Videoliste. Der Versuch die korrekte Uhrzeit in den Einstellungen zu korrigieren schlug fehl da es dazu keine Möglichkeit gibt. Als Fazit kann ich aber sagen das die Nextbase Dashcam ein gelungenes Produkt ist welches ich jederzeit weiterempfehlen kann oder selbst wiederkaufen würde. Deshalb fällt es mir nicht schwer diesem Produkt fünf Sterne zu vergeben. Lobenswert ist der Support. Eine Kontaktaufnahme wird sofort beantwortet. Interessanterweise mal in Englisch, mal ich Deutsch. Ich überlege dann immer wieder sollte ich Englisch oder Deutsch schreiben. Ich glaube aber man versteht auch Deutsch sehr gut. Dies ist ein Erfahrungsbericht und sollte keinesfalls als Kritik wahrgenommen werden. Ich sehe eher die Chance darin das Nextbase seine Dashcams noch innovativer, kreativer und Zukunftsorientierter gestallten kann.

Great product

Also, I finally accepted that any dash cam with phone app will compete with Wireless Apple CarPlay. So you have to plug in your iPhone or no CarPlay. That said, the Nextbase 522GW has outstanding 1440p HD video. You do not need to buy their overpriced 128GB Micro SD card, but DO buy a brand name (SanDisk Max Endurance C10, U3, V30, 4K UHD Micro SD Card - SDSQQVR-128G-GN61A). And ... THE SUCTION CUP MOUNT STAYS PUT !!! Can't overemphasize this. I refuse to put adhesive mounts on my 2021 F150 PowerBoost windshield - PLUS - there are times when I want to put the dash cam out of sight. The power cord plugs into the mount and is difficult to unplug, so if I wand to remove the memory card I take the cam and mount in the house. Obviously I also don't play the 'hide the wire' game. The iPhone app is, well, OK. You can download important video clips to the app and store in the Nextbase Cloud (for 30 days). If you want to keep longer, pull the clip off the card and save on your computer. The Nextbase computer app is quite good. I am all Apple, so I can't speak for and PC differences. Bottom line is that you really only want the clips that contain incidents or notable events. The 'Protect' button at the bottom of the camera saves the video clip, as the card will automatically loop and overwrite when it reaches capacity. The default video clip is 1 minute, and can be changed. You can check current card memory status and format the card via the iPhone app. One other note, I live in Houston Texas and my truck lives in the driveway. The cam stays on my windshield almost always, so it experiences EXTREME heat. After 1 month I have had no issues. I'm an Apple guy, so I don't use the Alexa feature, nor do I care about recording parking mode incidents. But, if you want a dash cam that is reliable with a quality video to catch that one idiot that pulls right out in front of you - this one is a good choice.

Easy to setup and use (waiting for the USB-C) version.