Until last year, I wasn’t a dashcam guy.
I always thought dashcams were neat, but I never took the time to research or install one.
I have reviewed a few, which brings us to today’s review of the Nextbase 622GW, which has some of the most advanced features I’ve ever seen in a dash cam.
I know a few people who drive for Uber or Lyft, and the 622GW would be perfect accessory for them.
A friend who is a rideshare driver was in an accident earlier this year, and he didn’t have a dash cam. He was lucky a driver at the same intersection had a dash cam and shared the footage with him, and you better believe he bought his own camera the next day.
Specs
The Nextbase 622GW dash cam ($399.99, nextbase.com) has all the features I want, including 4K video recording, built-in GPS, emergency SOS response, intelligent parking mode, optical image stabilization and the ability to add on another camera.
The 622GW has a lens that protrudes a bit more than other dash cams I’ve reviewed, but it doesn’t keep you from mounting it anywhere you like on your windshield.
It has a three-inch touchscreen on the back to view the footage and interact with the camera settings.
The camera connects to the windshield mount through a magnetic connector, so you can easily remove the camera and leave the mount. Extra mounts are available for $20, so you can move the 622GW from car to car.
Video is recorded to a microSD card (not included, but you can buy one with the camera when you buy).
The camera lens has a 140-degree field-of-view and it has a built-in polarization filter to minimize reflections from the windshield.
The camera comes with a long power cord to plug into your car’s 12-volt accessory port, and you can buy an optional power cord to hard-wire it to your fuse box.
It has Bluetooth 5.0 and Wi-Fi to talk to your phone.
The interaction between the camera and your phone is done via the Nextbase app.
Your phone and the camera will make a direct Wi-Fi connection for speedy transfers, if you’d like to download any of the videos.
Alexa
If you have the Alexa app on your phone, you can link it with the 622GW through the Nextbase app. Once connected to your Amazon account, you can use the dash cam as an Alexa device with your car’s entertainment system, as long as the stereo has Bluetooth.
Setup was quite easy and now I can just say, “Alexa, turn on the living room lights,” from the driveway and my lights turn on before I get to the door. This works because I have smart bulbs in my living room lights that talk to the Amazon Echo devices on my account.
4K video
The 622GW captures 4K video at 30 frames per second and it has optical image stabilization, which makes for strikingly clear images in daylight and at night.
I did have some trouble playing back the 4K videos on my iPhone inside the Nextbase app, but when I lowered the resolution, they played back fine.
Also, the 4K videos played perfectly when I downloaded them to my phone.
You can set the video to record in one-, two- or three-minute clips.
There is also a red button on the dash cam to press when you instantly want to protect a video (a good thing to do when you are in an accident or see something you want to tag for easy finding).
GPS
The 622GW has built-in GPS, which works well to show your position on a map as you watch the playback of your videos.
As the video plays, the map will show your exact location on the road.
You can also choose to overlay your longitude and latitude as well as your speed on the video as you drive.
You can also choose to have the camera’s display show your current speed as you drive, which is nice if you have the dash cam mounted where you can see it. I keep mine mounted behind the rear view mirror so it doesn’t distract me.
Emergency SOS
An optional service you can buy is Emergency SOS, which uses your cell phone to call for help when the camera’s sensors have detected you have been in a crash.
Your phone’s screen will ask you if you are OK or if you need emergency services dispatched to your location.
If you don’t click that you are OK, the authorities will automatically be notified of your location.
If you choose to subscribe to this service, you’ll set up your details that will be shared with emergency responders. Only the information you approve will be shared if you can’t make your own emergency call.
The service is free for the first year when you buy the 622GW, and you can extend it for $4.99 per month, $49.99 per year or three years for $99.99.
More cameras
The 622GW has the ability to add a second camera, recording the view from both.
There is a port on the side that can accept a cabin view camera, a rear-view camera or a camera mounted in your rear window.
The cabin view is a wide angle to record the occupants in the front and back seats (with sound).
The rear-view is a telephoto lens that is designed to show you a view past your vehicle cabin and out the back window.
A better option for seeing what’s behind you is the wired rear window cam, which mounts directly to the back window with a wire that runs back to the main camera.
The three rear view cameras cost $99.99 each and are sold separately.
The rear view cameras capture 1080p video.
Intelligent parking mode
When you park the car and turn off the key, the 622GW will turn off everything but the G Force sensor. The camera has a battery that will keep it powered up.
If a significant bump is detected, the camera will wake up and all cameras will record for 30 seconds.
Conclusions
I couldn’t find anything lacking in the 622GW. It has every feature I could want in a dash cam.
I would opt for the $30 hardwire kit to connect the cam straight to your vehicle’s fuse box.
Once you set it up, the camera just does its thing and if you ever need to download footage, the connection to your phone is easy to use.
The Alexa integration is a nice feature, and the SOS Emergency can be a big help if you really need it.
If I was a rideshare driver, I wouldn’t start my car without the cabin camera recording every ride, for everyone’s safety.
This is a top-of-the-line dash cam that checks all the boxes.
Pros: 4K recording, GPS, easy to view videos, Alexa, Emergency SOS
Cons: expensive
Bottom Line: The Nextbase 622 isn’t cheap, but it is worth every penny.
