NEXTBASE 612GW

Dash cams get the Ultra HD treatment with this 4K wonder, but does it have the goods to impress beyond pixel power?

Reckon your dash cam cuts the mustard? Pah! You ain’t seen nothing until you’ve seen this 4K UHD wonder

£249.99 nextbase.com

NextBase’s best dash cam yet takes a more premium approach to a gadget that can at times feel utilitarian, by adding a slick aluminium case. But what you’re really here for is the image quality, packing in 4K video recording using a Sony Exmore R sensor that’s excellent in low light.

The result is as good as you’d hope: we’d say it has the best image quality of any dash cam we’ve tested, thanks to that high-resolution sensor and a seven-element lens that offers an ultra-wide, 150-degree viewing angle, plus a polarising filter (there to help reduce any glare that comes in through the window).

The image quality was only let down when we were driving towards the sun, when it would tend to underexpose the roads and other cars. This can be fixed, though, as NextBase gives you exposure compensation control via the built-in three-inch touchscreen.

In all other conditions, image quality proved excellent and is the most detailed we’ve seen so far, which isn’t a surprise given the 612GW’s Ultra HD credentials. Still, this kind of spec jump doesn’t always come with actual benefits, but here it really does make a difference.

You also get all of the useful features you would expect from a modern dash cam, including Wi-Fi connectivity for uploading videos, plus GPS tracking for data capture. The included mount uses suction and magnets, making it easy to fit the camera or to remove it when you’re leaving the car. All of this core stuff is great, but we do have a few issues with the 612GW. For a start, it’s far from svelte. In fact, it’s ones of the chunkiest dash cams we’ve installed (taking up much more windscreen real estate than the Garmin Dash Cam 55, our current top dash cam pick).

When using the cam, you’re also hit with a tidal wave of beeps and chimes. It’s not a major issue, just slightly annoying, but it makes the dash cam seem cheaper than it is. Mercifully, these can be turned off.

While the 612GW has Wi-Fi and a companion app available on both the Google and Apple app stores, it’s worth noting that a lot of people have reviewed the app negatively, saying they had connectivity problems with it. We didn’t have any major problems, but hopefully any issues can be fixed with a software update.

Overall, if you want the best picture in case there’s an accident, this is the cam to buy.