Garmin’s 2021 dash cams add cloud storage and app connectivity
Garmin enhances the already impressive capabilities of its super-slim dash cams with phone connectivity and cloud uploads.
Garmin recently announced that it has upgraded one of Pcworld’s favorite lines of dash cams ( go.pcworld.com/ fvdc) with phone and cloud connectivity. The new dash cams, which are available via garmin.com, include the 1080p Dash Cam Mini 2, the 1080p Dash Cam 47, the 1440p Dash Cam 57, and the 1440p, wide-field-ofview 67W.
All except the appropriately named key-fob-size Mini 2 feature GPS and a twoinch color display. The Mini 2 is priced at $130, and the top-end 67W at $260.
Due to the newfound connectivity, there’s now a parking mode (wake on disturbances to capture video), plus a live view on your phone courtesy of the Garmin Drive app. The app may also be used to offload and view captures, as well as configure settings.
Videos are uploaded for safekeeping to Garmin’s Vault storage service, where they’ll reside for at least 24 hours, with an option (via account and subscription, of course) for storage for up to 30 days. All four models store video on removable SD cards for easy swapping and archiving.
Garmin’s dash cams support voice control and offer a variety of bad-driver— ahem, driver safety features, such as forward collision and lane departure alerts, as well as speed camera warnings.
To our mind, Garmin’s new models are as full-featured as any forward-only dash cams on the market. We hope the next iteration will add options for interior and rear view cameras. To learn more, visit Garmin’s website at go.pcworld.com/gmwb.