Nextbase 512G Review

At a Glance

Expert’s Rating

Our Verdict

As an overall package, the Nextbase 512G is one of the best, but at this high price it doesn’t offer enough of a jump in image quality over cameras around £100 to make it good value. Some of those even come with SD cards. If you can afford it, it won’t disappoint, but the Asus Reco Classic is better value at £99. Remember, though, that some insurers will give you a discount when you take out a policy if you have a dash cam: Nextbase cameras are most approved lists, so it may be better value for you than the Asus which isn’t on any lists that we know of yet.

Best Prices Today: Nextbase 512G

With prices starting from around £15, it’s well worth investing in a dash cam . However, while the cheapest models have the bare minimum of features, top-end models offer a lot more in addition to higher-resolutions and better image quality. Here’s our Nextbase 512G review.

Nextbase 512G review: Price

When we say top end, we mean it. The iN-CAR CAM 512G – to give it its full name – costs a whopping £179.99. However, you can buy the 512G from Halfords for £159.99.

You don’t even get an SD card: the optional Go Pack costs £15 from Halfords and includes an 8GB San Disk microSD card, a full-size SD adaptor and a carry case for the dash cam. There’s a new 32GB version of the Go Pack which will go on sale soon, but you can use any microSD card, as long as it’s fast enough to record 1080p video. That usually means class 4 or better, but we’d recommend opting for a Class 10 card from a well-known brand.

Nextbase 512G review: Features and design

Unlike some smaller dash cams, the 512G has a big 2.7in widescreen display. That obviously makes it bulkier and it may mean you can’t hide it behind your rear-view mirror. We found the suction cup – as with all suction cup mounts – wouldn’t adhere to the tinted area around our test car’s mirror, so it wasn’t an option anyhow.

In those cases, it can either go below or to the side, but if you choose the latter it will probably obscure the passenger’s vision. Alternatively, you can buy an adhesive mount which has a lower profile – we found the Asus Reco Classic uses the same mount design and were able to attach the Nextbase to the Classic’s sticky mount.

A 4m power cable is provided which plugs into your car’s accessory socket. Sensibly the USB port which is used for power and data is on the top edge so you can keep the wiring as neat as possible: the cable should be routed around the headlining, down the A-pillar and then somehow to your 12V socket. You can buy a permanent wiring kit if you don’t want the power lead taking over the socket, but you’ll probably have to have it installed professionally.

The camera itself is well made and the lens is covered by a circular polariser – the sort usually reserved for high-end cameras. You should rotate this when necessary to cut down on reflections and glare: used correctly it really improves image quality.

The buttons are big and easy to press, but it’s not obvious what does what. With the helpful and well-written manual you’ll quickly get the hang of it, even if having the OK button for selecting things out of the way on the top edge.

The mini HDMI port and microSD slot are hidden behind flaps, and the SD slot is recessed too far to be able to remove the card – we had to resort to pushing it with a pair of tweezers to remove it.

Aside from setting the time and date (which isn’t really necessary as it’s obtained automatically via GPS), there are no settings to change: the 512G comes ready to go. It creates a new video file every three minutes, records at the highest quality (1920×1080) and has motion detection turned off.

As well as built-in GPS, it has a G-sensor which records g-forces. All this data is played back in the supplied software, so you can see your speed, location on a map and the g-forces (for identifying the direction of impact) as well as the video. In the camera’s settings you can choose individually whether or not date, speed, GPS info and the Nextbase logo are stamped on the video. You can even enter your car’s registration which can be included on the video.

The screen can be set to go blank after a certain time, or to display a compass and your speed.

It’s worth saying that there’s no Wi-Fi, so it doesn’t tick every last box. Some people like Wi-Fi as long as they can use it to quickly download a video clip to their phone rather than have the hassle of taking out the SD card (no mean feat with the 512G) grabbing an adaptor or card reader, copying it to their laptop and then remembering to return said card to the camera in the car.

There’s an internal battery which lasts for around 5-10 minutes: it’s not intended for recording, but to ensure the recording can be saved before the camera powers down. It’s also useful if you need to remove the 512G from its mount and take video or photos outside the car following an incident.

We’ve mentioned motion detection. This is a feature you’ll find on many dash cams, and can record footage when there’s movement in front of the lens. You have to enable this manually when you park up, and bear in mind that it can drain your car’s battery so it’s best to get the camera permanently installed with its own battery if you want to use this feature.

Nextbase 512G review: Quality

During the day, image quality is very good. The combination of a sharp lens, filter and Sony Exmor sensor adds up to detailed footage with great colours. Even in miserable dingy conditions where other dash cams struggle, the wide dynamic range delivers an image that’s more lifelike. Be sure to watch them full screen at 1080p resolution (select this using the cog icon).

You can’t always make out number plates when you pause the footage on a PC, especially when driving at higher speeds or when cars are too far ahead. That’s partly down to the wide-angle 140-degree lens which captures a lot of the scene in front but also means objects are smaller than on dash cams with narrower fields of view.

Audio is good, although on the loud and boomy side.

At night, there’s the expected drop in quality. However, the dynamic range is still better than average and this means more detail is brought out in dark areas. It’s also much sharper and less grainy than on other dashcams.

Still, you can pretty much forget about reading the number plate of the car that just cut you up. We found that your own car’s headlights tended to reflect off the number plate in front and make it effectively blank.

Detail is too blurry of cars coming in the opposite direction (including parked cars) but you should be able to read the registrations of cars you’re following – if they’re close enough and your own lights aren’t shining on their plate.

Identifying the cause of a collision shouldn’t be difficult, unless it happens behind you. Even then, the g-force data should help.

At the top quality, each three-minute file takes up 350MB, so an 8GB card is enough for just over an hour’s footage. Loop recording means the oldest files will be overwritten when the card fills up, but you can press the emergency button to lock the video being recorded currently.

Recording starts automatically when the camera gets power, and stops when power is cut. Just make sure your car’s 12V socket isn’t powered even with the keys removed. If it is, like in our test car, you’ll need to remember to plug it in before you set off, and unplug it when you park.

Nextbase 512G review: Daytime screen grab

Click to enlarge:

Nextbase 512G review: Night time screen grab

Specs

Nextbase 512G: Specs

• Display Size: 2.7in
• 140° wide-angle lens with polariser
• GPS Logging: Yes
• Night Mode: Yes
• Speed Camera Alert: No
• Micro SD Included: No
• 32GB SD card recording time – 4.6 hours
• 113 x 63 x 36 mm
• Accessories: 4m car charger, suction mount, HDMI cable, mini USB cable

Best Prices Today: Nextbase 512G

Author: Jim Martin, Executive Editor, Tech Advisor

Jim has been testing and reviewing products for over 20 years. His main beats include VPN services and antivirus. He also covers smart home tech, mesh Wi-Fi and electric bikes.

Recent stories by Jim Martin:

• The best dash cams 2023
• Nextbase iQ review
• Nextbase launches internet-connected iQ car security camera

At a glance

Expert’s Rating

Pros

• Great monitoring features
• Impressive app
• Easy to install

Cons

• Expensive
• Subscription required for connected features
• Some features not yet available

Our Verdict

The iQ is a smart security camera you can put in practically any car and get alerts on your phone if anything happens. It’s expensive though, and there’s not much point in buying one unless you also take out a subscription. It has promise, but at the time of review was missing some of its big features.

Best Prices Today: Nextbase iQ 2K Smart Dashcam

Nextbase has spent years developing the iQ, and its launch was pushed back several times. It’s now on sale at last, albeit without a couple of key features that the company has shouted hyped up over the past 18 months or so.

However, as hard a concept as it is to sell to consumers, the iQ is meant to be an ever-evolving platform that will get new features over time.

The only problem with that approach is that this isn’t a cheap gadget and, as with so many internet-connected ones, you need to pay a subscription to use the features.. even if they’re not yet there.

There are three models in the range: 1K, 2K and 4K, starting at £349 / $499 and rising to £449 / $699. The resolutions refer to the forward-facing camera, but there’s also a cabin-facing camera, and an optional rear camera for £149 / $199 which wasn’t quite on sale at the time of writing but should be from 14 November.

Nextbase sent the 4K model for review.

Features & design

• Easy to install
• Embedded SIM
• 64GB microSD card included

The iQ has been designed from the ground up, and that’s very obvious if you’ve seen or owned any of the company’s previous dash cams.

It has a fairly chunky base which attaches to your windscreen and has a fabric speaker cover much like a smart speaker. The LED ring only adds to that similarity.

Jon L. Jacobi / Foundry

The two cameras are mounted in a pendant-style unit that points downwards into the car. In your hand, it seems like it will be large and obtrusive, but when installed it really isn’t.

The design is necessary for the camera to get a good view of the interior and passengers. The cabin camera also has infrared LEDs so you can still see what’s going on at night when the cabin is dark.

Nextbase includes a 64GB microSD card which you shouldn’t ever need to remove from the iQ, but you can upgrade it to 256GB if you want to.

It’s used to record video like a traditional dash cam, but the iQ does way more than that, and I’ll get to that in a second.

Installing the iQ in your car is simple because Nextbase includes a clever power cable that plugs into your car’s OBD II port. You might have to Google its location if you’re not familiar, but all cars since around 1996 have one.

Jim Martin / Foundry

The connector is as slim as possible so should fit behind a cover, but the cable exits from the side which proved to be a problem in my wife’s 2013 Vauxhall Corsa which has a recessed OBD II port, making it impossible to plug it in. It wasn’t an issue in my Ford Focus though.

There is a solution in the box though: fuse taps that you can connect to the appropriate fuse in your car’s interior fuse box. The only disadvantage is that you need to know which fuse to use, and to find a handy bolt that connects to the car’s chassis to which to attach the negative wire.

The only gotcha is that the adhesive mount needs to be stuck to your windscreen in a precise orientation. Rotate it slightly left or right and the iQ won’t be vertical, so it’s a good idea to offer it up with the camera attached to the mount.

Jim Martin / Foundry

The power and rear camera cable use proprietary connectors, like squared-off USB-C, which attach neatly into the rear of the iQ.

Jim Martin / Foundry

As part of the process you need to install the Nextbase iQ app on your phone and create an account. The app will walk you through the hardware installation and ask if you have a rear camera. The iQ’s data connection should activate and you’ll have to scan a tiny QR code on the iQ’s screen.

This is where the process fell down for me, as the code seemed far too bright in the preview and any slight movement of the phone caused it to blur. Using the tips provided in the app, it did eventually scan after I double-tapped the preview to turn on my phone’s rear LED flashlight and slowly move the phone closer to and away from the screen until it scanned.

Jim Martin / Foundry

If you manage to jump this particular hurdle, the iQ will download the latest firmware and restart, at which point you can see the live camera view and adjust the angle to get the best view of the road ahead (and behind if you have the rear cam).

Live view & alerts

Getting back to features, the embedded SIM means the iQ is always connected to the internet. It isn’t the first dash cam to do this, but it’s certainly the best-executed.

Via the Nextbase iQ app, which has clearly been inspired by Ring’s, and with the appropriate subscription in place, you can watch the live views from each camera and see on a map exactly where the car is along with the What3Words location.

Jim Martin / Foundry

Of course, any security camera worth its salt will tell you when something important is happening and the iQ is good at it. Using a variety of sensors, including radar, it will send you notifications of “Parking events”, which could be someone reversing into your car in a car park or a person loitering with intent. I found it would also notify me when I parked up and got out of the car, and again when I returned.

You can watch the recorded event, which shows all camera views on the same screen, and a useful red highlight on the playback bar means you can skip straight to where the action happened.

Jim Martin / Foundry

These aren’t the original full-resolution versions, though. They’re standard-def 848×480-pixel clips.

In the SmartSense settings in the app you can adjust how far away in each quadrant to monitor. There’s also a setting for the ‘activation voltage’ at which SmartSense should kick in.

Jim Martin / Foundry

This is different from the ‘Low power cut-off’ setting which shuts off the iQ if your car battery drops below a set voltage in order to ensure it doesn’t drain so much you can’t start the engine.

Emergency SOS

One of the other main safety features is Emergency SOS, something previous Nextbase dash cams have offered. You’ll need a Protect Plus subscription to enable it.

When set up, the iQ will monitor for a “severe crash” and when it detects one it will automatically send an SOS to emergency services with your exact location and – if you’ve provided it – your medical data.

You’ll receive a call back from those services but if you’re unable to answer, an ambulance will be dispatched to your location automatically.

Voice commands

You can also say a variety of other things prefixed by “Hey dash cam” such as:

• Turn the microphone on
• Turn the microphone off
• Start recording
• Stop recording
• Lock this file
• Turn the cabin camera off
• Turn the cabin camera on

For each, your command is processed locally and there are many variations of each command so you don’t have to remember the exact phrase. They all worked reliably when I tried them while driving.

Fortunately, turning the mic off only means audio isn’t recorded – it remains on to listen for your next command.

Currently, there’s no spoken feedback: everything is communicated using alert tones and a small LCD display which shows icons – it isn’t used for showing video.

Missing features

As mentioned, a couple of features are not available at launch. One is Guardian Mode. This is designed partly for parents with young drivers who want to keep tabs on them. When it’s added, you’ll be able to set speed and location limits, and get notifications when the car exceeds or leaves them.

This is also useful if you leave the car at a garage for repair, or with a valet.

A talk-back feature will allow you to communicate with whoever is in the car, too.

The second headline feature that isn’t available is Roadwatch AI. This uses a combination of computer vision and radar to identify other road users, their speed and trajectory.

This data can then be used alongside the video itself to help prove what happened if there is, for example, a collision.

As the iQ records video using H.265, you can’t use Nextbase’s current desktop viewer as it supports only H.264, so there was no way of getting at any of the recorded meta data at the time of review.

Performance & quality

As you’d expect at these prices, quality is good, although perhaps not as good as might hope for. Resolution depends upon the model you buy. The 1K has 1080p front and cabin cameras, but the interior is recorded at 1440p if you buy the 2K or 4K models.

The rear camera records at 1440p and can be connected to any of the three models.

Jim Martin / Foundry

I tested the 4K and the quality from the main front-facing camera is generally respectable, and a step up from Nextbase’s 622. There’s lots of detail which means you can read registration plates of other vehicles, whether they’re parked or driving.

There are quite a few exceptions to this, though. At night or if the weather is bad, details can be obscured by rain on your windows, or because your car’s headlights are reflecting off number plates.

The wide field of view means cars also have to be quite close by, otherwise their plates are simply too small to see. Usually, though, you only care about these details if another car hits yours – meaning it will be very close.

As there’s no HDR, dynamic range is somewhat limited and this can cause over- or underexposure when the sun is in the frame.

It’s surprising there’s no polariser for the front or rear cameras, neither built-in nor optional. There are just two video quality settings in the app, too, one being to disable audio recording. That leaves only exposure, which can be set separately for each camera.

Here are some examples of snapshots from day and night recording from all three cameras.

In the app, you’ll find recordings split into two sections: Events and Library.

Events is the important stuff, such as impacts, motion detected while parked and manual recordings where you’ve locked a file by saying the command, or pressing the button on the underside of the iQ. All are uploaded to the cloud automatically if you have a Protect Plus subscription.

Library is where you’ll see a complete timeline of all the events along with the regular continuous clips recorded while driving along. You can download any of these clips within the app as long as the iQ has power and a mobile data signal – and you have a Protect or Protect Plus subscription.

Whenever you download something, you can pick which of the camera feeds to include: you don’t have to download all of them.

It can take a while for the iQ to wake up and start streaming video if it’s in low-power mode, but the app does a great job of telling you what it’s doing rather than merely showing a spinning circle.

Although there’s built-in Wi-Fi, Nextbase says it’s working on a direct Wi-Fi link and expects local downloading to be possible some 4-6 weeks after launch.

You can of course take out the microSD card and pop it into a card reader on your laptop or PC but Nextbase has added an HD download option in the app. Unfortunately, this is only for videos in the Library tab. It’s not an option in the Events tab, but those are the clips you’re more likely to want to download. There, you’ll see the standard-def version which are automatically uploaded to the cloud as part of a Protect Plus subscription.

Continuous recording splits clips into 30-second chunks. These are 143MB for the front 4K camera, and 86MB for the cabin and rear 2K cameras. Alongside each is a low-resolution 5MB version which is what you see in the app.

With all three cameras recording, the 64GB card can hold around 1.5 hours of footage.

In terms of power usage, I found the iQ worked fine in a car that’s used every day and has a battery that’s in good health. But if you leave it parked a lot of the time, you’ll find the iQ switches off to preserve power after a day or two and therefore won’t be able to notify you or record anything.

Price & availability

In the UK you can buy the iQ from Halfords or direct from Nextbase .

As mentioned, the 1K costs £349, the 2K £399 and the 4K £499. The rear camera is £149.

In the US prices are higher: $499, $599 and $699 respectively, and these are the same whether you buy from Nextbase or Best Buy .

It’s possible to use the iQ without a subscription: the free tier is called ‘Solo’. The only feature it includes is text notifications sent when an event has been detected. These don’t specify what type of event and as you can’t connect remotely, you won’t be able to see the live view, nor watch cloud recordings of the event.

This means a subscription is essential: without it, the iQ isn’t much different to traditional dash cams.

In the UK the cheaper Protect tier costs £6.99 per month or £69.99 per year, while Protect Plus is £9.99 or £99.99.

In the US, prices are again higher at $9.99 per month or $99.99 for a year of Protect, while Protect Plus is $19.99 per month or $199.99 per year.

Protect Plus stores events for 180 days and also adds multiple user accounts (so other family members can use the app), Emergency SOS and automatic incident backup. The latter is an important distinction: if you opt only for Protect, nothing is uploaded: you just get the option to download videos remotely to your phone manually.

For alternatives, see our roundup of the best dash cams.

Should I buy the Nextbase iQ?

The iQ is the smartest dash cam I’ve reviewed. It’s great to be able to watch the live view and see what’s going on when notifications arrive, as well as see where your car is from the GPS location.

The app is – on the whole – great and it makes the iQ easy to use. Voice commands are useful, too.

However, despite that long development time, the iQ feels like an unfinished product. There are a fair few features missing, not just Roadwatch AI and Guardian Mode but things like the ability to download full-resolution videos to your phone via Wi-Fi and watch videos alongside GPS and G-sensor data. Firmware updates, of which there have been a good few during my testing, aren’t notified: you have to go into the settings and check manually to see if there’s a new version to download.

Nextbase says it’s working hard to address these things, but there are no guarantees of when they’ll arrive.

Regardless, price is going to be the sticking point for many: paying £349 / $499 for a 1080p camera is asking a lot, and it’s a further £149 / $200 for the rear camera (which is a wise investment).

Given the relatively high subscription prices it’s disappointing that videos backed up to the cloud are so low quality and that you need Protect Plus for events to be uploaded to the cloud automatically: a feature we take for granted on Wi-Fi security cameras.

Finally, there’s the one-year warranty, which is standard for Nextbase. But with the promise of the iQ being upgraded with new features over a longer period than that, it feels too short.

Ultimately, the iQ is a great security device for your car which should improve over time. I’ve no reason to doubt that Nextbase will make good on those promises, but you might want to wait a bit until some of them are fulfilled before shelling out.

Best Prices Today: Nextbase iQ 2K Smart Dashcam

Author: Jim Martin, Executive Editor, Tech Advisor

Jim has been testing and reviewing products for over 20 years. His main beats include VPN services and antivirus. He also covers smart home tech, mesh Wi-Fi and electric bikes.

Recent stories by Jim Martin:

• The best dash cams 2023
• Nextbase launches internet-connected iQ car security camera
• Viofo A229 Duo review: 1440p front + rear video

Nextbase officially announced the iQ at CES 2022. It’s a new range of dash cams that do more than simply recording when you’re driving and parked up.

That’s because it’s also a security camera for your car. And no security device would be much use if it couldn’t notify you of critical events. So one of the iQ’s key features is internet connectivity, but it has a bunch of other features as well.

It isn’t the only dash cam to have a built-in SIM – Blackvue’s DVR750 and Thinkware’s T700 LTE already have them – but the iQ does more and offers higher resolution video.

How much does the Nextbase iQ cost?

There are three models:

• 1K – 1080p resolution – £349
• 2K – 1440p resolution – £399
• 4K – 2160p (UHD) resolution – £449

All three have two cameras, one facing the road in front, and one facing the cabin. The cabin camera on the 4K model records at 1440p, not 4K. A 1440p rear camera will be available in the near future for £149, and this mounts in your rear window for a clear view of what’s happening behind.

In the US, subscription costs are higher. Protect costs $9.99 per month or $99.99 annually, while Protect Plus is $19.99 per month or $199.99 per year.

When is the Nextbase iQ release date?

Developing the IQ took longer than expected: the company had originally said it would go on sale before the end of 2022, then pushed it back to spring 2023.

The iQ was finally released on 30 October 2023.

You can buy an iQ immediately from Nextbase , or from Halfords in the UK.

Nextbase

What are the Nextbase iQ’s features?

At launch the iQ has the following features, but Nextbase has always said this is just the beginning and it plans to add new features regularly in the future.

• Smart Sense Parking : Using a combination of radar and g-force sensors, you get notifications (with images and video) when someone is acting suspiciously around your vehicle
• Driving/Security Mode : The iQ automatically switches between driving and parking modes, connecting to either your car’s OBD II port, or using the included hard-wire kit.
• Witness Mode . Activated using your voice, this records any incident and uploads the recording to the cloud and shares it with an emergency contact or designated third party in real-time.
• Live View: Just like a home security camera, you can watch the live camera feeds at any time via the Nextbase iQ app.
• Event notifications: Sent in real-time for events you’ll care about such as when someone reverses into your car in the car park or when an intruder attempts to enter your vehicle. Fast wake-up means you won’t miss anything important.
• Remote Alarm: Via the app you can set off the iQ’s built-in alarm to deter intruders.
• Emergency SOS : Alerts the emergency services with your location and other critical details following a serious accident.

Future features, which are already well into their development, include:

• Guardian Mode: Sends a notification when your vehicle exceeds a set speed or location, useful for parents wanting to keep tabs on young drivers.
• Push to Talk : This lets you to speak to anyone in the vehicle, whether your kids or an intruder.
• Roadwatch AI : Tracks the speeds and trajectories of other vehicles around you, as well as pedestrians, cyclists and e-scooters, providing warnings to the driver and evidence that can help prove who was at fault in the event of a collision.

Another feature on the horizon is Driver Aware. Also known as DMS, this will monitor the driver using infrared sensors and provide alters to combat distracted and/or drowsy driving.

Nextbase

Nextbase iQ subscriptions

As mentioned, there are three options. Solo is free, but doesn’t allow you to connect to the iQ remotely to see live or recorded video. Here’s how they compare. Any marked with an asterisk means those features are coming soon:

Solo – Free

• Nextbase iQ app
• Voice control
• Real-time text notifications

Protect – £6.99 per month or £69.99 annually

• Nextbase iQ app
• Voice Control
• Real-time image notifications
• Live View (60 minutes)
• Smart Sense Parking
• Witness mode
• *RoadWatch AI
• *Guardian Mode
• Remote Alarm
• Cloud Storage – 30 days

Protect Plus – £9.99 per month or £99.99 annually

• Nextbase iQ app
• Voice Control
• Real-time image notifications
• Live View (120 minutes)
• Live View Look Back
• Smart Sense Parking
• Witness mode
• *RoadWatch AI
• *Guardian Mode
• Remote Alarm
• Cloud Storage – 180 days
• *Multiple User Accounts
• Emergency SOS
• Automated incident back-up

We’re reviewing the iQ and will have a full review soon. If you need recommendations of more affordable models, here are the best dash cams to buy .

Author: Jim Martin, Executive Editor, Tech Advisor

Jim has been testing and reviewing products for over 20 years. His main beats include VPN services and antivirus. He also covers smart home tech, mesh Wi-Fi and electric bikes.

Recent stories by Jim Martin:

• The best dash cams 2023
• Nextbase iQ review
• Viofo A229 Duo review: 1440p front + rear video