When you think of a dashcam, it’s likely to be from this brand, their latest and greatest model came out last year – the 622GW, so it’s about time we reviewed its more affordable brother, the Nextbase 522GW.
What is it?
It’s one below the range-topping model from the Nextbase ‘Second Generation’ line of cameras; while the 512GW was the top dog a few years back, everything has now got smaller, more powerful and cheaper.
The 522GW comes in at just £149, which is excellent value compared to the likes of Blackvue; while it might not be the full 4k as the 622GW is, 2k or 1440p is a massive improvement over 1080p
How?
Measuring in at 94 x 53 x 44 mm, it’s 35% smaller than the older 512GW, but it also packs a ton of clever connected tech too.
Gone is the plasticy, fiddly mount of the last generation. Now you get a seriously strong magnetic mount that the power cable plugs directly into, keeping the whole set up incredibly slick – especially when used with the hardwire kit.
You get the option of the larger suction cup mount (as seen here) or a 3M sticky mount, which is about half the height; this is the best option if you’re going to keep the 522GW in just the one car.
The most significant improvement though, is the Bluetooth connection that can link your smartphone to the dashcam; it enables you to transfer video files quickly. The camera also records in both low and high quality, so you can copy the low-quality version over Bluetooth to review an incident on the fly.
A new Nextbase app also gives you the ability to change all the camera settings directly from your phone, no more faffing with unclipping the camera, it falling off into the footwell, cables being pulled down from the headliner etc…just to change the time.
It also enables you to update the firmware via your smartphone, another big plus as this used to be a totally manual affair via the SD card.
This latest line of cameras also features a touchscreen, which makes it easier to access menus. While out and about, you can simply touch the screen to take a photo of whatever is going on, or if you want to protect a particular clip, press the physical button at the bottom of the screen.
There’s also a parking mode which works in a different way to traditional cameras. Back in the day, you’d hardwire a dashcam; it would then use the 12v battery to power itself and record any incidents while parked. When the car battery got to a pre-set low voltage, recording would stop, so you still had enough juice to start your car.
Not anymore; nowadays, the battery inside the 522GW is hefty enough to power the G-sensor for up to a week on its own, so you don’t need to worry about battery drain on your car. If it senses a knock, it will fire into life and start recording for the next three minutes.
You can also set up Amazon Alexa if you so wish, making your dashcam into an on the go Echo. Gimmicky, maybe, but if you’re sewn into the fabric of the Amazon world, it will no doubt be a bonus.
There’s also the ability to summon help via the Emergency SOS system built into the dashcam. It can ring your phone after an accident; if you don’t answer, it will send an alert to emergency services, including your GPS location, you can pre-programme your blood type and medical history to also be sent.
As with many services these days, it works on a subscription basis; three months are free, then it’s £2.99 a month after that. If you don’t have a built-in SOS button in your car, it could be great to have this extra peace of mind, especially if you’re single or have no friends and family nearby.
What’s it like?
Incredibly good. Several ‘extras’ come built into the 522GW like a polarising filter to help get rid of windscreen reflection, and the quality of the footage is far superior to that of the old 512GW.
Changes in light are picked up far quicker, and driving at night is much clearer.
Out of the box, the 522Gw is super easy to set up, plug in the power cable, stick it to the windscreen, and you’re off; it starts recording straight away. You will need to provide your own SD card though.
Connecting to the smartphone app was also a doddle; it saw our 522GW straight away, paired and connected in seconds. It was far easier to change all the settings on the phone once the camera was all set up and in place.
Parking mode works great and gives you a set of eyes while leaving your pride and joy out in the wild; the Nextbase 522GW can also be paired with a rear view camera either mounted on the back window, or a separate plug in camera that sticks out from the right-hand side.
While the latter sounds like a great idea, I usually hide dashcams on the left-hand side behind the rear view mirror, so a camera that sticks out on the right is not much use at all…
There’s also a new ‘Incident Aware’ feature that will lock the video file and send it to your smartphone if it detects an accident. You can then share this directly from your phone with your insurance company, sending them the GPS data with it – handy.
The only real bugbear is the length of the lens. It sticks out incredibly far from the camera, so makes it a little obvious when on your windscreen; the bright metal elements also reflect easily, making it quite apparent that you have a dashcam installed. I prefer the more covert approach personally.
A nice little touch is the trim removal tool they include in the box. It can be used for pushing in the wiring around the top of the windscreen or removing the trim from the A-pillars.
In terms of bang for your buck, £149 is incredibly cheap for a dashcam of this quality; a few years ago, you’d be looking at £250- 300 for the same feature set. The 522GW is, without doubt, the best value for money out there at the moment.
Where can I get one?
The usual suspects stock the 522GW; either Halfords or Amazon have deals on every now and then, so it’s worth keeping an eye out at both.
