Customer Ratings & Reviews

This camera does not work properly and shouldnt be in stores especially at this price. The good easy to install. Unfortunately most modes advetised dont work. I have been in communication with the company amd was assured today a firmware update would correct most issues. Well it hasnt fixed one issue. Whittness mode shows it records but doesnt save the video. It does send a link but when you click on it you get an error code 404. Connecting to the camera works sometimes. It has about a thirty second delay from live footage. The SD card will not format when you propt it in the app. The only feature that works is parking mode. Motion doesnt work or any other feature. This was sloppy work not with the hardware but software. I feel like false advertising and surprised Best Buy would sell a product which doesnt do most things claimed by the company. We have a new vehicle, latest version firmware, iphone 14 with latest updates so nothing on our side to prevent the product from working properly. The company knows it has hige issues but continues to mislead consumers. Unless this is resolved soon ill be returning the product.

I went from a Garmin Live to the 4K IQ, hands down, the best purchase. Not only the quality of the video is crisp and clean all the features are amazing. Between Witness Mode, etc you are getting what you pay for. Also, i love the perimeter protection. It was with the OBD port and various size fuse taps which allows you to decide how you want to install the camera.

A month review, I have own owlcam and raven very good dash but owlcam is now garbage after they sold the company and raven is good but the dash only lasted a year then customer service Told me they only cover a year. So I give This dashcam A try, in my opinion is not worth almost 700 I mean the video Quality is good but is not wow, there’s times where I can’t see the video is just buffering and one more thing this cam is super sensitive some might like some might not. Another thing I live in San Diego and this cam DOES NOT work in Tijuana witch that’s a thing I didn’t like might consider returning just because of that

So i read a number of reviews before i purchased tbis camera. I wanted the best camera out there, and i also wanted access to the features that Nextbase offers in the iQ. I was disappointed that the reviews were so wishy-washy. The price point is high, obviously. But once you get this thing working, BOY is it worth it!! I have the 4k with the rearvew camera as well. The install was easy, but the setup was a bit of a challenge. To setup, initially you scan a QR code on the camera. It downloads a firmware update and then finishes the install. Only, the update would ‘download’ and then fail to complete. After a bit of frustration and headache, I had to remove rhe sd card and format it as the manufacturer instructed. Once i did that, the setup was a cinch. I’ve had no issues with the pairing of the rearview camera, as others have stated. It all works great! I’d give it 5 stars of the setup wasn’t a bit of a challenge. BUT you do get what you pay for here. Of course, there is a fee to use all of the features…$20/month. But for the security, peace of mind, and reliability i think it’s money well spent!

Tech support is a waste of time for this company. You’ll engage in emails back and forth, and I’m sure some will figure out a solution. I purchased the premium subscription. The camera worked fine until November 9, 2024; it stopped recording or sharing with the cloud service. I took screenshots and followed all the troubleshooting techniques that they requested. Their upload service doesn’t work for the United States. All you’ll get are errors you may want to consider if you get into an issue using Google Drive with a link with an expiration date on the shared file. I do like the camera overall, but it has its deficiencies. There’s no battery backup, similar to other products that are 4G and high end, as this hardware tech support is by email. They have a phone number, but it’s always busy. It takes between 48 hours and 72 hours for the email to return. In the beginning, you’ll get two or three different agents that will ask you to do the same thing that the first agent asked you to do, so my advice to anyone who purchases this dash camera ‘ if you have a problem with it, take it back to Best Buy. Don’t waste your time with manufacturing because that’s precisely what you’re going to do is waste your time. in the picture that I added, you can see the firmware does not update and when a master reset is completed, still won’t update.,

The IQ is an awesome camera, he app is simple to use and the 4K quality is great. My favorite feauture is the LTE live stream works amazing best dash cam on the market hands down. Will be purchasing the rear camera to complete the 360 view. Installed in my 24 Silverado.

I’ve never had a dash cam for any vehicle I’ve had but after having the IQ smart dash Cam, I regret not having one before I believe this is the best one. No doubt you are making a mistake by not having an IQ smart dash Cam. The best purchase I’ve ever made. I’ve never felt safer while driving. It gives you a comfort that nothing else can give you. I wish everyone could experience what it’s like to have the IQ Smart dash cam I recommend getting the front and rear for the full experience. The $200 a year subscription might seem like a lot, but it’s worth every single penny, get your dash Cam before it’s too late. Driving has never felt this good the dash cam is a must have if you drive. Don’t wait any longer get your dash cam as soon as you can you won’t regret it 100%. I could write a book about how great the dash cam is, but I’m gonna stop here or else I would go on forever.

This camera has too many problems. The rear camera never connects with it. When you try the live view mode, you might connect once out of every 10 tries even if your vehicle is on and you’re 6 inches away from the camera, 5 months after buying the camera, it no longer connects with the app. SAVE YOUR MONEY AND DO NOT BUY THIS!

Ive exchanged this device three times in two months. See enclosed pics of what the Geek Squad manager of the Moore Ok store said is normal to have to deal with. And if you find the pics to be acceptable quality then by all means, pleasure yourself and purchase this item, atleast youve been told. And if you purchase peripherals specific to this device such as the rear window cam that peripheral will not be honored for return even with the protection plan. My experience with this purchase from BestBuy was comparable to Fleamarket shopping. BestBuy did not appreciate that i gave them the benefit of the doubt three times and stiffed me on the return of the device specific peripheral even with the warranty contract. So again see the pics of what the BestBuy Geek Squad manager if the Moore OK store calls quality and normal. The pics are from each if the three exchanged cams. You can zoom to note the dates. This was truelly a traumatizing experience from BestBuy. I literally at the direction of the NextBase tech support had to remove the SD card and place it in a computer to download the firmware update then place the SD card back in the device. It worked a few days then I exchanged the device. This occured on two more subsequent exchanges. Then to be told by BestBuy Geek Squad manager at the Moore OK store that its normal to have to perform those tasks to get the plug and play device to work as it was designed to work. All this in spite if the device having its own 24/7 stand alone internet connection provided by TMobile with full bars connection. My advise to BestBuy is put these in their Geek Squad and delivery vehicles since they consider this acceptable quality. Then we'll see how fast their opinion changes from quality to junk fleamarket find. Im not meaning to be be disparaging to BestBuy but this is a real experience i had with BestBuy.

There is hardly any support because the company is based in the UK. Rear cam never worked. Quality of image is poor and LTE is glitchy. Stay away frim Nextbase and save yourself time and money.

As an avid Hyundai Elantra EG driver, I'm always on the lookout for accessories that enhance my driving experience and safeguard my vehicle. The Nextbase iQ 4K Smart Dash Cam emerged as a top contender, promising exceptional video quality, advanced features, and seamless integration with my Elantra EG. Eager to put it to the test, I embarked on a journey that would transform my perception of dash cams. From the moment I opened the box, I was impressed by the Nextbase iQ 4K's sleek design and compact size. It fit seamlessly into my Elantra EG's dashboard, blending in harmoniously with the car's aesthetic. The installation process was a breeze, thanks to the included suction mount and clear instructions. Upon powering up the dash cam, I was greeted by a user-friendly interface that made it easy to navigate the various settings and features. The high-resolution display provided a crystal-clear view of the road ahead, even in bright sunlight. The heart of the Nextbase iQ 4K lies in its exceptional video recording capabilities. Capturing footage in stunning 4K Ultra HD, it captured every detail of the road, from license plates and road signs to the subtle movements of pedestrians and vehicles. The 140-degree wide-angle lens ensured that no incident or detail would go unnoticed. Beyond its impressive video quality, the Nextbase iQ 4K boasts a plethora of advanced features that elevate it above the competition. The built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity allowed me to effortlessly transfer recorded footage to my smartphone or tablet, making it easy to share or store for future reference. The GPS tracking feature proved to be an invaluable asset, meticulously recording my location and speed alongside the video footage. This information could be crucial in the event of an accident or insurance claim, providing indisputable evidence of my whereabouts and driving behavior. The automatic incident detection feature added an extra layer of security, automatically initiating recording and saving footage in the event of a sudden impact or abrupt change in motion. This gave me peace of mind knowing that even if I was momentarily distracted, the dash cam would capture the critical moments. The voice control proved to be a game-changer, allowing me to operate the dash cam hands-free. With simple voice commands, I could start or stop recording, adjust settings, and even access playback, all without taking my eyes off the road. The parking mode transformed my Elantra EG into a vigilant sentinel, automatically activating recording when the car was parked and unattended. This provided an extra layer of protection against theft or vandalism, deterring potential culprits and capturing any suspicious activity. Throughout my experience with the Nextbase iQ 4K, I was consistently impressed by its ease of use and intuitive design. The menu system was straightforward, and the controls were easily accessible, even while driving. I highly recommend this dash cam to any driver seeking a comprehensive and reliable safety solution. Its exceptional video quality, advanced features, and user-friendly design have transformed it into a guardian angel, safeguarding my vehicle and providing peace of mind on every journey.

More than just a dash cam. The iQ is a high-resolution mobile security and safety system that silently watches your car both while it is being driven and while it is parked. With a paid subscription, it has a persistent cellular LTE connection so it can remain accessible when you’re not in your car, but can also send for help when you can’t. A subscription plan is needed to get the most out of it, but the features are well worth it. I’ve been on the hunt for a high-res cellular-enabled dash cam that will not only record events but guard the car and notify me remotely of anything that might happen. This iQ does all that and more! Pros: * Solid and well-built. * Easy to set up and includes everything needed for both OBD and hard-wired connections. * Nice app. * Useful display on device. * Clear wide-angle 4K front video and wide-angle night video for the cabin (interior). * Radar for proximity sensing in both the main and the optional rear cameras. * Comes with 64gb microSD for local storage. Cons: * Cannot rename camera (yet). * OBD connector was a tight fit in my car. * No way to hide the “No rear camera” spacer if the optional rear camera isn’t connected. * No way to prevent opening/closing the driver’s door from triggering a “bump” event. * Subscription features are comprehensive and useful but not cheap. Setup: Installation of a dash cam used to be something that most people should leave for a trained technician. Between tapping into the appropriate power in the car’s fuse box and routing numerous cables, it was a daunting task even for the more experienced driver. Starting with the free app, this dash cam is almost as easy as plug-and-play. If your car has an accessible OBD connector like mine does, you basically just plug one end of the cable into the camera, the other into your car’s OBD port, and stick the camera to the windshield. The free app guides you through the entire setup; from wiring it up to mounting it to setting up the connection and options. Everything worked exactly as expected for my setup and I was done in less than 30 minutes including tidying up the wire around the windshield. I drive a Polestar 2 electric vehicle and my OBD port is below the dash by my left knee. Given that this port is accessible, the iQ dash cam was easily wired up without the need to find the car’s fuse panel, determine which fuses to use and tap into them. My car’s OBD port’s location and the shape of the iQ’s OBD connector was a challenge to fit in that snug space, but I was able to wedge it in. Keep in mind that if you ever need to take your car in for service, they will most likely need access to your OBD port which is used by the iQ already. The technician will either unplug your dash cam (and leave it unplugged), or perhaps even complain to you about “unauthorized use of the port” and maybe even claim that your car’s warranty could be voided. To be safe, it’s best to just unplug it yourself before any automotive service appointments. Regardless, it’s still worth the massively easier installation versus wiring into your fuse panel, but you do have the option to “hard wire” it instead. If you do need to or just want to wire up the camera to the car’s fuse panel, the iQ dash cam comes with everything you should need in the box. The wire that connects from the camera has a plug at the other end that can either connect to the OBD connector or to the hardwire (fuse box) connector. There are piggyback fuse taps provided for all popular fuse sizes so once you find the particular fuse that you want to tap into, it’s relatively easy to make the connections. The instructions in the app recommend placing the dash cam as high up on the glass as possible on the passenger side of your rear view mirror. In case you ever need to remove the camera for access, or perhaps to remove the camera so you can later install the optional rear camera, the camera can be slid off the base that is stuck to your windshield. Since the camera slides up off the base, I recommend leaving a small gap (at least 1/2-inch) between the top of the camera mounting bracket and the top of the glass so that you can slide the camera up to remove it from the mounting bracket. The provided cable was more than long enough to go from the passenger side of the rear view mirror across the windshield, down the A-pillar and under the dash to my car’s OBD port. In fact, I had another 2 feet of wire left over that I coiled up and tucked under the dash. There is a small screen facing inside on the camera. During setup, this screen shows a QR code to quickly associate the camera to your account. Once it is set up, this screen shows basic information like cellular connectivity, recording status, operating mode, etc. Usage: After initial setup, the camera theoretically just does its job silently and in the background until you need it. The small screen that is visible from the driver’s seat will tell you when it’s recording or doing anything else of interest. This dash cam has both internal storage (microSD card) and cloud-based storage via its built-in LTE radio. Like most dash cams, it is constantly recording to the microSD card while your car is on just in case something happens. Given that the memory card has limited storage space, it does what is called “looped recording” whereby it deletes the oldest recording once it runs out of room so the latest stuff is always being stored. In case of an accident, that segment of the local video is tagged and prevented from being overwritten by the looped recording. You can also mark a recording to be kept by voice command or by pressing the button on the underside of the camera. My camera came with a 64GB microSD card but I chose to replace it with a larger card to be able to store more video before the camera needs to delete older footage to make room for newer. Since the screen on the unit is intended only for status type information, you have to either use the app to see the recordings, or remove the microSD card and put it in another device like a tablet or a computer to see what’s on it. The is also an optional subscription service that will automatically upload those marked clips to the cloud for backup and remote access. It also allows you to view live video from the camera as long as it has cellular signal. Another benefit of this subscription service is that if something does happen to your car while you’re not in it, your phone will get a notification and you can see the incident video or turn on the cameras to see what’s going on live. You can also trigger an “alarm” remotely which makes noise in the car to hopefully scare away anyone inside or nearby. The camera itself has some nice lighting to indicate when its motion sensors have been triggered and its recording what’s going on just in case. The radar and g-force (bump) sensors on the camera can trigger recording not just when the camera sees movement or senses the car being bumped, but when someone is within range of your car as sensed by the radar - just in case. The optional rear camera has the same sensors, too! All video is recorded on the inserted microSD card in the highest resolution possible for each of the cameras and synced to the car’s GPS location, speed and g-force indicated at the time. In the app, lower-resolution clips are automatically uploaded to the cloud over LTE right after they occur (if subscribed), so you can go into the app and quickly review them. These clips are clear enough to see what’s going on and you can quickly scan and switch clips, but are not in full 4k resolution because even LTE isn’t fast enough to stream live 4k video from the dash cam. Besides, most likely the full resolution video is only needed on certain clips. Anything of interest can be downloaded on-demand at full resolution (4k for the front camera, for example) if there’s something that needs to be more visually scrutinized or saved for evidence. When viewing clips, you can see video from all cameras simultaneously and choose which of them is the larger view as you watch. An overlay is available with a map of where the car was during that clip with a line showing the car’s path and a “live” dot showing the car’s location synchronized with the video along with the car’s speed as well as the current and segment g-force readings during that clip. You can also choose one of cameras to be full screen and then swap between them while still in full screen. The downloaded front camera clips are really clear and vibrant. The interior (cabin) video is clear and colorful during the day, and the IR-lit grayscale video at night gets all the details. I don’t yet have the rear camera, but expect that it will be great as well. There are a bunch of enhanced security features that are not yet available but will soon enable things like geofenced notifications, notifications of overspeed events, and much more. Conclusion: Supremely easy to install, exceedingly fully featured, great app and a lot of promise for features to come. This dash cam will keep your car safe and secure with the peace of mind that comes from remaining connected even when you’re not there.

The Nextbase iQ is camera with outstanding image quality both daylight and nighttime. It is a bit tricky to set up due to the app enlarges the image when reading the QR code. It is best to set up before attaching it to the windshield. It comes with all accessories to connect it directly to the car battery. Unfortunately, it has several drawbacks which are not practical for my area. It does not come with a USB connection to connect it in the cabin which now most cars come with USB ports. In addition, it does not have a viewing screen so videos can only be seen on the app or by removing the SD card and using the pc or laptop. The app is easy to use but can’t see video’s without paying a subscription fee which was a surprise to find out. Everything is going to subscription base so this is not the exception but it records with or without subscription. Once attached to the windshield there is not way to rotate the camera only tilt. It has a larger footprint than expected so will be getting a smaller camera.

As someone who spends a large amount of time in their car for work and play, I’ve always been curious about adding a dash cam to my vehicles. The Nextbase iQ 4K Smart Dash Cam is the first dash cam I’ve owned, and it just might be the last as this dash cam checks every box on my wish list. Not only does it offer protection while driving, the iQ will also watch over your vehicle while it’s parked and left unattended. There are a number of current features that I’ve started using with the Nextbase ProtectPlus plan through their subscription model. Without the subscription there are available features, but the iQ 4K really shines with one of the Nextbase plans. Overall Experience – The Nextbase iQ 4K Smart Dash Cam is relatively easy to set up. Download the Nextbase iQ app and power on the dash cam. Scan the QR code on the dash cam and the set up process is under way. Connecting the dash cam and app is straight forward, then it’s just a matter of setting up the user preferences and getting the cam properly mounted. Nextbase provides a couple of 3M sticky mounts, so locate a spot that doesn’t block your line of sight and then stick it in place. I connected my unit with the supplied 16” OBD power cable that plugs in under my drive side dashboard. The hardest part was hiding the cabling as my car’s A pillars hold the curtain airbags and the fitment was very tight around the windshield. Eventually I was able to get it snaked down under the dash to the OBD outlet. The ironic part is once the unit is mounted and set up, it kind of just does its thing, nothing fancy, just a very good insurance/guardian for you and your vehicle! Features: If you're looking to protect your car and stay on top of any potential threats, the Nextbase iQ 4K Smart Dash Cam is a great option. This dash cam has a sleek design and features Live View, SmartSense parking, and Witness Mode, etc. which all work together to give you a complete view of your car's surroundings and alert you of any potential dangers. And in case of emergency, the dash cam has an SOS response feature to get you help quickly. Plus, with its always-on 4G connection, you can access your data anytime and anywhere, making it a convenient option for those always on-the-go. Overall, the Nextbase iQ 4K Smart Dash Cam is a reliable way to protect your car and stay connected while you're away. 4K Recording – This was one of the features that really impressed me on this cam. The true 4K output allows for easy viewing of the outside world around your vehicle. This is particularly important in the case of any type of accident, incident, etc. The details are captured in clear and viewable detail. Witness Mode – In today’s world with road rage and other incidents on the rise, Witness Mode is a great option to alert 3rd parties of your current situation. Simply use voice commands to begin recording and sharing with your pre-determined emergency contacts. Emergency SOS – another potential life-saving option that sends out an automated notice to emergency services in the event of a detected serious accident. Always on 4G connection – allows the Nextbase iQ to be left on and connected at all times, even if you’re not in the vehicle. It also provides quick remote access to any recordings stored on the iQ cam unit. Pros: - 4K recording capabilities provides evidence-worthy video capture - Ease of set up with OBD cable, plenty of other direct connect options provided as well - Well-made dash cam base unit, high quality fit and finish - Emergency SOS, Witness and Parking mode and live feeds options - Always on 4G connection for use while not in vehicle and easy remote access to video files - Parking Mode - Ability to keep an eye on your vehicle when it’s unattended is a game-changer - GPS tracking feature – another data point for evidence in a crash or other incident - 64GB SD card pre-installed for data retention Cons: - Had a bit of a challenge scanning the QR code to start the set up process - Although there are several features available without a plan, to really take advantage of this dash cam, purchasing a monthly/yearly subscription is essentially required. - There are a couple of features that are not currently available as of the release of the iQ 4K

the Nextbase iQ 4K dash cam does way more than i thought a dash cam was capable of. I was looking into getting one just to have just in case because of some close calls and i saw this. the amount of features was almost suspicious, like how could it do all that. there's no display on the camera to keep it compact, but you can review footage and do live view on your phone, so if you have a phone mount on your dash you could use that. It gives a very crisp view Infront of you and in your cabin. I imagine this is very handy if you're doing ride sharing, to have video of your cabin/passengers for everyone's safety. while setup is straight forward and easy to setup, it can be finicky depending on where you are because you need a clear signal to get the GPS to track and find you and to get a solid 4G connection. on the rear screen you can see status of data connection, GPS and what's going on (parking, recording, etc). In my suburban driveway with no trees nearby or tall buildings, i had trouble connecting the first night. the GPS was red (no signal) and i couldn't view live feed. kept restarting and no luck. reached out to tech support and they gave me instructions. next morning went to try again to follow their tests and suddenly it just started working and has been working since. What's nice is even if my car is off and i'm in the house, i can open the app and it will ping and wake up the camera allowing me to get a live view inside and in front of the camera. the other night i heard loud exhaust noises in the middle of the night and it sounded like my vehicle, so i woke up the camera, saw that it was still empty and in the driveway and then went back to sleep. the GPS is sweet too because when you open the app, not only do you have both cameras at the bottom but in the background is your location on google maps, so you can easily find where your car is. i haven't had a chance to test the AI smart sense parking but i set up the motion zones, don't tend to park near other cars, so thankfully hasn't needed to be used. Witness mode is handy because you can set up an emergency contact and should something happen like an altercation with passengers/passerby's/law enforcement/etc they'll get a link and video which seems very helpful these days as far as installation, its pretty straight forward, setup the camera on the app and then stick it to the glass and run the wire. It sticks out a little further than i'd like past my mirror but that is no fault of the camera, my car has a very wide trim cover around the mirror because of the radar for lane keep and speed sign camera. Otherwise i'd probably have been able to move it higher and hide it nicer. it would have been nice to have a bit more articulation. it only goes up and down on a fixed arm, so moving it up also moves the angle up. some side to side would be nice to ensure you can level the image as far as powering it, you can use the OBD2 port under your dash or you can use the add a fuse adapter they provide. they actually provide 4 different sizes so no matter what kind of car you have, you should be able to use one of the adapters depending on your cars fuse shape. The subscription is a bit pricey but there's different tiers based on what features you are interested in/need. not sure if i'd be keeping the highest one long term, we'll see how i get on with using it in the day to day and what i tend to use feature wise

Upon unboxing the product, the first thing I noticed was how large the camera assembly was. I ended up having to mount it off-center on my windshield to avoid obscuring my field of vision while driving. The camera can be adjusted towards and away from the windshield via a pivot point on the mount, but that is the only degree of freedom available, so you have to be very purposeful with mounting alignment in order to avoid being stuck with imperfect camera alignment. The device came with many variations of cabling for compatibility with many different vehicles, which was a thoughtful addition. The included cables were plenty long and the including spudger tool helped with tucking the cables out of sight. Initial setup was fairly painless: the dash cam's display shows a QR code that is scanned in-app which initiates pairing and a firmware update. Overall usability was solid. The 4G LTE network had a consistent and stable connection most of the time. As expected, reception could get a bit dicey when in parking ramps or some garages, but overall the dash cam maintained connectivity well. Sometimes, video thumbnails would take a long time to load (or would not load at all), though I am not sure if these issues were 4G connection related or not. Video quality is undoubtedly a highlight. The videos looked good whether doing in-app playback or after exporting to my phone's storage. I was concerned that I would potentially miss out on footage since I had to mount the dash cam off-centered on the windshield, but the wide 140-degree field of view allowed the whole road to get captured even with this non-ideal mounting scenario. The option for storage expansion via microSD card is welcomed since these high res video files add up quickly. One nit-pick I have is the absence of continuous video recording. The in-app clip library gets bogged down pretty quickly with a steady flow 30-second clips as you drive. It would be nice to be able to have the option to capture each driving session as one long segment in local storage and then edit into smaller sections to capture specific events as needed. The G-sensor's responsiveness enhances the dash cam's ability to capture impactful events effectively. It is a little on the sensitive side and often calls out non-events as impacts, but given the choice, I prefer that it is tuned overly sensitive rather than not. I appreciate the inclusion of Witness Mode for added security. When activated, it shared live video with a trusted emergency contact. Smart Sense Parking is a nice AI-driven feature that provides a 360 degree field around your car that is watched for threats. This in combination with the Remote Alarm feature give added layers of protection and valuable peace of mind. I would have really liked to try out Guardian Mode and Roadwatch AI, though these features are still under development. There are many things to like about this product. The smart features (at least the ones that are available) are very impressive. However, one VERY important thing for potential buyers to be aware of are that many of these features are locked behind paywalls. I'd highly recommend doing research on which features you find important in a smart dash cam and then seeing which tier of the Nextbase subscription you are willing to pay for. If you are unwilling to pay for the subscription, the lack of 4G LTE will neuter a lot of the aspects that make this dash cam special. Overall, the Nextbase iQ 4K Smart Dash Cam is fundamentally a well-constructed device with substantial potential. While the hardware, though slightly bulky, integrates advanced technology, the software promises a lot yet appears to be in an evolving state. Even after the innovative capabilities of the dash cam complete development efforts and are integrated into the product, these features may be pay-to-play in perpetuity, so I again highly recommend that potential buyers do their research on subscription plan features and costs before taking the plunge on this product.

I have owned a few dash cameras, but I wanted one that would send me alerts when something was happening to my car and also did not rely on an internal battery. Therefore, I was curious to see if the Nextbase iQ 4K Smart dashcam would meet these needs. Setup was easy, but I did have a hard time scanning the QR code on the camera screen with my iPhone 13 pro. I would recommend getting a good idea of where to place the camera before taking off the film from VHB tape on the speaker’s back. The camera can adjust back and forth, but make sure that it’s vertical before sticking it to the windshield, since it does not adjust side to side or up and down. It needs to be connected to the car’s battery using the OBD connector or the fuse box to power the camera. It is worth noting that the OBD connector does not contain a passthrough, so the camera would need to be disconnected if the OBD connector is needed. Video/Voice features I was pretty happy with how clear the video feed was for both the front- and cabin-facing camera. I tried the voice features, and the camera was responsive to my commands. Since I work in a retail setting, I had to set the proximity sensors for the Smart Sense Parking closer to the vehicle because otherwise I was getting a lot of notifications. It is pretty easy to adjust, but I would like for a GPS setting to determine how the sensors send alerts. I did not experience any issues with this camera draining my car’s battery since it has a feature to prevent this, but I would like for the camera to provide feedback on the health of my car’s battery and warn me if it detects an issue. All the features of this camera performed well, but the Roadwatch AI and Guardian Mode were not active as of this review. Cost I feel the biggest drawback of this great camera is the monthly/yearly cost. If you choose to not pay a monthly fee, the camera only sends text notifications and still has voice control. I believe this camera uses T-Mobile’s 4G network, so that would explain why the price is about the same as a wearable device. However, I would like to be able to add this camera to my phone carrier’s network and perhaps get a little better pricing. In sum, if you are looking for a future-proof camera that seems to keep adding features and don’t mind spending $10-$20 a month to get the most out of it, then this is the absolute best camera you can get. However, if do not want the monthly cost added to a pricey camera, there are other options that may better suit.

CONCLUSION: This is a neat device. It performs well. And has a lot of unique features. Making me want to give it a 5. However, this is a rocky road as not everything is working perfectly, at all, or is coming down the line. It is extremely expensive between the camera itself, the rear camera if you add it, and monthly subscription. Which makes me want to give it 3.5 – 4 stars in the current state. I think this will be one of those devices that is either a great beta run and the next version will be awesome. Or it will age well with firmware updates and be awesome a year or so from now once they are out of the growing phase. But you should never buy a product on what they claim it will be. But instead what it is currently. If these features sound like what you are looking for I don’t think you’ll be disappointed. But if you’re just looking for great picture quality and something that is hands off (which it excels at for a dashcam). I’d keep looking as the tax your paying by not using the other features is steep. SETUP: I had a lot of problems with setup. Originally went to set it up my car battery was dead (which I was completely unaware of at the time). Which may or may not have caused issues with the firmware of the device making it get stuck on the “onboarding” screen of two yellow arrows going in a circle. After about a week or two of going back and forth with support they pushed an update OTA which allowed me to get past that screen and setup my camera. Once that happened setup was quick and easy. Support was great with quick response times (usually <24 hours), helpful suggestions, very professional, and friendly. Inside the app it says to call a number which didn’t go through because it is missing the 1 in the US. But once I added the 1 to the number provided it worked. As they are based in the UK. If you don’t run into issues setup is easy. You plug the device into your OBD port (there are options for alternatives as well but this is the easiest), open the IQ App which walks you though the rest of the process. Scanning the QR code can be a bit difficult between the gloss and brightness. Weirdly turning on the camera flash (double tapping the screen when in the QR screen) will turn on your flashlight which helps. Once you get through that process you mount it and hide the wires. Then it is pretty much hands off from there as it will automatically power on/off, activate, and send alerts (if you have the paid membership). without any oversight from you. FEATURES: There are three different tiers of membership. One is currently free, the other $9.99, and the third is $19.99. These seem expensive. But technically are enabling data and 4G connectivity along with unlocking some features (which would require data/4G connection to work) which makes the pricing make a bit more sense. I’m talking about the most expensive tier. From where I lived I always had 3 - 4 out of 4 bars no matter where I was in the city. Remote function is nice. I had an expensive item in my car and went into another store to grab something. And because I’m paranoid it was nice to keep the live feed up while I was doing my thing. Also, sometimes I’ll hear something outside and I can just remote into my car and see what is happening on my street. Which is nice. Witness mode is an excellent feature that you can activate manually to record any craziness that may occur. It sends a copy of the video along with an alert to a contact of your choice. Then there is SOS which activates in case of a crash and you are unable to respond will contact emergency services. Both require setup and are locked behind the most expensive tier. Two features are not yet available. There is cloud storage (to review on your phone, if the device gets damaged, or stolen), image-based notifications, and monitoring in case there is someone who knicks your car, breaks into your car, or gets too close. You can manually set off an alarm which could scare people away. Overall, it has a lot of features. But I think a lot of those features won’t be used regularly for most people and a more inexpensive camera without a monthly fee will suit them just fine. Granted you can use this as a basic dashcam without the membership or special features. It would just be very expensive. USAGE: The camera itself is rather large, hefty, and very well built. It is attractive and will look good in any car. Display is limited and only shows you when it is powered on/off, recording, or alerts (parking/movement). I wish they would add what all those pictures looked like inside the app along with what the voice commands were. Movement is limited with just up/down. No side to side or tilt. With it being so large it limits the ROM of my rearview mirror. As it hangs down obstructing vision so I tried to put it as high as I could to limit that. For the most part it correctly powers up and down. Some examples. When I get in my car it will alert me before I can start my car that there was a movement alert on my phone and on the device itself shows a movement alert. When I start my car it automatically starts a recording and the screen indicates that. After I stop my car after about 15 seconds will go into parking mode, then turn off. If I press the button on the bottom it will lock that recording to not be deleted with the loop recording. But I also found when I went into the SD card that at night it is waking itself up a lot despite nothing happening. If I want to bring up live view on my phone it takes about 30 – 45 seconds. As it has to wake up the device and then establish a connection. Once established you have a bit of a delay from real time. Maybe 5 – 15 seconds. Bringing up a recording takes about 7 seconds, is clear and good quality, but probably not enough to gather specific information (such as a license plate). However, the actual recordings from the SD card are the best I’ve seen from a dashcam but still leave a good amount of room for improvement. The app itself is easy to navigate and intuitive. I like that the home screen shows your GPS location on a map (which isn’t always accurate), your front exterior view, interior view, and if applicable rear view on one screen. You can go full screen on whichever one you want with a live view. But image quality falls apart quickly. You can see past recordings and events which takes about 7 seconds to bring up. CAMERA QUALITY: Lighting, like all cameras, is going to play a big part on how clear the image is. Where if it is good and you’re not getting blinded by the sun or driving at night with other driver’s lights blinding you the picture quality is excellent. The front view does show some pixelation in tough scenes but isn’t overly sharpened. I can read license plates from about a car length away in bad lighting. And maybe two to three car lengths if ideal. I’m able to read street signs given good lighting from further away as the writing is larger. The view shows everything I need such as my hood, the lines on the road, and does a good job showing accurate distance between me and the car in front of me. Night vision is full color for the front camera and black/white for the interior camera. The interior camera is 2560x1440p resolution over 3840x2160. Bitrate is acceptable. It technically creates four recordings each time. 1 high quality front camera/interior and 1 low quality front/interior. I’d imagine with the back cam it would add another two. I’m not sure if you can change this in the settings anywhere. Regarding the price I would like it to be a bit better. But understanding as lighting plays such a huge role in how well a camera performs (as does bitrate) and controlling lighting while driving is extremely difficult and bitrate is limited on 64 GB card at these resolutions. Pulling the SD card is simple as it is on the left side and easy to access. It uses loop recording which will overwrite older content. It comes with a 64 GB SD card which fills up quickly with the 4K/2K recordings. For example, I spend about an hour in my car every day. It holds about two days’ worth of footage. As I found that it was picking up a lot of false alarms while parked in my neighborhood. Especially at night, but not so much at work, in an actual parking lot, and during the day. Strange. Basically, I’m saying if you have an incident or something you want to keep make sure to get it off that same day or press the lock button to make sure it doesn’t override that data.

SUMMARY – I have no doubts the IQ dashcam will one day be great, but it isn’t ready for mainstream, as important features are missing and/or not working yet. INSTALLATION The Nextbase IQ is easy to install. Nextbase includes every conceivable option to wire up their new flagship camera in the box. They include a pre-pinned OBD-II power adapter, fuses to fit nearly any car on the road (if your car takes one of the plastic fuses, regardless of size, Nextbase includes an adapter for you), and a stand alone red and black wire to manually tap power from any other convenient source, just in case any of their other options don’t work for you. Unlike some of my other dashcam installations, Nextbase has included a very generous length of wire to hook up their camera. I chose to mount my camera just to the right of my rearview mirror, running the power cable tucked into the headliner and down the front A-pillar to the OBD-II port located under the driver’s side dash. Even in my ½ ton, full-size pickup, I had plenty of wire to run power neatly and inconspicuously with some left over. Thank you Nextbase for including enough wire for those of us in the U.S. The number of items included with their camera is very generous and much appreciated. From providing enough power wire, multiple power connection options, glass cleaner, and extra adhesive pads, the IQ camera’s extras go a long way for customer satisfaction and Nextbase deserves kudos for their selection. APP The IQ is accessed via the Nextbase IQ app. I installed the app on my Android smartphone and created my Nextbase account. The app installation went without issue, but the actual camera adoption did not. No matter what I tried, I could not get the QR Code to show on the IQ’s display. This QR code is used by the app to link to the IQ camera. Even with full cellular coverage, the QR code would not show up. The camera just had 2 arrows chasing themselves endlessly around in circles. No number of reboots fixed this issue. There is no other recourse or options to activate the camera, if the QR code won’t come up, other than contacting Nextbase customer service. Using the QR code associated with the troubleshooting card, I attempted to call Nextbase customer service. However, the QR code does not work and takes you to a number that is not in service. More frustration. Time to search it up. With Nextbase being in the UK, most information leads to the UK site and their contact information. It took nearly 15 minutes to find a US based customer service number, but I found it. I found it to learn that their US based customer service department was closed, and the recording gave no other information or options. I wasn’t fully surprised the customer service line was closed, as it was after 7pm CDT. I went back to the troubleshooting card to look for other options to get the camera online. Their recommendation was to submit a trouble ticket via email. So, I tried. However, you can’t submit a help ticket without a serial number. Guess what? You can’t find a serial number on the IQ. Not without some form of disassembly. Because I couldn’t get it linked to the app, I couldn’t get the serial to submit a ticket. Awesome. Thanks, Nextbase. Nearly an hour wasted. Out of utter frustration, I unplugged the camera from the OBD-II port and gave up for the night. The amount of irritation isn’t worth it. I came back out mid-morning the next day, expecting more heartache. For whatever reason, the camera booted up and displayed the QR code. After more than an hour of headache and irritation, the next day it booted without issue, and I was able to get it linked to my Nextbase account. USE The Nextbase app is the primary means to interact with the IQ camera (it does support verbal commands). Those, like me who are used to some form of other controls on their other Nextbase devices, will be surprised and possibly dismayed at the deletion of a touchscreen. The IQ communicates with your phone via Bluetooth if you are close, or via 4G for remote access. The new processor in the IQ is a marked improvement in processing power compared to my older Nextbase 322GW. It is quick to establish a Bluetooth or 4G connection and file transfers take mere seconds. Unlike my 322 which could be wonky and hit or miss establishing a connection for replay, the IQ has proven rock solid and reliably quick. The IQ includes a 4k front facing camera and a wide-angle rear facing camera. Using its AI brains, it can “see” around your vehicle. Mounted properly, the IQ can see just past your driver and passenger door (at least in my truck). Note that the IQ does not include a rear camera to see out the back of the vehicle. That must be purchased separately and is not yet available. For the utmost in coverage this camera is a must as it picks up where the front cameras stop and records video from behind the vehicle. This provides a nearly 360-degree view around your car or truck with minimal, if any, blind spots. Images from the front camera are recorded in super crisp 4k resolution with the rear facing cameras limited to 1440p resolution. Even so, the rear images are sharp and clear. The IQ is like your car’s personal nanny. It continuously monitors your vehicle whether you are driving or not. If driving, it will report back any odd disturbances. It automatically saves the file on the device and if you have notifications set up, will send you a push notification, even though it isn’t necessary while driving. Leaving your car is where the camera really pays off. If you opt for the option rear facing camera, the IQ will fully monitor your vehicle. Via the IQ app, you set the sensitivity of the monitoring. Anytime someone gets within your predefined area around the vehicle, the camera records it and sends you a push notification. Same if it detects a sudden jolt or jostle. It works well and if you have a decent view of the sky (as in, can get cell reception) events are sent quickly and reliably. NEGATIVES The biggest complaint is while there is so much to like about the camera, it still feels like a beta product and not all the features are available. Nextbase brags about their Guardian mode and Roadwatch AI features of the IQ. They sound great. Couldn’t wait to try them out, especially the Roadwatch where the camera will show on your phone, via the app, pedestrians, cyclists, other moving vehicles, lane departure, etc. in real-time. Sounds great. Almost like a real-time heads-up display for those of us with older vehicles. Well, it’s not available yet. At least I can give the Guardian mode a shot. Real-time communication with drivers and passengers in the vehicle, including speed alerts, or aggressive driving notifications. Nope. Not yet available. Like my Nextbase 322GW, the IQ is programmed to overlay a GPS map of each minute of driving (by default the camera records your driving in 1-minute increments). I love that feature on my 322. When you queue up a video from a trip, the software shows not only the video of your drive, but the exact location you are on a map, along with speed, etc. Nope. Not with the IQ. That feature doesn’t work either. I verified I had good GPS signal and after numerous trips, still haven’t received a complete replay of any drive. The only time I get a GPS hit is when the truck is sitting still and even then, takes several minutes to get an update on the app of your location. This is unacceptable. If I have good GPS reception and good cellular reception, I hate to think I was relying on the IQ to call for help in the event of an accident. My 322GW is always spot on. My IQ has no idea where I am at, unless I leave the truck sit for a half-hour. Not only does it not know where I’m at, it has no idea what time it is. So, any accidents or witness videos could easily be disputed. I have the time set to auto and central time, but the IQ still shows London time on the display and when searching for videos, making it hard to find a specific recording. CONCLUSIONS I absolutely love my Nextbase 322GW. While it acts a little flaky at times, mainly because of the slow processor and questionable phone connection, it has proven to be a solid and reliable workhorse. I’ve used it for several years now and it has never given me an issue. It is small, inconspicuous, and I never have had to worry about whether or not it was going to work. I can’t say the same for the IQ. The app needs work, the camera still needs work. I have no doubt Nextbase will squash the bugs, but until they do, I would hold off buying an IQ. As of now, the IQ feels rushed to market and needed some additional R&D time prior to release. If, Nextbase can get the bugs worked out, I would have no problem recommending the IQ (even if they want to require a subscription to get all the features now). But, as of today, I can’t give a buy recommendation. There is just too much not ready yet. NOT RECOMMENDED.

The IQ4K kit ships with the IQ camera, ODB to USB-C power cable, hardwire kit, extra adhesive mount, and mounting/wiring tools. The camera has two lenses, front and cabin facing. No rear window camera is included, although one is available for purchase as an optional accessory. Physical installation via ODB port is nearly as easy as the typical DC outlet plug method. It’s merely a slightly different plug location and style. There are hardwiring options also available if preferred, but the ODB port option works fine for me. I connected the plug to the camera, plugged the other end into my easily accessible ODB port underneath the left side of the dash, affixed the camera to the windshield via the 3M tape mount, hid the wires for aesthetics, and I was done. The IQ can slide off of the adhesive mount if desired for use in a second vehicle or other purposes. Camera activation and app setup were where my problems began and it all went rapidly downhill from there. After installing the app and connecting the camera to the ODB port in my vehicle as instructed, the camera powered on and the app instructed me to scan the QR code on the camera’s small LCD display to pair the camera. The tiny high gloss display had a huge amount of reflectivity and my phone camera had a lot of trouble avoiding the reflections and focusing on the QR code. I was also initially trying to set everything up in the evening after work, but quit after it proved to be an exercise in futility, even with supplemental lighting. I tried again the following day during daylight and, after numerous tries, the phone finally read the code. Problem number two then occurred as the camera screen displayed a message stating the camera failed to update and a circular connection indicator on the camera screen kept spinning. Eventually the spinning stopped and the app displayed a message that the camera was unavailable. I power-cycled the camera by removing and reinserting the power cable from the camera’s USB port which caused it to enter pairing mode again. However, I then ended up in an annoying cycle of scanning the QR code numerous times, finally connecting, and then the camera immediately disconnecting. Each time the camera lost contact I was presented with three options to contact Nextbase support (email, chat, or call). Instead, I kept opting to reboot the camera and try again. I was already out of patience by that point, but persisted nonetheless, I eventually made it past the loop, the camera connected to the app/phone and I was finally able to see live video from both lenses displayed in the app. I clicked to verify that the recorded footage looked good and I was then taken to an account creation screen. I thought I was finally good to go. Wrong again. This time, I entered my name and email address as instructed and hit enter to register a new account. The app returned an error stating “something went wrong, please retry”. When I retried, it said the email address was already registered. I tried again with another email, same thing. I subsequently tried a third email, and again same error. I decided not to try a fourth email because by that point it seemed silly. I suspected my email addresses were being incorrectly harvested and erroneously recorded as already being registered. I begrudgingly reached out to Nextbase support that evening and received an email reply the following day. After a day of back and forth communications, we set up a phone call with a live support agent for the following day. The agent was late calling, so while waiting on the call, I tried to activate the IQ one last time. Again, all of my email addresses got the same “already registered” error. I then tried my wife’s address out of curiosity, and surprisingly, it finally worked. I was able to register, subscribe, and complete the setup. I have only used my primary email with other Nextbase cameras, so I have no idea why the others didn’t work. The rep called shortly after and I advised them that I managed to finally get it working. Feeling home free at last, I put the IQ through the paces. It does a great job as a basic dash cam. Both roadway and cabin views are available and footage is clear on playback, even during low light capture. Footage is saved locally on the pre-installed memory card and also in the cloud with an IQ subscription. Both video and audio are recorded with great clarity. I can view live feeds locally or remotely from both cameras on demand both with the vehicle in motion and while parked. There’s approx 15 seconds of latency between actual live footage and when it’s viewable in app. When the vehicle is parked, the IQ goes into security mode when smart sense parking is activated. It monitors for movements, impacts, and other events. Lights flash showing status when something is detected and I can also trigger a manual alarm in the camera to deter suspicious actions. The included 64GB SD card capacity is a bit smallish for always on monitoring and 4K recording. It nearly filled up completely after a single day of light use and always displays capacity as close to maxed. In addition to video, there is a map in the IQ app that shows the vehicle location. At the moment, it only shows where the vehicle is and nothing else. Looking over the IQ specs, it appears the map will play a bigger role with features like geofencing alerts once some of the still in development features like Guardian mode go live. I really would like to share that the issues subsided after the camera was finally activated and functional, but they didn’t. The camera itself works overall, but several features seemingly don’t work properly. I understand that the guardian and roadwatch A.I. modes are not yet available and both are labeled as such and inaccessible in the app, but even parking sense and other alerts don’t seemingly fully work as intended. The camera records activities and logs them in the catch-all library, but frequently logs nothing in the events tab and rarely sends me any notifications. I’ve checked every possible notification setting on both my phone and in the camera. Despite every possible option being set to allow and even when testing the sensor set at max sensitivity, it seldom sends notifications. I’ll get sporadic “impact” alerts for random door closings, and other impact alerts for no reason at all other than driving. I followed up with Nextbase support again about the lack of alerts and events and received conflicting answers. I was told via email that suspicious movements around the vehicle “would not be considered an event”, and thus would not generate event notifications. So in other words, whoever replied basically advised me that the smart sense parking feature is essentially useless for proactive security monitoring. I would much rather be warned of someone sneaking around or breaking into my car BEFORE it happens, not through a buried routine log entry after the fact. I’m highly doubtful that the information I was provided was accurate, but then again, I don’t work in Nextbase support, so I defer to their judgement despite my doubts. Given the problems and inconsistencies I’ve been encountering, I no longer have any realistic expectations for anything this camera promises. I was also requested to send screen shots showing my phone and app notification settings despite sharing that I already checked all the settings. I sent the photos showing every permission related to alerts in both the app and phone all properly checked to allow notifications. That last email was sent to support early this morning. It is now late at night and I am still awaiting a reply from support again, but it no longer matters because barring a miraculous turnaround, I highly doubt I will continue using this IQ after the subscription trial expires. It doesn’t quite seem like all the kinks are fully baked out and it feels more like a beta release tester product than a finished and polished retail product. The features still labeled as “coming soon” in the app should have been a tip off to me that this camera wasn’t quite ready, but I gave it an honest try and did everything within the limited controls provided to make the camera work properly. Even with all phone and app settings correctly set, and traveling among several different areas with varying wireless signals, my experience with the IQ has been marginal at best. Maybe I got a bum camera. That’s my belief. But troubleshooting steps so far have failed to resolve the issues and left me even more puzzled than before regarding the camera’s features and how it is properly supposed to function. The troubleshooting has been basic so far, with every question suggesting possibly some sort of incorrect setting, expectation, or other user error. There very well may be some IQ cameras working just fine out there, but based off my experience with this specific troublesome camera that I received, I cannot recommend the IQ at the moment.