Nextbase Piqo

[TonyM]

Nextbase have launched a new small dashcam, the Piqo, which looks a bit like the Garmin Mini 2.
https://nextbase.co.uk/dash-cams/piqo-dash-cam/


I have no idea whether it contains a battery or a capacitor, or what capacity SD card it supports. 1080p or 1440p variants are available.

Neither the product page or the manual have much in the way of tech specs. It all seems geared to younger generation first-time dashcam owners who want to use their new toy to record their daily life and share it with friends.

 

[Nigel]

I wonder if the specification is correct?

Max Resolution - Piqo 2K @2560 x 1440p , Piqo 1K@2560 x 1080p

(Suggests you pay more for 16:9, presumably from the same hardware?)


Seems like a mini iQ, where they have fixed all the things people have been complaining about.
Doesn't seem all that small though?


Not sure how it does this without LTE?

Piqo Emergency
We detected a crash of your
car at Johanstrasse 54

 

[Nigel]

I wonder if the specification is correct?

Based on the animation, looks like it is correct, you pay an extra £20 to get 16:9 aspect ratio, save £20 if you are happy with 21:9 aspect ratio, almost certainly the same hardware and same resolution!

 

[Nigel]

The SOS seems to need an extra payment of £30 per year, which also gives you extra skins!
Maybe it does have LTE via an eSIM, which gives txt messages but no remote video?

There are also new 'skins': customized overlays that display crucial stats on your video, such as speed. They're more for fun than anything else, but you get one skin thrown in with the free 'Solo' subscription, and can get more via the paid-for 'Protect' plan that costs £29.99 per year.

 

[Kremmen]

Yet again they insist on a dashcam on a stalk so it will vibrate over some roads and likely move during an accident

 

[Agie]

Looks like another subscription based model again and the 1K/2K model rubbish again

 

[Varkanoid]

Hello

I have just bought one and I was sold on it being a cheaper version of the IQ but now I am not sure whether I made the right decision. Been looking for a dashcam for my Kona Electric and thought I would give this a try. Installed it yesterday and routed the USB cable to one of my USB sockets no problem with the wire just about hidden and temporarily taped up.

I got the 2k version and it looks like the features on the website are not 100% what you get.

The app does indeed list these although the top one needs a hardwire kit
Guardian Mode Lite
Witness Mode Lite
Voice Control

These are missing from my app
Smart Parking
30 Days Cloud Storage

Then for the £29 a year sub you get
180 Days Cloud Storage
Emergency SOS
Additional 2 years Warranty

SOS I do not need as the Kona Electric has this built in but I guess the warranty would be nice.

Need to give it a drive to see how it looks.

 

[Varkanoid]

^ Forgot to add its meant to have WiFi 2.4ghz and Bluetooth connectivity but I can only connect my phone to it with Bluetooth turned on yet the connection message says Connecting via WIFI.
No LTE/Esim either.

 

[kamkar]

Welcome to the forum Varkanoid.

you needing both BT and wifi is not uncommon these days with some cameras, well action cameras at least, it do also annoy me as wifi should be enough
And as i am the kind of guy that do NOT have these things on all the time, well just 1 more thing to remember to turn on.

 

[Nigel]

^ Forgot to add its meant to have WiFi 2.4ghz and Bluetooth connectivity but I can only connect my phone to it with Bluetooth turned on yet the connection message says Connecting via WIFI.
No LTE/Esim either.

It quite likely uses the Bluetooth to turn the wifi on and set up the wifi details, Bluetooth is lower power so can be always on.

Then for the £29 a year sub you get
180 Days Cloud Storage
Emergency SOS
Additional 2 years Warranty

How do you use the cloud storage if you have no LTE with video transfer capability?
I assumed it had an eSIM so that it could send the emergency SOS txt msg?

Maybe it does everything through the app and gets your phone to send the SOS txt msg, which is a bit pointless since phones will also do that these days, as will cars! But it does say that it will send the message to your phone when someone else has the car, also the GPS tracking would be pointless if your phone needed to be in the car!

Thanks for the info

 

[Varkanoid]

How do you use the cloud storage if you have no LTE with video transfer capability?
I assumed it had an eSIM so that it could send the emergency SOS txt msg?

Maybe it does everything through the app and gets your phone to send the SOS txt msg, which is a bit pointless since phones will also do that these days, as will cars! But it does say that it will send the message to your phone when someone else has the car, also the GPS tracking would be pointless if your phone needed to be in the car!

Thanks for the info

I assumed when you download the video to your phone you can either download it to the phone or "download" it to cloud storage via your phone. The website is vague about what the cloud storage is and how it works. I think I might have jumped into a new product too quick as there are no trade reviews out for it yet either. Techradar are in the process of doing one.

The app for it seems half finished or missing features. GPS tracking is not a concern as I already have that as its part of the car features via my car app. Also with regards to that on the app the map used is awful. It has not street or place names its just the road lines nothing else. I will get a picture next time to show you.

 

[Nigel]

I think I might have jumped into a new product too quick as there are no trade reviews out for it yet either.

With the iQ, they sent them out for review too soon, before the rear camera would connect to the front, so I guess they have been a bit more careful with the reviewers this time - get the customers to test them first!

Sometimes they produce good cameras, so it will be interesting to see what this can do, the big problem with Nextbase is that they never seem to listen or learn, so you will find that everyone here will be a bit skeptical.

Also, if something is missing, don't expect it to turn up soon, the iQ's "Roadwatch AI" is still missing, and that was a prime feature in the advertising 2 years ago!

Does seem a good price for what it is, as long as the image quality is close to the standards set by the Viofo A119 Mini 2.

 

[Varkanoid]

Ok so I tested it some more. It sucks. Wish I had come to this forum first because I would have probably gone for the A119 Mini2.

I found Smart Parking it only becomes an option in the settings when you connect to the camera, you can not see it otherwise. Then it tells you it can only be used with a hardwire kit.
Cloud Storage - connect your phone to the camera, view/sync media, download video to phone, click on "copy link" you then get this screen. So no it does not have LTE/esim.


This is the map you get showing the location. Normally it would have your route on it but I have not gone anywhere yet hence no route. However it looks nothing like the road network where I am. It could be anywhere. If I press on the "-" highlighted in red it takes me to Google Maps showing my properly location so the degrees/location is correct the map is just appalling. Whether it will change when I go anywhere tomorrow will tell.

So this is the map you get when choosing "map"



and this is what it looks like zoomed out. Nothing like my location.



I think I am going to send this back and get a refund.

 

[Nigel]

Cloud Storage - connect your phone to the camera, view/sync media, download video to phone, click on "copy link" you then get this screen. So no it does not have LTE/esim.

Viofo don't have Cloud Storage, instead people upload to their Google Drive or whatever they normally use. Not much different really, except I trust Google's security and compatibility rather higher!

I think I am going to send this back and get a refund.

Lets see some video samples first! Day and night.

I'm still puzzled about how the GPS tracking works, if your phone needs to be in the car, and the GPS tracking is only so that relatives can track you, why not just use the phone's tracking function?

 

[Varkanoid]

I'm still puzzled about how the GPS tracking works, if your phone needs to be in the car, and the GPS tracking is only so that relatives can track you, why not just use the phone's tracking function?

I think the GPS tracking is only to show the route your car took on a map. Plus you can set a zone say 50 mile radius where you are and if the car goes out of that range it notifies you but I dont get how it can notify you if it has no network. Maybe the £30 a month sub also enables an eSim on it ? Surely if it has its own "network" to communicate on Nextbase would say this on their website ?

"the big problem with Nextbase is that they never seem to listen or learn, so you will find that everyone here will be a bit skeptical." I'm finding this out plus I just found a good price on the A119 Mini 2 so the order for that is getting closer.

 

[Varkanoid]

So after a drive things become clearer the map is populated with the correct area. It shows your correct location in the videos and moves as you watch the video.

Downloading videos to your phone is slower than expected and you have to do it one at a time. You can not say select 3 or 4 to download. Also once on your phone you can upload to Google drive or add share it with any number of other apps etc.

 

[Nigel]

Also once on your phone you can upload to Google drive or add share it with any number of other apps etc.

Not much point paying the subscription for the cloud storage access then? Google doesn't have the 180 day limit, and it is probably free unless you are near your storage limit.