DDPAI Z90 Master (unboxing & impressions) (Sony Starvis 2 IMX678, eMMC/microSD, Wi-Fi 5/GPS, 4K front / 4K rear / 3K int, HDR all channels)

[Augustus]

After last year's Z60 Pro, DDPAI returns with the new Z90 Master, their flagship release for 2026. This builds upon the success of the Z60 Pro, and upgrades the rear sensor to a 4K Starvis 2 IMX678, with a 3K sensor now powering the interior camera (optional, as two-channel and three-channel configurations are available for sale). All three channels record in HDR, and there is no 4K60 recording on offer for any of the configurations. Therefore in full three-channel config we have 4K30fps front, 4K30fps rear and 3K30fps for the interior cabin camera (with accompanying apertures respectively of F1.75, F1.7 and F1.5). The fields of view are 135 degrees for the front camera, 126 for the rear, and 148 for the interior cabin camera. The physical dimensions are 46.3x67.5x83mm, and there is no battery on board, only a supercapacitor. The angle of adjustment for the interior cabin camera is approximately 35 degrees up, and 45 degrees down.

Turning to the box contents, we have a plethora of contents on-hand to greet us, with boxes within boxes. There is a two-tone affair with white text imprinted on the black packaging, with some reflective logos also present. The first of the boxes is for the Mini 3X interior cabin camera, which contains instructions, an electrostatic sticker, and two USB-cables that facilitate their own connections over πLink. Coming to the second box, we have the main camera itself (DZ003), with the rear sensor camera nestled underneath, separate power cables for the front and rear sensors, 12V cigarette lighter adapter, black plastic pry tool, CPL filter and spare mounting adhesives. Note that for the cigarette lighter adapter, there is no spare USB-A port as one is taken by the πLink interior cabin camera. D-CAM (rear camera sensor) is plugged into the main camera unit.

First impressions of the Z90 Master are very striking. We have a gold-tone finish adorning the camera lens, the DDPAI logo and the surrounding enclosure. I can see how this may polarise some buyers, but I think it gives the Z90 Master a nice touch that many of it's competitors do not have. There is a 3-inch IPS display on the main unit (with a resolution of 640x360), and four physical buttons underneath. There are also multiple ventilation holes on both the main camera unit and the rear camera itself.

Installation of the Z90 Master involved more effort than usual as the interior cabin camera is it's own separate entity and not integrated into the main camera chassis, but came off without a hitch. The integration with their B13 4G Cloud Box kit. Contained within the packaging for this kit are spare 3M adhesive and SIM-ejection tool.

Included firmware version from the factory was V9.0.0.23, with no build date specified.

Would like to extend my gratitude to DDPAI for giving me the opportunity to road-test their flagship of 2026. Stay tuned for my findings and review, coming soon here on DashCamTalk.




Some-close up photos of the DDPAI Z90 Master dashcam:

 

[Augustus]

Close-up photos of the Z90 Master main camera unit and rear camera unit:

 

[Augustus]

Some close-up photos of the Mini 3X interior cabin camera unit:

 

[Augustus]

Power Consumption, microSD memory card testing and Day One firmware update for the DDPAI Z90 Master:

The DDPAI Z90 Master uses their own DC206 cigarette lighter power adapter, which has been used on other previous DDPAI models. Also of note is the thicker than normal USB-C to USB-C power cable for the rear camera sensor with the Z90 Master package (see photos). Power consumption in two-channel config (4K front and 4K rear cameras) hovers around the ~ 7W mark, with operating temperatures being quite reasonable too at around ~ 26 degrees Celsius. Unfortunately, due to the separate power connections of the Mini 3X interior cabin camera, I was unable to measure the full three-channel config power draw - but I do anticipate that it would be well within the limits of what the DC206 can handle.

When testing the DDPAI-branded microSD memory card, which can write and read at very respectable speeds of 86MB/s and 97MB/s. The maximum microSD memory card support for the DDPAI Z90 Master is 512GB, which is in deficiency to some of it's competitors which offer support of up to 1TB capacity microSD cards. Also handily there is a built-in memory card speed testing function within the system menu on-board the Z90 Master, in which it will happily ascertain whether a memory card is high-speed or not.



Upon connecting the DDPAI Z90 Master to the DDPAI Android APP, I was not prompted for any firmware updates. I would also like a manual firmware check function within the app, as I could not locate any such function. Much like has been the case with other DDPAI products in the past, I would expect a raft of firmware updates in the coming months to smooth out, and add some exciting new features to the Z90 Master.

 

[Rumen]

"I noticed some significant differences between your unit and the official Z90 Master version introduced at CES. The retail version currently being sold comes with 128GB internal storage (Model: DZ003), and there is no '64GB' label on the box. However, your box specifies 64GB and lists the model number as DZ003-01.
Additionally, your set includes revised πLink cables with painted markings and a different Mini 3X box layout. It seems there has been a hardware revision or a shift in the production line. Is DDPAI officially moving to this 64GB (DZ003-01) configuration for the retail market, or is your unit a specific test sample?
For comparison, my current firmware versions are:

• Front (Z90 Master): V9.0.0.23
• Rear (RC5): V9.0.0.15
• Interior (Mini 3X): V9.0.1.6

I haven't received the new V9.0.0.27 update yet, which was released last Friday."

 

[Rumen]

Power Consumption, microSD memory card testing and Day One firmware update for the DDPAI Z90 Master:

The DDPAI Z90 Master uses their own DC206 cigarette lighter power adapter, which has been used on other previous DDPAI models. Also of note is the thicker than normal USB-C to USB-C power cable for the rear camera sensor with the Z90 Master package (see photos). Power consumption in two-channel config (4K front and 4K rear cameras) hovers around the ~ 7W mark, with operating temperatures being quite reasonable too at around ~ 26 degrees Celsius. Unfortunately, due to the separate power connections of the Mini 3X interior cabin camera, I was unable to measure the full three-channel config power draw - but I do anticipate that it would be well within the limits of what the DC206 can handle.

When testing the DDPAI-branded microSD memory card, which can write and read at very respectable speeds of 86MB/s and 97MB/s. The maximum microSD memory card support for the DDPAI Z90 Master is 512GB, which is in deficiency to some of it's competitors which offer support of up to 1TB capacity microSD cards. Also handily there is a built-in memory card speed testing function within the system menu on-board the Z90 Master, in which it will happily ascertain whether a memory card is high-speed or not.

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Upon connecting the DDPAI Z90 Master to the DDPAI Android APP, I was not prompted for any firmware updates. I would also like a manual firmware check function within the app, as I could not locate any such function. Much like has been the case with other DDPAI products in the past, I would expect a raft of firmware updates in the coming months to smooth out, and add some exciting new features to the Z90 Master.

Excellent technical breakdown, especially the power consumption and temperature data. Regarding the firmware, I am also testing the Z90 Master and noticed that the app doesn't always push the latest updates immediately.
Could you share the specific firmware versions of your RC5 (Rear) and Mini 3X (Interior) units?
For comparison, my setup is currently on:

• Front (Z90 Master): V9.0.0.23 (Waiting for V9.0.0.27)
• Rear (RC5): V9.0.0.15
• Interior (Mini 3X): V9.0.1.6

I'm curious to see if your DZ003-01 (64GB model) is running the same versions as my DZ003 (128GB model)."

---

 

[Augustus]

Excellent technical breakdown, especially the power consumption and temperature data. Regarding the firmware, I am also testing the Z90 Master and noticed that the app doesn't always push the latest updates immediately.
Could you share the specific firmware versions of your RC5 (Rear) and Mini 3X (Interior) units?
For comparison, my setup is currently on:

• Front (Z90 Master): V9.0.0.23 (Waiting for V9.0.0.27)
• Rear (RC5): V9.0.0.15
• Interior (Mini 3X): V9.0.1.6

I'm curious to see if your DZ003-01 (64GB model) is running the same versions as my DZ003 (128GB model)."

---

Thank you for your kind words, there is still plenty of testing for me to do on the Z90 Master.

There are 64Gb versions of the Z90 Master for sale (e.g. here: https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sou...8QFnoECDoQAQ&usg=AOvVaw1NGm3CoRzqo05dEmjU0OE8), and these were referenced by DDPAI globally a few months back.

But as you say, the marketing material has been updated to reflect 128GB eMMC storage now and that appears to be across the board. Whether that's DZ003-2 or DZ003-03 or whatever derivative, I'm not sure.

Either way it's not going to be a huge factor as it is good to have as backup, but with a dashcam such as this that generates a lot of data, the main factor will be the microSD card capacity chosen by the user.

 

[Rumen]

Thank you for your kind words, there is still plenty of testing for me to do on the Z90 Master.

There are 64Gb versions of the Z90 Master for sale (e.g. here: https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sou...8QFnoECDoQAQ&usg=AOvVaw1NGm3CoRzqo05dEmjU0OE8), and these were referenced by DDPAI globally a few months back.

But as you say, the marketing material has been updated to reflect 128GB eMMC storage now and that appears to be across the board. Whether that's DZ003-2 or DZ003-03 or whatever derivative, I'm not sure.

Either way it's not going to be a huge factor as it is good to have as backup, but with a dashcam such as this that generates a lot of data, the main factor will be the microSD card capacity chosen by the user.

"Thanks for the feedback. Actually, the internal eMMC capacity is quite critical for the D2save 2.0 technology. Since the system first writes the emergency data to the internal storage before transferring/mirroring it to the microSD card, a larger 128GB eMMC provides a significant advantage in terms of write endurance and buffer management for high-bitrate 4K clips.
Could you please double-check your specific firmware versions for the RC5 and Mini 3X? I am still trying to figure out if DDPAI is pushing different firmware builds to the DZ003-01 (64GB) and DZ003 (128GB) units. It would be very helpful for the community to know if these hardware revisions are synced in terms of software updates."

 

[haiou_f]

What concerns me the most is its clarity at night.