Verdict
Nextbase ’s Piqo 2 K dashcam combines mid - range picture resolution with a handful of well - chosen smart feature . While these are n’t as comprehensive as the one you ’ll find on the flagship Nextbase I.Q. , they ’re still telling on such an affordable tv camera . With a more compromising backing than the iQ , it ’s actually far easygoing to meet the Piqo to your car , so it ’s a shame that its picture quality is n’t up with Nextbase ’s best .
Pros
Cons
Key Features
Introduction
Nextbase ’s Piqo looks every morsel like a shrivelled version of its flagship iQ dashcam . It ’s the second model to conjoin the company ’s ‘ smart ’ range of mountains of camera , combining ceremonious video protection with additional feature article designed to improve your safety on the road . The first thing you ’ll notice is that the Nextbase Piqo 2 K looks unlike to the average , pay heed from your windscreen like a little plastic stalactite .
There are two versions of the Nextbase Piqo . The Piqo 1 K offers 1,080p closure and support Micro SD cards up to 128 G , while the Piqo 2 K I ’m test here offer 1,440p resolution and endorse 256 GB cards – it also has a slightly wider , 145 ° theatre of operations of view . Neither model add up with an Coyote State card . It ’s also important to mark that you ca n’t lend a rear - opinion or cabin camera to either .
Design and features
The Nextbase Piqo is most famed for its four smart features . The first two are so - called ‘ lite ’ versions of the Guardian and Witness modes found on theNextbase iQ. In the former , you could configure a geographic area or maximum speed , and get alerted if your car goes beyond either . The second can be activate by voice whenever you feel threatened on the road – for example , if somebody ’s dissemble aggressively towards you . When actuate , it notifies up to four choose contacts via electronic mail and SMS .
There ’s also a Smart Parking fashion , which records footage if the flair cam detects a belt while your vehicle is parked . For this you ’ll need the Piqo Pro hardwiring cable , which provides permanent power – it ’s £ 25 .
Like the intelligence quotient , the Nextbase Piqo 2 K is design to mount on the windscreen , behind your rear - view mirror . While it ’s petite – and its mount is far small than the I.Q. ’s large , pear-shaped one – that ’s still a tricky suggestion on many advanced cars . My car ’s mirror hang from a duncish credit card binnacle housing various forward - confront detector , meaning that I had to outfit the Piqo a little to the left hand of the ideal spot .
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Still , its compact size mean that it did n’t block too much of the front seat passenger ’s perspective .
The Nextbase app direct you through connecting and installing the dash River Cam and , while there ’s no projection screen , utilize a direct Wi - Fi connection to your sound to show a lively view . I was n’t a fan of the I.Q. ’s large and inflexible saddle horse , but the Piqo ’s is much better . you could rotate the camera about all three axes once it ’s jibe to the machine , so it ’s sluttish to get it decent aligned with the front of your bonnet .
The Nextbase Piqo comes with a two-fold USB - C adaptor for the gondola ’s exponent socket . This is one of the first multiplication I ’ve seen this , rather than a USB - A eccentric , and it ’s big to have two port . However , with a maximum 9W yield per connexion , it ’s not suitable for tight - charge a smartphone .
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This dashcam has just a single button and condition light , which can show multiple people of color that either beam , flash or pulse rate . The app suggest that ‘ Understanding the light-emitting diode lights of your Piqo is essential for have a go at it the status of your gadget , ’ but I ’d broadly speaking rather be focalise on the route . Happily , once the Piqo is installed you may just let it get on with the task of register your driveway .
The primal voice commands to learn and remember are ‘ Hey Nexy , protect ’ – which shut up the current file – and ‘ Hey Nexy , Witness Mode ’ .
With no covert , you configure everything through the Nextbase smartphone app , which is one of the better single I ’ve used . It ’s prosperous to change various setting and shop through video , although only when the tv camera is connected right away to your earpiece via Bluetooth or Wi - Fi – you ca n’t get at the camera remotely via wandering datum , although that seems a fairish limitation at this toll .
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Performance and video quality
I always prefer bolt River Cam with obliterable storage , as it makes it possible to simply slot the Micro SD menu into a laptop and download portion of files at once . Doing this , I noticed that the Piqo creates both high and low - resolution video in one - minute segments , lead in two files about 200 megabyte and 20 MB in size of it . You ca n’t alternate the latter off – I suspect they ’re used to speed up video browse in the app . consequently , a 64 GB SD plug-in ought to last for almost six hours of uninterrupted recording before the television camera starts overwrite older files – you’re able to avoid this with the Protect command , or by pressing the Piqo ’s push .
I set up a couple of emergency middleman , configured a geofenced area , and localize a maximum speed limit for the camera before head up out on the road . I found that the Piqo reliably recognize my vocalisation , and that it was promiscuous to use it to protect recordings and trigger Witness style – which result in the promised text and email admonition . These moderate a Google Maps link , but no option to watch out live video recording .
Guardian Mode work perfectly , too , reacting to both amphetamine and position trigger . However , here the Piqo also advise your emergency contacts , which seems like an remaining choice . I ’d require to know if a loved one felt unsafe on the route , but I would n’t inevitably be interested if they drove too fast or strayed out of a set field . It ’s a shame you ca n’t opt individual contact out of these telling .
The Nextbase Piqo 2 K is keenly price given its features , so it ’s inevitable that there might be some compromise . Unfortunately , the main one is that its TV calibre is n’t quite up to the standard I ’ve see from other Nextbase devices .
I would n’t necessarily expect 2,560 x 1,440 footage to be crystal clear , but videos from the Nextbase Piqo 2 K seemed a little granular at times . dark video certainly were n’t as penetrating as the best , although they were very well exposed – I was capable to make out what was pass on the dimly lit pavements I had guide .
This camera also showed great exposure control during the Clarence Shepard Day Jr. , generally coping well with very gamy - contrast conditions under a harsh low sun .
Only in the most challenging conditions – low Dominicus directly into the lens – did detail get lost in the shadows .
However , as with my nighttime videos , daytime recording were also a small soft . Even in less utmost inflammation conditions , I sometimes had to mistreat the video forward and back by a few frames before a number shell became well - decide enough to be read .
I noticed another more unusual issue on daytime recordings , where under low light , mid - flavour give the impression of fizzing , even when my car was completely stationary . Still , although this detracted from the outright video quality , it was broadly speaking easy enough to see the of import details .
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Crucially , video recording were generally well-defined enough to raise what had or had n’t find , which is the key necessary should you get into an accident .
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Should you buy it?
At this price , it ’s bang-up to have reliable smart feature . This dash cam could offer extra protection if you labor alone , or you want to keep tangible - time tabs on your railway car .
The Nextbase Piqo does n’t produce the crispest 2 K video we ’ve seen . If that ’s important , shop around .
Final Thoughts
It ’s a shame this dash River Cam does n’t produce the good video , because I ’m really impressed with its smart features . Witness Mode could be a ripe manner to render reassurance to solitary drivers , and even to come to their supporter should they need it . Meanwhile , Guardian Mode is a keen agency to keep an eye on your cable car when someone else has it . Together , that could make the Piqo ideal for newly - qualified drivers – particularly if they ’re your children , driving your cable car . Here , the £ 30 annual fee to enable SOS way might also be well deserving paying .
You ca n’t add a rear or cabin - facing camera to this dash cam , and its 256 GB limit might be a job if you on a regular basis take very foresightful trip . And if outright television character is more important , you ’ll find skilful option in ourBest Dash Cam Guide .
However , for the price and stove of features , the Piqo 2 K is a dandy entry - level style - River Cam , and I always found a material body of footage percipient enough to show point , such as a car ’s numeral plateful .
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We test every dash cam we review thoroughly over an lengthened period of time . We use standard tests to liken features properly . We ’ll always distinguish you what we recover . We never , ever , consent money to brush up a merchandise .
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FAQs
Dash cams write a mountain of data point to the SD add-in , so it ’s important to get a good tone one . Buying one from the producer should be a guarantee that it ’s fast and reliable enough . Otherwise , look for a good quality UHS focal ratio class notice . If you ’re buying a 4 1000 tv camera , or also have a rear - facing camera , you may need a UHS U3 - betray card .
You ’ll in general get at least a few hours ’ recording before your Micro SD card is full , after which a dash Cam River will start up to overwrite elderly videos . Exactly how farsighted reckon on the size of it of menu , the resolving power and frame pace you ’re using , and whether you also have a rear - confront tv camera . Micro SD lineup have a finite lifespan . While we ’d bear a tone menu to last at least a yr or two of even use , you should budget for occasional replacements .
Test Data
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