Nextbase 322GW Dashcam Review

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Quick Summary

The Nextbase 322GW is very feature heavy for a budget dashcam, including both GPS and WiFi for connecting to the smartphone app. It records at 60FPS and is the only budget dashcam to feature a touchscreen UI and to automatically alert emergency services in the event of an accident.


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  • Records at 60fps
  • AI contacts the Nextbase SOS team in an emergency
  • Features Nextbase’s signature clip and go mount for easy docking
  • Connects to Nextbase viewer app for easy video downloads
  • 140 degree viewing angle isn’t market leading
  • Frame rate is reduced to 30fps when rear camera attached

Full Review

The Nextbase 322GW is part of Nextbase’s Series 2 dash cams released in 2019 and is the newer model in their series 2 line.

Unlike the previous generation which had both a 312G (with GPS only) and 312GW (with GPS and Wi-Fi), there is now only a 322GW which is fully equipped with both GPS and Wi-Fi.

Video Quality

You can choose between recording at 720p and 1080p which puts it in line with other dashcams around this budget, however where it really excels is with the frame rate which records at 60 frames per second, well ahead of competitors which are all 30 frames per second.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0gwT-FD9MZ4

With a 140-degree viewing angle, it’s not quite as wide as some other brands but enough to give a good view of any accidents. The quality is better than you’d expect at this price level and the playback is quite smooth. In terms of finer details, you can just about make out road signs, but vehicle registration plates and faces might be a push.

There is some glare from the screen, particularly at night, but it is compatible with the Nextbase polarising filter which does a great job of reducing this and is a recommended addition.

Installation

It comes with the signature clip and go mount that Nextbase have developed and is now features on all their camera. Unlike with other brands, it’s the base that plugs in and not the camera. Once you’ve stuck the base to your windscreen with the included 3M adhesive mount and plugged it in with the huge 4m included cable, the camera can clip in and out super easily without the need for any additional wires.

You can hardwire the base to your cars fuse box to keep the cigarette lighter free, the hardwire kit does cost an extra £13 but it is very useful and has been designed to ensure that the camera does not take power when the car battery is low.

Rear and Cabin Cameras

The standard 322GW doesn’t come with any additional cameras but it is fully compatible with Nextbase’s rear view and cabin view cameras although you can only connect one of these at a time. You should also note that when these are connected, the frame rate on the front camera will reduce to 30 frames per second which is a shame as this was one of the key features.

Nextbase have three options for rear view and cabin cameras:

  • Cabin View Camera – this attaches directly to the dash cam and has a 140-degree lens for full visibility of the cabin.
  • Rear View Camera – this also connects directly to the dashcam but has a 30-degree telephoto lens to focus through the back window like a rear-view mirror.
  • Rear Window Camera – this sits in the back of the car facing outward, it will give you a better view of the rear but does require wires through the vehicle. As it is an interior camera, it isn’t really suitable for use as a reverse parking camera as some dashcams have.

I’d always recommend the rear window camera over the rear-view camera as the view can be difficult to see past any passengers and the detail isn’t great.

Features

At 2.5inch, the screen is smaller than others at this price range however it has had two major changes that have improved it upon the last generation, Firstly, an IPS screen as opposed to LED screen, these are generally considered to have better viewing angles and sharper images, although at the expense of battery power.

Nextbase have also made it a touch screen device which makes a huge difference in terms of ease to navigate the menus and get what you want faster. In the days where everyone is used to touchscreen phones, having a touch screen dashcam is a great feature.

The 322GW is the only one in this guide that offers SOS emergency functionality which is another new addition of the latest generation. This means that if a crash is detected but the driver is not responding to the onscreen messages, the dashcam will contact Nextbase emergency team and they can then patch the call through to the emergency services with all of the data if it is deemed necessary.

The G in Nextbase 322 GW stands for GPS, it has highly accurate recording of both the location and speed which can come in very handy in the event of an accident.

Ease of Use

The Nextbase 322 GW features Wi-fi so it can link up directly with your phone. But this newest generation also has Bluetooth, this allows it to automatically link up with your phone as soon as you enter the car so that you can easily view videos and to power the SOS emergency feature mentioned earlier.

There are two key ways you can view footage:

  • MyNextbase Connect App – The Nextbase records both a low res and high res version of every video, the low res video is really quick to transfer so you can conveniently playback footage on the app, you can then download he high res clips you need for zooming in to key details. Once you have identified important videos, you can upload directly to social media or package into an email to send to your insurance company, all with very little hassle.
  • MyNextbase Player PC/Mac Suite – If you transfer the footage to your PC or Mac, there are even more benefits as the software shows an intuitive screen with speed, location and camera view all showing simultaneously as well as access to the rear camera view, this will allow you to do detailed analysis and trim any clips you need for your insurance company.

As with other cameras featured here, it has a g-force sensor which recognises when you have a crash and will store the footage to the saved footage section.

Nextbase 322GW vs 522GW

With Nextbase range from Series 1 to Series 5, their 322GW is firmly the ‘middle of the road’ option, for want of a better phrase. Here is how the 322GW compares to their top range 522GW model:

  • The 522GW has superior video quality, it can record in 2k at 30fps and has a built-in polarising lens which the 322GW does not have, this makes it sharp enough to see finer details such as number plates. There is also the option to reduce recording to 1080p at 30fps which is equivalent to the 322GW.
  • Whereas the screen on the 322GW is 2.5”, the 522GW features a slightly larger 3” screen.
  • It has voice capability via the built in Alex, this allows you to control music and perform everyday tasks and can also be used to control the device itself with phrases such as ‘start recording’.
  • The 522GW is usually about £40-50 more expensive than the 322GW.

if you can afford it, I’d definitely recommend going for it to improve your video quality and access the additional features.