We have had the opportunity to test out one of the new models in Nextbase’s latest lineup of dashcams (dubbed the “second series”), specifically the 422GW QHD Dashcam. Last year we covered a number of their first generation models which proved to be quite successful. Now, they seek to up that bar.
Coming from what has already proven to be a great brand, the new lineup brings enhanced features, a smaller footprint (with each model coming in around 35% smaller than the model before it), and new options we haven’t seen before.
Design
As mentioned, the 422GW is 35% smaller, packing the same quality image while keeping the clutter on your windshield down. This one is pretty small for a QHD dashcam.
Materials haven’t changed in its build, but the screen on the back has. You have an IPS touchscreen that is pretty responsive to the touch and looks fantastic. Most of your options can be found on the screen with the exception of the button at the bottom with the Nextbase logo printed on it. That button is used for “protecting” the current clip being recorded, for when you see witness something that you want to be saved and not overwritten in the rotation of processed files (making for a great button location by the way).
One side of the dashcam (left of the screen) features the microSD slot for the media you’d like everything recorded to (sold separately). You will want to go with a card that has a U3 speed classification (they will have a small icon with a “3” inside of a “U”) when choosing one, in order for the best performance. They do sell them directly as well, or you could go with one of your favorite brands.
There is a power button just above the slot, for manually turning the dashcam on and off with. It will also turn itself on as soon as you slap it to the mount (assuming the mount is plugged in).
The opposite side of the dashcam contains a single flap that leads to a small HDMI connection that can send video out or you can use it to attach one of their optional rear modules. The rear modules are purchased separately and come in multiple flavors, including the option to record out the back window, or to record the cabin (inside of the car), which may also capture what’s going behind and partially on the sides.
We don’t have any input on the rear modules as we haven’t had any to test for content/function, but we can assume that the quality would be close to that of the main camera itself, depending on write speeds between the two cameras to the internal card.
Some brands choose to include such rear options with the dashcam by default or even permanently built-in, however, Nextbase has always chosen against this model of approach. Possibly for the purpose of keeping costs down for those who don’t find the option enticing.
The top of the dashcam contains a mini-USB connection for bringing it inside and connecting it to a computer with. This allows you to access the files from the dashcam like you would a thumb drive, as well as interact with the software for any updates. You can of course also remove the microSD card and insert it into a PC for faster access (up to the full speed of the card’s specs).
The bottom contains a small reset button for completely resetting the dashcam back to factory settings. Most likely for any scenario where you might find it to be locked up or continuously acting funny.
There is a flap on the front of the dashcam, that when removed will expose the part of the body that attaches to the mount. So you could choose to keep this little flap for when the dashcam isn’t installed in the car, to help protect it (or you could toss it somewhere where you will most likely forget about its existence).
The mount configuration comes in two parts. You have the base that the dashcam magnetically attaches to (top right in the above image). From here you choose if you’d like to attach it to your windshield via the sticky pad or the suction cup. If using the pad, you attach the plastic plate with the pad already installed (it comes with an extra pad as well). That would apply to the window and you would be done.
If you choose the suction cup, you would opt to not attach the pad, and attach the base to the plate below the suction cup. I can go further, but this isn’t rocket science. I think you get the idea!
The dashcam attaches to the base via the portion of the body that is revealed when removing the front flap from the front. It can then be attached and removed easily with just one hand while being more than durable for any ride (it won’t fall out on its own). The base and dashcam come together with ease with a magnetic connection. Another good design by Nextbase.
Performance
So far in our testing, it has been a great little dashcam. The picture quality is pretty sharp and you can make out a lot of detail in the image. Of course, it isn’t going to beat out a 4K model (assuming that the model is true 4K and not stretched), but then Nextbase may offer the next model up from the current lineup that does deliver exactly that.
You can see from the above footage that the camera operates quite well during the day. It does pick up some reflections in the window from inside of the car, but you can also purchase an optional polarized cover to help prevent this. The quality is high enough to see certain license plates of vehicles nearby (depending on light conditions and movement at times). You can easily make out the model/make/color of every car that passes by, including any important details like stickers, decals, and so forth, that would identify a vehicle (in case it was involved in an incident).
At night, the clarity is a bit grainy at times, and lights do halo out and cause a bit of blur here and there. It is still enough to make what you need out, with the exception of darker lit streets such as neighborhoods. It’s still enough to save your butt in the case of an incident.
Parking protection has improved drastically! The first line of models were a little too sensitive to touch, resulting in a lot of false positives. Now the sensitivity settings really do make a difference depending on which one you select. We found that keeping it on medium worked the best for us. A nice gust of wind won’t set it off, but if someone backed up and love-tapped the front of the car gently, it will then start recording to capture what happened. Unless it happened off-camera of course, in which then you might not get anything (that’s what the optional rear module is for). We felt that the new settings work great for leaving the dashcam powered when you are away, knowing that you won’t come back to a handful of false positives.
This new model also comes with some new features that add to its sexy appeal and really help to sell it. One of these is the new Emergency SOS option, which can automatically reach out to emergency services if it senses a collision and the driver is deemed unresponsive (it will run through a few checks to see if you respond). It can provide emergency services your location, as well as additional information that might help them, such as your blood type. It is a free option for the first 12 months but sadly does require you to subscribe to the feature after that (despite everything being driven by your smartphone that functions just fine, vs a separate sim card/service built into the dashcam. We found that to be a little too “upgrade-y” since it seems to be a feature that simply causes the app on your smartphone to trigger the phone to make a call for the most part.
The other great upgrade is the addition of Amazon Alexa. This is a big one since you can now easily control various features of the dashcam with your voice while enjoying most of the things you normally would from an Alexa device. Play your favorite music sources from various apps like SiriusXM and Pandora, make a phone call, add something to your shopping list, control a smart device within your home remotely and so forth (assuming they can squeeze in support for as many of the normal features you can find in a normal Alexa speaker).
You can download their free MyNextbase app for IOS or Android devices that can connect to the camera and control various settings such as the Emergency SOS. You can also view the camera feed on your phone’s screen and download or send videos wirelessly. You do start with the app for the initial setup of the camera, and it is quite user-friendly.
Then there is the software (MyNextbase Player) you can download to your computer (Windows or Mac) that is an updated version of their Nextbase Replay software (that used by their previous dashcams)
The new software looks a lot like old, with new colors and small changes in information. We wound that we like the old software better since the X/Y/Z graph seems a little jerky/hyper within the new software, and they removed the labels for Accel, Left, Right, and Brake. Of course, the software can always change on you and new improvements can always come as they work on it. There is nothing really new though beyond what we mentioned. You can see for yourself in the two images above. The videos produced by this camera will work within both software packages as well, so you can opt for the old one if you so choose.
From the software, you check for firmware updates, snap pics within the video, edit the videos and even share them. You can track your progress on the map just like the past models while viewing the videos as well as all of the other information packed inside like the mentioned X/Y/Z intel, speed and more.
Our Conclusion
We found this new model to be a whopper of an upgrade thanks to the addition of Alexa as well as the Emergency SOS (despite it needing a subscription later down the line). The smaller footprint of being 35% smaller is also nice and the new mount is just as interesting as the previous lineup (yet so different). The fact that they improved upon the parking mode is a fantastic show of their dedication towards improving their products and listening to their customer base. The dashcam looks great, has a wonderful touchscreen and the ability to control its most usable features by voice is a great touch.
| Buy from Amazon | Buy from BestBuy | Buy from Nextbase | |
Our Rating | Average Price* $229 |
*Average price is based on the time this article was published
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