Review: Nextbase 622GW is smart on the dash in 4K

This $549 smart dashcam can send emergency SOS, use Alexa voice controls and automatically start recording when someone hits your parked car.

NextBase dash cam enabled with connectivity that allows it to call emergency responders following a crash. Picture: Supplied

What’s smarter than having a recording of a car crashing into your parked vehicle? Having a dashcam that can automatically do that for you, even when you’re away from the car.

That’s one of the top-selling features of the Nextbase 622GW, a dashcam that has been called the smartest on the market — and after some brief testing, we’re not contesting that.

It’s intelligent parking mode – which runs off of an internal battery – automatically records for 30 seconds when its G Force sensor is activated. Upon testing, The Australian found this to sometimes turn on when the vehicle started.

The $549 device is the first dashcam in the world that works with what3words, a GPS system which Nextbase promises can provide your location within 3m from anywhere in the world. It does this without the need for data.

The dashcam attached to a windscreen.

The use of what3words – a geocode system which has divided the world into 57 trillion 3mx3m squares – is used to send a vehicle’s location to emergency services in the event of an accident.

This feature, while great, isn’t the sole effort of Nextbase however. It actually works in conjunction with your phone.

Earlier this year, Apple announced it could detect crashes by processing sensor data near-instantly to detect a collision. Nextbase makes use of that data via its mobile app and then, using what3words, it can send the driver’s location to emergency services.

In the event of a crash, a notification will ask the user if they are OK. If they haven’t responded within a certain time frame, the device will send the driver’s emergency details and location to authorities.

While that feature is brilliant, it isn’t community service but rather a paid subscription which will cost dashcam owners after a complimentary one-year subscription.

Smart home users will be thrilled to find the device works in conjunction with Alexa. While on the road, users can ask to start recording, to take a photograph, to protect a file, to turn the screen off or to show their travelling speed.

An image taken in Sydney's inner west with the Nextbase 622GW.

For the privacy conscious, the voice-activated mode can be turned off and the likes of taking photos and recording can be done manually.

One thing users will notice when taking pictures – done by touching the screen while recording – is that much like the GoPro HERO11, the device gets really warm while in use. This is, of course, a little concerning heading into summer and given the location of dashcams under the windscreen.

Drivers who find having a dashcam distracting will be pleased the device can be put in screen saver mode or used to show speed — a handy feature when your car needs its speedometer calibrated.

Using footage from the dashcam can be done by downloading files via a Wi-Fi connection with a mobile phone or – more simply – removing the microSD and inserting it into a computer.

The NextBase app.

The rear cam – which attaches to the side of the dashcam – is both a blessing and a curse. Given its position at the front of the vehicle, it's prone to having arms and hair randomly show throughout recordings as the driver and passenger move around.

On the recording front, the Nextbase 622GW offers some of the best quality we’ve seen in a dashcam. It can film in 4K at 30 frames per second, in super slow motion at 1080p and 120 frames per second, and it can also film timelapses (a treat for those who love to travel).

The verdict? This one might be worth the cost — just don’t get caught singing terribly when in use.

Originally published as Review: Nextbase 622GW is smart on the dash in 4K