Nextbase 622GW 4K dash camera review

We all live in the Truman Show today. Cameras are everywhere, including in our cars. Dash cameras have been a popular way for years to show off driving skills, monitor passengers or as a bit of proof in case of accidents. Now, the quality of dash cams is improving thanks to the addition of 4K resolution making for sharper, clearer videos. Nextbase has launched its 622GW 4K Dash Camera. I had a chance to spend a few weeks with this camera to see what it can do.

Nextbase 622GW 4K dash cam: review

There’s a lot to like about this camera and it’s got plenty of features: With 4K HD quality at 30fps, Super Slow Motion at 1080p and 120fps, Image Stabilization to plus Extreme Weather Mode and Enhanced Night Vision settings to capture critical details on dark highways or foggy streets you’re covered for many eve,tualities. A 3” touchscreen on the back lets you view and control the camera and a microphone will record audio in the car.

Setting up Nextbase 4K dash cam

Important to note is that you’ll need a U3 class micro SD card and one is not included in the package, which I always think is a bit of a disappointment. Before installing this camera, you’re supposed to charge it for two hours indoors using the supplied Micro USB cable. Then get it set up. Set up is easy: go through the initial set up menu and choose your country, location and time zone for accurate recording and time info. Then you’ll use the NextBase Connect app to connect to your phone.

Set up & pairing: Nextbase 622GW

The pairing process is simple and it took me just seconds. This camera has a feature called emergency SOS, which Nextbase says can save your life in the event of a severe accident. Once a crash is detected, the system will use its built-in sensors to confirm the crash, send an SOS directly to emergency services with your location and medical data which you have pre-programmed into your Nextbase app. Emergency services will then call you on your smart phone. If you need help or are unable to answer, an help would be dispatched to your location. Next base offers Emergency SOS as a one year free trial, with no credit card required to test it out. Nice! Naturally I signed up. You need to agree to location sharing (using your smartphone) and to notifications. To access this feature, you will also need to share your name and phone number. This is the number emergency services will call to verify or attempt to verify a crash. We can also opt to add emergency medical information to the app, such as whether you are diabetic, or on any medication, or have any serious health conditions that emergency services should be aware of. Now, during my testing I didn’t crash my car so I haven’t seen this process through firsthand. I’ll be trusting Nextbase to deliver if I ever need this. Next up it’s time to install the dash cam. First thing you will need to do is pop in a microSD card into the side of the camera. The camera connects to a rather interesting magnetic mount on the front of the camera. The mount bracket on the camera is covered by a small plastic cover. Remove that cover, and then connect the magnetic mount, making sure to line up the metal connectors. You can choose to use the stick-on mount or the suction mound as helpfully both are included. Cable hiding tool tool A nice touch in this package is the inclusion of a cable hiding tool that helps you get the power cord under the weatherstripping and moulding inside the car.

Nextbase 622GW 4K dash cam: Features

Recording features

This dash camera will automatically save any footage when a crash or bump is detected. You can choose your recording loop settings from 1 to 3 minutes. The Dash Cam will continue recording, filling the memory card. When the memory card is full, the oldest file will be automatically deleted to make space for the new recording but Protected Files will not be deleted. An emergency record/save button on the back of the camera will let you protect any footage you choose.

Parking mode

Not a new feature to dash cams by any means, but the Nextbase 622GW has Intelligent Parking Mode, which records any bump or physical movement to the vehicle when left the car is parked. You can turn this mode on or off, then when you park and your motor shuts off, the Dash Cam will automatically switch into “parking mode” by shutting down everything except the G-Force sensor. The sensitivity of that smart G-Force sensor is then increased dramatically, and if it’s woken up, the camera will begin recording for 30 seconds so that if someone hits your parked car, hopefully there’s visual evidence. This feature draw only low power from the camera’s internal battery, and it should remain in standby for about a week.

Alexa integration

The dash camera has Alexa built in so you can talk directly to your camera and be hands free. It’s easy to set up with a fee clicks, and supplies you with suggestions like, “Alexa, tell my dash cam to start/stop recording, protect a file, turn on or off” and more. While this is a decent feature I guess, I didn’t find myself using it, since the camera turns on and off automatically.

Enhanced Night Vision

Nextbase says night time recordings will be better on the 622GW since the new sensor used in the dash camera has larger pixels, allowing more light into each one, plus the camera automatically detects light levels and enhances the image as its being recorded.

Super Slow Motion

Super Slow Motion is an upgrade on Nextbase’s previous dash cams ability to play in slow motion. Now you can view your 622GW footage in Super Slow Motion at 1080p and 120fps. This feature is ideal to help identify what happens in an incident and capture details such as number plates, vital for proving fault.

Live view

You can have your Nextbase 622GW show you on-screen what’s recording at all times, or you can turn it off if that’s distracting.

Integrated GPS & What3words integration

The Nextbase 622GW is the world’s first Dash Cam to use what3words, providing you with your exact location within a square to help emergency services or loved ones locate you. No data connection is needed. What3words is a cool new system for providing addresses where the entire planet is divided into 3×3 metre squares and assigned a unique and distinct three word code that’s more accurate and easy to navigate than typical street addressing. To learn about What3Words, read my blog. What3words normally requires a data connection to work, but the 622GW can keep your precise location updated at all times and share this with the emergency services, even without data.

Extreme Weather Mode

When activated, the Dash Cam is able to more accurately record and see details like license plates in poor visibility conditions.

Overall review: Nextbase 622GW

Overall, this camera and its 4K video recording is a sweet upgrade from older dash cams. The video footage is clear and provides good detail. The camera itself is compact and doesn’t take up too much space on the windshield. I also like that it has location tracking in case of emergencies. One of the worst things about this camera is that though the camera is the newest 4K technology, it uses a downright vintage mini USB plug for charging. It would be nice if this would charge with USB-C like so many other new gadgets, but alas… I also found the camera gets extremely hot during use, but it wasn’t like it was setting anything on fire, so.… Overall I like the camera and I think if you’re looking for a high resolution camera with lots of useful features, you should definitely consider the Nextbase 622GW 4K dashcam. It sells for about 499CAD and you can get it exclusively at Best Buy . You can also find other great Nextbase products on Amazon. *A note about Affiliate Links: Occasionally I will include affiliate links in my reviews. I do this partly for convenience of the reader (since I’ll almost always include a link to the company website or similar anyway) in case you want to read more or purchase but I also may get a small commission from the click, which helps me keep the blog running. If you chose to use this link I thank you greatly for supporting the blog. There’s no obligation or cost to you for using this link.