70mai M500 dashcam evaluation: Svelte and inexpensive

There are many great dashcams on the market, however not all of them are fairly as compact and cleverly designed because the 70mai M500. It’s a neat variation on the dashcam theme, in that it has been designed as a landscape-oriented unit that’s slim sufficient to take a seat alongside the highest of your windshield and never get in the best way. That’s excellent news, particularly in the event you drive one thing like a sports activities automobile that may have a reasonably restricted view out the entrance. Equally, it’s good to have it tucked out of the best way, even when your windshield is generously-sized.

I’ve tried some spectacular rival choices over the previous few months, together with the likes of the expensive Nextbase iQ and the Rove R3 fashions. The massive distinction with the 70mai M500 is that it is competitively priced, however nonetheless manages to pack in loads of high quality options and features. Positive, there’s no rear display screen, however it’s straightforward to get by with out one simply so long as you make full use of the supporting 70mai app, which is superb.

Really helpful

70mai M500

The M500 is a type of nice bargain-basement fashions the place the specs are method higher than anticipated given the value level. It’s obtained all of the necessities, together with high quality video. The slimline design works like a deal with, particularly for automobiles with smaller windshields. The actual fact it is lacking a rear display screen shouldn’t be sufficient to place anybody off shopping for from it.

Variety of Cameras

One

Entrance Digital camera Decision

5-megapixel, 1,944p

Subject of View

170-degree

Model

70mai

Execs

• Simple set up and setup course of
• Slender form works nice on small windshields
• Glorious smartphone integration

Cons

• No rear display screen as a result of slimline design
• Connectivity might be often patchy
• Hardwiring wanted for added options to work

Worth, availability, and specs

The M500 is obtainable now. Amazon at present has it priced at $109.99 within the US and £89.99 within the UK. I believe that’s nice worth contemplating the unit is properly designed, effectively put collectively and packs in loads of options.

What I preferred in regards to the 70mai M500 dashcam

Surprisingly potent

Contemplating it sits on the decrease finish of the market when it comes to value, the M500 presents a variety of efficiency. There’s the 2.7K Extremely HD recording capability, which, because of the M500’s 5-megapixel sensor, means 2,592 x 1,944p footage that I discovered greater than useable in most conditions. This consists of capturing license plates and street signal particulars. The opposite bonus with the M500 is its capacity to seize a 170-degree perspective. That’s spectacular too.

I used to be additionally equally impressed by the nighttime capturing high quality of the sensor and lens mixture, with some glorious HDR properties enabling me to get high-quality footage in less-than-ideal situations. That included wet days when cloud cowl actually takes the sting off recording. There are different options I like, too, such because the built-in GPS for capturing real-time journey knowledge — together with date, time and pace. Plus, there is a raft of supplementary options like parking surveillance. You will must hardwire the digital camera into your automobile for the latter to work, although.

What I did not like about 70mai M500 dashcam

Not fairly as straightforward because it seems

Whereas the M500 has loads going for it, I did discover a number of issues that have been much less straightforward to reside with. First up, there’s no rear display screen, which I’ve encountered loads of instances earlier than. The difficulty is I’ve additionally skilled sufficient dashcams to see the true good thing about having the ability to perform setup and in addition preview footage on-screen, within the automobile. Granted, it took me no time in any respect to obtain and set up 70mai’s cell app, which does work effectively, however the lack of a display screen could put some off.

The opposite problem — which affects most dashcams, to be trustworthy — is that the parking surveillance options require me to hardwire the dashcam into my automobile to work. I’d want a package to do that, which 70mai sells individually at additional value. The largest draw back to doing that is that it doesn’t permit me to maneuver my dashcam from car to car as and after I must. Anybody in search of a completely fastened dashcam although, will discover that it’s value doing due to the additional performance that comes with it.

Do you have to purchase 70mai M500?

Total, the 70mai M500 dashcam is a wonderful little bundle, with slimline dimensions making it very interesting. There’s an absence of rear display screen and the necessity for hardwiring in an effort to achieve the advantage of all its options and features. Nonetheless, it represents glorious worth for cash, comes with voice management and has an app that lets me simply handle all of controls and photographs. It’s a really respectable bundle.

Really helpful

70mai M500

Variety of Cameras

One

Entrance Digital camera Decision

5-megapixel, 1,944p

Subject of View

170-degree

Model

70mai