Nextbase 522GW vs 622GW

Nextbase 522GW vs 622GW

Dash cameras, popular in Europe for several years now, are quickly gaining popularity in the United States. Vehicle owners have decided that having a good dash cam installed in their cars or trucks can provide an added layer of security and can also be a way to document interesting and exciting videos of road trips and daily drives. Nextbase is one of the leading manufacturers of dash cameras, and their 522GW dash cam and their 622GW dash cam are two of their flagship systems.

Let’s explore these two systems to determine which one may be the best dash cam for your particular needs.

Nextbase 522GW vs 622GW side by side:

Nextbase 522GWNextbase 622GW
Resolution (front)1440p 60FPS1440p HD @60FPS
View angle140 degree140 degree
Built-in Wi-FiYesYes
Built-in GPSYesYes
LTE ModuleYesNo
Maximum capacity128 GB128 GB
Price Find on Amazon Find on Amazon

All dash cams are designed to capture video footage of important driving events. However, some do this better than others. The following are what we consider to be the most important features that you should look for when purchasing a dash camera system.

Video Quality

What good is a video if it has blurry or shaky images that are difficult to view? A high quality dash cam should record at a minimum resolution of 1080p and be able to record under bright daylight conditions as well as under low-light and dark situations.

Better Camera for Video Quality: Nextbase 622GW Dash Cam

Buffered Parking Mode

One of the most important security concerns is what may occur while you are away from your vehicle. Unless you have a job as a professional driver, you will probably spend more time away from your vehicle than in it. A dash cam has to have the ability to watch over your car or truck while you are away from it. A buffered parking mode allows the camera to record important events, such as impacts or motion involving your vehicle when it is parked.

Better Camera for Buffered Parking Mode: Nextbase 622GW Dash Cam

Storage Capacity

Video files take up a lot of space, especially if the camera is recording at or above a resolution of 1080p. You need a camera that accepts a large microSD card; the larger, the better. Most dash cams have a loop recording feature, which automatically overwrites older video files as the SD card becomes full. A larger card provides more time for you to download an important file before it gets overwritten.

Better Camera for Storage Capacity: Nextbase 522GW Dash Cam (only because it doesn’t require a U3 SD card)


Nextbase 522GW

Nextbase 522GW

One of the interesting things about the 522GW is that it will record at more than one full HD resolution, either 1440p at 30 frames per second (fps) or 1080p at 60fps. The lower resolution with the higher frame rate will deliver a smoother frame-to-frame recording. No matter which resolution you choose you will get crisp, detailed video clips that can be downloaded and shared with friends.

The 522GW comes with two types of mounts, a suction cup base or a more permanent sticky adhesive base. The camera attaches magnetically to either of these bases, which makes removing the camera easy to do, for times like switching the camera from one vehicle to another. The power cord attaches to the mount rather than the camera and the mount has a ball-and-socket type joint so that you can easily adjust the recording angle of the camera. The camera boosts a wide 140° field of view that will easily capture all lanes of traffic, coming and going.

The 522GW is one of the first dash cams that come with Amazon Alexa voice control. You are able to control certain camera functions like starting or stopping a recording, you can request directions, play music ,or make a phone call all through the dash cam.

The camera has a 3-inch, HD IPS touch screen on the back making it easy to navigate the various camera functions. Although the 522GW doesn’t come with a microSD card, it will accept up to a 128GB card. The 522GW includes Bluetooth 4.2, Wi-Fi, and GPS.

The parking mode will activate as soon as the ignition has been turned off. When the camera’s G-sensor detects a bump or impact, the camera will activate and record 3 minutes of video for each incident that it has detected.

One downside is that there is no loop recording on the 522GW. Once the microSD card is full the camera will not overwrite older files. The card will require you to reformat it before it will record again.

Pros

  • Clear, detailed image quality
  • Resolution can be owner selected at either 1440 @ 30fps or 1080p @ 60fps
  • Built-in GPS, Bluetooth 4.2, and Wi-Fi
  • Emergency SOS safety function (subscription required after 1st year)
  • Can be controlled by Amazon Alexa
  • 3-inch LCD touch screen

Cons

  • Must pair with a smartphone for Alexa Voice control
  • Subpar menu graphics
  • No microSD card included
  • Not true 4K recording
  • No loop recording – microSD card must be reformatted once full


Nextbase 622GW

Nextbase 622GW

If you are looking for a dash cam with all the bells and whistles, look no further, the Nextbase 622GW has it all. This camera features a new Ambarella H22 quad-core chipset that captures true, 4K footage at 30 fps with a 140° field of view. A polarizing filter allows the lens to produce glare-free video footage. It has a Super Slow Motion setting that will allow video playback at 120fps. This makes it extremely easy to see important details, like a license plate number or street sign, when you need to.

The 622GW has a 3-inch touch screen with small icons to control the various camera functions. There is also the option to connect with Amazon Alexa voice control using the MyNextbase Connect app, which is available for both iOS and Android. Once connected you can tell the camera to do what you need without having to take your eyes off the road.

In addition to Nextbase’s Emergency SOS feature, the 622GW also uses What3Words technology. What3Words helps you pinpoint your location down to 3 square meters, which can really be helpful when you are in a remote location and require assistance of any kind.

The camera is very easy to set up and use. For reviewing recordings, the camera is simple to plug into a laptop or PC. The recorded videos look great whether they are recorded in either low-light and under extreme weather conditions. The camera has an internal stabilization technology that will help smooth out bumps and vibrations caused by different road conditions.

The 622GW has a built-in G-sensor for its parking mode that will automatically detect a bump or impact, and its sensitivity can be adjusted by using the touch screen display.

Pros

  • Fabulous 4K resolution video quality
  • Performs well under less than ideal weather conditions
  • Built-in polarizing filter
  • Amazon Alexa voice control
  • Emergency SOS and What3Words emergency geolocation capability
  • Night vision mode

Cons

  • Requires a large U3 SD card
  • Nextbase app is quirky
  • Camera sometimes freezes and requires a reset


Conclusion

These two Nextbase cameras are both first class dash cams. Both have 140° fields of view and Nextbase’s Emergency SOS feature, but the 622GW goes one step further by adding What3Words technology. If you think that true 4K resolution is what you need, choose the 622GW, which also has slow motion capability (>>> Find on Amazon). The 622GW also has enhanced night vision capability and works better under extreme weather conditions. Does that make the higher priced 622GW worth the added cost? That is for you to decide.