Nextbase makes some of the best dashcams, including the iQ, which we’ve called the smartest dashcam ever. However, the British company’s first smart dashcam is also the most expensive additional car security solution available, with some extensive smart features that could be overkill for many users. That’s where the new Nextbase Piqo comes into the picture.
Think of the Piqo as a baby iQ: it has a similarly fresh look, but is a much smaller and simpler package, with cleverly implemented ‘Lite’ versions of IQ’s smart features designed to appeal to younger drivers.
The Piqo is available worldwide from the Nextbase website and from leading retailers in two versions: 1K (HD 1080p) for just $129.99 / £99.99 / AU$199 and 2K (HD 1440p) for $149.99 / £129.99 / $299. Compare that to the iQ, which starts at $399.99 / £349.99, and the Piqo’s appeal is clear – especially when you consider you also have to pay for monthly data subscription to get the most out of the smart features of the more expensive model.
That’s a big price difference, so let’s take a look at what the Piqo can do and where necessary compromises have been made.
A cleverly toned down iQ
The video resolution in the 1K HD version of the Piqo is actually slightly more detailed than standard 1080p, with a resolution of 2560×1080 pixels and a 140-degree field of view. The 2K version, meanwhile, has a maximum resolution of 2560×1440 pixels and a field of view of 145 degrees. Unlike the iQ, there is no 4K version of the Piqo.
I asked Nextbase’s head of marketing Bryn Brooker why there isn’t a 4K version of the Piqo, and he told me that according to research from Nextbase, at least 83% of UK dashcam owners don’t see a need for a more expensive 4K dashcam, plus Nextbase has confidence in the video quality of the Piqo.
Bryn also told me that the dashcam market is evolving. In 2020, the majority of dashcam customers were 45 years or older, but four years later this demographic has reversed. Nextbase has therefore adapted the design and features of the Piqo to appeal to a younger audience.
It doesn’t have a screen, because after all, most people use their phones these days. Instead, you can connect to the Piqo via Wi-Fi and Bluetooth and view the video feed and recordings via an all-new Nextbase app that is currently exclusive to the Piqo. The app has been stripped back so you can easily do important things like watch and share videos.
There are also new ‘skins’: custom overlays that display crucial metrics about your video, such as speed. They’re more for fun than anything, but you get one skin with the free ‘Solo’ plan, and you can get more via the paid ‘Protect’ plan that costs £29.99 a year.
With its own data plan, the more expensive iQ is an always-connected camera, with smart features such as emergency SOS, Guardian Mode, Witness Mode and Smart Parking that can update you in real time, for example if your car is activated whilst in was parked, or tell your loved ones if you’ve had an accident and upload the footage to the cloud for you. The Piqo also has all these modes, but here they are light versions.
For example, in Guardian Lite mode, your emergency contact will receive a text message from the Piqo instead of the video being sent to him or her, which is what the iQ does. Similarly, Witness Lite mode uploads content when you are at home with a Wi-Fi connection.
Elsewhere, Smart Parking automatically records all prangs, but like any dashcam you need constant power for a feature like this. Nextbase sells two constant power kits separately, the pro install cable kit and the connect cable kit. The Piqo is also equipped with G-Sense technology and automatically increases sensitivity when it detects that the car is parked.
Other features include 10GHz GPS and voice control, plus a newly designed and extensively tested snap holder. Overall, the Piqo seems like a smart implementation of smart iQ technology in a simpler and cheaper dashcam. We are currently reviewing the Nextbase Piqo and will share our experiences soon.