Dash cams are becoming more and more advanced every single day. From built-in WiFi, to lane departure warnings, dash cams are taking on more road safety responsibilities.
And if you haven’t been noticing a trend, every single electronic device has been designed to have internet capability. Not only having the ability for wireless internet connectivity, but nowadays including a cellular LTE option is becoming more prevalent.
Having your dash cam act more similarly to your smartphone can unlock tons of cool and useful features. Read on to learn about these benefits and what dash cams have this cellular capability!
Features
There are some great features that are unlocked by having your dash cam be able to access internet from anywhere in the world.
Remote Access
The most useful feature is Remote Access. This means you can check on your dash cam at anytime. You’ll be able to have a live connect to the real-time, live view. You’ll be able to see what your dash cam is seeing. While you can remote into your dash cam at any time, usually you don’t need to this unless you are super nosey or have a sixth sense.
What’s more common is that most cellular dash cams have alert systems when suspicious activity is occurring. This could be a car hitting yours, or someone breaking into your car. Or it could just be someone walking near your car. By having the dash cam connected to the cloud, it can send alerts directly to your phone in real time. If you have a “smart” doorbell, this acts in the same manner.
There is actually one dash cam that transmit your voice to the dash cam’s speaker. How funny would it be to talk to a car thief in mid-action?
Live Streaming
For those who love to have their lives broadcasted, live streaming in your car can be an exciting project. Those who spend a lot of time in their vehicle, whether it be driving in a truck cross country, or a road trip with friends, having the ability to live stream is a nice luxury feature. Additionally, if you own a fleet of vehicles, you may want to have tabs on all of your drivers and their status.
With a dash cam with 4G LTE connection, you’ll have to make sure the live streaming feature is compatible with your audience and workflow. All cellular dash cams have particular ways of broadcasting their live video.
Cloud Storage
Last but not least is the cloud storage capability. Having photos, videos and files in the cloud is so important in this time period. All it takes is one misplacement of a hard drive, or a malfunctioning USB drive to lose all of your important files.
With dash cams, it is the same thing. They can upload and save footage to the cloud immediately via 4G LTE. Any important events such as accidents will be saved and any normal footage can be reviewed. You won’t have to be dependent on the microSD card. This will give you peace of mind when it comes to ensuring your footage is safe.
Installation
There are several aspects that you’ll want to consider when buying a cellular dash cam with 4G LTE connectivity.
SIM Card and Subscription Costs
Depending on your device, there are several ways to get connected. One is via SIM Card. Your camera will have a slot for a SIM card which you will have to activate at your local cell provider. There will be a small setup cost, but just like your phone, an ongoing monthly plan is necessary. You’ll have to judge how much data you’ll actually pass through the SIM card as well.
Next is that the device will come with its own activated cellular card. All you have to do is go through the dash cam’s company and activate a subscription to unlock the cloud features.
Power Options
One note I wanted to mention is that without additional setup, dash cams won’t be powered on when the car is off and you are away from the vehicle. You will need to figure out a way to constantly provide power to the dash cam and this can be done by hardwiring your vehicle.
This involves connecting your device to your car’s fuse box, which is typically in the car’s cabin. There are certain fuses that are always on and you’ll want your dash connected to that. That being said, if you only want connectivity when someone is in the car driving, you won’t have to worry about hardwiring.
Owlcam Classic 3.0
The OwlCam Classic 3.0 is a new company that is trying to revolutionize the dash cam world. This device is subscription based, meaning you will have to pay on a monthly or annual basis in order to activate its features.
It is a dual dash cam with the front camera filming at 1440p at 30 FPS and the second camera is cabin facing filming at 720p, 30 FPS. This dash cam is powered via OBD-II port which will constantly supply power to your device.
It comes with a touchscreen to adjust any settings and it is also voice activated if you need to make hands-free changes. In terms of the remote possibilities, OwlCam will send you real-time alerts if there is an accident and will automatically upload footage into the cloud. It also has the two-way walkie talkie feature if you ever need to communicate with someone in the vehicle.
BlackVue DR900X-2CH
The BlackVue DR900X-2CH is another dual dash cam, but made by BlackVue, an established dash cam provider. They focus on advanced car security camera systems and have recently released a model that has 4G LTE capabilities through an optional module. The cloud aspect is powered through a SIM card, which gives you more flexibility in terms of what provider you decide to go with and your data plan. That being said, there will be a little more setup as it is not as easy as activating online.
The specs on this are crazy good! The BlackVue films at 4K resolution at 30 FPS, and the rear camera films at 1080p at 30 FPS.
The BlackVue has remote Live View and push notifications. You can review cloud footage at any point and has the 2-way microphone to the dash cam.
With advanced parking mode and high video quality, we think that BlackVue is one of the best dash cams with cellular functionality.
Waylens – Secure360 4G Dash Camera
The Secure360 4G Dash Cam is another option if you would like a 360 degree camera. What is that you might ask? A 360 degree dash camera is a single device that has a 360 degree viewing angle, being able to capture all areas of your vehicle. This is a perfect option if you are worried about damage to your vehicle on the sides or even to the rear and having a singular front camera won’t capture it. The neat feature with 360 capabilities is that it will stitch all the images together to view it as one panoramic picture.
The dash cam is on a subscription basis that you’ll need to purchase through Waylens. It has IR night vision for low light scenarios and will send you live alerts to your phone. It will also automatic cloud upload so you can review at any time. Be mindful that the 4G will only work within the Americas and not in Europe.
THINKWARE Q800PRO
The Q800PRO is another great option for a cloud connected dash cam. There will be some additional setup as this requires an active mobile hotspot in order to work. What this means is you’ll have to go to your local cell provider store and get a hotspot device that emits WiFi, the same device one would use to get WiFi on a laptop.
Besides that, the camera is high quality. It films in 2.5K resolution and has all the add-ons. GPS, WiFi, even ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance System) are all included.
The remote functions are exceptionally neat. Geo-fencing allows you to set a circular perimeter on a map and if your vehicle leaves that circle it will alert you. This is perfect if you own a fleet of vehicles or if you are a concerned parent. Since this has GPS, you can remotely find your car at any point.