Smart phone, smart home… what’s next? Smart dash cameras are the latest device to hit the market this past year. Like any other smart device, a smart dash cam gives you peace of mind when you’re out driving. However, similar to other smart device markets, there are always numerous companies that sell not just one, but two or three models. We’re here to help you navigate this new and up-coming industry. 

What are smart dash cameras? 

Without over-explaining, a smart dash camera is a device mounted on your car’s windshield to record the front and rear view of your car simultaneously. Most smart dash cams have the ability to awaken and begin recording if your car is broken into or moved. Typically, a dash cam contains an internal memory card to store recorded footage—overwriting old footage as new footage is recorded. 

Most smart dash cams record at full HD (1080p), but some even offer 1440p and night vision. The price range for a dash cam varies, as it depends on the number and quality of features included. Models with a few features are sold within the $100 range, while dash cams with high video quality capture and multiple features are sold for between $250 – $350.

Why do I need another smart device? 

A smart dash cam may feel like ‘just another device’, but it has been proven very beneficial to drivers. 

Accidents are very common in the United States. According to Driver Knowledge, six million car accidents occur every year on average. In the event of an accident, dash cam footage can provide proof of what happened at the scene—saving you from liabilities that you’re not responsible for. 

Not only can a dash cam protect you, but it is commonly used to protect your vehicle against potential theft and damages when parked. On a lighter note, a smart dash cam can capture interesting sights on the road or your latest karaoke car jam. 

What features should I look for in a smart dash cam? 

With so many different features, we’ve broken down everything from the essentials to the unique features you may want to look out for. The obvious basic features of a dash camera should include video storage, loop video recording, emergency recording, and wide angle lens. Since these are the basic features, the majority of dash cam models will not vary too much in these features. 

So what makes a dash cam ‘smart’? 

Voice control 

As Siri and Alexa continue to dominate voice control, voice control has been added as a ‘smart’ feature to control in-car media, navigation, and place calls. 

Intelligent parking 

Have you ever found a dent on your parked car while you were away and wished you had a recording of the incident? By enabling the intelligent parking feature for a parked car, everything except the G-sensor will shut off. So if a not-so-great driver accidentally bumps into your parked car, the collision detection on the G-sensor will activate. It will tell your dash cam to automatically save the critical file in a protected folder, preventing it from being overwritten in the future. The saved footage can be sent to the police or your insurer later on. 

4G LTE connectivity 

While 5G coverage has been slowly easing into the mobile network, 4G LTE is still relatively new to smart dash cams. 4G LTE can work online continuously by linking to a smartphone or hotspot. Keep in mind, some companies will offer free 4G LTE service for a limited time and then charge a monthly subscription fee after that. It may also be useful to look for a cam that includes Wi-Fi and Bluetooth for easy file transfer to your smartphone.  

Remote access to your car 

With LTE, the cameras can alert you via your smartphone if your vehicle is broken into or moved. It can also send a live view of your car so that you can keep watch of your vehicle in real time.

Collision detection & alerts

Using internal sensor technology, some smart dash cam models can detect a major collision and activate its emergency protocol. 

By using the front facing cameras, some dash cams are intelligent enough to alert you when you are closing in too fast on the car in front of you, or if you are drifting out of your lane.

Looking for more than a smart dash cam? Check out our smart car device, Raven. The device plugs directly into your car’s OBD-II port and offers a completed connected solution. Features include live tracking, security alerts, dual cameras, vehicle diagnostics, navigation, Wi-Fi hotspot, driving history, and much more!