70mai A800S dash cam review: complete coverage

Dashboard cameras are the kind of tech that you don’t realize the importance of until you’ve been in a situation where one could’ve saved you a ton of money. I love a tech bargain, which is why the 70mai A800S dash cam is so appealing. This is a dual camera or two-channel bundle, which lets me record the view out of the front of my vehicle as well as the back. Considering the specification and potency of the Sony IMX415 sensors, which provide 4K Ultra HD video, this has to be one of the best dashcams on the market right now.

While I was impressed by the recent Nextbase Piqo dash cam, which was cheap, it was also a little low on specification, especially compared to its bigger and costlier relative, the Nextbase iQ. The 70mai A800S dash cam offers much more but for a similarly small outlay. In fact, pick through the list of features and functions, and it’s hard to see why I’d need anything else.

There are two cameras for starters, but also a night vision function, 2.4GHz/5GHz Wi-Fi, Advanced Driving Assistance or ADAS system and parking surveillance, too, if I hardwire the bundle into my vehicle with a kit available separately. Better still, the 70mai A800S dash cam features a 3-inch rear screen, which lets me set it up and then view footage on the go. Alternatively, there’s a great supplementary app that offers management of video files. Over-the-air updates keep the 70mai A800S dash cam up to date, too.

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Editor’s Choice

70mai A800S dash cam

The 70mai A800S is a wallet-friendly model that comes with twin cameras for capturing video front and back. There’s a rear screen for easy installation and setup. Video quality from the Sony sensors is excellent, including after dark enhancement thanks to the beefy specification. Everything needed to get up and running is inside the box, including a sizable 128GB microSD card, although an optional hardwire kit is needed to use the parking surveillance tools.

Brand

70mai

Field of View

140-degree

Sensor Size

4K Sony IMX415

Video Resolution

3840 x 2160p

Size

1.42 x 3.46 x 2.35 inches

Connectivity

Wi-Fi / USB Type-C

Pros

• Comprehensive coverage from twin cameras
• Lots of features and functions for the money
• Rear screen helps make setup very simple

Cons

• More wiring to plumb in due to the rear camera
• Optional hardware kit needed for parking surveillance
• No touchscreen functionality so using app is advisable

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Price, availability, and specs

The 70mai Dash Cam A800+Rear Cam Set, to give it the full boxed product name, is available now from online outlets, including Amazon, where it can be found for just $120. This includes a 128GB microSD card, which adds extra value, and everything else needed to get up and running is inside the box. However, an optional 70mai UP02 hardwire kit will be needed if the cameras need to be fixed more permanently and make use of the parking surveillance feature.

What I liked about 70mai A800S dash cam

Excellent video coverage front and rear

Considering this is a relatively cheap dash camera package, I’ve been really impressed with the video captured by both lenses. At the front, there’s a F1.8 aperture Sony IMX415 sensor that offers 3840 x 2160p footage, while the smaller, rear-facing 1080p camera is equally impressive. Working together, this terrific pair gathers excellent quality footage, which is good enough to define license plates after dark thanks to the Night Owl Vision, which uses seven layers of high-quality glass lenses to help provide better definition once the sun goes down.

I’m also a big fan of the 70mai A800S because it comes armed with a 3-inch rear screen. This, combined with four slimline buttons just below the screen, allowed me to get the bundle set up quickly and easily. There’s also the added benefit of an instant on-screen preview of the view out front, augmented by an in-screen view of the rear camera’s outlook. However, I did also find that the 70mai app on my smartphone was the place to head for more effective viewing and management of video files. It works a treat.

A real bonus with the 70mai A800S dash cam is that it can be used without signing up for any kind of subscription-based package. Therefore, all I must consider is the initial low outlay to buy the bundle in the first place and also, maybe, add in the optional hardwire kit for a more permanent installation and that’s it. I also got a beefy 128GB microSD storage card in the box too, which meant that after plugging the bundle into my 12V socket and configuring it, the 70mai A800S dash cam was good to go — super easy.

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What I didn’t like about 70mai A800S dash cam

You need to hardwire for parking surveillance

While I think the 70mai A800S dash cam is an excellent bundle, there is the usual issue of needing to hardwire it into my vehicle to use the parking surveillance feature. Now I know this isn’t unusual, as other dash cams require an optional hardwire kit to do this, but I tend to move my camera from vehicle to vehicle frequently, so this type of setup doesn’t really work for me.

Of course, having a front and rear dash cam arrangement also means there’s more time involved in installing the setup. While 70mai provides everything inside the box, including a neat plastic tool for pushing cables behind trim panels, there’s a lot more wiring included in this arrangement than a single front-facing dash cam. Power comes from an available 12V socket, unless it’s hardwired, and from there I had to chase all the cabling behind the trim.

Fixing the rear camera into position and plumbing that in can be awkward too, although it’s made easier with a liftback car, where the tailgate can be raised and the camera stuck in place. Making things much more straightforward, though, is how both cameras have rotatable lenses so that they can be set at an optimum angle.

One other observation is that the 70mai A800S dash cam might have a rear screen, but it’s not touch sensitive. This isn’t that big a deal, though, as the configuration and general settings can be navigated by the four buttons below the screen. I did find, though, that this pushed me more towards using the supplementary app for most of my dash cam management duties. Anyone who obsesses about the need for a touchscreen might find that a little bit of a disadvantage though, but I’d say just remember that great price tag.

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Should you buy 70mai A800S dash cam?

The perfect option for complete coverage

I think the 70mai A800S dash cam is a brilliant option — it keeps me covered front and rear without breaking the bank. This is one of the most affordable dash cam bundles out there, without skimping on the specification either. Being able to hardwire the setup into a vehicle adds extra value too, by unlocking the parking surveillance tools.

However, even without tapping into that potential, the 70mai A800S dash cam still boasts a suite of ADAS tools, effortless loop recording and the ability to manage footage via an excellent app. It’s an impressive package.

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Editor’s Choice

70mai A800S

Number of Cameras

Two

Front Camera Resolution

4K 3840 x 2160p

Field of View

140-degree

Emergency Power

No

Brand

70mai