The world’s best dash cam gets a much cheaper and lighter sibling – meet the Nextbase Piqo

The Piqo is a tiny dash cam with a tiny price that’s big on features

News By Timothy Coleman published 28 October 2024

Nextbase makes some of the best dash cams, including the iQ, which we labelled the smartest dash cam ever. However, the UK-based company's first smart dash cam is also the priciest add-on car security solution around, with some wide-ranging smart features that could be overkill for many users. That's where the new Nextbase Piqo comes in.

Think of the Piqo as a baby iQ: it has a similar fresh look, but is a much smaller and simpler package, with cleverly implemented 'Lite' versions of IQ's smart features that are designed to appeal to younger drivers.

The Piqo is available globally from the Nextbase website and 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. Contrast that to the iQ, which starts at $399.99 / £349.99, and the Piqo's appeal is clear – particularly when you consider that you also need to pay for a monthly data plan to make the most of the more expensive model's smart features.

That's a big difference in price, so let's take a look at what the Piqo can do and where necessary compromises have been made.

A cleverly watered-down iQ

Video resolution in the 1K HD version of the Piqo is actually slightly more detailed than standard 1080p, with a 2560x1080 pixel resolution and 140-degree field of view. The 2K version, meanwhile, has a max resolution of 2560x1440 pixels and 145-degree field of view. Unlike the iQ, there's no 4K version of the Piqo.

I asked Bryn Brooker, Nextbase's Head of Marketing, why there's no 4K version of the Piqo, and he told me that according to Nextbase research, at least 83% of UK dash cam owners see no need for a pricier 4K dash cam, plus Nextbase is confident in the video quality of the Piqo.

Bryn also told me that the dash cam market is evolving. In 2020 the majority of dash cam customers were 45 years of age and older, but four years later and this demographic has reversed. Nextbase has consequently adapted the Piqo's design and features to appeal to a younger audience.

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