Author: John Richard
The smartphone is one of the greatest inventions of our time, allowing us to maximize our efficiency with a few taps. If you spend most of your time on the road, I am happy to tell you that there are apps you can use to further stretch the use of your phone by transforming it into a dashcam.
Dedicated Dashcam VS Dashcam Apps
A good quality dashcam typically runs from $100 to $400, which some people do not find cheap. Nevertheless, you can convert your phone to a Dashcam without breaking the bank or buying an actual dashcam.
No doubt, dashcams are better than using your smartphone. Before proceeding to use your smartphones, these are some of the disadvantages.
- Smartphones have a smaller field of view (FOV). This can be a huge factor for most people as the whole point of dashcams is to capture as many details as possible, and as this is a hardware issue, no app will be able to fix this.
- Possible overheating
- No night mode, unlike dashcams with sensitive sensors for night-time shooting.
- Smartphones are not designed to record videos non-stop. This may shorten the lifespan of your phone battery and most likely the phone itself.
Perhaps the most, if not the only significant advantage of using your phone as a dashcam is money. You do not need to spend a single cent as most of the dashcam apps on the market are free.
Best Dashcam Apps For Smartphones
There are numerous dashcam apps on the market. Here are some features that you should look out for when choosing one:
- Loop recording capabilities
- Collision detection sensor
- GPS location tracking
- Easy to use/navigate
- High-quality video recording
- Multiple options for data storage and access
Top IOS Dashcam App – Nexar AI
The Nexar AI app is one of the most popular dashcam apps for IOS users. The app uses the iPhone’s processors and hardware to evolve and learn, hence the term “AI”. It can read signs, identify license plates and track the trajectory of other cars.
Nexar automatically starts and stops recording and saves it on the app. Also, important events such as accidents are automatically saved and backed up on the phone.
The Pros of Nexar AI Dashcam App
- Cloud storage
- 1-click incident report template
- Waze support/integration
The Cons of Nexar AI Dashcam App
- Sells users’ data
- Drains battery quickly
Top Android Dashcam App – AutoBoy
The AutoBoy Dashcam app has the highest number of features for a free dashcam app, making it popular among tech-savvy users. The most popular feature of the application is the ability to run in the background while you are using your phone for other functions.
The AutoBoy has a loop function, automatically deleting old files once your storage space runs out. Users can personalize their recordings, including recording cycles, video quality, frame/bit rate, and audio quality. It also has GPS functionality and a smart crash sensor which locks a current video file when a collision is detected.
The Pros of AutoBoy Dashcam App
- It can run seamlessly in the background
- Granular video quality settings
- Records the location, speed, and time into the video
The Cons of AutoBoy Dashcam App
- The app often crashes
- Additional features are only available on the paid version
- It doesn’t work well on older model phones
Conclusion
Whether you opt for an actual dashcam or use your smartphone as a substitute, it all comes down to your budget. If money is not an issue for you, then it is recommended that you invest in a good quality dashcam.