There’s a huge number of different dash cams currently on the market, but knowing which one is the right one for you can be tricky.
If you’re looking for something simple and straightforward to use to record clips while out on drives, then Nexar makes some great options. We have previously reviewed the Nexar Beam GPS, now it's the turn of the Nexar Pro GPS. The latter camera uses the same specifications as the Beam, but adds an interior camera to the package so you can also record internally as well as externally, making it a contender for the best Uber dashcam.
Both cameras record Full HD video and the device is quick and easy to set up. In fact, the average setup time for first-time use is just five minutes. Although you can use it independently from your phone (where it will start / stop recording automatically), it works best when paired with a smartphone - most phones are supported but there are some notable exceptions, so it’s worth checking the Nexar website before purchase.
Nexar Pro GPS: Specifications
Sensor: 2 megapixel 1/2.9” CMOS (road view camera), 1/4-inch CMOS (cabin view camera)
Video resolution: 1080p (both cameras)
Field of view: 135 degrees (road view camera), 115 degrees (cabin view camera)
Frame rate: 30fps (road view camera), 25fps (cabin view camera)
Digital zoom: No
Inbuilt microphone: Yes
GPS included: Yes
Key Features
Although the Nexar Pro GPS has “Pro” in its name, don’t be fooled into thinking that this is a complicated or difficult to understand device. In fact, one of the key selling points of all of the Nexar dash cams is just how easy they are to set up and use.
As such, you don’t get a plethora of different recording options and settings to explore. It records in Full HD only, which in a world of 4K might seem a little pedestrian, but in reality helps to keep file sizes to a sensible limit, and should be more than enough for the average dash cam user.
Just like the Nexar Beam, the Nexar Pro GPS is primarily designed to simply record the scene in front of it, but it also comes with a cabin view camera in the box which you can choose to install or not. With it, you’ll also record what’s going on inside your vehicle, which could be useful for a number of different types of user.
The camera can be used with a wide variety of smartphones. There’s a full list of compatible models on the Nexar website, and although most are included, some aren’t, so it’s worth double checking to make sure yours is on the list. You can also use the dash cam without a phone, whereby it’ll record to an SD card automatically.
In the box you’re supplied with a suction mounting cup, which is also where you’ll find the inbuilt GPS unit, again this is useful for anybody using the dash cam independently from your phone. There’s also a USB charger and a USB power cable, as well as clips and an installation tool should you wish to hide the cables inside the car for a neater finish.
Build and Handling
The Nexar Pro GPS is super easy and quick to set up. Instructions are included in the box, which promise to have you sorted out and ready go in under five minutes - and in practice that’s more or less accurate.
Quite simply, all you’re required to do is plug the camera into your car’s power supply, download the Nexar app, connect to the camera via Wi-Fi and that’s pretty much it. Attaching the suction cup to the windscreen is easy via a quick release lock that means you can also remove it and take it out of the car at the end of a journey.
The Nexar comes with a double USB power adapter, which is handy as it means you can power up the camera, but also have a spare USB socket for another use, such as charging your phone. If you prefer, you can hide the wires from view with the supplied clips and installation tools. If you’re somebody that likes a neat overall appearance, we’d recommend doing this, but it’s by no means necessary.
If you want to install the interior view (cabin view) camera, then all you do is plug it into the side of the Nexar Pro, and use the included windscreen mount to position the cabin view camera to be facing in the direction you want it - presumably towards the driver in most scenarios.
Setting up the camera is fairly self-explanatory once you have downloaded the app. However, a word of caution here for anybody using a car (like me) that has Apple CarPlay, as the two can easily interfere with each other. I found it easiest to get my phone to “forget” the car’s CarPlay network and start again with the Nexar network. It does mean that you can’t use both Apple CarPlay wirelessly and the Nexar smartphone app at the same time, which is a big shame.
If you want to continue to use CarPlay, the best solution seems to be to set it up and then from then on let the camera record automatically to the SD card, leaving your smartphone out of it. It’s not the most elegant solution, and hopefully one day there will be a way to use both at the same time.
There’s no screen on the back of the Nexar Pro, but you are able to view your footage as it’s recording if you are using the camera in conjunction with your smartphone. This is quite good if you have a smartphone mount in your phone, as you can at the very least check at the start of the journey that the camera has started recording - you can also check that the camera is positioned correctly to give a good view of the scene, including the interior camera.
The app allows you to start and stop recording at any time, as well as enabling sound recording. Preferences will vary, but personally I prefer to leave sound recording off in most instances. Once you’ve completed a journey, you can then use the app to watch and export your footage. Full drives are recorded, along with a useful map of the journey. From the full clips, you can also extract shorter clips which is useful if you need something for a particular purpose, such as an insurance claim.
Performance
Sample video from the front-facing camera
Sample video from the cabin camera
Video created by the Nexar Pro is very good, and despite being limited to 1080p, most users should find it to be perfectly functional for what they need.
Colors are well captured, and detail is good enough to see things like registration numbers and other important information. The interior camera also produces a good amount of detail.
The footage is fairly smooth, and there’s not too much jumping or jolting around, which makes for a pleasant viewing experience when watching them back.
Sound quality is decent enough for ordinary use, but if you’re relying on this for making “travel” style content - especially in regards to the interior camera, you’d really be better off with something specifically designed for content creation / vlogging.
Nexar Pro GPS: Verdict
If you’re looking for a quick, easy to use and simple dash cam then the Nexar Pro GPS is a good option. It’s easy to set up and use, and produces very good footage.
The Nexar app is intuitive and simple, and it has some nice touches, such as creating maps of your drives, which as well as being interesting, could be useful for practical uses such as pinpointing the exact location of an accident.
If you’re somebody who uses Android Auto / Apple CarPlay, it’s disappointing that it’s not compatible with using that system wirelessly. You can still use the camera in its automatic mode, but you miss out on the extra functionality that using it with a smartphone brings so it's a bit of a shame.
It’s also worth pointing out that the specifications of the Nexar Pro are the same as the Nexar Beam, just without the added interior / cabin view camera. Unless you’ve got a particular desire to want to see what’s going on inside the car from your dash cam, you’ll save money by opting for the cheaper option.
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