70mai A810 Specs
– Max. resolution: 3840×2160 @ 30fps (25fps with rear cam)
– Price: Amazon US / CA / UK – AliExpress – 70mai – more countries & vendors (ad)
– Bit rate: 31 Mbps
– Aperture: F/1.8
– High Dynamic Range (HDR)
– 3″ screen
– GPS / GLONASS
– Wi-Fi (2.4GHz only)
– Size: 89mm x 60mm x 36mm
– Novatek NT98529 processor
– Sony Starvis 2 IMX678 sensor
– Angle of view: 150° diagonal
– Operating temperature: from -10°C to 60°C (14°F to 140°F)
– Video format: MP4
– Codec: H.265
– Supports up to 256GB MicroSD cards
– Time and date stamp on video
– Loop recording, auto on/off, G-Sensor
– Parking modes: Motion, Impact, Time-lapse
– Lock file button
– CPL filter (optional)
– Apps for Android / iOS
– Internal battery (500mAh)
– Internal microphone and speaker
– Adhesive mount
– ADAS (Automated Driver Assistance)
– Cloud Connectivity (supported only in Europe and Southeast Asia)
70mai A810 Review
The 70mai A180 is quite an interesting find. While it’s a budget camera, and not everything about it is perfect, it records very impressive video both at day and at night. But there’s a catch.
Released in late 2023, the A810 is a 4K dash cam equipped with a Starvis 2 sensor. Sony’s Starvis 2 sensors are more light sensitive than other optical sensors, improving video quality especially at night.
The thing about this dash cam is that it performs best when you use it as a single-channel dash cam. The reason for that is that as soon as you add a rear camera, both cameras’ frame rate drops from 30 frames per second (fps) to just 25 frames. Thus video quality decreases, for both the front and the rear channel.
Unfortunately, at the time of writing, the 70mai A810 is only available as a 2-channel set on Amazon. Depending on where you live, you may be able to grab the single-channel version from other vendors. If all else fails, just get the 2CH version, and use the front camera only. Or try using it with the rear camera if you find you’re OK with the lower frame rate.
Design
The A810 has a 3″ screen, which is pretty large. Below the screen there are 4 buttons. From left to right, here’s what the buttons do: Mute Microphone, Emergency Recording (Lock File button), Album, Settings.
The screen’s size makes the camera easy to operate if you prefer to navigate the menus directly on the camera rather than over the smartphone app. (As usual, apps are available for Android and iOS.)
Unfortunately the Lock File button is not specially marked or set apart. It is the second in a row of four equal buttons, so it is a bit hard to hit while driving and keeping your eyes on the road.
Video Quality
We found that the 70mai A810 records great video day and night, better than most competing dash cams. Check out the video samples below to see for yourself.
Day Time Video Sample
During the day, the 70mai A810’s video quality is excellent (5/5 points). Few dashboard cameras reach this score. In our sample footage, it’s easy to read other cars’ license plates even when just driving by,
Night Time Video Sample
At night, video quality is good (3/5 points). While there is a lot of glare from street lights, you can clearly see what’s happening on the street. You can read license plates when close, sometimes even when driving by.
Our overall video score for this camera is 4 out of 5. Few other dash cams record a similar quality, and none do so at a comparable price.
Important Note: This is true for the front camera only, without a rear camera connected. As mentioned above, when you connect the rear camera, the frame rate of the A810 drops to 25fps for both cameras. The rear camera’s video quality is quite mediocre. Which is why we have chosen to feature the A810 as a single channel dash cam.
Parking Modes
When powered through a hard-wiring kit, the A810 supports 3 different parking modes:
- Impact (G-sensor) – Starts recording when the G-sensor detects an impact. If connected to the cloud, it will send a notice to the app. Works reliably.
- Motion Detection – The manufacturer calls it “AI motion detection”… apparently everything has to be marketed as “AI” in 2024. This parking mode claims to record people who come close to the vehicle and behave in a threatening way. However, some users have reported problems with the motion detection feature.
- Time-lapse: The camera records at 1fps, without sound. 30 minutes of recording are compressed into a 1-minute video.
Two different hard-wiring kits are available:
UP03: For parking mode only. Available universally, costs about $20
UP04: For parking mode and cloud connectivity. Currently only supported in Europe and Southeast Asia. Cost: ~€50
A North American UP04 is rumored to be in the works, but as of this writing it is not yet available.
Cloud Connectivity
If you are in a region where the UP04 hard-wiring kit is supported, you can connect the 70mai A810 to the cloud. For this, apart from the UP04, you’ll also need a SIM card with a data plan.
70mai’s cloud supports the following features:
- Cloud storage: Can upload up to 50 video files to the cloud for 15 days
- Remote live view: Up to 30 minutes per day
- Locate vehicle: Updates every 15 seconds, can be activated up to 15 times a month
- Configure the dash cam remotely
- Receive alerts on your phone in case of a collision or suspicious activity around your car
- Notification to phone when camera switches off to protect battery (low voltage alert)
Troubleshooting tip: If you’re trying to connect to the cloud, but the UP04 module is blinking red, it’s possible that the SIM card is protected with a PIN. The easiest solution is to stick SIM card into a smart phone, then deactivate the PIN of the card there.
Optional Extras
- CPL filter ($25, recommended, helps a lot when driving in bright sunlight)
- Rear camera ($10, not recommended, reduces quality of forward video)
- Hard-wire kit ($20-50, see above)
Other Observations
The A810 comes with a battery instead of a capacitor built in. This is a negative, because batteries are more prone to fail when it becomes too hot in the car. On the plus side, the battery has designed so it can be easily replaced. Just get a replacement battery on Aliexpress and plug it in, no soldering required.
The user manual for the camera is very short, but it contains QR codes that link to more detailed instructions online. It is available in 17 languages. The English language version isn’t perfect, but it is understandable and explains the various features in depth.
Conclusion
The 70mai A810 works great when used as a single channel dash cam. Its (optional, but cheap) rear camera isn’t that good though. Annoyingly, it reduces the frame rate of the forward camera.
The A810 does a good job with impact-activated and time-lapse parking modes, but doesn’t support buffered mode. Cloud connectivity is a plus, but only supported if you live in Europe or Southeast Asia.
Our verdict: An excellent choice if your main priority is recording good forward video. Fair price.
Pros:
- Excellent 4K video
- Good price for a Starvis 2 dash cam
- Cloud connectivity (currently not available in North America)
Cons
- Large size
- Battery instead of capacitor
- Lock file button can be hard to find while keeping eyes on the road
Where To Buy
The 70mai A810 is available for sale from the following vendors:
Amazon US / CA / UK / DE / FR / ES / IT
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