Vantrue E1 Pro S Specs
– Max. resolution: 3840×2160 (4K) @ 30fps
– Released: 2026
– Price: Amazon US / CA – AliExpress – more countries & vendors (ad)
– Aperture: f/1.8
– Angle of view: 158° diagonal
– Bit rate: 35-60 Mbps
– High Dynamic Range (HDR)
– 1.54″ screen
– GPS
– Wi-Fi 6, at 2.4 GHz / 5 GHz
– Sony Starvis 2 IMX678 sensor (8MP)
– Novatek NT98533 processor
– Size: 44mm x 44mm x 50mm (1.73″ x 1.73″ x 1.97″)
– Weight: 95g (0.21 lbs)
– Operating temperature: from -20°C to 60°C (-4°F to 140°F)
– Supports up to 1TB MicroSD cards
– Time and date stamp on video
– Loop recording, auto on/off, G-Sensor
– Parking modes: Buffered, time-lapse, impact, low bit rate, low power AOV
– Cloud connectivity
– Lock file button
– CPL filter included
– Apps for Android / iOS
– Internal capacitor instead of battery
– Internal microphone and speaker
– Adhesive-magnetic mount (suction mount option)
– Warranty: 18 months
– Voice control
Vantrue E1 Pro S Review
The Vantrue E1 Pro is a tiny single-channel (1CH) 4K dash cam, and it’s a nice little step up from the regular E1 Pro which was one of our favorite cloud-capable dash cams until it went out of production earlier this year.
Its features look promising: A more powerful processor, very quick boot time, and more parking surveillance options. But how good is its video quality in practice? We’ve analyzed over a dozen sample videos: Keep reading to see the results below.
Video hardware: It packs a Sony STARVIS 2 IMX678 sensor and records at 4K/30fps. There’s HDR for tricky lighting, plus Vantrue’s PlatePix 2.0 to help read license plates.
A polarizing (CPL) filter comes in the box too, which is a nice touch for cutting windshield glare when driving in bright sunlight. Most of the competition will charge your extra for a CPL.
Speed and parking: One of the cooler upgrades is “TurboBoot”—the camera starts recording in about a second after you turn the ignition. This is great for parking surveillance, too: In collision detection mode, a fast wake up time makes it much more likely to catch whoever bumped into your car on video.
Apart from collision mode, you’ve got 4 more parking modes to chose from, including buffered and low-powered AOV (always on video). Find the full list below.
Connectivity and cloud: You get Wi-Fi 6 for faster phone transfers, and GPS for speed and location logging. As for cloud—it’s not built in, but the E1 Pro is compatible with Vantrue’s optional LTE module.
Cloud connectivity is definitely a premium feature. The LTE module costs about as much as the dash cam itself, and then you also need a data plan. If you’re getting it though, it does unlock some very advanced features (like remote live viewing, and event notifications to your phone). See our dedicated cloud article for full details.
Design
The E1 Pro S is almost cube shaped. At 44 x 44 x 50mm (1.73″ x 1.73″ x 1.97″), it’s one of the smallest dash cams on the market.
3 buttons for navigating the on-screen menus are located underneath the camera. but since this camera is so small, the screen is obviously super tiny so depending on how good your eye sight is, it may or may not be comfortable to use for you.
Of course you can always configure the camera with the phone app, which is free. Additionally, you can use voice commands for the most important features, such as locking the video.
We like that there’s a large orange lock file button (doubles as power button) on the left hand side of the camera. That position makes it easy to find while you’re driving without taking your eyes of the road.
Another thoughtful detail: The power cord plugs into the camera’s mount, which in turn sticks to the windshield with an adhesive pad. The camera itself attaches to the mount magnetically, so you can easily remove it and take it with you whenever you want.
Vantrue E1 Pro S Video Quality Analysis
Now lets look at the most important aspect of any dash cam: How good is the video quality it records? We’ve analyzed a lot of footage to determine an objective video score so you can compare it with other dash cams.
In a nutshell: We’re awarding from 0 to 5 points, 5 being best, by day and by night. Then we take the average of the day and night scores to find the dashboard camera’s total video score.
For a more detailed explanation of how our video scoring system works exactly, have a look here.
Day Time Video Samples
For best results, make sure to watch these clips on a 4K screen, and set playback resolution to 3840×2160.
In the above clip, video quality is very good (4 points) initially: At 0:13, we can read the plates of all 3 cars in the picture with exceptional clarity. However, most of the plates later in the video aren’t quite as easy to read, so we’re deducting 0.5 points for a total of 3.5.
We can read license plates of oncoming cars by pausing the video. Oncoming cars are harder because their speed compared to yours is higher (your speed+their speed essentially). Thus, we’re awarding 0.5 extra points. Total score for this video: 3.5 points
The image is crisp and clear. Again, we can easily read the license of all the oncoming cars between 0:09-0:013 by pausing the video. Same with cars and trucks that appear later in the video. Score: 3.5 points
Night Time Video Samples
When we pause the video, the license plates of the trucks in the right lane are crystal clear. Some examples: 0:12, 0:15, and 0:32. Since we need to press pause, the score is 3 out of 5 for this video.
Here, we can read license plates of most oncoming cars by pausing the video — 3.5 points
Overall Video Score
The average score during the day is 3.5/5, and at night, it’s 3.25/5. Taking the arithmetic average of these two numbers gives us an overall video score of 3.375, rounded to 3.4/5. That’s a pretty good score for such a tiny device!
For comparison: The only dash cam we’ve seen that’s even smaller is the Garmin Mini 3—but it records at just 1080p, which is a lot less than the E1 Pro S’s 2160p (4K). That camera scored only 2.8/5 points.
To see how it compares to other competing models, you can check the total video score row in our 1CH dash cam comparison table.
Parking Mode
When powered through a hard wiring kit or a battery pack, the E1 Pro S supports the following parking modes:
- Low-power AOV: Records at 1fps, consuming only 0.4W. Ideal for long parking times (up to several days)
- Buffered (Motion detection): When motion is detected, video is saved from 6s before to 30s after the event
- Impact (Collision detection): Wakes up in 1 second and starts recording for 30s
- Low bit rate (Ultra-low power collision detection): Records at 15fps, 1080p when an impact is detected (30s)
- Time-lapse: Records continuously, at a lower frame rate. No audio
Optional Extras
Vantrue offers a number of extras for the its dash cams. Here’s whats available:
- Hard-wiring kit: Necessary for parking mode (alternatively you can use a battery pack, but those are much more expensive). Hard-wiring kits vary between $25-35 (→ Amazon)
- LTE module: To connect to the cloud and live stream video. Costs about $150. Available on Vantrue’s official website
- Suction mount: Makes it easy to remove the mount from the windshield, e.g. in rental cars. Costs about $22 (→ Amazon)
- Remote button: Place it near or on your steering wheel, and control the dash cam conveniently from there. Price: ~$20 (→ Amazon)
Links to Amazon are affiliate links, because that’s what we do.
Miscellaneous Observations
The E1 Pro S is one of the first dash cams to support 1 Terabyte (1TB) of storage. That’s enough to store between 36 and 65 hours of 4K@30fps video. (It’s impossible to give an exact time, since the bit rate of this camera depends on the complexity of the image — for example, a tree-lined road needs a higher bit rate.)
Some users have observed that the E1 Pro S can become hot to the touch, especially the area around the memory card slot. This is understandable, since it runs a powerful 4K processor in a very small casing.
So heat dissipation is basically just physics doing its thing. The dash cam doesn’t overheat or stop working though. So while it does get quite warm, it keeps working fine.
Worth noting: Its maximum operating temperature is 60°C (140°F). So if you’re going to be using parking mode while your car is parked in the summer sun, Vantrue recommends using collision detection mode rather than AOV to generate less heat.
Conclusion
The Vantrue E1 Pro S is a premium dash cam released in mid 2026, from one of the most reputable and successful brands on the market at this time. Despite being tiny and discreet, it comes with all the cutting edge features and records very good video with its Starvis 2 sensor.
In our view, the only downsides are the relatively high price for a single-channel camera, and the limited availability of the cloud module. Nonetheless, this camera has excellent potential to become one of our favorites in 2026 and beyond.
Our verdict: A premium choice for drivers looking for a variety of parking mode options, or simply for reliable, high quality forward-only video.
Pros:
- Very good video quality
- Up to 1TB SD cards supported
- Versatility of parking modes
- Boots and wakes up from parking mode in ~1 second
- Easy to install and use
- CPL filter included
Cons:
- Premium price for a 1CH dash cam
- Cloud module is expensive and not widely available
Where To Buy
The Vantrue E1 Pro S is available for sale from the following vendors:
Links to vendors are affiliate links. They help to keep the site ad-free and up to date with top quality, unbiased reviews.