Nextbase iQ 4K review
Nextbase iQ 4K Smart Dash Cam (front and cabin)
By Tom Calder
The one camera here that tells you about a problem while it's happening: with a Protect subscription, the iQ watches the parked car over its own 4G connection, sends Smart Sense alerts and lets you look through its cameras live. It powers itself from the diagnostic (OBD) port, and the 64GB card and cables are in the box. Without the subscription it's an expensive ordinary dash cam, so budget £69.99 a year on top. It also films the cabin, so tell your passengers.
- Best for
- Alerts on your phone when someone tampers with the parked car
- Skip it if
- You only want footage for insurance claims
as of 21 Oct 2026, 10:37 BST · Details
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon.co.uk at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.We earn a commission if you buy through the retailer links on this page. It doesn't change our verdict. How we make money →
Researched, not used. We haven't used this product. This review is built from the maker's specifications, owner reports and our own sizing.
What we like
- Live alerts and view over 4G
- Card and cables in the box
- 4K front plus a cabin camera
Worth knowing
- Parking alerts need £69.99 a year
- Films the cabin too
- Doesn't stop a theft
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Our review
The iQ is Nextbase's connected dash cam: a 4K front camera and a 1440p cabin camera with a built-in 4G link, powered from the car's diagnostic port, that can message your phone when the parked car is knocked or someone lingers beside it. Those alerts, the live view and the 4G data come with a Protect plan, so it suits an owner who will pay monthly for a watchful car rather than one who wants a camera and nothing more.
What it is
The front camera records 4K across 140 degrees; the cabin camera covers 180 degrees at 1440p with infrared for the dark. There is no screen: everything runs through the iQ app over Wi-Fi or the camera's own 4G connection. The box holds an OBD power cable, a hardwire cable with fuse taps, a fitting tool and a 64GB U3 card already inserted; Which? lists card support from 32GB to 256GB. A 2K rear window camera is sold separately and works with every iQ.
What the subscription buys
Solo is free and gives the app, voice control and text notifications. Protect costs £6.99 a month or £69.99 a year and adds the 4G data, image notifications, Live View, Smart Sense Parking, Witness Mode, a remote alarm and 30 days of cloud storage, with Guardian Mode marked coming soon in October 2026. Protect Plus costs £9.99 a month or £99.99 a year for 180 days of cloud storage, Emergency SOS, automated incident back-up and an extended warranty with annual billing. First-time buyers get a month free, there is no contract, and dropping to Solo stops the payments.
Parked on the street
Smart Sense Parking uses radar and G-force sensors to spot movement or an impact around the parked car and sends an alert with pictures. Live View lets you look through either camera and speak through it, and the remote alarm sounds from your phone. Nextbase's support page puts it as OBD for an easy install, or a live fuse for the smart features, so if overnight alerts are the reason you are buying, use the hardwire cable or ask a fitter which fuse is permanently live. A Low Car Battery Mode cuts power when the car's voltage drops. An alert is only an alert: a steering lock or Faraday pouch from our car security comparison stops things, this reports them.
The people in the cabin
A 180-degree infrared camera films everyone in the car on every journey. Our dash cam guide puts it plainly: tell your passengers, and if you drive for work, data protection rules can apply. Witness Mode, started by voice, records inside and out and streams live to a contact you have chosen.
How it compares
The Nextbase 622GW records the same 4K through a touchscreen with no cabin camera, no 4G and no fee, and its parking mode saves a 45-second clip after an impact on a hardwire kit. The VIOFO A229 Plus Duo gives 2K front and rear with a buffered parking mode that keeps the 15 seconds before a knock, also with no subscription. Neither can show you the car from your kitchen. DashCamTalk's review called the iQ's front footage average by day and below average at night, so buy it for the connection, not the sensor.
Living with it
The app needs Android 8 or iOS 15, and Nextbase says the 4G works in specific regions, Europe among them. DashCamTalk's table lists a capacitor rather than a lithium battery, an operating range of -20°C to 80°C and a 175 by 80 by 45mm body, large for a windscreen. The UK warranty is 12 months, return to base, and Nextbase gives 30 days for returns on direct purchases. Nextbase does not publish how long the camera watches before the battery mode cuts in.
Our verdict
Buy the iQ 4K if the car sleeps on a street you worry about, you want to know about a knock within minutes rather than find a dent in the morning, and £69.99 a year on top of the hardware is acceptable. Skip it if footage for a claim is all you need: the 622GW and the VIOFO record claim footage for nothing a month. And weigh the cabin lens before the price, because it is always on.
A researched review, built from the maker's specs, manual and UK listings; facts checked 21 Oct 2026. Sources: Nextbase UK: iQ Smart Dash Cam product page; Nextbase UK: iQ subscriptions (Solo, Protect, Protect Plus); Nextbase UK: iQ support (installation, Low Car Battery Mode, app requirements); Nextbase UK: warranty information; Nextbase UK: returns, refund and cancellation policy; Which?: Nextbase iQ 4K listing (card support 32GB to 256GB); DashCamTalk: Nextbase iQ specification table and review.
Who shouldn't buy this
Don't buy it if you only want footage for insurance claims: the Nextbase 622GW or VIOFO A229 Plus records just as well with no subscription.
Key specs
| Type | 4K smart dash cam, 4G, front + cabin |
| Security rating | n/a: evidence and alerts, not a lock |
| Fits | Windscreen; powered from the OBD port |
This is a Researched review: we haven't used this product. We check every specification against at least two independent sources, re-check the UK price on a schedule where we can track it automatically, and say plainly who it isn't for. Commissions never change a rating.
If this isn’t the one
Best for The evidence layer: 4K footage insurers and police can actually use
Read the review →
Best for Front and rear footage, including the seconds before a bump
as of 21 Oct 2026, 10:37 BST · Details
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon.co.uk at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
Best for Making a Nextbase 622GW's parking mode actually work
as of 21 Oct 2026, 10:37 BST · Details
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon.co.uk at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.Questions
Does the Nextbase iQ work without a subscription?
Yes, as an ordinary dash cam recording to its card. The free Solo plan gives the app, voice control and text notifications; parking alerts, Live View, Witness Mode, the remote alarm, cloud storage and the 4G data need Protect or Protect Plus.
How much does the iQ's Protect plan cost?
Nextbase lists Protect at £6.99 a month or £69.99 a year, and Protect Plus at £9.99 a month or £99.99 a year. First-time iQ buyers get one month free and there is no contract.
Does the iQ 4K need a hardwire kit?
Both cables are in the box. The OBD cable plugs into the diagnostic port for an easy fit; Nextbase's support page pairs the live-fuse hardwire option with the smart features, so plan on the hardwire cable if parking alerts matter.
Does the Nextbase iQ record inside the car?
Yes. The cabin camera covers 180 degrees at 1440p with infrared night vision on every journey, so tell passengers, and drivers who carry the public should check their data protection duties.
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