Best Dash Cam UK

Review

Nextbase iQ 1K review

We'd look at the iQ 1K if phone alerts and live view while you're parked are the reason you're buying, and you're fine paying monthly. If you just want strong footage for a claim, a VIOFO dual does that at higher resolution without a subscription.

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From inside a parked UK car, cube dash camera on the windscreen pointing out at a suburban streetIllustrative image

If you want to see what's happening around your car from your phone, the iQ 1K is the entry model in Nextbase's 4G smart range. Nextbase lists 1080p for both the front camera (140° lens) and the cabin camera (180° view), with enhanced infrared night vision so the cabin camera can see after dark. There's an optional 2K rear camera too.

Here's the catch: the clever bits cost extra. Nextbase's free Solo plan gives you the app, voice control and text alerts. Live view, Smart Sense Parking, Witness Mode, Guardian Mode and 30 days of cloud storage need Protect at £6.99 a month. Protect Plus at £9.99 a month adds Emergency SOS and 180 days of cloud storage. So we've graded parking as a C, because the useful parking alerts sit behind a subscription.

Installing is simple. It plugs into your car's OBD port, and Nextbase includes a hardwire cable with fuse taps as well. Smart Sense Parking uses radar plus a G-sensor, and the rear camera adds radar coverage behind the car.

Nextbase doesn't publish the sensor model, and at 1080p the front camera is behind most cameras on this site for reading a plate, so we've graded evidence a C+ and night a C. If you'd rather have phone alerts on a sharper camera, the BlackVue DR970X-2CH LTE is the one to compare. And if footage for a claim matters most, we'd start with the VIOFO A229 Pro 2CH.

Who this suits

You want live view and alerts on your phone when your car's parked.

You'd like a cabin camera in the same unit, and a simple OBD-port install.

You're happy to budget for a Protect or Protect Plus subscription.

When another camera fits better

You don't want a monthly fee. The smart parking features sit behind one.

You want a named night sensor. Nextbase doesn't publish the sensor model.

What works well

  • Always-on 4G for live view, alerts and remote downloads
  • Front and infrared cabin cameras in one unit, with an optional 2K rear
  • OBD power cable and a hardwire cable are both in the box

What to watch for

  • Smart Sense Parking, live view and cloud storage need a monthly subscription
  • The 1K records 1080p at the front, lower than most cameras here
  • No named image sensor in the published specs

Common questions

Do I need a subscription for the Nextbase iQ?
Not to record, but for most of the smart features, yes. Live view and Smart Sense Parking need Protect at £6.99 a month, and Protect Plus is £9.99 a month.
What resolution is the Nextbase iQ 1K?
Nextbase lists 1080p for the front camera and 1080p for the infrared cabin camera. The optional iQ Rear Camera records 2K.
How do you power the Nextbase iQ?
It plugs into your car's OBD port, and Nextbase includes a hardwire cable with fuse taps too.

Sources: Nextbase UK: iQ Smart Dash Cam 4K product page and specifications; Nextbase UK: iQ subscriptions.

More reading: how to choose, how we grade, the Best 5. Fitting it for parking mode? See parking mode and hardwire kits. Going in a van? See best dash cam for a van.

Also consider

  • BlackVue DR970X-2CH LTE

    If you'd like cloud alerts and live view on your phone, the DR970X-2CH LTE can do both once a SIM's fitted, and it records front and rear. You'll need a hardwire kit or battery pack if you want parking mode once the ignition's off.

  • Nextbase 622GW Front + Rear

    If you want the 4K 622GW with a rear camera from day one, this kit pairs it with a 1080p rear in the box. Parking mode only works once you've fitted a hardwire kit.

  • VIOFO A229 Pro 2CH

    If footage quality is what you care about, this front-and-rear kit is built around it: 4K and 2K STARVIS 2 cameras, with buffered parking once you've fitted a hardwire kit.