Dashcams are slowly becoming an essential accessory for cars in India. This is useful not only for recording video evidence in the event of an accident, but also for providing evidence when you need to make an insurance claim or issue a counter complaint against wrongful traffic tickets. Some people may also use dashcams to record picturesque locations on road trips. Although some dash cameras are available at affordable prices, they compromise on video quality and features. Hero Group company Qubo has launched its Dashcam Pro 4K in India as a premium offering priced under Rs. 10,000.
Qubo Dashcam Pro 4K not only claims to provide high quality video footage but also comes with a number of useful features. The company has sent us its dual camera model, which has both front and rear cameras along with other accessories. Should you consider purchasing the Qubo Dashcam Pro 4K? Here’s our full review to help you decide.
The display of the Qubo Dashcam Pro 4K can also be used to view the rearview video feed (Dual-Cam Bundle)
Qubo Dashcam Pro 4K price in India
Qubo Dashcam Pro 4K is available in India for Rs. ₹9,990, which only includes the front-facing camera. If you want the rear camera bundle, the combo with its accessories will cost you Rs. 12,990.
Qubo Dashcam Pro 4K Design
The Qubo Dashcam Pro 4K is quite compact. Its wide, rectangular shape makes the black camera look like it’s a part of the car’s interior (your experience may vary), and it doesn’t obstruct your view too much. The ultra-wide camera sensor is located on the front of the device, while there is a 2.8-inch viewfinder on the back, which can also be used to switch between different modes and settings. It’s not a touchscreen and to access these modes, you have four dedicated buttons on the bottom of the camera.
On the left side of the device are the power and reset buttons while on the right side, you have a mini-USB port to connect the front camera to a 12V charging socket. Next to the connector port is a microSD card slot. There is a micro-USB port on the top of the device which is used to connect to the rear camera. The box contains a 12V power adapter, long cables for the front and rear cameras, suction mount, a pry tool, and a warranty card.
The rear camera is cylindrical in shape and flat on one side. There is a 360-degree hinge cover in the right corner that allows you to adjust the angle when installing the camera on the car surface. Unlike the front camera, the rear camera does not require a suction mount as it attaches via double-sided adhesive tape.
Qubo Dashcam Pro 4K can be paired with a 1080p rear camera
Qubo Dashcam Pro 4K Features
As the name suggests, the Qubo Dashcam Pro 4K offers 4K resolution video feed. However, this is not true 4K as the 8-megapixel Sony IMX415 sensor is actually recording in 1080p and upscaling it to 4K. The front camera has an F/1.8 aperture that claims to help capture high-quality videos with a 140-degree field of view even in low light. The camera is also said to use digital noise reduction algorithms to reduce noise. The optional rear camera can only record in 1080p.
The Qubo Dashcam Pro 4K also supports advanced driver-assistance systems, also known as ADAS, which has been a recent trend in the automobile industry. The device uses built-in AI systems and real-time video for various ADAS-related functions such as Lane Departure Warning System, Forward Vehicle Motion Detection, and Forward Collision Warning System. DashCam Pro 4K has built-in GPS to geotag footage and accurately view your driving route and speed.
The Qubo Pro app has multiple tabs to access and control various features
You can enable or disable ADAS-related features on the device using the buttons. Alternatively, you can use the Qubo Pro app. The user interface of the app is quite simple and easy to use. You can change various device-related settings within the app, including enabling or disabling audio, parking mode, blow trigger, etc. Installing the app is a must as it is a more convenient medium to transfer photos and videos from the camera to your phone.
The Qubo Dashcam Pro 4K supports any Class 10 SD card up to 1TB. If the storage is full, it will delete the old footage and replace it with the live feed. If you want to save some old footage, it is best to transfer it to your device with the help of the app.
The Qubo Dashcam Pro 4K has a microSD card slot on the right side to store video recordings
The app also offers the option to enable timelapse recording, checking footage of various events, such as “blow” or “ride start/stop”. The device flags an event as a “blow” whenever the car goes over a large bump or pothole at high enough speed. The dashcam notifies the user through a tone when it records an event. It also notifies the user when the car violates the set speed limit.
Transferring recorded footage from the camera to the phone requires a few steps. First, you’ll need to explore the timeline and select the starting timestamp of the video. Next, you can choose to screen-record the exact section you want to save or download it instantly. The Qubo Pro app will let you download one-minute videos up to three minutes, which will be saved in the Gallery section of the app. To save a video to your phone’s native Gallery app, you need to select the videos you want to save and tap the share icon at the bottom to download them.
Qubo Dashcam Pro 4K Display
The daylight video performance of the Qubo Dashcam Pro 4K’s front camera is quite good as I could see and read the number plates of some cars ahead of me. I’m specifically referring to number plates because the footage can be extremely useful in the event of an accident. Anything over three meters isn’t usually that detailed, but honestly I couldn’t expect any better than this from a car dash camera.
At one point during the review, we noticed that transferred footage was freezing and skipping frames when saving it on the phone, although this was mainly due to our using a slow Class 10 memory card. After notifying Qubo about this issue, the company recommended a UHS-III (U3) Class 10 memory card (and sent one for this review), which resolved the issue. In my opinion bundling a microSD card with the dashcam should have been an option, or at least there should have been a disclaimer on the website to alert buyers as to which specific microSD card they should purchase.
If you want to use the camera to record video on your road trip, it does a fairly good job with colors, but the dynamic range isn’t as good in harsh lighting conditions. For such recordings, perhaps you can rely on something go pro Or your phone’s camera.
Some of the older dash cameras I’ve used have struggled in low light conditions. The Qubo Dashcam Pro 4K surprised me with quite a good overall performance. It ruins highlights, especially on surfaces where the car’s headlights fall, but the footage is quite usable.
ADAS-related features worked great. The camera immediately gave me an audio alert when the vehicle in front of me or a pedestrian was close to my car. Although this feature is useful from a safety point of view, it can be quite annoying when driving in city traffic. I chose to disable it after a few trips.
The rear camera can only record videos at 1080p resolution. I noticed that by default, it mirrors the footage it records, regardless of camera orientation. The overall video quality is obviously not as good as the front camera, but certainly useful for seeing the number plate or details of the car right behind you.
Qubo’s after-sales service also seemed quite helpful. I called the helpline several times for product-related queries, including one where I wanted to understand the features and the service representative, without even knowing who I was, managed to answer all my queries quite satisfactorily. Qubo also says that it will replace the product if the user experiences any manufacturing-related issues within the warranty period.
Decision
If you are looking for a good dashcam that offers a number of features then the Qubo Dashcam Pro 4K is worth considering. The front camera captures ultra-wide footage with good details. The design is also quite clean and you get all the necessary accessories in the box. The only downside is that this tool is a bit more expensive than some of the options available online.
price: Rupee. 12,990 (Front + Rear Camera)
Pros
- compact design
- well equipped
- Wide field of view of front and rear cameras
- A full range of accessories included with the camera
- customer service service
Shortcoming
- a little expensive
- App experience could be better