70mai M500 dashcam review: Svelte and affordable

Key Takeaways

The 70mai M500 is packed with features, including a 5-megapixel camera with a 170-degree view.
There’s no rear screen, but the companion app compensates with great functionality.
The inclusion of built-in GPS and night vision makes it a solid budget option.

There are plenty of great dashcams out there, but not all of them are quite as compact and cleverly designed as the 70mai M500. It’s a neat variation on the dashcam theme, in that it’s been designed as a landscape-oriented unit that’s slim enough to sit along the top of your windshield and not get in the way. That’s good news, especially if you drive something like a sports car that might have a fairly limited view out the front. Equally, it’s good to have it tucked out of the way, even if your windshield is generously-sized.

I’ve tried some impressive rival options over the past few months, including the likes of the pricey Nextbase iQ and the Rove R3 models. The big difference with the 70mai M500 is that it’s competitively priced, but still manages to pack in plenty of quality features and functions. Sure, there’s no rear screen, but it’s easy to get by without one just as long as you make full use of the supporting 70mai app, which is excellent.

Recommended

70mai M500

The M500 is one of those great bargain-basement models where the specs are way better than expected given the price point. It’s got all the essentials, including quality video. The slimline design works like a treat, especially for cars with smaller windshields. The fact it’s missing a rear screen shouldn’t be enough to put anyone off buying from it.

Number of Cameras: One
Front Camera Resolution: 5-megapixel, 1,944p
Field of View: 170-degree
Brand: 70mai

Pros

Easy installation and setup process
Slender shape works great on small windshields
Excellent smartphone integration

Cons

No rear screen due to the slimline design
Connectivity can be occasionally patchy
Hardwiring needed for additional features to work

Price, availability, and specs

The M500 is available now. Amazon currently has it priced at $109.99 in the US and £89.99 in the UK. I think that’s great value considering the unit is nicely designed, well put together and packs in plenty of features.

70mai M500

Number of Cameras: One
Front Camera Resolution: 5-megapixel, 1,944p
Field of View: 170-degree
Brand: 70mai

What I liked about the 70mai M500 dashcam

Surprisingly potent

Considering it sits at the lower end of the market in terms of price, the M500 offers a lot of performance. There’s the 2.7K Ultra HD recording capacity, which, thanks to the M500’s 5-megapixel sensor, means 2,592 x 1,944p footage that I found more than useable in most situations. This includes capturing license plates and road sign details. The other bonus with the M500 is its ability to capture a 170-degree point of view. That’s impressive too.

I was also similarly impressed by the nighttime shooting quality of the sensor and lens combination, with some excellent HDR properties enabling me to get high-quality footage in less-than-ideal scenarios. That included rainy days when cloud cover really takes the edge off recording. There are other features I like, too, such as the built-in GPS for capturing real-time trip data — including date, time and speed. Plus, there’s a raft of supplementary features like parking surveillance. You’ll need to hardwire the camera into your car for the latter to work, though.

Most dashcams require you to hardwire them to take advantage of all their available features.

What I didn’t like about 70mai M500 dashcam

Not quite as easy as it looks

While the M500 has plenty going for it, I did find a few things that were less easy to live with. First up, there’s no rear screen, which I’ve encountered plenty of times before. The trouble is I’ve also experienced enough dashcams to see the true benefit of being able to carry out setup and also preview footage on-screen, in the car. Granted, it took me no time at all to download and install 70mai’s mobile app, which does work well, but the lack of a screen may put some off.

While the M500 has plenty going for it, I did find a few things that were less easy to live with.

The other issue — which affects most dashcams, to be honest — is that the parking surveillance features require me to hardwire the dashcam into my car to work. I’d need a kit to do this, which 70mai sells separately at extra cost. The biggest downside to doing this is that it doesn’t allow me to move my dashcam from vehicle to vehicle as and when I need to. Anyone looking for a permanently fixed dashcam though, will find that it’s worth doing because of the extra functionality that comes with it.

Should you buy 70mai M500?

Overall, the 70mai M500 dashcam is an excellent little package, with slimline dimensions making it very appealing. There’s a lack of rear screen and the need for hardwiring in order to gain the benefit of all its features and functions. However, it represents excellent value for money, comes with voice control and has an app that lets me easily manage all of controls and footage. It’s a very respectable bundle.