Viofo A229 Front & Rear Dash Cam with GPS: Is it Good for the Money?
Viofo A229 dash cam is the latest addition to their line-up. It is a dual-module camera with great image quality, GPS, and some advanced features. Viofo is known for its excellent value-to-money ratio as they have various affordable, good-quality cameras.
So, here is the complete review of the Viofo A229 to find out whether it is as good as Viofo’s promise.
Let’s Inspect!
Summary
Pros
- • Excellent performance
- • Supreme build quality
- • Handy TFT screen with button controls
- • Built-in GPS logger
- • Motion detection
- • Wi-Fi for fast data transfer
- • Straightforward installation
Cons
- • No H.265 encoding
- • No ADAS Support
Viofo A229 – Price
First thing first, the price. It is launched at 230$, which puts it into a mid-range segment. The dual module A229 is competing against the dash cams by Blackvue, Thinkware, and a bunch of other reputable brands.
Viofo A229 – Unboxing
The unboxing experience is very good. The box is very generic. Has pictures on the front with highlighting features on the side of the box. The main unit is well-packed, and underneath the padding, you will find the rest of the accessories, including the rear module, dual port charger, user guide, and long wires. A dual port charger is always great as it allows us to charge our mobile phones and other devices.
The hardwire kit is not part of the main package; you have to buy it separately.
Appearance and Build Quality
If you have ever owned a Viofo dash camera before, you will notice there is almost no difference. They have been carrying the design for a few years now. For starters, there is a 2.4-inch TFT screen on the front, along with 5 control buttons and status lights, pretty much like the previous generation. Yes, it is not a touch screen, which I think is good because using a touch screen placed right beside the rearview mirror is quite tricky. The hard buttons are a better and more practical alternative. The primary image sensor is adjustable and covers 140° around the camera.
Moreover, it has a microSD card slot, a rear camera port and 3.5mm jack on the right, and a Type-C port on the camera’s left side.
The rear unit is smaller; it only has the camera and the adhesive pad. For power, the camera connects to the main camera unit.
Technical Specifications
- Camera: Sony IMX 335 image sensor with 140° and 160° field of view on the front and rear cameras, respectively.
- Chipset: Novatek NT96580
- Video Resolution: Max resolution up to2529x1944
- Display: 2.4-inch TFT screen with mechanical buttons for control
- MicroSD Card: Up to 256GB
- GPS: Yes
- Motion Detection and G Sensor: Yes
- Wi-Fi: 5GHz dual band
Viofo A229 – Features
Viofo A229 is not one with a lot of bells and whistles. It is a practical device with functional features that add significant value to the dash cam.
Like motion detection, it triggers the camera to record nearby events. It is great for parking monitoring. But the feature only works with the hardwire kit as it needs consistent power.
Wi-Fi is an excellent addition; wired or Bluetooth transfers are very slow. Viofo A229 has high-speed 5GHz Wi-Fi, ensuring a strong connection and fast download. Moreover, it also allows you to easily change settings, live view the happenings, and share the video on your social media.
Another excellent feature is voice notification. While driving, you cannot just click the buttons to change settings or start recording. Viofo A229 has a bunch of voice commands for various functions like Wi-Fi status, audio recording, etc. Moreover, the camera can understand commands in multiple languages.
The built-in GPS logger is exceptional. It allows you to conveniently track your path. In addition to the path, it also logs your speed, travel time, and GPS location into the video file.
Moreover, the supercapacitor is another intelligent choice. There is no battery which diminishes the danger of leaking and exploding battery.
Installation and Configuration
Best place to Install Viofo A229
Viofo A229 is very easy to install. It comes with a detailed user guide to make things straightforward.
Start by finding and cleaning the right spot on the windshield. Then attach the transparent screen folio included in the package. Position the camera on it and take care of the wiring. Always use a screen folio because attaching it directly will make it difficult to take off, and also, the adhesive will get stuck to the glass surface.
The rear camera installation is also quite similar, but make sure you place it in a position where the wiper cleans the back screen because dust and raindrops will hinder the camera’s view.
Configuring the A229 on Viofo App
The next step is to configure the cameras. It can be done through the main unit, but I will recommend using the Viofo app. It’s better to leave most of the options on default, but you can tune the video quality with a bunch of settings.
Video Quality
Viofo A229 has the Sony STARVIS IMX335 image sensor in both the rear and front modules. It is a 5MP sensor topped with seven element glass lens of F/1.7 aperture. The front one has a 140° field of view, and the rear is slightly wide with 160° FOV.
The footage from the front camera is not a surprise. It looks great, and this is how the footage of the most similarly specced dash cam will look like. The video is sharp and detailed and can be zoomed in significantly without losing quality.
The low-light footage looks a bit exposed, but a simple reduction of exposure by 0.3 will give you a nice finish. It is quite beneficial, especially in urban areas.
The quality of the rear unit was as good as the front one, thanks to the similar image sensors. It is not astonishingly good, but better than most rear camera units.
Drawbacks
- No H.265 encoding support
- No ADAS
- Hardwire kit sold separately
Verdict
Viofo A229 is a fantastic dash cam; it has a great design and outstanding build quality and exceeds expectations regarding video quality. Making it an exceptional mid-range camera.
Where to Buy?
Get yours now from the link below and learn more about the dashcam in our YouTube video.
