Two-minute review

With a range of more than ten dash cams, Thinkware is no stranger to the market. In 2018, it launched the F70, a product that remains its most basic offering. The lack of mobile connectivity and built-in Wi-Fi made it difficult for users to interact with it in ways that are now expected. Thinkware has addressed these issues in a newer 'pro' version with more features and better interactivity; the F70 Pro. 

Landing in 2023, the F70 Pro covers all the basics very well. In terms of the design, you'll be hard pushed to find a smaller dash cam. It sits neatly behind the rear view mirror. The downside of its size is that it doesn't have a screen for viewing the footage. To do that, you'll either have to connect it to your smartphone using the Thinkware app or put the microSD card into your computer.

Video can be recorded at 1080p and 30 fps, meaning there's little to no possibility of zooming in or slowing down the footage for closer inspection. Considering this is a budget dash cam, there is no reason to expect higher resolution or slow motion modes. If you're after a higher specification, then our best dash cams guide is worth a look.

But don't write the F70 Pro off just yet – it's a dash cam with advanced features, including an Advanced Parking Surveillance Mode. When hardwired or using the OBD II connector, it is possible to record while your car is turned off. The device monitors and captures motion and impact with an extra 10 seconds of footage captured before and after the incident.

As well as a Parking Mode, the F70 Pro also boasts night vision, safety camera alerts and a high temperature protection system. For only £119.00 / $99.99 it's amazing the number of premium features that are included. If you're happy with HD resolution and a slightly lower video quality then the F70 Pro is an excellent choice.

Unlike the F70, the F70 Pro can connect to the Thinkware dash cam app. This is available on both iOS and Android and enables users to view a live stream of what the camera is seeing as well as review existing footage on the microSD card. The app itself is extremely easy to navigate and contains all the camera settings. 

There is no shortage of alternative options for 1080p dash cams. For the same price, there is the Garmin Mini 2 or if you have a little bit more money to spare and want a rear camera too, then the Nexar Pro is a great choice.

Thinkware F70 Pro Dash Cam: design

The F70 Pro is extremely easy to set up. Everything that is required is included in a single small box – even a 32GB microSD card is included, so you don't have to buy one of those separately. The card clicks in and out and is easy to access. The windshield mount attaches to the windscreen with an adhesive panel that is strong and reliable.

The dash cam slides into the mount with no trouble at all, although sliding it back out is a bit more of a pain. I used a 12V power cable, and once I had connected that, I was ready to connect it to the app.

The build quality of the F70 Pro is as you'd expect for a budget device. The plastic construction is strong enough to withstand any knocks it'll encounter and is also very lightweight. The cylinder design with well-engineered buttons at both ends makes for a very attractive, compact case. Thinkware has made good use of the slim design, opting to put the power cable port at the top and the microSD port at the bottom.

The dash cam can rotate up and down to capture either more of the immediate road in front or into the distance. The hinge moves freely but is strong enough to stay where it is left.

The windshield mount is equally small, although the pad is strong enough to keep the dash cam exactly where it needs to be. The device can slide out of the mount, but I found this to be too stiff and put me at risk of damaging either the dash cam or the mount.

The additional hardware kit opens up a couple more features, including a Parking Surveillance Mode and a Time Lapse Parking Mode. I wasn't able to test either of these, as they require hardwiring the unit or using the OBD II Connector. The Parking Mode includes everything a user would need, including motion and impact detection. It records for 10 seconds before and after an incident to give you that extra bit of evidence should you need it.

The dash cam also comes with what it calls Night Vision, but sadly it's only available during the Parking Mode. It would be ideal to have this feature during all nighttime driving, but it's limited to this one mode. It helps to ensure license plates and road signs are appropriately visible.

The F70 Pro doesn't have GPS built in, but this can be activated when connected to your smartphone, or you can purchase and use the Thinkware GPS antenna.

Thinkware F70 Pro Dash Cam: performance

The F70 Pro boasts a 2.1 MP CMOS Image Sensor that is capable of capturing Full HD (1920 x 1080 px). The reduced quality of this sensor is very much in line with the budget price of the unit and only delivers great results in the best lighting conditions. 

Users who do a lot of daytime driving will be more than pleased with the output, with the camera able to capture all the important details, including the number plates of other drivers. 

The Wide Dynamic Range (WDR) mode captures more color and detail and is particularly helpful on those bright days when a small sensor such as the 2.1MP CMOS type employed here is in danger of blowing out highlights.

My results during nighttime recording were a lot more sketchy. The sensor really starts to struggle, something that would be improved with the Super Night Vision feature, but alas, this is only available during Parking Mode.

Footage is captured at 30 fps, which is perfect for real-time playback but lacks the frames to slow the footage down afterwards. There are situations where things happen too quickly for the camera to adequately record what happens, so a greater number of frames per second helps to capture more pictures during the course of any incident.

For better results, especially in more challenging light, go for a dash cam with a Sony Starvis 2 sensor or with 4K recording capabilities. This will help to increase detail and picture quality, an essential requirement when needing to provide evidence of a crash.

The inclusion of a 140 degree wide angle lens helps to capture a greater range of vision not only in front of the car but off to the sides as well. This comes into its own when incidents occur at the sides of the car and would simply not be visible with a dash cam that has a smaller field of view.

Unfortunately, there is no ability to capture footage beyond 140 degrees. With an increasing number of dash cams able to record around 360 degrees thanks to dual cameras (or in the case of the 70mai Omni – a single rotating camera), the lack of this really does show that this is a budget dash cam that id best for first-time buyers. 

Should you buy the Thinkware F70 Pro?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

How I tested the Thinkware F70 Pro

• I used it for my daily commute
• I used it during different lighting conditions
• I recorded video for extended periods

I used the Thinkware F70 Pro Dash Cam in my car and enjoyed testing out its range of features on a number of different journeys. I was able to test the picture quality in a variety of different lighting and weather conditions, including daytime and nighttime.

I connected the dash cam to my smartphone and tested out all of the Thinkware app's features, including the live view and the gallery of previously recorded footage. I didn't test the parking surveillance mode due to not hard-wiring this device with the additional hardware kit. 

After transferring the files onto my Mac I was able to properly inspect the quality of the video and see how it compared to other dash cams.

• First reviewed March 2024