If you need a dashcam but windshield real estate is limited, a smaller camera seems ideal.
What if you could combine both of these requirements into a single unit with voice control?
Its a Dashcam That Looks Like R2-D2!
With a robot-esque face and some cute noises, this dashcam wants to be a part of your family.
Once you say yes, it plans to record everything that happens while driving.
Does it do what you expect from a dashcam, or is it an inconsequential bit of frivolity?
Theres the USB-A to USB-C power cable with cigarette lighter car adapter and two anti-static sheets.
These ensure that the windshield is gunk-free should you choose to remove or move the dashcam.
Also included is a user guide and a plastic lever for pushing the cable behind the cars interior furnishings.
Finally, youll find two adhesive stickers and a mount which is already attached to the camera.
The lower portion of the unit, where the lens is mounted, rotates independently of the upper portion.
Three buttons are found on the left-hand side of the camera.
First is a power and confirmation button, then up/down buttons to cycle through the cameras display menus.
However, what you will find easy to see on the display is MaiX… a bear.
70mai’s mascot is used to convey various information, purely through MaiXs emoji.
Some of this is useful, but most could be considered frivolous.
GPS is built into the camera, which measures 51.5 x 51.5 x 93.2mm.
It only records at 1080p (aka full HD) resolution.
Over the past few years, the dashcams Ive reviewed have boasted 2Kand more recently 4Kresolution.
But the lack of 2K or 4K was a surprise.
Our family MPV has a huge windshield, so the camera could reasonably have been placed anywhere.
However, the instructions specifically stated that it should be positioned alongside the rearview mirror on the passenger side.
Its a little more complex than with some dashcams Ive used.
Youre ready to set off with the 70mai Dash Cam Omni.
However, this was bad advice.
The solution to this was to move the camera to a position below the mirror.
This turned out to be a far better position, offering complete coverage in all directions.
As mentioned, various cute expressions are displayed on the 70mai Dash Cam Omnis display during use.
One journey in the rain resulted in several automatic snaps made by the Omni.
Well, thats the idea, anyway.
ADAS mode isnt activated by default.
This has several problems.
First, it took an hour to optimize.
Second, when it detects things, theyre often not there or entirely wrong.
Third, despite several attempts to drift into the wrong lane, the lane departure feature stayed silent.
The most frustrating thing here is the lack of accuracy.
Warnings about pedestrians crossing while the car is stationary are pointless.
So, what is being said isn’t “warning: red car.”
It’s certainly not suitable in a potential emergency.
In fact, false observations and notifications from the Omni’s ADAS mode lead me to kill the feature.
Id recommend disabling the ADAS mode and relying on your vehicles sensors.
The ADAS bundled into 70mais Dash Cam Omni is not up to the job.
However, the dashcam tends to do plenty of this independently, without prompting.
Other options are available.
There are even voice commands for taking a photo, selfie, and shooting emergency videos.
However, I found voice instructions to be imprecise at times.
I ended up switching off the car stereo for every command, but this didnt always work, either.
Does a Dashcam Need a Vlog Mode?
While I wasnt looking, vehicle vlogging became a thing.
Consequently, the 70mai Dash Cam Omni features a vlog mode (because of course it does).
I discovered this feature by chance when attempting to convince the camera to shoot left.
The result is pleasing enough, if a little frivolous.
But again, its a distracting feature that serves no real purpose.
And frankly, this isnt a good one.
Viewing Footage From the 70mai Dash Cam Omni
The various footage types are stored in individual folders.
One of the key features of this unit is that there is no removable media.
Thats rightno microSD card to eject and drop!
MicroSD flash isnt the most reliable media around, even with the advanced error correction available these days.
Some dashcams offer additional internal storage for holding footage in the event of card corruption.
The 70mai Dash Cam Omni, as noted from the machine specification, has built-in eMMC storage.
This provides 32GB of storage space, which isnt a huge amount, even when recording at 1080p.
For example, you wouldnt get a whole days travel recorded without relying on time-lapse mode.
With GPS enabled, you should see a representation of your journey in the app.
With no actual map, its a bit useless.
Its okay to look at and makes your footage resemble a video game somewhat.
While it helpfully displays speed and other information, its not particularly attractive.
Nice Dashcam, But a Bit Gimmicky
I really want to like the 70mai Dash Cam Omni.
Its not the smallest dashcam, but it packs a lot into its astromech droid chassis.
The menu on the display is okay, but not good enough.
Ive waited years for a dashcam with a decent-sized eMMC storage.
That the first one I try is a disappointing novelty.
So, its ideal for small cars, and for anyone averse to routing cables around the cars paneling.
