Industry analyst Ross Rubin knows of my interest in dash cams and turned me onto Garmin’s CES news, as the GPS manufacturer enter this space with two models — the Dash Cam 10 and 20. They run $220 and $250, respectively, and will ship by the end of the month with the only difference being the higher end unit incorporates GPS. Like most current dashboard-mounted video cameras, these units record 1080p video in a loop and ship with a microSD chip for storage – 4GB is provided but cards up to 32GB will be supported. Beyond video, Gamin also includes a 2.3″ display… something that’s pretty critical for proper alignment and sorely missed on my Blackvue.
I’m not quite sure why this product category hasn’t been exploited or taken off in the US, the way it has in other regions. For example, my Blackvue is a grey market import from Korea (with SquareTrade warranty, thank you). But I do believe there’s a market for dash cams here. And this product will surely go onto my post-CES gadget acquisition list. Stay tuned.