Vantrue N2 Pro dash cam review: A solid camera that still lacks important features

The Vantrue N2 Pro is being touted as the first-ever dual 1080p dashcam. As impressive as it sounds it doesn’t change the fact that the camera lacks features available on other similarly-priced models.

GPS and voice recognition are two key examples, and it’s certainly not going to win any design awards. That said, the quality of the camera footage does make this model a serious contender if you’re after two cameras for the price of one.

Vantrue N2 Pro review: Price and availability

You can pick up the Vantrue N2 Pro at $169.99 from the Vantrue website or at third-party retailers like Amazon.

Vantrue N2 Pro review: Design & features

Though the Vantrue N2 Pro’s soft, plastic design is lightweight, its looks will definitely turn some heads. Unfortunately that may be for the wrong reasons. 

The camera’s octagonal, tubular shell is a smorgasbord of asymmetrical parts, which makes it look like an eccentric mess. Then again its short profile meant it rarely felt intrusive while driving, which is always beneficial.

Another advantage is its rotatable rear cam, which can be twisted 45° up or down from the default position — an especially useful feature for drivers with tall cabs. The N2 Pro also features four infrared sensors for enhanced interior night vision.

A small part of the body is dedicated to its 1.5” screen, and when I say small I mean it. The screen size is disappointing when compared to other dash cams on the market, and it makes picking out detail in playback fairly tricky. To add insult to injury this camera lacks any kind of wireless connectivity, so there’s no Bluetooth or Wi-Fi to fall back on. That means you'll need to ferry either the unit or its micro SD card to your computer anytime you need to download footage. This, of course, means there’s no companion app either.

Not that the N2 Pro is totally missing out on key features, however. The parking mode automatically starts recording once it detects a collision, while incidents on the road will activate the unit’s G-sensor to begin capturing footage. Lastly, there’s a time-lapse mode, which spreads out recording over long periods, but I doubt people will devote much time to this setting.

Vantrue N2 Pro review: Setup

The Vantrue N2 Pro attaches to your windscreen with a suction cup mount, which feels pretty solid once in place. Handily, you can also connect the supplied USB mini cable to the cup itself, rather than the physical unit.

Unfortunately fixing the dashcam to the mount was a fiddly process, and it ended up taking two hands to remove it.

From the outset, I noticed that the date and time were set incorrectly, no doubt due to the camera’s lack of connectivity. That required both to be set manually, while suffering through the miniscule font on the tiny screen.

Additionally, button placement felt illogical, with the menu and selector buttons under the unit and the confirm button on the rear. Plus the built-in speedometer feature can’t work unless you purchase the optional GPS mount beforehand.

Vantrue N2 Pro review: Video and audio quality

I was pleasantly surprised by the footage pulled from the Vantrue N2 Pro’s dual cameras. The audio was solid too, with the unit able to pick up even hushed voices with relative ease.

The footage is arguably less smooth than other leading brands, and I noticed  some graininess and dullness creeping in during darker drives. Night drives also provided some glare and lens flare from various external light sources. However, with maxed settings, most of the videos I captured looked crisp, clear and fairly comparable with other cameras in its class.

At night, the rear camera was also a revelation, with the N2’s Sony Exmor sensor working hard to deliver clarity. Depending on the camera placement, you’ll get a more than decent view of your interior and rear windscreen.

Vantrue N2 Pro review: Verdict

While the Vantrue N2 Pro has the basics aboard, such as collision detection, the unit lacks remote connectivity, GPS and voice recognition. Its build quality and menu system are also far from the class leaders.

However, with its dual HD camera setup providing quality footage, this dashcam will appeal to those who drive for a living. That said, many will still want to trade off its second camera in favor of alternate models with more features and, crucially, a bigger display.