Nexar beam2 mini vs Garmin Mini 2
When making a purchase of just about any kind, it’s important to compare competitors and similar products on the market. Comparison ensures you get the most joy out of the product you end up purchasing. Comparing products helps consumers make more informed decisions, after all.
In this spirit, Nexar compares our new beam2 mini dash cam to the Garmin Mini 2 in an effort to help our customers and readership make the very best choice for their particular needs.
Read on for a side-by-side comparison of Nexar beam2 mini and Garmin Mini 2 dashboard cameras.
Video Quality
Of course, video quality is a paramount concern when it comes to selecting a top-notch dash cam. Nexar beam2 mini has a road-view camera that captures video in 1080p resolution and utilizes a wide-angle lens that captures a 160-degree field of view, ensuring you capture crystal-clear footage, day or night.
Garmin Mini 2 has a 2.1 MP (1080p) HD Main Camera, capturing clear images and footage as well. Both cameras rank high when it comes to video quality, helping drivers clearly see captured footage – especially the finer details such as road signage and license plates. 1080p is perfectly suitable for capturing incidents as well.
Design/Setup
Both Nexar beam2 mini and Garmin Mini 2 are designed for discreet attachment to the front windshield. Both dash cams ensure a seamless blend with any car, truck, or SUV’s interior with neither model disrupting drive view, helping drivers keep their vision and attention on the road.
Garmin Mini 2 is easy to set up and has dimensions of approximately 1.22" x 2.09" x 1.14". It is compact and discreet, making it barely noticeable.
The beam2 mini is also compact and discreet at 1.6” x 4.25” x 2.2”. beam2 mini also features a plug-and-play style setup process for ease of use. Its OBD pass-through kit allows the dash cam to connect to the vehicle without blocking the OBD port. Many users can set up their beam2 mini in less than 10 minutes.
Memory/Storage
Memory and storage are typically major concerns for dash cam purchasers. When thinking about dash cam memory and storage, it’s important to consider overall convenience as well as long-term cost.
Nexar beam2 mini comes with internal storage and three different storage capacities to meet your specific needs (64, 128, 256 GB). Through the Nexar Connect subscription, drivers can take advantage of unlimited cloud storage. Instead of having to worry about storage space and backing up footage, every incident or important moment from the drive will be automatically and securely backed up. You can access any footage you need quickly and easily at a moment’s notice.
Garmin Mini 2 is primarily limited to local SD card storage – which is not included. Garmin Vault does offer cloud storage for 24 hours, however, this comes along with recurring fees.
Connectivity and Intelligent Features
Nexar beam2 mini utilizes 4G LTE cellular connectivity. Faster data speeds; faster network response time; improved network resilience; improved efficiency and bandwidth. Connectivity proves crucial for things like live streaming, real-time alerts, instant access to your footage—anytime, anywhere, and many more.
In the event of a high-impact collision, your beam2 mini springs into action, performing important tasks like sending your location and a live stream link from your dash cam to your pre-selected emergency contacts via SMS. Parking Mode additionally provides real-time alerts 24/7, instantly recording impacts or disruptions when your car is parked and you’re away.
Garmin Mini 2 dash cam certainly keeps drivers covered, but it comes along with a few limitations. Garmin Mini 2 lacks built-in GPS and relies on syncing with other Garmin devices for functionality. As far as connectivity goes, drivers do get WiFi and Bluetooth, however, Garmin Mini 2 is missing the LTE support that puts beam2 mini in a class of its own.
When it All Comes Down to the Cost
Garmin Mini 2 comes at a $129.99 price point. Base pricing might be a little deceptive here because drivers will have to purchase a memory card (which is essential for conducting any recording). Memory cards typically cost around $50 depending on capacity. Additionally, for full coverage, drivers will also have to pay subscription fees ($9.99 per month for 30-day vault storage), which might put you out of your comfort zone if you’re not looking to spend big. Moreover, it’s important to note that unlimited cloud storage is most often going to come with a monthly fee.
The beam2 mini seamlessly blends features like built-in Dual-Band GPS Positioning Accuracy, Advanced Overheating Protection, and 4G LTE Connectivity and Coverage – all at a price point that blows the competition out of the water. At $129.95 out the door, beam2 mini checks all the boxes for drivers looking for souped-up tech at a cost-efficient price.
Nexar Connect provides unlimited cloud storage, live alerts, live streaming, and additional smart features for $9.99 a month. Users who opt to purchase a year at a time get a free month and only end up paying $7.99 per month if paid annually.
Conclusion – Which is Better? The Garmin Mini 2 or Nexar beam2 mini?
At the end of the day, Garmin Mini 2 is a viable competitor and a capable dash cam because it comes with innovative features and performs the essential duties of a quality dash cam. However, the fact that users will have to purchase a memory card that costs nearly half of what it costs for the hardware, people might find that more than a little annoying. Garmin purists looking to stick with the brand will get just about everything they need from this dash cam, but they’ll end up paying more in the long run and in the short term.
Nexar beam2 mini leans more heavily on cutting-edge features, a wide field of view, compact size, and advanced connectivity features to provide drivers with a more connected driving experience every time they get behind the wheel. With beam2 mini, all the driver security essentials come together in this compact dash cam at a supremely competitive price.