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For those who want a 4G connected dash cam and all the benefits that come with it, the Aoedi D13 is one of the few options you can choose from. LTE opens up real-time parking space alerts and real-time remote viewing. But there’s a monthly fee for data usage, and we don’t think the connectivity feature is worth the extra cost for most drivers. Beyond its connectivity, the D13 is compact and well-designed, records high-quality Full HD video, has a GPS receiver, and offers speed camera alerts and collision warnings.
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The Aoedi D13 may look similar to most other dash cams, but there’s one major difference – it’s a SIM-slot dash cam with LTE connectivity.
This means the D13 supports 4G and can connect to the internet to send notifications and even let you view real-time updates from your car on your phone from anywhere in the world. While the D13 is not without its flaws, this unique feature means it makes our list of the best dash cams you can buy.
Before we dive into the D13′s connectivity options, we’ll quickly cover the basics. This is a DVR with a slim and rather sophisticated design; It doesn’t have a display, so its shape fits flush against the windshield and tucks neatly behind the rearview mirror.
The lens can be rotated approximately 45 degrees, making it suitable for almost any vehicle, regardless of windshield angle. It connects to a simple mount that attaches to the screen with an adhesive pad. This means the mount will always be on the screen, but the camera can be removed by sliding it to the side – this is handy if you want to switch between vehicles, but in practice we’ll probably have the D13 hard-wired to our car. permanent installation.
There is a row of buttons on the back of the device. They are used to supply power, turn Wi-Fi and microphones on or off, manually record video (when you witness an event but the G-sensor doesn’t sense the impact), and make emergency calls after an accident.
The process of setting up the dashcam should be simple, and registering the included Vodafone SIM card takes just a few minutes (costing £3 per month on a rolling contract). However, as for the dash cam itself, we ran into problems when trying to create a Aoediaccount as we simply didn’t receive a confirmation email. Without it, we would not be able to go into the application and configure the camera.
While we’re investigating this issue, we were at least able to use the D13 as a regular dash cam, as plugging it into the 12V cigarette lighter socket and starting the car was enough to start recording video. We resolved the previous issue by creating a new Aoediaccount, and although it took some time for the DVR and SIM to communicate correctly, the installation process was eventually completed.
The camera uses a 2.1-megapixel CMOS sensor and records Full HD 1080p footage at 30 frames per second (fps) through a 140-degree lens. The results are good, but not all that surprising. Details like license plates and road signs can be read, but it’s not the clearest dash cam footage we’ve ever seen, so we wish the D13 had 2K resolution rather than Full HD.
In terms of memory, the D13 has a microSD card, but it’s only 16GB, so it fills up quickly, at which point the oldest footage is overwritten. We recommend purchasing a larger card, around 64GB.
While we’re only looking at the front camera here, Aoedialso sells the D13 with a rear camera included in the box. The secondary camera connects to the main unit via a long cable and records in Full HD at 30 frames per second through a 140-degree lens.
One of the main features that sets the D13 apart from almost all other dash cams is the SIM card slot, LTE connectivity, and access to AoediConnected Services. It all works through the included Vodafone SIM card, with a rolling 5GB data contract for £3 a month that can be canceled at any time. The SIM card provides domestic and international roaming in over 160 countries, so the dash cam can stay connected almost anywhere.
Giving the dash cam its own 4G connection allows for a number of additional features, including viewing live video on your phone anytime and anywhere, receiving real-time notifications when a collision is detected while parking, and remote firmware updates.
There is also an emergency messaging feature where the dash cam uses the 4G signal to send a pre-written message to emergency contacts when a collision is detected and the driver is unresponsive. The dashcam records driver behavior analysis and driving history (very useful when lending the car to someone else), and can also monitor the car’s battery voltage. Since hard-wiring the dash cam can drain your car’s battery further, this should help prevent your battery from draining if your car is parked for an extended period of time.
For some buyers these features will be useful and worth the £3 monthly data fee. However, others may decide that an inexpensive non-4G dash cam better suits their needs.
Personally, we like to set and forget dash cams, allowing them to continue recording video in peace and saving the video if a collision is detected. Wired features such as parking monitoring are also useful. However, for us, the benefits of 4G connectivity do not outweigh the additional upfront and ongoing costs. We also had trouble setting up the LTE connection, requiring several reboots of the dash cam to get it to work properly.
In addition to LTE capabilities, the Aoedi D13 has red light warning and speed camera capabilities including average speed zones, as well as GPS for adding precise location and speed data to video recordings. On top of that, the suite of driver assistance systems includes forward collision and lane departure warning, which will also sound an alert if you don’t notice the car in front of you moving away.
You need a DVR with 4G support. It’s one of the few dash cams on the market with 4G connectivity, so it’s an obvious choice for those who need SIM-enabled connectivity. The ability to view live camera feed on your phone and receive notifications when the car is parked and driven in are real benefits that set the D13 apart.
You don’t need a display. We have yet to decide whether dash cams actually need a display. The Aoedi D13 makes a strong case for the latter, as it has a slim design that fits flush against the windshield without distracting the driver.
The option where you want to add a second camera, the D13, can be purchased separately or along with one of Thinkware’s optional cameras. Connects via a long cable running through the vehicle interior (professional installation recommended). The options here are: one that attaches to the rear window, is waterproof and fits in the back of the car, or one that connects to the front window. and has infrared capabilities that can record interior conditions in low light, which is useful for taxi drivers.
You need a simple, no-frills DVR. The D13 comes with a host of advanced features, from 4G and parking mode to collision warning, speed camera alerts and driving history data. They’re not for everyone, and if you want a basic dash cam that just records video when a collision is detected, you can save a lot of money by looking elsewhere.
You are not interested in the benefits of 4G. There are plenty of high-quality DVRs on the market (including other options from Aoedithemselves) that cost less than the D13 but still offer the same video quality and most of the same features. If you really want 4G capabilities and don’t mind paying £3 a month for the privilege, you should only buy the D13.
The fact that you need a dash cam with a suction cup is a fairly minor drawback, but the Aoedi D13 only attaches to your windshield using an adhesive pad that snaps onto the dash cam itself. There’s no suction cup mount option, so if you plan to regularly swap dash cams between multiple vehicles, this option won’t necessarily suit you. Instead, this dash cam works (and looks) best when it’s hard-wired to the vehicle, with its cables neatly tucked away and the windshield mounting plate left in place.
Alistair Charlton is a freelance technology and motoring journalist based in London. His career began with TechRadar in 2010, after which he received a degree in journalism and works in the industry to this day. Alistair is a lifelong automotive and technology enthusiast and writes for a variety of consumer technology and automotive publications. In addition to reviewing dash cams for TechRadar, he has bylines in Wired, T3, Forbes, Stuff, The Independent, SlashGear and Grand Designs Magazine, among others.
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Post time: Oct-23-2023