Updated on July 29, 2023
The Mini 0806 is well, a mini dash cam with GPS that was once rated to be the world’s smallest (smaller devices exist now, like the Garmin Dash Cam 45). And yet it has a maximum image resolution of 2304 x 1296 or 2560 x 1080 at 30 fps. Making it a full HD capable car video recorder that is as discreet as it gets. But that is not all. The long list of features of this wonderful device includes GPS logging, gravity sensor with video lock, twin memory card slots with a combined capacity of 256 GB, and 135-degree wide angle lens. Intrigued? Let’s find out more about this little in-car camera.
Quick Summary
| Image | Product | Features | |
|---|---|---|---|
 | SplashETech Mini 0806 |
| Check Price → |
Product Review
Lens
The lens of the Mini 0806 has a broad-angle coverage of up to 135 degrees. There are many options out in the market which offer a much wider angle of view. However, for all practical purposes, 135 degrees is good enough. It covers almost all of the view through the windshield. Plus, the recording resolution is 2560 x 1080p, which resembles the cinematic mode and results in a much more comprehensive display.
Alternatively, you could opt for full HD 1920 x 1080 resolution at a much higher frame rate of 45 seconds. Shooting at such a higher frame rate allows for super-smooth slow-motion playback which in the event of a crash, can help in the evidence-gathering process.
The lens has a magnetic circular polarizer mount. This enables you to add a circular polarizer to the front of the glass. Circular polarizers cut down on glare and haze and add to the overall contrast of the image. Added contrast results in sharper and better image quality.
Recording
The Mini 0806 dash cam with GPS is designed to start shooting footage as soon as the ignition is turned on. This eliminates the human element. You don’t have to remind yourself to switch it on when driving out of the parking lot.
A thing with most other night vision dash cams is that when they take nighttime footage, sometimes there is the presence of a reddish tinge. The reddish color cast can be complicated to watch at times. It can even obscure details. The 0806 employs an Ambarella A7LA50 chipset. This produces cleaner and more natural color tones also when shot in low-light conditions.
This amazingly little dash cam features twin memory card slots, each capable of accepting 128 GB MicroSD cards. With most others in the market, you get only about 32 GB and 64 GB, but this is humongous. You can record continuously for hours because the clever little car DVR would never need to overwrite older files.
Having said that, it does have the loop recording feature. Videos are shot in loops of 1, 3, and 5 minutes. Just in case you forget to free up space by downloading the videos that were previously saved to memory, the DVR will keep recording by overwriting older saved video files starting with the oldest.
GPS
The mini dash cam may be tiny, but also comes integrated with a built-in GPS module. Wonderful, isn’t it how much they packed into this tiny thing? GPS-embedded locational data into the video footage being saved, along with its speed and direction details, are also logged. Though not mandatory to use this feature because logging speed and other information can be counter-intuitive in some cases, if you are generally a safe driver, you won’t mind logging the speed at which you were driving when an accident happened. This can prove to be invaluable when making an insurance claim. With most other small dash cams, GPS is an additional option that requires you to buy an external GPS device and then connects it to the GPS port of the dashcam. Some of the cheap dashcams don’t even give the option for adding an additional module. Hence it will be without GPS altogether.
Resistance To Heat
The Mini 0806 dash cam for cars and trucks is rated to work within a temperature range of 32 – 104 degrees Fahrenheit (40 degrees Celsius). This is not an ideal choice if you live in a hot climate area or routinely park your car under a razing sun. If you need something more heat resistant, try the KDLINKS X1 Full HD, which can withstand a scorching 170 degrees Fahrenheit (76 degrees Celsius)!
Dimensions and Weight
Living up to its name, the 0806 is exceptionally tiny. This mini dash cam with GPS measures a mere 2.8 x 1.6 x 1.6 inches and weighs just 3 ounces, and
High Dynamic Range
The 0806 has a High Dynamic Range, which primarily signifies that the camera can record a larger spectrum of light values between pure white and pure black. This increases the contrast and quality of the video being taken. Also known as HDR this technology is widely used in DSLR and other professional cameras.
Setting It Up
Setting it up is the easy bit. The primary requirement for any device of this nature is that it’s as discreet as possible even when installed and working; this one checks out on that requirement quite easily. The cylindrical shape is nothing like you have seen before. It is narrow and thus easily fits behind the rearview mirror of your car with ease.
Day And Night Road Test Footage
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The Verdict
Aptly named, the most significant unique selling point of this mini dash cam is, ironically, its size and compactness. This is one of the smaller devices out there for sale in the market in 2023 and something that would be very easy to install discreetly on any dashboard or windshield. But size does not mean that the car video recorder does not have the necessary features. It has almost all of them.
You get a dual memory card slot which gives you an extended space capacity, excellent low light recording capability, a reasonably wide angle of coverage with options to mount a circular polarizer. Plus you have integrated GPS logging which almost no other dash cam for cars in the same pricing range provides. Also, you could record at a cinematic wide angle or full-HD at 45 fps. This is a lightweight, compact device that gives you all the basic features that you need for a bargain price.
With more than 20 years of experience in the automotive industry, Ash possesses a deep understanding of the diverse needs and challenges faced by drivers on the road. His relentless commitment to road safety and ongoing research is fueled by a genuine desire to create safer environments for all drivers.
