Garmin Dash Cam Mini 2 Review: Tiny Camera with High-Quality Video Recording

Credit: Honest John Kit

Verdict

If you’re looking for a dashcam that’s simple to operate and hides nicely out of the way, Garmin’s Dash Cam Mini 2 is the best option. The shots aren’t as fantastic as those of its bigger siblings, but they’re still good. The addition of voice control and cloud storage is a benefit, but there is no GPS.

The Garmin Dash Cam Mini 2 is a multi-purpose device that includes voice control, vault storage, and Wi-Fi connectivity in a small package.

Despite a lack of a display, this inconspicuous dash cam has a lot to offer drivers.

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Garmin Dash Cam Mini 2 Review

1. Specifications of Garmin Dash Cam Mini 2
2. Price of Garmin Dash Cam Mini 2
3. Design and Features
4. Performance
5. Setup
6. Software
7. Audio and Video Quality
8. Final words

Specifications of Garmin Dash Cam Mini 2

Price of Garmin Dash Cam Mini 2

If you want your dash cameras to be compact and discreet, easy to operate and record good day and night images, Garmin’s $130 Dash Cam Mini 2 is the one for you. It’s so little that it was totally buried by the dwarfish rearview mirror of my MX-5 Miata. That’s a small amount.

Design and Features

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With its chunky, key fob-sized form and simple curves, the Garmin Mini 2 looks delightfully lovely. Despite its lightweight, the quality of this dash cam is evident in its lattice-effect fascia and strong plastic casing.

Its simple design extends to the only two buttons on the device: one for saving and the other for muting/unmuting the microphone.

Don’t be fooled by the Mini 2’s little size; it contains a powerful set of functions. For starters, there’s accident detection, which saves a video after a crash and uploads it to the Garmin Vault online. This is an online cloud service that provides free 24-hour video storage, with extended storage durations available for a charge.

Voice control is also included in the Mini 2, which is a unique feature in a dashcam at this pricing point. A parking guard also alerts you to suspicious behavior around your car, however you’ll need an active Wi-Fi connection and a hardwire configuration to use this feature.

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Finally, the live view function allows you to monitor a live feed of your camera when away from your vehicle using a smart smartphone.

However, GPS, which is a standard feature of the top Garmin watches and other goods, is absent from the Mini 2’s selection.

Performance

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The Dash Cam Mini 2 operates admirably, and we have no issues. Setting up the camera with the Garmin Drive smartphone app was simple and straightforward, with the app serving as a live viewfinder to assist position the camera (which lacks its own display) accurately. Videos and photographs may be transferred through the app, or manually copied from a microSD card (not supplied) to a computer.

The video quality is excellent, with well-managed exposure (with manual adjustment in the app if needed) and crispness that makes key details such as car number plates simple to notice.

Finally, videos may be submitted to Garmin’s Vault service, which will store them for 24 hours for free. There are monthly paid subscriptions available to boost this.

Setup

Setting up the Garmin Mini 2 is as straightforward as it is with Garmin’s larger dashcam siblings.

Because the dashcam is so light, a little adhesive pad offers a secure mounting surface. Because of its small size, it can be put almost anywhere on your windshield while remaining completely undetectable.

Furthermore, I was impressed with the included dual USB charger, which allows individuals with single power outlets in their vehicles to charge their phones while the device records.

To guarantee you’re receiving the finest view of the road, you’ll want to link the Mini 2 with the Garmin Drive app. It’s difficult to acquire the ideal orientation if you don’t have a display.

Another disadvantage of the Mini 2’s small size is that it doesn’t carry a lot of battery charge, so you’ll need to keep its power connection active to access your data.

Software

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The Mini 2’s settings may be adjusted using Garmin’s companion software, Drive, which can connect to up to four dash cams at once.

The software is well-designed and easy to use, allowing you to store video, take a still photo, load a live stream, and transfer recordings to the Garmin Vault.

The software, however, is not without flaws. The app’s footage playback might be sluggish to load and frequently results in choppy framerates. Additionally, loading the live stream takes time and is prone to malfunction.

Audio and Video Quality

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The picture quality of the Garmin Mini 2 was impressive for a little dash cam running 1080p.

Colors are typically nicely balanced and visuals are crystal clear during the day. The sensor’s fps rate contributes to the smoothness of the footage. Even if there are occasional fuzziness clues — mainly at night — this dash cam performs admirably in low-light situations.

There might be a lot of glare on brighter days, so Mini 2 customers might want to add the optional glare filter to their wishlists. The “fish-eye” look does appear at some angles, but it’s not a deal-breaker.

There’s also no audio problem since the microphone picks up sounds clearly. It will be able to carry out your voice instructions even if music is playing at a low volume.

Final words

The Garmin Mini 2 dash cam is the ideal little dash cam. You need to go no farther if you want high-quality Full HD video with HDR from a very tiny design. The voice controls are also excellent, the mount is tiny and easy to use, and you can connect up to four of these cameras for synchronized recording around your vehicle.