70mai A810S 4K Dashcam Review: The New King of Night Vision?

Monday, 16 February 2026 at 02:44

I’ve spent the last couple of weeks living with the 70mai A810S strapped to my windscreen. This isn't just a quick look at the box; it is a deep dive into what it is actually like to use this 4K dual-channel system every single day. If you are tired of reading marketing fluff and want to know if this camera will actually save your skin (and your insurance premium), you’re in the right place.

For a long time, dashcams were divided into two camps: cheap, grainy units that couldn't read a plate to save their lives, and incredibly expensive "pro" units that cost more than a set of new tires. The A810S aims for that sweet spot in the middle. It takes the foundation of the previous A810 and evolves it into something that can survive the reality of modern driving—especially if you live in a climate where the sun tries to melt your dashboard.

Key points

Sony STARVIS 2 Power: Delivers true 4K UHD resolution with incredible dynamic range and night performance.
Heat Resistant Build: The move to a supercapacitor ensures the camera survives extreme temperatures better than battery models.
Smart Event Discovery: The app features a color-coded timeline that makes finding accidents or bumps incredibly fast.
Optional 4G Cloud: With the UP04 kit, users can track their vehicle and view live footage remotely from their phone.
HEVC Efficiency: Uses H.265 compression to maintain 4K quality while keeping file sizes small and manageable.

Hardware and First Impressions

Right out of the box, the A810S feels substantial. It retains the same wedge-shaped design as its predecessor, which I actually prefer because it sits relatively flush against the glass. The buttons have been updated to feel firmer and more tactile. Personally, I liked the softer buttons of the older models, but these feel like they will last longer under repeated use.

One of the most important upgrades is internal. The move from a lithium-ion battery to a supercapacitor is the headline feature here. If you’ve ever had a dashcam die because the battery swelled up like a pufferfish after a hot summer day, you’ll understand why this matters. Capacitors handle extreme heat significantly better and offer a much longer operational lifespan. It’s a peace-of-mind upgrade that proves 70mai is listening to user feedback.

The Visual Powerhouse: Sony STARVIS 2

Let’s talk about the lens. The front camera uses the Sony STARVIS 2 IMX678 sensor, which is currently the gold standard for consumer dashcams. It records in True 4K (3840×2160).

Daytime Performance

In broad daylight, the footage is nothing short of spectacular. The clarity is sharp enough that road signs and license plates are usually legible even at a distance. What I really noticed, though, was the HDR (High Dynamic Range). You can see it working when you drive under a bridge or through a tunnel. Usually, a camera would take a second to adjust, leaving you with a white "blowout" or a black void. The A810S balances these extremes almost instantly. There is a slight trade-off—high-speed motion can occasionally look a bit blurred when the HDR is processing—but I would much rather have a slightly soft image where I can see the car than a sharp image where the plate is just a white rectangle.

Night Vision: Lumi Vision vs. The Dark

Nighttime is where most dashcams fail miserably. 70mai markets this with terms like "Night Owl Vision" and "Lumi Vision." Marketing speak aside, the low-light performance is genuinely impressive.

I’ve reviewed footage from unlit backroads where the camera pulled usable detail out of what looked like a black hole to my naked eyes. It handles headlight glare well, which is often the Achilles' heel of cheaper units. While you still won't catch every single plate at 80km/h in the pitch black (no camera will), your odds are significantly better here than with almost anything else on the market.

The Connectivity and The App Experience

We live in a world where everything has an app, and usually, they are terrible. Fortunately, the 70mai app is one of the better ones.

Wi-Fi 6 (With a Catch)

The A810S supports Wi-Fi 6, which sounds like it should be lightning fast. However, it operates on the 2.4 GHz band. In real-world testing, I was getting download speeds of about 20 MB/s. Is it faster than older models? Yes. Is it as fast as a 5 GHz implementation? No. But for grabbing a one-minute 4K clip on the side of the road, it’s more than enough.

The Timeline Feature

One "outstanding" feature of the app is the video scrub bar. As you scroll through your footage, the line changes color to highlight "points of interest"—like when the G-sensor detected a bump or when the ADAS flagged an event. It makes finding that "one moment" incredibly easy. I’ve used professional home CCTV systems that aren't this intuitive.

Parking Mode and The 4G Factor

If you want to use this camera to protect your car while it's parked, you need to understand one thing: you must buy a hardwire kit. Out of the box, the internal capacitor doesn't have enough juice to run a parking monitor.

4G Remote Monitoring

I tested this with the 70mai 4G UP04 modem. This allows for live view, instant alerts to your phone if someone bumps your car, and even vehicle tracking. It works reliably, provided you have a SIM card with a decent data plan. One weird quirk I noticed is that you can only see your car’s battery voltage level through the app if you have that SIM card installed. Without it, the app stays silent on how your car battery is doing.

AI Motion Detection

The parking mode uses AI to detect human movement around the car. It’s surprisingly accurate. It doesn’t trigger every time a leaf blows past, but it will wake up if someone starts loitering near your driver-side door.

ADAS: The Helpful Passenger?

The Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) are included, providing alerts for lane departures, forward collisions, and even "pedestrian/cyclist" detection. To be honest, most of the time it’s just background noise. However, there was one night where it beeped for a cyclist I genuinely hadn't seen yet. In that one second, it earned its keep. You can adjust the sensitivity or turn it off entirely if the "vehicle ahead has started" alerts get on your nerves in heavy traffic.

Storage and Efficiency

The A810S uses HEVC (H.265) compression. This is vital for 4K video. A one-minute clip comes in at roughly 210 MB with a bitrate of 29.4 Mb/s. It sounds like a lot, but for 4K, it’s actually quite lean. I’d recommend at least a 256GB card, which will give you roughly 18 hours of front-and-back footage before it starts looping over itself. The unit officially supports up to 512GB, which is great for long-distance road trips.

Final Thoughts: The Verdict

The 70mai A810S isn't a radical departure from what came before, but it is a much more resilient evolution. By moving to a supercapacitor and sticking with the best Sony sensor in the business, they’ve created a dependable, high-quality witness.

The Pros:

Incredible 4K clarity and top-tier night vision.
Supercapacitor build for heat resilience.
Excellent app with a smart timeline.
HEVC compression keeps file sizes manageable.

The Cons:

Parking features require extra hardware (Hardwire kit).
GPS lock can be a bit slow occasionally.
The 4G modem is an added expense for those who want remote features.

If you want a "set it and forget it" 4K dashcam that won't cook itself in the summer heat, the A810S is a solid, dependable choice. Just make sure you factor in the cost of a good SD card and a hardwire kit to get the most out of it.