Technical review: 70mai Dashcam Pro can do all the things I want a dash cam, and it is easy to use.

During my years of reviewing gadgets, there are not many things I haven't tested and reviewed.

The driving recorder has always been in my focus, but until recently, I hadn't had the opportunity to try it myself.

I have been using the early production model of Mi 70mai Driving Recorder Pro, which comes with a Chinese manual. Fortunately, the camera menu and website are both in English.

70mai Pro has one of the better driving recorder designs I have seen. The camera body is wedge-shaped, and the rotating lens is suspended on the left.

The mount is also good. There is a small rectangular plastic sheet that can be glued to the windshield, and the camera slides over the mount for easy placement or removal. The mounting seat is fixed with an adhesive pad, which is very good.

Xiaomi includes two transparent plastic stickers that you can use between the windshield and the mounting plate. I think it's easier to remove the clear plastic sticker from the windshield.

I went the other way and fixed the bracket directly to my toll tag, which was installed at the dead spot behind the rearview mirror. The driving recorder is completely hidden behind the mirror I was sitting in the driver's seat.

The main job of 70mai Dashcam Pro is very well done-it can capture video while you are driving. In fact, it captures video in one-minute increments. Every minute of driving is captured as a separate video file.

The camera is powered by a 3-meter microUSB cable that is long enough to go around the edge of the windshield and connect to the included 12-volt power supply that plugs into the car accessory plug. The camera also has a 500 mAh battery that can run in a low-power mode when the car is not running.

It has sensors. If it senses that your car has been hit while parking, it will wake up and record a short video. If this happens when you get off the car, you will receive a voice message telling you that the parking incident has been recorded for you to check.

Users can also talk to the driving recorder and issue verbal commands to take still photos, record videos, or turn the screen on or off. Voice commands are very suitable for me.

The defogging algorithm helps reduce distortion when driving in snow, smoke or haze. I have no chance to see this.

There is an optional GPS module that can replace the camera mount. The GPS bracket activates a feature called Advanced Driver Assistance System, which will send out a real-time alert when your car leaves the lane or is about to hit the vehicle in front.

My review camera is not equipped with a GPS module, so I cannot test these functions.

The 70mai Dashcam Pro has a maximum resolution of 2,592 x 1,944 pixels and uses a Sony IMX335 sensor. The f/1.8 lens has a 140-degree field of view.

It records video in H. 264 or H. 265 format, depending on the resolution.

Videos and images are saved to a microSD card (up to 64 GB).

The camera creates its own Wi-Fi network and establishes a wireless connection with your Android or iOS smartphone so that you can view and download videos and photos. If you have a card reader, you can also download videos from a microSD card.

70mai Dashcam Pro can be purchased from AliExpress, the price with GPS module is 69.99 US dollars, and the price of driving recorder only (without GPS) is 59.99 US dollars.

70mai Dashcam Pro is easy to set up and use. Don’t worry, as soon as you plug in the memory card and when you plug in, the car will start recording. If you need to view the video, just unplug the camera, slide it out of the holder and eject the memory card (or enable the camera’s Wi-Fi for wireless connection).

The menu is easy to navigate and the settings are easy to understand.

The video is clear and it is easy to find individual moments.

The best gadgets are the ones you can set and forget. A dash cam is not something you interact with every day (I hope so), but you will be happy to have it when you need it.