Thinkware U3000 vs. VIOFO A139 Pro 4K UHD
Dash Cam Comparison Review

Let’s start off with the Thinkware U3000 and VIOFO A139 Pro’s physical attributes. The Thinkware U3000 is a 4K UHD dash cam, available in front-only and front-and-rear configurations. On the other hand, VIOFO made the A139 Pro available in single, dual, and triple-channel systems which are highly recommended if you’re driving a ride-sharing vehicle, or simply want to record what’s happening inside your car.

Talking about its form factor, the Thinkware U3000’s head unit is built with a premium, matte black finish, designed with cross ventilation grills underneath to improve the dash cam’s cooling system. Its head unit is longer, with a vertical lip that hangs down from the front camera as the U3000 had a radar sensor built into its front and rear cameras. Overall, still looks discreet, though it will hang lower.

On the other hand, the VIOFO A139 Pro, unlike the previous, chunky VIOFO models like the A129 Pro, is now designed screenless. The unit hugs the windshield much more than the Thinkware U3000 with no overhang, however the body itself is wider overall.

In terms of design, we think that the Thinkware U3000 displays a more premium feel than the A139 Pro. Other than that, both are easy to hide and install behind the rearview mirror of any vehicle. Both are built without a screen, and recorded footage can be viewed in the dedicated Thinkware Dash Cam link app or VIOFO app.

We appreciate how they upgraded their lenses, but we also want to acknowledge the advancements they have made for these dash cams’ parking modes, especially for the U3000. We are fans of Thinkware’s Parking Mode recording features – with new Smart Parking and Energy Saving mode options.

First and newest, the U3000 now has a Smart Parking Mode feature. This one is designed to protect your vehicle and prevent heat-related damage - reminds us of that AI Heat Monitoring feature in the FineVu GX1000 that we thought was extremely innovative and useful. So, if the temperature inside your car becomes too high or too low during Parking mode, the U3000 will automatically switch to a low-power mode. This means it will only record incidents triggered by impacts until the temperature is safe to resume Motion Detection or Timelapse Parking mode.

While Thinkware has energy-saving mode 2.0 in previous models, there have been unique improvements for it in the Thinkware U3000. When activated, Thinkware’s Energy Saving Parking mode saves a 20-sec video clip only after an impact has been detected. This allows the U3000 to reduce its power consumption and remain in Parking mode for a longer duration.

On top of that, the Thinkware U3000 also adds a built-in RADAR sensor to its unit, enabling energy-saving mode 2.0. Yup, it is what you’re thinking — that external RADAR module that costs more is now built-in to the U3000. This means that when a person or vehicle is detected in a low-power recording situation, the U3000 immediately wakes up and starts recording. Best of all, it’s not just equipped in the front cam, but on the rear camera as well, an industry first. There’s a lot to say about the U3000’s recording modes – the features, old and new, are crucial in keeping the dash cam’s life protected. We also love how Thinkware’s made parking mode activation more convenient by including an OBD-II power cable in every package. If you wish to hardwire it, you can still get a separate Thinkware hardwiring kit.

Comparing them, we think that VIOFO’s parking mode options are much more standard. Just like the previous VIOFO models, the A139 Pro still carries the standard parking mode capabilities – Auto-Event Detection with buffered recording, Low Bitrate Recording, and Time-Lapse Recording. Still, the A139 Pro does have an advantage in parking mode, that being that it can have all 3 cameras on the lookout for incidents at once. Still, recording 3 cameras in parking mode will increase the power draw from the camera, on top of the difference between Thinkware’s more energy-efficient modes. To activate this, you have to purchase a separate HK3-C or HK4 hardwiring kit.

Overall, we are convinced that the Thinkware U3000 has more recording features to ensure your dash cam and car’s 24/7, all-year-long protection, highlighted by its new Smart Parking Mode and Energy Saving recordings.

Now, let’s cover the Connectivity features of the Thinkware U3000 and VIOFO A139 Pro. While both have dual-band 2.4GHz and 5GHz Wi-Fi, and GPS, we found that the Thinkware U3000 goes another step higher with a new built-in Bluetooth feature.

While the VIOFO A139 Pro requires a Wi-Fi connection to connect to the app, the Thinkware U3000 has improved its Bluetooth connection so that it alone can be used to perform simple in-app actions like changing settings, overviewing parking mode events, and other basic functions.

On top of that, it also has Cloud connectivity, particularly through Thinkware CONNECTED. Through this, the U3000 lets you enjoy Impact Notifications when Parked and driving, Send Emergency Messages, Remote Live-View, Vehicle Status and Geo-Fencing. Some recent add-ons that we think are particularly impressive are the ability to monitor the live voltage of the vehicle, and remotely turn off the camera through the app as needed. It now has a full driving history map too, which can provide multiple months worth of driving data, if needed.

Though to be clear, the U3000 will still need an internet connection for the camera if you want to use the Thinkware Connected Cloud features. You’ll also need to have the unit in one of the more standard parking modes, as using the energy-saving mode with the radar will disable the cloud while parked, to conserve power.

Meanwhile, the VIOFO A139 Pro doesn’t have a Cloud service at all. Its app has an easy-to-understand interface, but users are only limited to activities such as watching footage, downloading them and sharing the videos to social networks. So if you wish to monitor your dash cam remotely, receive push notifications, send SOS messages, or generate driving reports, the Thinkware U3000 can serve you better than the A139 Pro. Apart from that, we’d like to note that the Thinkware U3000 also has ADAS and Safety Camera Alerts, which the A139 Pro doesn’t have either.