When it comes to dash cams, the less noticeable the better. Aside from not attracting the attention of thieves, its presence on your dash or windshield is also not distracting.
Thankfully, VIOFO is introducing a new dash cam that is designed to be both small and smart: the all-new WM1. Let's take a look at what this stealthy 2K front-only dash cam has to offer!
✓ 2K QHD front camera recording
✓ Sony STARVIS IMX335 Sensor with Night Vision
✓ Small but Stealthy Design
✓ Type-C Flexible Mount
✓ Built-in Wi-Fi and GPS
✓ Voice notifications
✓ Auto-Event Recording, Time Lapse, and Low Bitrate Recording with Buffered Parking Mode
✓ Supercapacitor
✓ Marked under $100
*The VIOFO WM1 is a front-only dash cam, no rear and interior camera options available
If you want to hardwire the WM1 for parking mode, keep in mind that it requires the VIOFO HK4 ACC hardwiring kit, which is not included in the box. You also have to get a MicroSD card for this dash cam, which is available at BlackboxMyCar.
VIOFO has been known to design dash cams with built-in screens such as the A119 V3, A129, and A229 series. If you’re the type of driver who prefers having a more discreet, and screenless front-channel dash cam, you will appreciate how the new WM1 is built.
Among the VIOFO dash cams we offer, the WM1 is the tiniest. Designed like a tube, the single-camera WM1 dash cam’s overall dimensions are only 3.87 inches long, 1.04-inch thick, and 1.21-inch in height. For its total width, it's somehow close to the size of a 12V car charger. Now that’s small!
For its lens, the WM1 has a 60-degree rotatable camera mount attached to the back of the dash cam, which saves space when compared to dash cams with top mounts. This improved design enables easier hidden installation as well as multiple angles to suit your needs, allowing for an optimal viewing angle in a variety of mounting positions and vehicles.
The main unit has four buttons: REC, MIC, Wi-Fi, and the One-Click Emergency Lock Button, which is critical in securing footage in the event of an accident. VIOFO also included a Type-C power port, which was placed in the dash cam mount rather than the camera to make it more visually appealing when installed.
While this is unseen, one more thing that VIOFO added to the WM1 dash cam is the Voice Notification system. This new feature notifies you of events in parking mode when you return to the vehicle, and the current states of the camera.
The VIOFO WM1 is comparable to the A119 V3 - captures 2K, front-only, built-in supercapacitor, and designed to be discreet - although the WM1 is easier to hide and install as it doesn’t have a screen like the A119.
Despite being a small dash cam, the WM1 captures high-quality, stunning footage in 2K QHD. Along with a Novatek NTK96565 chipset, the WM1 sports a Sony STARVIS IMX335 image sensor built in, which captures the road ahead in 1440P at 30 frames per second.
Moreover, the WM1’s wide dynamic range also balances exposure on shadows and highlights, capturing important details like road signs and license plates during the day and night in a 135-degree field of view.
Standard in VIOFO dash cams, the WM1 2K QHD 1-channel dash cam offers 3 different parking recording modes:
The most important one here that you will use is the Auto-Event Detection with buffered recording. With this mode, the Auto-event detection will automatically record for 45 seconds while a moving object is detected, and if any impact is detected, it’ll give you footage 15 seconds before and 30 seconds after so you can get a full understanding of the incident.
Regardless of the parking mode you are using, you will need the HK4 hardwiring cable to activate this feature.
Through the dash cam’s built-in 2.4GHz Wi-Fi, connecting is made more seamless!
The VIOFO app is available in iOS and Android devices, and has a simple user interface that allows you to manage your dash cam straight from your mobile device. Once you have downloaded the app, make sure to update it from time to time so you can enjoy the latest software updates.
If you’re connecting to the WM1, you can press on its Wi-Fi button on the face of your device directly. Once your WM1's Wi-Fi is turned on, the Wi-Fi LED should light up.
To connect, go to the Wi-Fi settings on your phone and look for the Wi-Fi name "VIOFO_model name_XXXX". The default password for this is "12345678". Again, once your phone is connected to the dash cam, the LED light will turn to a solid blue.
Next, launch the VIOFO app on your smartphone and select "Connect your camera”.
You'll know your phone is already connected to the WM1 when you can see the live view of your camera on your phone screen.
Aside from using the VIOFO app for viewing, you can also take the microSD card out of the dash cam and plug it into your computer if you want to stream on a bigger screen.
Note that VIOFO doesn’t offer any desktop viewers, so you will need to use a 3rd party program like the Dash Cam Viewer, which we highly recommend for VIOFO dash cams. You can also connect the dash cam directly to your computer using the included Type-C data cable, or even use an SD card adapter to view the footage directly on your phone.
While the WM1 has a Loop Recording feature, it also supports micro SD cards up to 256GB. Files are recorded in H.265 and saved in MP4 format.
One reason why we love the recent VIOFO dash cams is because of its static sticker. VIOFO introduced this with the VIOFO A229, and they've brought this sticker to all of its latest models, including the A139 Pro and the WM1. This goes right onto the front windshield and the dash cam goes onto the sticker. In other words, the dash cam is not mounted directly onto the glass.
Once you have mounted your WM1 on your windshield, you can adjust the bracket angle up or down for up to 60-degrees, depending on your video recording requirements. This hinge adjustment can also allow the camera to be mounted on a 90° "vertical window," such as the back window of a pickup truck or SUV, or on a fixed side window to provide auxiliary left and right cameras.
In terms of power, the WM1 comes with a 12V power cable that you can plug into your car's cigarette lighter socket if you want a simple plug-and-play solution - although this will not support parking mode.
To use the parking mode features, you must either hardwire the dash cam to your vehicle's fuse panel using a VIOFO HK4 ACC hardwiring kit or use a dedicated dash cam battery pack like the BlackboxMyCar PowerCell 8.
If you’re living in warmer regions, a dash cam’s life may not be as long especially when it's powered by a lithium ion battery. Thankfully with the WM1, it is built with a supercapacitor which works best in heat dissipation. The supercapacitor will also help with the longevity of the unit, especially in high heat situations.
Compared to other 1-channel dash cams like the A119 V3 that has an operating temperature of 5℉ - 149℉ (-10℃ - 65℃), the WM1 is more resistant with its operating temperature of -4℉ - 149℉ (-20℃ - 65℃), providing you with better peace of mind and reliability in various weather conditions.
The VIOFO WM1 features clear 2K QHD, built-in Wi-Fi and GPS, Intelligent Parking Modes, a Mobile App, and much more. Despite being one of the smallest dash cams on the market, the features offered by the WM1 raise the bar for other 2K QHD dash cams.
What’s best is that you can enjoy all of these, under a hundred bucks. Ready to make a purchase? Order yours now here at BlackboxMyCar!
