Hello good people
my name is Andrew Lam
and we review dash cameras
This is the DR02D,
Aukey’s first front-back dash cam for $120 American
and is now
our alternative recommendation to the Mini 0906
that was our top pick in our previous video
on dual budget dash cams
So after extensive tests,
we found we like both for different reasons
The Mini 0906 is a better pick
if you value functionality and performance
The Aukey DR02D is for users who want
a longer 2-year warranty
and a straightforward customer service process
or if you live somewhere hot
We recommend you watch
our previous Top 3 roundup video
on dual budget dash cams first
as we move fast and skip a few explanations
So let’s get into it!
The Aukey DR02D was launched in Sept 2017
Both the front and rear cameras are wedged shaped
and use a matte black plastic
Looking at the front camera
the side facing the driver has a 1.5” LCD screen
with four buttons below
We found the camera sturdy when pressed
but the plastic sounds a bit thin when tapped
On top
are the ports for power, GPS and your rear camera
On the front is the slot for your mount
and the f/1.8 lens
which has great adjustability
and its flush profile makes it compatible
with vertical windshields
Looking at the rear camera body
it’s smaller and plainer than the front camera
There’s a highly adjustable lens on one side
with the port for the USB cable on top
When installed on your vehicle
the DR02D has a stealthy profile which is
harder to notice by outside observers
However, by default there’s a security LED on the front
and rear cameras that flash
and can be seen by other people
We think most users won’t like this feature
as it attracts unnecessary attention
but, it can be disabled in the settings
When you first get the camera,
it comes in a thick cardboard box
which protects the contents during shipping
Overall we found the unboxing experience good
but not amazing
The electronics were safely protected in foam
Below, a cardboard divider separated the
remaining accessories
and you get everything you need to install the camera
We missed the Mini 0906’s wireless remote
which activates the the file lock feature
The remote can be mounted anywhere
and it’s much more convenient than reaching up
and fumbling for the button on the Aukey camera
As well you can turn off camera recording by accident
on the Aukey if you hit the wrong button
If you’re interested in GPS,
you’ll need to spend an extra $20
for an external dongle
whereas the Mini 0906 has one included
and hidden in the mount
Installing the camera was about as easy
as other dual channel cameras
Both the front and back cameras
stick onto your windshield
using removable 3M adhesive pads
The hardest part is running the 20’ USB cable
to your rear windshield
The cable is thick which means good durability
but it’s harder to tuck it into your head or floor liner
After installation, the DR02D can be used right away
but there are some settings you may want to turn off
like the security LEDs
or, to set the time and date
We found the process easy as
Aukey uses on-screen button labels which tells you
what each button does
The menu was well laid out
and we found it easier to use than the Mini 0906
Once setup was complete
we looked at how easy the Aukey is to use day to day
Overall the experience was good
and similar to the Mini 0906 with two exceptions
The first is the lack of a wireless remote
that we mentioned earlier
The other is it takes 14 seconds to turn on
and start recording
which is double the Mini 0906
We think for most people this isn’t a problem,
but for some
you may need to wait a few more seconds
before leaving
We hoped error notifications which alert you
hen the camera has trouble recording
would be better on Aukey
Unfortunately it has a poor design
flashing a brief message with no audio warnings
It’s hard to know if your camera has trouble recording
and you could drive off thinking it’s fine
It’s more likely
that Mini will fix this issue before Aukey
Still, until its fixed
it’s a good idea to check that your camera
is actually recording
I would not recommend the Aukey for parked recording
as you have to manually turn on this feature
by going through the camera’s menu
If you forget to turn it off
your camera may miss footage as
no detection algorithm is perfect
Instead, get the Blackvue DR490 or the newer DR590
for a budget parking camera
Looking at the video quality
most people will be quite happy with either camera
Both have similar high-value hardware
that delivers sharp results during the day and night
for both the front and rear-facing cameras
Looking at the front
there was a slight reduction in sharpness at night
in the Aukey DR02D
as it uses the older Sony Exmor sensor
compared to the newer
Sony Starvis found in the Mini 0906
If we give a rating of 8/10 to the Aukey
the Mini 0906 would be marginally better at 8.5
For the rear camera, we saw no noticeable differences
in bright, dusk and low-light conditions
Both the Mini and Aukey cameras have the same sensor
and lens specs in the rear camera
We also tested the camera at 60°C
to see if the focus is greatly affected by heat
We noticed some loss in focus but the amount
was about average for a good camera
and about the same as the Mini 0906
The Aukey does have a much
higher operational limit at 75°C/167°F
compared to the Mini 0906
so if you live somewhere very hot it’s the better option
As with all electronics, your dash cam can stop working
and Aukey has better help
You get a longer two-year warranty
and it’s easy to contact them
In comparison the Mini 0906 is a white label product
The actual manufacturer of the Mini is called MEGtech
and they won't deal with customers directly
for warranty issues
Instead, they’ll brand their cameras for other companies
like BlueSkySea and Veckle
and you’ll be dependent on your retailer
for warranty service
While we mention great United States,
Canadian
and UK sellers in the description
be aware of buying from China
to save money, as a broken camera
means an expensive overseas shipment
for warranty service
On the other hand
MEGTech maker of the Mini 0906
will update their products
They take feedback from customers and forums
like DashCamTalk and release firmware updates
to make their camera better
In comparison
Aukey has never released a firmware update
for any of their dash cameras which is very unusual
and disappointing for a manufacturer
If all of the comparisons were confusing
you will want to see our article on our website
which has side by side comparisons
and additional information we left out of this video
If you want to see what we’re up to,
check out our Facebook where we put
behind the scene photos and updates
Otherwise
subscribe to our channel if you want more videos
such as the mirror dash camera review in the future
Thanks for watching