Driving today can be hectic, filled with distractions, unexpected events, and constant awareness needed for what’s happening around you. I often found myself wishing for better visibility, especially when changing lanes or backing up, and a safer, more integrated way to handle navigation and communication without fumbling with my phone. These challenges aren’t just minor inconveniences; they can seriously impact safety on the road, potentially leading to hazardous situations if not properly addressed.
What to Think About When Choosing a Car Camera System
Before diving into a specific product like a rear view mirror camera, it’s essential to consider why you need one and what features are important. Drivers typically seek these systems to improve safety, document incidents, and add modern connectivity like hands-free calls and navigation. The ideal customer is someone who spends a significant amount of time driving, perhaps in busy areas, who drives an older vehicle lacking integrated smart features, or who simply wants enhanced visibility and peace of mind. Someone who rarely drives or prefers a minimalist approach might not need such a comprehensive system. Key things to consider before buying include video resolution (1080P, 2K, 4K), camera coverage (front, rear, interior), special features like night vision, G-sensor, and parking monitoring, connectivity options (CarPlay, Android Auto, Bluetooth, FM), screen size and type (touchscreen), mounting style (mirror vs. windshield), ease of installation, and included accessories like a hardwire kit or SD card.
Introducing the AMprime Solution
The AMprime 9.66″ 1080P Mirror Dash Cam is designed to replace or overlay your existing rearview mirror, offering a dual dash cam setup combined with wireless Carplay and Android Auto functionality. It promises improved visibility, enhanced safety features, and seamless smartphone integration all in one device. When purchased, it includes the main mirror unit, a rear camera, necessary cabling (including a hardwire kit for parking monitoring), and a 64GB TF card to get you started with recording. Compared to basic dash cams, it adds the large display and smartphone mirroring capabilities. While not a full in-dash head unit replacement, it offers a less invasive way to gain features typically found in modern cars or expensive stereo upgrades. This mirror camera system is great for drivers looking to upgrade an older car with smart features and better visibility without a complex installation. It might not be ideal for those seeking the highest possible video resolution (some standalone dash cams offer 4K) or perfect audio streaming via FM transmission.
Pros:
* Excellent rear camera visibility, significantly reducing blind spots.
* Large, responsive 9.66″ full HD touch screen.
* Seamless wireless CarPlay and Android Auto integration.
* Useful voice control for hands-free operation.
* Comprehensive features like 24H parking monitoring and reversing assist.
* Relatively easy installation for basic function, mounting directly over the existing mirror.
* Offers a modern interface in older vehicles without replacing the head unit.
Cons:
* Wiring requires effort for a clean, hidden install.
* FM transmitter audio quality for music is not ideal.
* Screen is a non-reflective black when off.
* Night vision performance for rear camera can struggle with bright headlights.
* Android Auto initial startup behavior and view switching can be clunky.
* Rear camera angle adjustment can be a compromise between driving view and close-up parking view.
Diving Deep into the Key Aspects and Advantages
After installing and using the AMprime mirror dash cam for an extended period, its various features have truly reshaped my daily commute and longer journeys.
Dual 1080P Cameras with Wide Field of View and WDR:
The core function of any dash cam is recording, and this unit comes with both a front and rear camera, both capable of recording in 1080P resolution. The front camera is integrated into the mirror unit and is adjustable, allowing you to get the right angle regardless of your mirror’s position. The rear camera connects via a long cable, which you route to the back of your vehicle. Its 170° wide field of view is particularly impressive. This wide angle captures almost everything behind you, drastically reducing blind spots that traditional mirrors might miss. For someone like me, driving a vehicle with notorious blind spots, this is a game-changer for safety, especially on highways or when changing lanes. The inclusion of Wide Dynamic Range (WDR) technology is also crucial. WDR helps balance exposure in challenging lighting conditions, like driving into direct sunlight or at night with bright headlights. It uses “aurora capture technology” to handle transitions smoothly, ensuring details aren’t lost in overly bright or dark areas. While the night vision on the rear camera can sometimes struggle with extremely bright following headlights (they can appear somewhat blown out), the overall improvement in visibility, day or night, is substantial. This dual camera setup provides crucial video evidence in case of an accident, offering comprehensive coverage of events both in front and behind your vehicle.
Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto Integration:
This is arguably the feature that elevates the AMprime mirror dash cam beyond a standard dash cam. Supporting both wireless CarPlay and Android Auto means you can connect your iPhone or Android phone via Bluetooth and WiFi to mirror essential apps onto the large mirror display. This brings features like GPS navigation (using apps like Google Maps, Waze, etc.), music streaming (Spotify, Apple Music), making and receiving calls, and sending messages using voice commands (Siri, Google Assistant) directly to your dashboard. This is incredibly convenient and significantly safer than looking down at your phone. The wireless connection works smoothly after the initial setup, automatically connecting once the device powers on. Having navigation prominently displayed on a large screen right where you’re used to looking for a mirror is intuitive and keeps your focus high. While some users note that using Android Auto in full-screen mode means you can’t simultaneously see the rear camera view clearly (it requires split-screen, which makes the camera view smaller), the ability to have these essential smartphone features integrated wirelessly is a major plus for modern driving needs.
Large 9.66″ Full HD Touch Screen:
The display itself is a key component of the rear view mirror camera. At 9.66 inches, it’s significantly larger than most standard rearview mirrors and provides ample screen real estate for displaying camera feeds, navigation maps, or infotainment interfaces. The screen is a full touch screen, which makes navigating menus and interacting with CarPlay/Android Auto relatively easy. It’s bright enough for use during the day, and the clarity of the 1080P resolution is good for a display of this size. One practical feature I appreciate is the power button function – a quick press turns the screen off, turning the unit into a traditional (albeit non-reflective black) mirror. Tapping it again brings you right back to where you were, whether it was a camera view or a CarPlay screen. While some users noted a slight delay on slide gestures, taps are generally responsive.
Precise Voice Control:
To further enhance safety by keeping your hands on the wheel, the AMprime mirror dash cam supports precise voice control. You can use predefined commands to perform actions like “Turn on the screen,” “Turn off the screen,” or “Turn on the camera.” This allows you to switch between camera views or activate the display without needing to physically touch the screen, minimizing distractions while driving. This feature adds an extra layer of convenience and safety, especially when conditions require your full attention on the road.
24H Parking Monitor:
Vehicle security is a major concern, and the 24H parking monitor addresses this. With the included hardwire kit connected directly to your car’s battery (professional installation recommended for this), the dash cam can continue monitoring your vehicle even when it’s parked and turned off. You can set a duration for the monitoring, allowing the mirror camera to record events around the vehicle according to your needs. While some parking modes rely on motion or impact sensors to trigger recordings, the provided description suggests this unit utilizes a time-lapse recording approach when parked, which can be useful for continuous surveillance but may consume more battery over extended periods compared to event-triggered recording. It’s an important feature for peace of mind, helping to capture hit-and-runs or vandalism while your car is unattended.
Loop Recording and G-Sensor:
These are standard but essential dash cam features. Loop recording ensures that when your TF card is full, the camera automatically overwrites the oldest files, meaning you never have to manually clear the storage. The G-sensor (Gravity Sensor) detects sudden impacts or changes in acceleration, like in a collision. When triggered, it automatically locks the current video file, preventing it from being overwritten by the loop recording. This ensures that crucial footage from an incident is saved and protected. The included 64GB card provides a decent amount of storage, but the unit supports cards up to 64GB, which is adequate for typical use given the loop recording function.
Reversing Assist:
Backing up, especially in tight spots or with limited rear visibility, can be stressful. The AMprime mirror dash cam includes a reversing assist feature. When you shift your vehicle into reverse (requires connecting a wire to the reverse light trigger), the screen automatically switches to display the rear camera feed. Adjustable reversing lines appear on the screen, providing a visual guide for distance and trajectory. While some users found the default lines not very helpful or the camera’s field of view when angled low enough to see the bumper not ideal for judging distance to close obstacles, the simple fact of having a wide-angle view behind you significantly improves safety and ease when parking or maneuvering in reverse. You can often adjust the angle of the rear camera to find a balance between a driving view and a reverse view, or manually adjust the guide lines in the settings.
FM Transmitter and Bluetooth Connectivity:
The unit includes an FM transmitter, allowing you to broadcast the audio from the dash cam (like navigation prompts or music from CarPlay/Android Auto) to your car’s existing radio system by tuning both devices to the same FM frequency. While convenient, the audio quality for music playback via the FM transmitter is noted by users as being less than ideal, sounding somewhat flat or “tinny” compared to a direct wired connection or a higher-quality Bluetooth streaming setup. However, it works perfectly fine for voice prompts and calls. Bluetooth connectivity also allows you to pair your phone directly for hands-free calls and to play music through the unit itself, potentially outputting audio via the AUX cable option for better quality if your car stereo has an AUX input. This gives you options for integrating the unit’s audio with your car’s speakers.
Hearing From Others: Real-World Experiences
Having looked at various driver comments online, it’s clear many users are genuinely pleased with how the AMprime Rear View Mirror Camera enhances their driving. People often mention how much better visibility is, especially the wide rear camera view, which truly helps eliminate blind spots, a huge benefit for safety. The convenience of having wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto readily available on the large touchscreen is a frequent highlight, making navigation and music much more accessible and safer. The video quality, even at night, is generally praised, and features like the automatic screen-off to function as a mirror are considered thoughtful touches. While some found the installation wiring required effort for a tidy look and noted the FM transmitter’s audio wasn’t great for music, the overall consensus leans very positive, appreciating the mix of modern tech and safety features offered by this integrated mirror dash cam.
Wrapping It Up: Why This Upgrade Matters
Driving today demands constant vigilance and access to information, and traditional vehicle setups often fall short, leaving you vulnerable to blind spots and forcing you to interact unsafely with your phone for navigation or calls. These aren’t minor issues; they pose real risks on the road. The AMprime Rear View Mirror Camera offers a compelling solution. Its dual cameras provide significantly improved visibility, especially the rear view which acts like a digital wide-angle mirror, tackling those dangerous blind spots. The wireless CarPlay and Android Auto integration puts essential smart features safely within reach via voice control and a large touch screen, modernizing older vehicles without complex installations. If you’re looking for enhanced safety through better visibility and the convenience of seamless smartphone connectivity rolled into one device, this mirror dash cam is a great fit. To learn more and check it out for yourself, Click here.