MARCH 2021 PCWorld 75Cobra SC 201 Smart Dash Cam
PROS- Excellent video, especially at night.
- Front and interior cameras for ride givers.
- GPS with automatic setup.
CONS - No captures without 12-volt.
- Buggy software at the time of testing.
- App does not support smartphones running
Android 7 or older.
BOTTOM LINE
The Cobra SC 201 front and interior dash cam is easy
to set up and use, captures fantastic video, and offers
GPS cloud uploads (with A8). Cobra even throws in
a 16GB SD card. But if you’re rocking an older
Android phone, approach with caution.
$179
The Cobra SC 201’s night interior captures reveal detail even when it’s not visible to the naked eye.
detailed, albeit not quite as detailed as those
that come from some of the better 4K units. But
you won’t go broke buying SD cards, either.
The only possible fly in the capture ointment
is Cobra’s use of a super capacitor instead of a
battery. Super capacitors have their advantages:
a lot more charge cycles and better resistance to
cold. However, this particular unit provides only
enough run time to save files. That’s nice, but if
your 12-volt is destroyed in an accident, you
won’t capture any action after that—a rare
situation, but not unheard-of.
BOTTOM LINE
The SC 201 is very good at the basics and
comes with a long warranty from a vendor
with a top-notch reputation. If you are running
Android 8 or later (or iOS), put it on your
shortlist of front and interior cameras.