Two connected Nexar cameras, both recording the road and the cabin, both plugging into your OBD port. One starts at a standard $289.95, and one is $399.95 at its early bird pricing. The question is what the difference buys you and whether you need it.
The road camera
Beam2 records the road in 2K at 30fps across 115 degrees. Beam4 records 4K at 30fps across 146 degrees, through a Sony IMX678 at F1.7 against Beam2's F2.0.
Two of those numbers matter more than the headline one. The jump from 2K to 4K is real, but it is the difference you will notice least in ordinary driving, because 2K already reads a plate in front of you. The 30 degrees of extra view changes what gets caught at all, since it covers the lane beside you rather than mostly what is ahead. And the faster lens shows up at dusk and under street lighting, which is when a lot of incidents happen.
Beam4 also has HDR, in a day mode and a night mode. Beam2 does not. That is the difference between driving into low winter sun and getting a usable frame, or getting a white rectangle where the road should be. If your commute runs early or late, weigh this above the resolution.
The cabin camera
Provided you choose the dual-camera configuration for the Beam2, both cameras can record the cabin at 1080p and 30fps using 940nm infrared, meaning neither lights up the back seat. Beam4's interior lens is F1.7 compared to Beam2's F2, and Beam4 uses an RGB-IR sensor, which keeps daytime interior footage colour-accurate while still giving you infrared after dark.
Parking mode
This is where they differ most, and it is not about recording quality. Beam2 runs on 5V, stepped down from your car's supply, which means it cannot see your battery. Beam4 runs on your 12V or 24V architecture directly and reads the battery, managing its own draw against what it finds.
If you park on the street overnight, that is the parking mode feature worth paying attention to.
The smaller differences
Beam4 records three audio channels where Beam2 records two. Its LTE is a faster category and works globally rather than by region. Its internal battery is larger, 700mAh against 480mAh. Storage arrives fitted on both, so neither asks you to buy a card.
Side by side
| Feature | Nexar Beam4 | Nexar Beam2 |
|---|---|---|
| Road camera | 4K at 30fps, Sony IMX678 | 2K at 30fps |
| Road field of view | 146° diagonal, F1.7 | 115° diagonal, F2.0 |
| HDR | Day and night | None |
| Cabin camera | 1080p at 30fps, F1.7, RGB-IR | 1080p at 30fps, F2 |
| Cabin night vision | 940nm infrared | 940nm infrared |
| Parking mode | Reads your battery directly | Yes |
| Audio | 3 channels | 2 channels |
| Price | $399.95 early bird | $289.95 |
So, which one?
The gap is $110, and it buys a wider and sharper road view, HDR, a better interior lens, and parking mode that watches your battery.
Choose Beam2 if 2K is enough for what you need, if you mostly drive in ordinary light, and if your car sleeps in a garage or a driveway. It is our best seller, and the reasons for that have not changed.
Choose Beam4 if you want the wider view, if you drive into hard light, if you carry passengers after dark, or if you want parking protection you can leave on without thinking about it.
Either way, you get a connected camera with LTE, cloud backup, and an app that does the same things. The plan is the same on both, starting with a free 30 day trial. To see how these specs match up against our entire lineup, you can compare dash cams here.