Device combines a front-and-rear camera system with a wireless CarPlay adapter
Ottosafe Cam
If you’re looking for a dash cam, you’ll face a crowded field. It takes something special to stand out, and the Ottosafe Cam does offer something unique. It isn’t simply a dash cam; it combines a front-and-rear camera system with a wireless CarPlay adapter, allowing you to view recordings and the live camera feed on the car’s existing infotainment display.
It’s an appealing concept, particularly for anyone with an older car that has factory-wired Apple CarPlay but lacks more modern wireless connectivity.
The OttoSafe Cam cameras provide coverage in both directions, with the front camera offering a 130-degree adjustable field of view. Recording is in 2K QHD, giving it enough resolution to capture useful detail while keeping file sizes more manageable. The system captures pretty decent footage in both daylight and low-light conditions.
As you’ll see, the OttoSafe can’t compete with the very best dedicated 4K dash cams in terms of outright image quality. However, 2K isn’t too bad. Especially given the camera’s real party trick is its integration with the car.
Once installed, you can access a live view of the road through the car’s existing infotainment screen. You can also review, lock, and delete recorded clips from the display rather than removing a memory card or fiddling with a separate camera screen with dodgy little plastic buttons. This is so much simpler!
The system also doubles as a wireless CarPlay adapter. Connect your iPhone to the OttoSafe unit to use navigation, calls, and music wirelessly, then switch to the camera view when required. The car’s existing controls continue to work with CarPlay, making the overall setup feel much more integrated than with a typical aftermarket dash cam.
Installation is refreshingly straightforward. It’s essentially a plug-and-play installation that requires no separate app or complicated configuration.
The OttoSafe Cam includes a G-sensor that detects impacts and automatically locks the relevant recording, accompanied by a voice alert. This is an important feature because it reduces the risk of an incident being overwritten by the camera’s normal recording cycle. Parking surveillance is also supported, although 24-hour parking monitoring requires a separately purchased hardwire kit.
Storage is handled using microSD cards, with Ottocast offering a 64GB card as an optional bundle. That means you aren’t tied to proprietary storage, although choosing a suitable high-endurance card is sensible for a camera that will be recording frequently.
Compatibility needs to be checked carefully before buying. The OttoSafe Cam is primarily designed for vehicles with factory-wired Apple CarPlay. Android Auto-only and wireless-only CarPlay vehicles aren’t supported.
That’s potentially a significant limitation. If your car already has wireless CarPlay, the adapter’s main benefit is reduced, while Android users should be particularly careful. The software is also, I’d say, still a work in progress. I experienced a few glitches along the way, but nothing that proved to be a deal-breaker.
The OttoSafe Cam is currently available for £105 from the Ottocast website
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