Viofo Dash Cams: Complete Brand Guide & Every Model Ranked (2026)

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VIOFO's range now gives three practical answers rather than one: the A329S is the flagship for drivers who want the most capable platform the company sells, the A229 Plus is the value pick for front and rear coverage, and the A119 Mini 2 is still the front-only camera most buyers should start with. Everything else in the catalog is a variant on those three positions, and the variants are where money gets wasted.

The lineup is hard to navigate because VIOFO stopped selling one camera per price tier. An A329S, an A329T and an A329WW share a front sensor, a menu system and a mounting family, then answer completely different questions: general coverage, long-range plate capture, and rear recording on a vehicle with no usable rear glass. Choosing between them is a channel-topology decision, not a resolution decision. The resolution side is covered separately in our roundup of the sharpest 4K dash cams.

Two structural facts shape the whole range. First, 4K says nothing about whether a plate will be legible at speed, which is why VIOFO now sells a genuine 4× optical telephoto channel: concentrating pixels into a narrow corridor does more for plate capture than adding pixels to a wide frame. Second, "3CH" no longer means front, rear and cabin. On the A329 family it can mean front, telephoto and cabin, or front, telephoto and waterproof rear, and buyers who assume otherwise end up with hardware that does not match their vehicle.

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VIOFO's Philosophy: Local Recording, Heat-Tolerant Hardware

VIOFO's current car lineup rests on two Sony STARVIS 2 sensors and very little sensor variety beyond them. The 8MP IMX678, a 1/1.8-inch part, handles the 4K channels on the flagship and mid-range models. The 5MP IMX675 handles every 2K channel: rear cameras, cabin cameras, telephoto modules and the entire front-only compact range. That shared foundation is why a pocket-sized front-only camera and a three-channel flagship can behave like members of the same family.

Every current VIOFO car camera uses a supercapacitor instead of a lithium battery. For a device adhered to a windshield and parked in the sun, that is the difference between a component rated for high cabin temperatures and one that swells. VIOFO rates the A329S and the A229 Pro for operation from -20°C to 65°C.

VIOFO is a local-connectivity brand, and that shapes what the cameras are for. The app and the Wi-Fi radio are camera-to-phone tools, not a cloud service: there is no built-in LTE radio and no first-party remote live-view platform in the car range. The A329 platform adds Wi-Fi 6 and advertises transfer rates up to roughly 30 MB/s under ideal conditions, alongside USB 3.0 direct file transfer. Drivers who need remote monitoring are shopping in a different category, which our guide to cloud-connected dash cams covers.

Parking surveillance on VIOFO hardware always requires a hardwire kit, because the included 12V cable dies with the ignition. The A329 platform supports five modes: Hybrid Parking Recording, Low Power Impact Detection, buffered Auto Event Detection, Time-Lapse and Low Bitrate. The A229 and A119 families use the older three: buffered Auto Event Detection, Time-Lapse and Low Bitrate. The HK4 kit covers most of the range, while the A329S uses the HK6 for the newest hybrid and low-power features, with HK4 listed as compatible in some configurations. Our hardwire kit guide breaks down which kit fits which camera.

Software support is current rather than abandoned. VIOFO's Dashcam App and its desktop Player are both actively maintained, and the Player handles editing, stitching, zoom and pan, and continuous playback.

How VIOFO's Naming System Works

The prefix is the family, the number is the generation, the letter after it is the specialism, and the channel count is independent of both. S is the general flagship line. T adds a telephoto channel. In A329TC, the C marks the cabin-oriented telephoto configuration rather than a conventional rear camera. W marks an exterior waterproof camera. A "1CH / 2CH / 3CH" suffix says how many cameras record simultaneously, not which ones they are.

Reading that table explains why the A329TC has no rear camera while the A329T 3CH does. Neither is a downgrade of the other. One is built for a driver who wants a dedicated cabin channel and a dedicated plate channel; the other is built for a driver who wants a road camera behind the car.

The A329 Family: The Current Flagship

The A329 platform is VIOFO's newest architecture and the one that carries every feature the company currently ships: Wi-Fi 6, external SSD recording, five parking modes, and a modular camera ecosystem where the same main unit accepts a standard rear camera, a 210° infrared cabin camera, a telephoto module or a waterproof exterior camera.

VIOFO A329S (1CH / 2CH / 2CH IR / 3CH)

The A329S is the general-purpose flagship. Its front channel is the 8MP STARVIS 2 IMX678 behind an F1.8 lens at 140°, and it records 4K at up to 60 fps, but only with HDR disabled. Switching HDR on drops the front channel to 4K at 30 fps. That trade-off runs through the entire catalog and is worth understanding before comparing frame-rate numbers across models.

The 2CH IR configuration swaps the conventional rear camera for the 210° fisheye infrared cabin unit, which is the rideshare-oriented setup: it covers the interior and the side windows rather than the road behind. The 3CH adds both, running 4K30 at the front and 2K30 on the cabin and rear channels simultaneously. V2-series firmware added geofencing, impact alerts and revised parking and storage behaviour.

Check the VIOFO A329S 2CH on Amazon · Check the VIOFO A329S 1CH on Amazon · Check the VIOFO A329S 3CH on Amazon

VIOFO A329T and A329TC: The Telephoto Branch

The A329T exists for one reason: a wide 4K lens still allocates few pixels to a plate several car lengths ahead, because those pixels are spread across the whole scene. The telephoto channel is a 5MP STARVIS 2 IMX675 with genuine 4× optical zoom and a narrow 35° field of view, pointed down the same road. VIOFO intends it to resolve plate and vehicle detail at roughly three to five car lengths in favourable conditions, while the wide front channel keeps the surrounding context.

The 2CH pairs a 4K wide front with the telephoto. The 3CH adds a conventional 2K rear camera. The A329TC 3CH replaces that rear camera with the 2K 210° infrared cabin channel, so it records 4K30 wide, 2K30 telephoto and 2K30 cabin with HDR on all three. VIOFO also documents conversion firmware that turns compatible A329S, A329T or A329WW hardware into A329TC mode, and the A329TC's V2.2 firmware release added camera enable and disable controls, revised parking G-sensor sensitivity and a Parking Only audio mode.

A 2CH telephoto kit is expandable rather than locked: adding a standard rear camera makes it a 3CH, and adding a waterproof rear camera makes it an A329TW.

Check the VIOFO A329T 2CH on Amazon · Check the VIOFO A329TC 3CH on Amazon

VIOFO A329SW, A329TW and A329WW: Exterior Waterproof Cameras

These three variants matter to a specific buyer: someone whose vehicle has no useful rear glass, or whose rear glass is tinted, heated or dirty enough to ruin rear footage. All three substitute one or more interior-mounted cameras for IP67 exterior units with a hydrophobic lens treatment.

• A329SW 2CH pairs the 4K front with a single 2K STARVIS 2 IMX675 waterproof rear. The 3CH version adds the 210° infrared cabin camera.
• A329TW 3CH runs 4K wide front, 2K telephoto and 2K waterproof rear, with HDR across all three and STARVIS 2 sensors throughout.
• A329WW 3CH carries a 4K front and two separate 2K HDR waterproof cameras that can be positioned for rear and side coverage, with cable lengths sized for commercial vehicles and trailers.

A sedan owner normally has no reason to pay the premium for any of these. The value is installation flexibility on pickups, cargo vans, trucks and vehicles where interior rear mounting simply does not work. Our truck dash cam roundup covers that use case in more depth.

Check the VIOFO A329WW 3CH on Amazon · Check the VIOFO A329TW 3CH on Amazon · Check the VIOFO A329SW 2CH on Amazon

Original VIOFO A329

The original A329 introduced the 4K60 front plus 2K30 rear combination on a Wi-Fi 6 platform with 4 TB external SSD support, GPS and a 2.4-inch LCD. It remains a capable dual-channel recorder. What it lacks is the newer platform's multi-module flexibility and its hybrid and low-power parking implementation, which is why remaining stock should be treated as clearance rather than an alternative to the A329S.

The A229 Family: The Mainstream Range

The A229 line is where most buyers land. It splits into three tiers that share a windshield footprint and a hardwire ecosystem, then diverge sharply on channel count and rear-camera resolution.

VIOFO A229 Ultra (2CH / 3CH / Ultra-W)

The Ultra's headline is a 4K rear camera. Both front and rear channels use the 8MP STARVIS 2 IMX678, which no other VIOFO configuration does outside the A329 family. The 3CH adds a 1080p ultra-wide fisheye infrared cabin camera and is marketed with HDR on all three channels.

The compromises are deliberate. The Ultra runs standard 5 GHz and 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi rather than Wi-Fi 6, tops out at 512 GB microSD with no external SSD support, and uses the standard HK4 parking trio. The Ultra-W variant swaps the interior rear camera for a 4K IP67 waterproof exterior unit.

The rear 4K module is not interchangeable with the A229 Pro's 2K rear camera, but the rest of the installation carries over. Anyone upgrading from an A229 Pro or Plus keeps their existing wiring runs and mount, which is a real cost saving if the hardwire work is already done.

Check the VIOFO A229 Ultra 2CH on Amazon · Check the VIOFO A229 Ultra 3CH on Amazon

VIOFO A229 Pro (1CH / 2CH / 3CH / Pro-W / Pro Tele)

The A229 Pro is the mainstream premium recommendation: 4K front, 2K rear, 1080p infrared cabin, and no dependence on the newest storage or parking architecture.

The 1CH is 4K HDR front only, and the 2CH drops the cabin channel. The Pro-W variants replace the rear camera with a 2K IP67 waterproof unit, in 2CH or with the cabin channel added. The Pro Tele 3CH runs a 4K wide front, a 2K 4× optical telephoto and a 1080p cabin camera, with no conventional rear camera at all. On ordinary A229 Pro and Plus units, the RTC320 telephoto camera occupies the standard rear-camera port.

Check the VIOFO A229 Pro 2CH on Amazon · Check the VIOFO A229 Pro 1CH on Amazon · Check the VIOFO A229 Pro Tele 3CH on Amazon

VIOFO A229 Plus (2CH / 3CH / Plus-W)

The A229 Plus is the value sweet spot and, for most drivers, the correct answer. It runs dual 5MP STARVIS 2 IMX675 sensors front and rear, records 2K at up to 60 fps at the front and 2K30 at the rear, and supports HDR on both main channels. The 3CH adds a 2MP STARVIS infrared cabin camera at 1080p. The Plus-W 3CH pairs the 2K front with a 2K waterproof exterior rear camera and the same cabin channel.

What it gives up against the Pro is resolution, not capability: same 5 GHz Wi-Fi, same GPS, same voice control, same BTR200 Bluetooth remote support, same HK4 parking modes, same 512 GB card ceiling, same 2.4-inch LCD. That is why it stays the mainstream recommendation for a two-channel setup. Note that the 60 fps mode and HDR do not operate together here either; HDR runs at 30 fps.

Check the VIOFO A229 Plus 2CH on Amazon · Check the VIOFO A229 Plus 3CH on Amazon

VIOFO A229 Duo (Legacy)

The original A229 generation ran 2K30 front and 2K30 rear on pre-STARVIS 2 sensors, with 2.4/5 GHz Wi-Fi, built-in GPS, a 2.4-inch LCD, a slim rear coaxial cable, buffered parking modes and voice notifications. It is discontinued. Buy it only if it undercuts the A229 Plus by enough to justify older sensors and older firmware context.

The A119 and VS1 Family: Front-Only and Compact

VIOFO A119M Pro

The A119M Pro is the 4K upgrade in the compact wedge line: the 8MP STARVIS 2 IMX678 behind an approximately 130° lens, recording 4K30 with HDR, on Wi-Fi 6 with quad-mode GPS, voice control and voice notifications, a 1.5-inch screen, buffered parking surveillance, a supercapacitor and CPL compatibility. Its card ceiling is 512 GB.

VIOFO A119 Mini 2

The A119 Mini 2 is the camera that still gets recommended most often in enthusiast threads, and the reason is that it covers the essentials without a premium. The 5MP STARVIS 2 IMX675 records 2560 × 1440 at up to 60 fps, or 2K with HDR at 30 fps, through an F1.6 seven-element lens at 140°. It carries a 1.5-inch LCD, dual-band 2.4/5 GHz Wi-Fi, built-in GPS, voice control and notifications, 512 GB card support, buffered Auto Event Detection plus Time-Lapse and Low Bitrate parking with the HK4 kit, a supercapacitor, and CPL and BTR200 accessory support.

VIOFO VS1 Mini

The VS1 is the screenless option, built on the same IMX675 sensor but recording 2K at 30 fps with HDR and an approximately 140° field of view. It keeps 5 GHz Wi-Fi, built-in GPS, voice control, 512 GB support, a supercapacitor and buffered parking with a compatible hardwire kit, and drops the display entirely in exchange for a smaller housing. Setup, framing and playback all run through the phone app, which is the whole point and also the whole trade-off. Our comparison of the VIOFO Mini series digs into how these compact bodies differ in practice.

Check the VIOFO A119M Pro on Amazon · Check the VIOFO A119 Mini 2 on Amazon · Check the VIOFO VS1 on Amazon

VIOFO A119 V3 (Legacy)

The A119 V3 remains on sale directly from VIOFO despite being technologically dated: a 5MP Sony IMX335 recording up to 2560 × 1600 at 30 fps with HDR, an F1.6 lens at roughly 140°, a 2-inch LCD, GPS through the mount, no built-in Wi-Fi, a 256 GB card ceiling, buffered Auto Event plus Time-Lapse and Low Bitrate parking, an HK3 hardwire kit, a mini-USB connector and a supercapacitor. It is worth buying only when it is materially cheaper than the A119 Mini 2, which beats it on sensor generation, Wi-Fi speed, voice functions and card capacity.

Check the VIOFO A119 V3 on Amazon

Specialist Models: Motorcycle, Truck and Modular Systems

The MT1 is VIOFO's motorcycle system and does not belong in a car-camera ranking. It runs dual 1080p30 cameras with 2.13MP Sony sensor modules, roughly 170° coverage, IP67 waterproof camera housings, 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi, a GPS logger, a wired remote control, G-sensor and loop recording, a 256 GB card ceiling with a 32 GB card included, 12V direct/ACC power and a supercapacitor in a screenless body. Its integrated weatherproof installation is the selling point; its imaging architecture is a generation behind VIOFO's car range, which is why our motorcycle dash cam roundup evaluates it against purpose-built rivals.

The A139 Pro was VIOFO's modular screenless flagship and remains useful for one specific reason: remote, very slim secondary cameras connected by thin coaxial cable. The front is an 8MP IMX678 recording 4K30 HDR. The 2CH pairs it with a 1080p rear; the 3CH adds a 1080p interior camera. It has 5 GHz Wi-Fi, GPS, no LCD, 512 GB card support, buffered parking and an HK3-C hardwire architecture, and it carried many accessories forward from the original A139. The 2CH still appears as residual stock; the 3CH and infrared variants are sold out. The original A139, which ran a 2K front camera with 1080p secondary channels, is discontinued.

Check the VIOFO A139 Pro on Amazon · Check the VIOFO MT1 on Amazon

Legacy VIOFO Models Still Worth Considering

VIOFO keeps firmware available for models it no longer sells, which is a point in the brand's favour and also a trap: firmware support is not the same as a good purchase in 2026.

The A129 Pro Duo 4K was the legacy dual-channel flagship: an 8MP Sony IMX317 recording 4K30 at the front, a 1080p30 IMX291 at the rear, roughly 130° and 160° fields of view, 2.4/5 GHz Wi-Fi, GPS, a 2-inch display, 512 GB card support, three parking modes including buffered event detection, an HK3 hardwire kit, mini-USB and a supercapacitor. It is discontinued, and the 1080p rear camera is its weakest point against modern dual systems.

The A129 Plus Duo was the legacy value model: 1440p at up to 60 fps at the front, 1080p30 at the rear, STARVIS sensors, F1.6 optics, front HDR, 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi, GPS and Bluetooth, a 2-inch LCD, mini-USB and a supercapacitor. VIOFO has sold out; remaining stock sits with retailers. It is the legacy dual-channel camera most likely to be worth buying cheap, provided the A229 Plus is not close in price.

The WM1 was the discreet screenless mini: a 5MP IMX335 recording 2K1440p30 with WDR through an F1.8 135° lens, 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi, GPS, no LCD, a 256 GB card ceiling, buffered Auto Event plus Time-Lapse and Low Bitrate parking, BTR200 support, USB-C and a supercapacitor. It is discontinued, and some owners prefer its specific mounting footprint over its logical replacement, the VS1.

The A139 ran a 2K front camera with 1080p rear or, in the 3CH, 1080p interior and rear channels, over 5 GHz Wi-Fi and GPS with thin remote cabling and no LCD. It is discontinued. The T130 3CH was the rideshare-oriented triple-channel system: 1440p front, 1080p infrared cabin, 1080p rear, Wi-Fi, GPS, a supercapacitor, parking modes and a 256 GB ceiling. It is discontinued, and a used T130 should be weighed against an A229 Plus 3CH rather than against a new T130.

Check the VIOFO A129 Plus Duo on Amazon · Check the VIOFO T130 3CH on Amazon

VIOFO vs BlackVue and Thinkware: The Honest Comparison

Where VIOFO wins is breadth and storage. No competitor currently matches the variant count: a telephoto channel, an exterior waterproof rear camera, a 210° infrared cabin channel and a 4 TB external SSD all exist inside one platform. If you need long-range plate evidence or rear recording on a vehicle with no useful rear glass, VIOFO is the mainstream brand actually selling those parts.

Where it loses is connectivity. There is no built-in LTE and no first-party cloud in the car range. BlackVue and Thinkware both offer dedicated LTE modules that unlock remote live view, remote event upload and location alerts. Anyone who wants to check on a parked vehicle from a phone should be comparing VIOFO against a cloud-first system, not against a cheaper VIOFO.

Parking draw is the third axis. Thinkware's radar-assisted parking detection on the U3000 Pro reduces standby consumption by waking on movement, and BlackVue advertises an ultra-low-power parking mode that drops below 1 mA while giving up cloud connectivity in that state. VIOFO's newest hybrid and low-power impact detection modes sit in the same conversation, but only on the A329 platform; the A229 and A119 families use the simpler three-mode system. The broader comparison against another feature-heavy brand is covered in our Vantrue model guide.

On the fundamentals, the three brands converge. Top models from all of them run STARVIS 2 sensors and supercapacitors. VIOFO's recurring support themes are card compatibility and hardwire grounding rather than sensor failure, and VIOFO's own troubleshooting documentation lists the hardwire connection, the GPS mount and the SD card as separate causes of random power cycling. That is a diagnostic sequence worth keeping: test the supplied 12V adapter, then bypass the hardwire, then verify the card and format, then check firmware, and only then suspect the camera.

Conclusion

VIOFO's catalog is wider than its reputation suggests, and narrower than it looks once the naming system is decoded. The A329S is the flagship and the right default for anyone who wants the platform with the most room to grow. The A229 Plus is the value answer for a conventional front and rear setup, and the A119 Mini 2 is still the sensible entry point for a single front camera. Everything else in the range is a specialist: the telephoto models for plate capture, the waterproof models for vehicles with no usable rear glass, and the infrared cabin configurations for rideshare and fleet work.

The honest limits are worth stating plainly. VIOFO does not sell cloud connectivity, so remote live view and remote incident uploads are not part of what these cameras do. Parking surveillance requires a hardwire installation and a kit matched to the model. And no resolution figure, including 4K, guarantees a legible plate: aperture, HDR behaviour, bitrate, motion, distance and mounting angle all decide that outcome, which is precisely why the telephoto channel exists as a separate product line rather than as a resolution bump.

For the wider context, our main dash cam roundup places VIOFO's picks against the rest of the market, the parking mode guide explains what each mode actually records while the car is off, and the night vision breakdown covers why low-light footage so often disappoints relative to the spec sheet.

Check the current price of the VIOFO A329S on Amazon