Is Lamtto RC09 Dashcam Wireless CarPlay Best in Class?

Lamtto is a brand that flies under many a radar, but there are navigation and dashcam units galore with something for everyone.

What makes RC09 unusual?

It brings wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto to older cars that may be a little feature-challenged, with a wide touch screen, for $69USD.

We’ve tested wireless mirroring dongles in the past, with mixed results. Some had GPS, some didn’t, while others had onboard apps such as youtube and Google. The biggest issue was dropouts. While it isn’t the end of the world, you cannot touch your phone while you’re moving so dropouts streaming music is annoying, but to have it happen when navigating is worse. When it happens in a complicated area of direction on a thunderous downpour it is downright dangerous.

We tested the entry level Lamtto RC09 extensively. It has a wide landscape touch screen, and while it isn’t a fully featured unit, is fabulous value for money. The unit itself has a classy look and feel, with a solid, well-made chassis and high-quality screen. The combination dashcam unit has navigation by phone mirroring.

While it lacks shock sensors, it does have a party trick. Remember, the unit is intended for use in vehicles sans modern convenience, so brings touch control to an older system’s functionality. First you set up your wireless CarPlay by using Bluetooth. Once you accept “use CarPlay”, the system switches to WiFi. You can then use the unit on its own, handling phone calls and messaging, streaming music, and using Siri and Google. You can take it further by then connecting the RC09 to the car speakers by AUX 3.5mm, Bluetooth, or by tuning to the FM frequency broadcast by the RC09.

BUY HERE:

Official website link: https://lamtto.com/collections/carplay

Amazon link: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0CDP5CTCR

ABOVE: 2024 Lattmo RC09 Dashcam and Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto

While it lacks shock sensors, it does have a party trick. Remember, the unit is intended for use in vehicles sans modern convenience, so brings touch control to an older system’s functionality. First you set up your wireless CarPlay by using Bluetooth. Once you accept “use CarPlay”, the system switches to WiFi. You can then us the unit on its own, handling phone calls and messaging, streaming music, and using Siri and Google. You can take it further by then connecting the RC09 to the car by AUX 3.5mm, Bluetooth, or by tuning to the FM frequency broadcast by the RC09.

During out test, the RC09 worked well with a fast response time, though we weren’t able to establish an FM connection. Its sound reproduction was clear during calls, with none of the pesky detorsion normally associated with budget buys.

The Dual Cam setup and be configured to act as a reversing camera by tapping into the reverse lamp, otherwise acts as a regular dual dashcam. There is a date stamp but no GPS mark, and although the front camera is capable of 2.7, we stuck to 1080p which is also the maximum resolution of the rear camera.

Specifications and ORDERING HERE:

Official website link: https://lamtto.com/collections/carplay

Amazon link: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0CDP5CTCR

At standstill, the video quality easily made registration plates clear, but while driving, our shaky suction arm was a bit iffy. There is a larger double-sided tape fixing mount meant for dashboards, which for obvious reasons, wewere not using it on a brand-new Honda Accord. The suction arm fixes to the windscreen or suitable hard surface, and despite limited movement in the ball swivel, you could probably spend time experimenting for a better position.

The lense appears to be plastic, but for $69USD, you can hardly expect a Zeiss.

The video files are TS and we had trouble playing them on some apps. Transferring to PC is as easy as removing the micro SD to a PC SD slot. To our surprise, the SD was already installed in the RC09 upon opening. A 64gb Micro SDA card alone could cost as much as 1/3 of the price of the entire dashcam, and we thought that was a pretty good deal.

Conclusion:

The Lamtto RC09 is extraordinary value considering screen size and ease of use. It is not perfect, but exceeds anything else in the price range. We have tested wireless USB CarPlay dongles, that didn’t work, which cost far more than the RC09. Keep that in mind when shopping for bargain Dashcams, especially those with wireless carplay/android auto

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