Garmin Dash Cam Mini 3 vs VIOFO A119 Mini 2: Which Small Dash Cam?
This lesson draws on Garmin’s Mini 3 owner’s manual, product page and launch announcement, VIOFO’s A119 Mini 2 page and SanDisk’s High Endurance data sheet. How we research explains the method.
Where the two cameras differ
Both are single-channel front cameras with a 140° lens and voice control. The differences, from Garmin’s and VIOFO’s own pages:
| Feature | Garmin Dash Cam Mini 3 | VIOFO A119 Mini 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Video | 1080p | 2560 x 1440 at 60fps, HDR at 30fps |
| Glare control | Built-in Clarity polarizer | Optional CPL-100 filter |
| GPS | None, date and time only | Built in, logs speed and location |
| Screen | None | 1.5 in (3.8 cm) |
| Wi-Fi | 2.4 GHz | 2.4 and 5 GHz |
| More cameras | Up to four Garmin cameras synced in the app | No rear or extra camera |
Garmin’s launch announcement says the Mini 3 “is not GPS-enabled and will only show the date and time.” Garmin’s product page adds that its clips get speed and location only when synced with a GPS-enabled Garmin camera, while the VIOFO logs both on its own. The VIOFO’s screen also helps you aim it; with the Garmin you aim it through the live view in the Garmin Drive app.
Image detail and glare
The A119 Mini 2 records 2560 x 1440 against the Mini 3’s 1080p, so each frame holds more detail, and it can record at 60fps for fast traffic. VIOFO says to switch to 2K 30fps for HDR, so you choose between the extra frames and HDR. How resolution affects reading plates, and what Consumer Reports found about 1080p, is covered in can a dash cam read license plates.
Glare is the Mini 3’s strong point. Garmin builds its Clarity polarizer into the lens to cut windshield reflections, while VIOFO sells a CPL-100 polarizing filter for the A119 Mini 2 as an extra. Garmin’s manual also asks for a mounting spot that the wipers clear, since a dirty patch of glass blurs any camera.
Parking mode and the Garmin Vault
Garmin’s manual says the Mini 3 can record while parked only on always-on 12 V power, such as Garmin’s Constant Power Cable for the OBD II port. Garmin’s product page adds that the Parking Guard phone alert and remote Live View each need a paid Vault subscription, an active Wi-Fi connection and constant power. The manual notes that Vault features are not available in all countries.
The A119 Mini 2 has a buffered parking mode that keeps 15 seconds before and 30 seconds after a trigger. VIOFO says parking mode needs one of its hardwire cables, sold separately; its HK4 kit is listed for this camera. Parking clips are saved to the memory card in the camera.
Either way, constant power means a draw on the car battery. How much, and the cutoffs that limit it, is in does dash cam parking mode drain your battery.
Heat, audio and the memory card
Garmin’s manual rates the Mini 3 to operate from -4°F to 140°F (-20°C to 60°C). VIOFO’s rating for the A119 Mini 2, and what a sunny dashboard does to both, is in supercapacitor vs battery dash cams.
For audio, the Mini 3 has a microphone button and the voice commands “Record Audio” and “Stop Audio”, and its microphone LED turns red while it records sound. VIOFO lists its optional BTR200 remote as a way to toggle the A119 Mini 2’s mic. Garmin’s manual warns that some places restrict recording audio in a car, so check the current rule where you drive; do I need a rear dash cam covers consent.
Neither box includes a card. Garmin requires a microSDHC or microSDXC card of 8-512 GB, Class 10 or faster, in FAT32 (the camera can format it). VIOFO takes cards up to 512 GB and recommends high-endurance cards.
Which one to buy
- Discreet and simple: the Garmin Mini 3. Garmin calls it car-key sized, it has no screen, and you run it by voice and the Garmin Drive app. Budget for a Vault subscription if you want Parking Guard alerts or remote Live View.
- Detail and evidence: the VIOFO A119 Mini 2, for 2K video, GPS speed and location, and a screen.
- Garmin, but with GPS and a screen: Garmin’s X110 adds built-in GPS and a 2.4 in (6.1 cm) screen, still at 1080p, in a pocket-sized body.
Garmin Dash Cam Mini 3
Car-key-sized 1080p dash cam with no screen and no GPS (date and time only). Parking alerts and remote Live View need a paid Vault subscription, Wi-Fi and constant power. Card sold separately.
Read the full guideKey specs
- 1080p video, 140° lens, built-in polarizer
- No screen, no GPS
- Operates -4°F to 140°F (-20°C to 60°C)
- microSD 8-512 GB, Class 10 or faster
Paid link
View on Amazon (opens in a new tab)VIOFO A119 Mini 2
A small front-only dash cam: 2K at up to 60fps (HDR at 30fps), built-in GPS and a 1.5 in screen. It cannot add a rear camera, and the microSD card is not included.
Read the full guideKey specs
- 2560 x 1440 at 60fps, HDR at 30fps
- 140° lens, 1.5 in (3.8 cm) screen
- Built-in GPS logs speed and location
- microSD up to 512 GB, sold separately
Paid link
View on Amazon (opens in a new tab)For the card, SanDisk’s High Endurance 128 GB fits both cameras’ limits. SanDisk rates the microSDXC card Class 10, U3 and V30, for up to 10,000 hours of Full HD recording (fewer for 4K) and for operation from -13°F to 185°F (-25°C to 85°C). If the Mini 3 is a present, gifts for new drivers lists what to check first.
SanDisk High Endurance 128 GB microSD
A 128 GB microSDXC card made for continuous dash cam recording. Check your camera's card limit first: the Garmin Mini 3 takes 8-512 GB and the VIOFO A119 Mini 2 up to 512 GB.
Key specs
- 128 GB microSDXC, Class 10, U3, V30
- Rated for up to 10,000 hours of Full HD
- Operates -13°F to 185°F (-25°C to 85°C)
Paid link
View on Amazon (opens in a new tab)
