Today at CES, Uniden announced the new Uniden R8 radar detector. I’ve been daily’ing it for the past few months and I’ve been liking it overall. My full review is coming, but let’s take a quick look at the R8, especially including its new improvements over the R7.
When the R8 goes on sale later this year, it’ll be a very strong contender for best radar detector on the market.
The R8 is essentially a redesigned R7 with dual LNA’s for longer range, a front facing mute button, Bluetooth, and the same hardware and software improvements added from the R3 to the R4.
Uniden R8 changes over the Uniden R7
- Low Noise Amplifiers (LNA’s) for improved sensitivity and longer range
- Redesigned case
- Front facing mute and mark buttons
- Laser gun ID
- Auto mode (automatically varies sensitivity based on speed)
- Support for Gatso RT3 & RT4 photo radar detection
- Bluetooth for changing settings via upcoming phone app
- Wired remote control integration
- Upgraded power cable
- Supports Uniden’s upcoming laser jammers
- Additional new display mode #3
The Uniden R8 will retail for $699 and will be available for purchase later this year.
Full review still to come. 🙂
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Expensive !! Lets hope its worth it I love my R7.
Looks interesting, like my R7 for everything but laser (only picks up a fraction of the lasers shoots). I pass officer and see gun in hand, nary a peep from R7
What does upgraded power cord mean ??? Hopefully the R7 power cord will still work… I’ve got 3 of them hardwired in w/ remote mute buttons
I cant wait for the review and comparison. I am sure the price seems high to many, but it is expected, especially with Thea expected to ne much higher, I am not surprised.
Wondering if you have an opinion on this?? After updating with the latest October software for the v1 gen2 I have experienced a multiple ka ramp up and falses, along with very slow arrow transition and alot more laser alert falses.. we need another update to address these issues…
Hung on to my Escort to compensate for my R7s less than desired Laser sensitivity. Otherwise, the R8 needs to be very significantly better than the R7 for range and selectivity. I’ve done several coast-to-coast drives since I purchased my R7s and (knock on wood) they’ve not let me down. My only complaint is the increasing number of false alarms from BLIS and accident avoidance hardware on other vehicles (usually Subaru, most FCA, and Mazda.)
Is it undetected from RDD?
Nice. Can’t wait to see full review and testing. I love my r7
Hopefully we’ll see some nice updates for the R7 as well dur to this release.
I love my R7 so we shall see where the R8 is better. Front buttons are a good start now distance will help me with my decision, should I stay or should I go
I love my R7 too except detection from the Side. Hopefully the R8 will give you more range of detection from the side like the R4. The R7 is just not enough. Not that it happens too often, but I’ve had instances where the cop is in a U-Turn shooting as you go by.
Great! I can’t wait. I have two cars and I been holding off on a radar detector to see which one updates. So looks like the R8 is going to be on my Model 3.
My new job means I will be driving the highways a lot more. I wish it was available today, although my R3 has so far served me well. Any idea how it compares with the great range of the R4?
Did I read this right:
“Auto mode (automatically varies sensitivity based on speed)”
This suggests that it can detect the vehicle’s speed. If it does this with a GPS, that implicates Escort’s patent on RDs with GPS. Soooo….does that mean that Escort has licensed use of its patent to Uniden?
If true, that would be big news!!!
Is there going to be a program to trade in your r7 for the r8?
I saw a review from stealthveil praising laser and range over the r4 and r7. I want theia but I may trade my r3 for the r8.
Who wants to purchase a mint condition R7? gksintx@aol.com
Great ! Now I can have an R4 w/arrows and give my R3 to my wife.
For those who think this is expensive. The R7 is $599 suggested retail so this is only $100 more. The same way you can get the R7 discounted you’ll also be able to get the R8 discounted.
It may be a while. Now, the R4 is being sold at MSRP, so I’m guessing it’s a waiting game for the R8 to come down in price.
Christmas and black Friday sales will be the ticket
You’re right, but I hate to wait that long.
It’s interesting that even with the pandemic raging and semiconductors seemingly in short supply Uniden can bring out yet another great product and all we hear from Radenso is silence on Theia.
Author
They’ve been pretty up front about this on the forums. More advanced components chips are the ones that are harder to come by. I wish that wasn’t the case, but that’s the latest on that.
I am glad R8 is coming out, but how exactly it is different and better than current escort redline 360c? The MSRP is almost the same, and it is lacking some features from Redline from what i read.
Radenso Theia I have completely given up on, I understand the shortage in chips but they have cried wolf too early, its been 2 years and not a peep.
I think R8 is going to be a good radar as it is built on R4 tech retailed at $449, but for if Uniden is going to charge $150 more it has to offer more than just directional arrows.
You may want to look up the features and “retail” price of the R8 before commenting. Its not just arrows.
Price and features were mentioned in this video link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7e9JcTp9hGM
Where the Uniden Program manager talks about R8 on CES 2022 release. It
No, you are not right….RADENSO is SCAM….they were making a HYPE about Theia since 2019….for nothing…Look at UNIDEN they have finished production ready….R8. no big talk like RADENSO. Thats the right approach. RADENSO is SCAM and VAPORWARE.
@DjDomi IMHO, you are over reacting and making broad based assumptions that design and development happen overnight when you are creating new. New is never easy and you really shouldnt make assumptions on things you know nothing about
I will say this, I partially understand what he’s saying. I think they sold this thing so hard during its development that for them to just disappear and not even talk about it because of the delay is bad marketing. They would post videos that went on for 30 minutes just talking about the process they used to select the volume knob. Now, because of the chip shortage, they just go absent. They stirred everyone with technology geek foreplay and then they realized they couldn’t complete the deal they just got up and walked away without even a conversation.
I’m sorry but when you post numerous at length videos and just about have an ongoing podcast about the development of your product you don’t just get to walk away and say nothing because of a chip shortage.
They can still show further development and testing on the working model they have, at least something to keep our attention and let us know that this all wasn’t just a tease.
Hmmm… Bluetooth? Any chance JBV1 will work with the R8?
ETA on your full review?
Author
Not until the detector is available for preorder. I’ve released reviews earlier before, but it’s led to a number of issues so right now I think it makes sense to wait until the detector is more finalized. From what I understand, there are more changes planned between now and launch.
After owning two Radenso detectors (the SE and Pro M), I will never buy from them again. Their “customer service” is one, maybe two people and they stop updates to older models before they get stale. Theia will be overpriced (likely close to $1k given the tech they claim to be putting into it) and they used the parts bin on the DS1 (which still seems like a decent unit based on Vortex’ reviews) – at this point I can’t see the DS1 saving the company given the buying power needed to acquire chips when they are in short supply – these guys aren’t Tesla.
I really hope that the bluetooth will be able to do an over the air update.
So do I, but that would make just too much sense.
Going to do any reviews for Uniden R8 yet??,
Author
No. I will not be publishing my review until the detector is available for preorder. Right now it’s still beta testing.
Vortex, should I I was going to purchase an R7 detector. Should I hold off and wait for the R8 to be released? I’m not really in a hurry, so if the R8 is worth the wait – then I will. Just seeing what you think.
I’m waiting. If you wait the r7 price will drop when the r8 comes out. The last thing I wanna do is buy the R7 and then wish I waited when the R8 comes out. I bought the Max360 and it’s just junk. I get false KA all day.
I bought my R3 early, and even though it has been outstanding… it hurt me when it dropped by $100 when the R7 came out.