It’s a common story in technology. Hardware always develops faster than the content enjoyed on it. Ultra-high definition (better known as 4K) televisions fought the problem, and virtual reality can’t escape a similar battle. So Samsung is taking the matter into its own hands, and yours, with the Gear 360.
At its core, the Gear 360 is like another cheap VR cam (of which there are many). It can capture information on its 128GB microSD and sync with your PC for stitching and editing. But the Gear 360 perpetuates Samsung’s belief that the smartphone in your pocket should be the heart and soul of your VR world.
Because of the new Galaxy S7’s powerful Snapdragon 820 processor, the phone can actually do all the video stitching and editing itself via Bluetooth. Neat!
The Galaxy S7 can also shrink the video down to a more share-friendly size and act as the camera’s remote. It can create a live preview of what the Gear 360’s dual, 195-degree fisheye lenses are seeing and capture 30 megapixel still images up to 3840 x 1920 resolution, which would be a higher-than-average resolution than other cams out there. Two microphones also mean the Gear 360 can record audio in stereo.
Cycling through Gear 360’s low-resolution PMOLED display.
A small display at the top of the device lets you know what video mode you’re currently shooting, including time lapse, video looping, photo, and video. These settings can also be cycled through using the S7 has an external remote.
The general idea is that the Gear 360 is a super portable camera you can just leave in the middle of a get together, party, wherever, and you can start creating VR content. It also helps that the camera comes with a universal mount, so this little ball can be attached to any monopod or tripod out there.
Picking up this little guy is also surprise in itself. The camera has a significant heft for such a tiny frame, weighing in at 142g (nearly the same weight of a new Galaxy S7). Unfortunately, no word yet on price, but I’d be surprised if this guy breaks the $US500 ($699) mark.
The Gear 360 may not be the miracle tool we need to make VR mainstream, but it does seems to be the perfect little camera for anyone interested in creating VR memories…or if you’re a big Portal fan…
I mean, I’m just saying…