Samsung's revised Gear 360 camera goes on sale tomorrow for $229

[Shawn Knight]

Samsung’s next-generation 360-degree handheld video camera will cost significantly less than last year’s model when it goes on sale tomorrow (May 25) in the US.

The South Korean electronics titan said on Wednesday that its updated Gear 360 will command just $229. If you recall, the original debuted at $349 although it’s now possible to find it online in the $170 range. Also worth mentioning is the fact that if you buy a Galaxy S8 or S8 Plus between May 25 and June 19, you can score the Gear 360 for just $49.

The new Gear 360 is a significant departure from the first model as this is a handheld affair. The first camera was an orb that could optionally mount on a tripod while this new unit includes a built-in handle (there’s also a tripod mount, thankfully).

Samsung says the Gear 360 offers true 4K video recording capabilities (4,096 x 2,160) at 24 frames per second and 15-megapixel 360-degree stills. It utilizes two 8.4-megapixel CMOS sensors and dual f/2.2 fisheye lenses in addition to a built-in 1,160mAh battery that’s good for around 120 minutes of usage (2,560 x 1,280 with Wi-Fi off).

There’s also a microSD card slot, dual-band 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.1 and a USB 2.0 (Type-C) port. The camera carries an IP53 dust and splash resistant rating for outdoor use (within reason, of course).

This year’s iteration is compatible with more phones as well including the Galaxy S8, S7 and S6 family as well as recent Note phones and the iPhone SE and newer. Look for it online at Samsung's website, over on Amazon or through your preferred wireless carrier.

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https://www.techspot.com/news/69447-samsung-revised-gear-360-camera-goes-sale-tomorrow.html

 

[Uncle Al]

Well, cute enough for frankly it simply doesn't impress me.

 

[veLa]

When I was covering SXSW Interactive, I had the opportunity of experimenting with 360 degree video. I really do think that there is the potential to tell new types of stories with this style of video, although I'm not really sure what to do with it yet.

360 degree video takes an enormous resolution to look sharp. At only 4K, this device will end up being more of an experimental selfie-taker.

 

[Bryan1223]

I don't know about everyone else but I'm a little confused about how this thing was designed...
to me it almost looks like a smaller/weird version of a hair blow drier except it's a camera. But despite that 15MP for a camera lens is great but why isn't there a 15MP or higher MP camera on phones and tablets? (Unless they are, then I'm unaware of it)

 

[mctommy]

This thing does not take very high quality video...and it should have been called more like 720 or something because you can see more than just 360 FOV.

 

[wiyosaya]

When I was covering SXSW Interactive, I had the opportunity of experimenting with 360 degree video. I really do think that there is the potential to tell new types of stories with this style of video, although I'm not really sure what to do with it yet.

360 degree video takes an enormous resolution to look sharp. At only 4K, this device will end up being more of an experimental selfie-taker.

I don't know about everyone else but I'm a little confused about how this thing was designed...
to me it almost looks like a smaller/weird version of a hair blow drier except it's a camera. But despite that 15MP for a camera lens is great but why isn't there a 15MP or higher MP camera on phones and tablets? (Unless they are, then I'm unaware of it)

Perhaps Samsung is looking for its own herd of sheep as this seems to have that one key ingredient that sheep like - bling!