VR has finally arrived, and it’s here with the BANG! Almost every major manufacturer is scrambling to get their VR product out of the gate. This also means that there is a great amount of 360 cameras for Android. Quite frankly, I was skeptical at first, but after actually experiencing VR myself and checking out a few 360 photos, I have to say this is the future. This is a great way to plunge yourself into pictures and locations. Sure, you can use your camera to take 360 photos, but they usually don’t turn out this great. If you have the funds and want to take some amazingly immersive photos and videos, getting the best 360 cameras for Android is your best choice. This is one of those few things that you just have to experience to appreciate. Especially if you have Google Cardboard or Samsung Gear VR, you can truly get to experience some great moments as if you were there yourself. Sure, there are a lot of applications of 360 cameras but capturing and sharing great moments is the best one. After taking a look at what they have to offer, I cannot wait to get my hands on one for myself; vacation photos will never be the same after you start using a 360 camera for Android. As of now, there are not many options available in the market when it comes to 360 cameras for Android. However, I can already see this growing and gain more popularity in upcoming years; even Facebook has support for 360 photos and videos built-in now.
LG 360 Cam
This year LG is bringing a lot of changes to their mobile lineup, their flagship smartphone the LG G5 already comes with a great tool camera set up. So naturally, I was really excited to hear about their take on the 360-degree camera. One of the best things about this camera is that it is fairly pocketable; the shape and design allow you to simply slip it into your purse or front pocket with ease. Another great thing about this camera is that it is capable of capturing not only stunning photos but also 1440p 2K videos as well. The dual 13-megapixel wide angle cameras take great photos and are fairly capable of working in low light situations. Something interesting about this 360 camera for Android is its ability to record 5.1 channel surround sound. This may be a small point but it works wonderfully when you’re viewing videos in VR, the sound originates from the exact location and amplifies the immersion aspect. If you ask me, I would say that the LG 360 camera is the best 360 camera for Android right now.
Samsung Gear 360 Camera
Samsung has really outdone themselves this year with their flagship smartphones. The Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge are remarkable devices. So, it’s no surprise that the Samsung Gear 360 also reflects that level of dedication and quality. While it is not exactly as pocketable as LG’s offering, it does come with some good features. First, you can take high-resolution videos and photos of 360 nature with it, but you can also record 4K video. The 4K video is only limited to 30 FPS and I recommend lowering down the video quality to get that sweet 60 frames per second smoothness. The dual lenses are capable of capturing good footage in low light situations as well as recording time-lapse videos. A good thing about this 360 camera is that you can insert a microSD card in it to expand the storage. So what’s the downside? Well, there are two downsides to owning this piece of great hardware, one is that it is only usable with Samsung’s latest devices. Another problem is the price, coming at almost $380, it is a big investment to make. I recommend that you check it out before spending this much money on it.
360fly HD Camera
If you’re looking for a third-party option, then 360fly HD camera can be a good candidate. I’ll be honest with you, the specs on this camera are a little outdated and the price is frankly ridiculous but there are some cool features that are not available elsewhere. For example, this is a water resistant 360 camera. It is also dustproof shockproof and built to withstand our rough lifestyle. If you want to ski with a 360 camera and capture the footage, this is the best option you can go with. It already comes complete with a magnetic power cradle, a USB cable, and action camera adapter as well as a mic plug for water usage. There are even color-coded LED lights to inform you of the camera’s status. Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity makes it a versatile device to use. The only downside is that it is a little bit expensive and comes from a relatively unknown brand.
Conclusion
Well, this concludes our list of the best 360 cameras for Android, I’m pretty sure you will be adding more cameras this time around next year. And I really hope that the manufacturers consider those who don’t have the luxury of spending hundreds of dollars on a 360 camera. I cannot wait to see if a manufacturer figures out how to use the front and back facing cameras to capture 360 footage simultaneously. Until then, we only have these options to tide us over. Just like always, if you have some stories to tell do tell us in the comments below and will love to hear about them all. Feature Image Credits
