Essential Mobile Module, Essential Panoramic Camera Experience Notes

When we first got the Essential Phone, we hadn't had a chance to experience the Essential 360 Camera. This is the first accessory that Essential has prepared for its smartphone, and we have experienced it for the first time since we acquired the Essential 360 Camera.

Essential 360 Camera is a magnetic accessory that enables the Essential Phone to capture 360-degree still images and 4K videos. The device is equipped with two 12-megapixel sensors, a pair of fisheye lenses with a 210-degree field of view, and a Snapdragon 625 processor.

Like the Essential Phone, the Essential 360 Camera feels very durable. The product does not use the titanium and ceramic structure of Essential Phone, but it still feels very solid. Measuring 67mm x 32mm x 12mm, this accessory is one of the smallest and most compact 360 cameras on the market. The Essential 360 Camera weighs 35 grams and is easy to store and carry.

Essential 360 Camera connects to the back of Essential Phone with two magnetic pins

The Essential 360 Camera can be attached directly to the Essential Phone, which means that the complex Bluetooth pairing process is not involved during use. Instead, you can start capturing still images and videos simply by attaching accessories to the back of your phone.

When the accessory is starting up, the blue LED on the front of the camera will light up. Once you are ready to start shooting, the light will turn green. When the user clicks the record button to let the passing person know that the camera has started, the LED light does not change color anymore. In fact, once you start recording, the LED light will be completely off.

Although Easy 360 Camera is easy to use, the disadvantage is that it is only compatible with Essential Phone. Essential said that the Essential 360 Camera, as well as other magnetic accessories released by the company in the future, can support future smart phones.

Although Essential has already completed a substantial amount of financing, it seems premature to invest in a future mobile phone accessory. Because this smart phone may not be able to attract you, or worst of all, it may never be available.

I don't want to overemphasize this point, but I think for most consumers, if they are interested in 360 videos, they can use cameras that are compatible with multiple devices instead of products designed specifically for a smart phone, especially The Essential 360 Camera is not cheaper than other options.

If there is a more practical problem with the Essential 360 Camera, the software that supports the accessory has not yet been completed. I waited for Essential to publish the camera software update before completing this review, but even if I did it before then there is no material impact.

The update of Essential does not solve software problems that have been plaguing the camera: I have experienced several crashes of the camera application, sometimes several times in a row. This update also did not allow the camera to start up faster.

Camera control is very limited. In the current state of the camera application, the user can access a button that switches the 2K and 4K shooting resolutions; a button for centering the camera; a shooting button; and a button to start the recording process. The only thing missing is the button that allows the user to switch between the 360 ​​degree camera and the Essential Phone's three standard cameras. To achieve this, you must remove the 360-degree camera, which forces you to launch the camera application again. If this sounds like a terrible user experience, this is actually the case.

Optically, the performance of the Essential 360 Camera is no different from that of a camera equipped with two fisheye lenses. It usually handles wide-angle distortion well, but it distorts people's faces, especially if the phone and camera are too close to their faces, or if you don't aim one of them at yourself or the subject.

Both lenses are also prone to chromatic aberration. This type of optical distortion can cause purple streaks between high-contrast areas.

The quality of video is often higher than static images. For static images, no place is particularly clear, and this problem will not be too obvious during the exercise. In most cases, splicing-related issues are rare but occasionally occur. When everything is ready and the Essential 360 Camera can finally capture still images or record videos, the process is seamless. But the cost of doing this is often greater than its value. If you have already purchased the Essential Phone and are considering purchasing this 360-degree camera accessory, we recommend that you continue to wait until you purchase it.

Finally, regardless of its strengths and weaknesses, the Essential 360 Camera will not change your opinion of the 360-degree camera if you are not a 360-degree fan. This device is more compact and easy to use than other consumer products on the market, but it is, after all, a 360-degree camera.

The retail price of Essential 360 Camera in Canada is 270 US dollars, but in addition to the "soon" release, the official has not announced the specific time to market.