The Giroptic iO 360-degree camera is expanding its support to dozens of Android devices after launching for iPhones last year, the Lille, France-based consumer electronics manufacturer announced on Wednesday. In addition to expanding its device support that now also includes smartphones running Google’s open source operating system, the Giroptic iO partnered with Facebook to provide its customers and Facebook users with native support for 360-degree streaming over the Facebook Live 360 platform, which is also why the actual announcement was made at the Menlo Park-based company’s annual F8 developer conference in San Jose, California. The camera that attaches to either side of a smartphone is now available for purchase directly from Giroptic’s official website that can be accessed by following the source link beneath this writing.
The gadget retails for $249, meaning it’s priced the same as its iOS-compatible counterpart, though the Android version of the Giroptic iO is actually offered in two variants sporting a MicroUSB and a USB Type-C port, respectively. The full list of compatible devices is available at Giroptic’s Support pages, but anyone interested in purchasing the 360-degree camera shouldn’t have to worry if they own any popular Android smartphone released in recent years. Among others, the Giroptic iO officially supports the Google Pixel, Google Pixel XL, Samsung Galaxy S7, Galaxy S7 Edge, Galaxy Note 5, Huawei Mate 9, LG V20, OnePlus 3T, Sony Xperia Z5, and the Xiaomi Mi 5s. While some of the latest Android flagships like the P10 Plus, Galaxy S8, and the Galaxy S8 Plus can’t be found on the list of devices supported by the Giroptic iO, the French consumer electronics manufacturer will likely expand the support of its latest mobile accessory in the future.
Facebook’s decision to partner with Giroptic and include another device into its broadcasting platform it the latest step in the company’s efforts to push for more online video content and create an Internet service that can rival YouTube and similar platforms. The company’s Live 360 broadcasting solution became available to all users in late March, and all F8 attendees also received free units of the Giroptic iO that the French firm was giving out to celebrate the new partnership.