Garmin has entered the world of 360 cams with the VIRB 360, its latest product, and one that promises to compete with the likes of other action cameras like those from GoPro as well as Samsung’s soon to be available Gear 360 2nd Gen that goes on sale for $299 starting tomorrow. Of course, the VIRB 360 is not your standard 360-degree camera as it comes from Garmin which means it has built-in GPS, but it’s also packed with a ton of other features that make it a formidable option for those looking to get their hands on a camera of this nature.
Among the most notable features is the VIRB 360’s ability to capture video in 5.7K resolution at 30 frames per second. Due to this trait of the camera users can expect extremely high-quality videos during recording, and they’ll even be able to live stream their videos to either YouTube or Facebook Live. Worth mentioning is that the camera does have on-device automatic stitching of the videos that are captured, but this is only for videos in 4K resolution at 30 frames per second, so any captured at 5.7K or 5K at 30 frames per second or 3K at 60 frames per second will be unstitched and have to be edited manually by the user.
As this is an action camera device Garmin has made it rugged enough to stand up to any adventure that users may wish to take it on. It’s built with a rugged exterior to withstand damage from drops and dings and it’s waterproof, so you can use it without worrying too much about a little rain or an unexpected fall. The camera also features 4K spherical stabilization, which helps to make sure the videos come out looking smooth even on some of the bumpiest of outings. Garmin says it built four mics into the camera to help capture all of the audio from any direction, so for users who not only appreciate high-quality video but also want the best possible audio for their videos, this might be the camera to consider. It supports up to 128GB of expandable storage via microSD memory cards, but there doesn’t appear to be any onboard storage so users will need to make sure they have a card ready to hold any content. Garmin has also created a companion app for Android and iOS that will be usable for things like the live streaming and other functions. The VIRB 360 is available to purchase now for $799 through Amazon and B&H Photo as a pre-order, with the device shipping in about two to three weeks according to Garmin’s online shop.
Pre-Order The Garmin VIRB 360 Camera
