The Samsung Gear 360 (2017) camera is already shipping to customers in the United Kingdom who previously pre-ordered the company’s latest recorder designed for the purposes of creating virtual reality (VR) and 360-degree content. The gadget is scheduled to be officially released on May 12, but the British unit of the South Korean consumer electronics manufacturer has been sending it to consumers for several days now, as evidenced by the company’s official listing of the device. All tech enthusiasts interested in getting their hands on the Gear 360 (2017) before most other consumers do are still able to do so given how Samsung UK is officially accepting pre-orders for the device until 7 PM on Thursday, May 11.
Apart from the camera itself, all customers who place an advance order on the successor to the 2016 Gear 360 will receive a 128GB Samsung EVO+ 128GB microSDXC card, the company said. Being regularly priced at around £40, which translates to approximately $50, the firm’s memory card is seemingly a solid incentive for anyone who’s on the fence with whether to buy the Gear 360 (2017). The camera is available for pre-orders for £219, i.e. just over $283, and Samsung is expected to stick with that price tag for at least half a year after the Gear 360 (2017) officially launches in the United Kingdom. Those who are intrigued by the company’s new piece of hardware but aren’t willing to pay the full retail price for it can likely expect the device to be discounted come this holiday season, if not sooner.
While the Gear 360 (2017) is capable of functioning as a standalone device, it was specifically designed to be paired with a smartphone using a dedicated companion app that’s been available for download from the Google Play Store since mid-April. With the release of the new 360-degree camera, the Seoul-based consumer electronics manufacturer is trying to make its latest push into the VR market. Apart from this particular piece of hardware, the company already launched the Gear VR (2017) head-mounted display and has been developing and funding a broad range of virtual reality content. While it remains to be seen whether the VR industry will enjoy mainstream appeal in the immediate future, an update on Samsung’s efforts to promote this emerging technology should follow soon.