Huawei announces ball-shaped 360-degree camera for smartphones

Huawei has announced that it will release the Honor VR Camera. The spherical 360-degree camera is specifically intended for smartphones. The camera can be attached via a clip on top of a smartphone.

The camera module was developed in collaboration with Insta360. This was announced during an event in Beijing. The camera is suitable for 3k photography and can take photos and videos in 360 degrees. To that end, the Honor VR Camera has a total of two wide-angle lenses on either side of the camera. The camera is also suitable for live streams. The images can be shared via an app made by Insta 360, among other things.

It is still unclear whether the camera also works on smartphones from brands other than Huawei. It may only work with Huawei devices from the Honor series, such as the Honor 8 and the Honor 6x. A comparable 360-degree camera from Samsung, the Gear 360, which Samsung recently introduced, only works with Samsung devices. The expected price of the Honor VR Camera is also unknown. The camera can probably be connected via a USB-C cable. More details may be announced at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.

Insta360 specializes in 360-degree cameras. At the moment, the company sells the Insta360 Nano camera module, which is available for the iPhone 6 and 7 at a price of 233 euros. With the camera, images can be shot in 360 degrees at a resolution of 3040 x 1520 and at a maximum of 30 fps.

The company will also release the Insta360 Pro later this year, which is capable of shooting 360-degree images in 8k resolution. This camera has no less than six lenses and supports the recording of 3D images. The price is converted to about 2800 euros.