Over the past year, videos – especially Live videos have become Facebook’s focal point of attention. It has not only started prioritizing them in the News Feed but has also debuted several features as well as solutions to enhance the experience. The social media platform already supports 360 photos, videos, and live streaming but it is looking to make the same go mainstream by showing its support for a rather impressive mini gadget — Giroptic iO 360 camera — at its F8 developer conference.
Talking about the same, Richard Ollier, co-founder and CEO of Giroptic said:
We worked closely with Facebook to ensure that the GIROPTIC iO would deliver a smooth 360-degree live streaming experience.
The plug-in 360-degree camera accessory for your smartphone was launched earlier last year. But, it was then only compatible with a handful of iOS devices back then. The compatibility for the same has today, however, been extended to Google’s Android platform as well. It took Giroptic this long to add Android support to their camera due to differences in port, size, and shape of the devices. It was easier to support iOS devices due to the uniformity of the lightning port across devices.
Giroptic will release two variants of its iO 360 camera for Android users — one with a traditional microUSB port and the other with a USB Type-C port. This means the camera accessory will be compatible with a full load of devices, be they are old or new. What’s most important is the fact that the functionality of the camera remains the same as its iOS counterpart.
You will simply be able to plug-in Giroptic’s camera into your phone and gain access to real-time stitching of video for streaming over Facebook Live via your smartphone’s cellular or WiFi connection. It is, however, not necessary to always broadcast what the camera sees. It is as simple as using the usual camera interface and can be used to click 360-degree photos or videos.
In an official press release, the company mentions that these are exciting times for the company as they’ve been officially chosen for broadcasting Live content to the platform. Giroptic was Facebook’s first choice to enable live 360-degree broadcasting through the smartphone — which coincides with the company’s aim to make 360 more accessible for consumers.
Here’s the complete and lengthy list of Android devices supported by Giroptic’s 360 smartphone camera (via Android Community):
• Alcatel Idol 4 / 4S
• Asus ZenFone 2, ZenFone 3
• Google Pixel
• Honor 7 / 7i, 8
• HTC One M8 / M8s
• Huawei Mate 9
• LG G3 / G4
• Motorola, G3 / G4, Z Play
• Nexus 5 (LG)
• Nexus 6P (Huawei)
• OnePlus 3 / 3T
• Oppo A37, R9S
• Samsung A5 (2016), S2 / S4 / S5 / S6 / S7 / S7 edge, Galaxy Note 4 / Galaxy Note 5, J5 (SM-J500F, SM-J500FN, SM-J500H, SM-J500M, SM-J510FN), J7 (SM-J700F, SM-J700H, SM-J700M, SM-J710F, SM-G610F)
• Sony Xperia Z3, Xperia Z5
• Xiaomi Mi Max, Mi 4, Mi Note 3, Mi4i, Mi 5s
• ZTE Axon 7
Also, the good news for those present in person at the developer conference will be handed out one of these Giroptic iO 360 cameras. Speaking on the same, Pascal Brochier, president and COO of Giroptic said:
We believe putting the GIROPTIC iO in the hands of F8 attendees and the developer community will unlock even more exciting uses for 360. The freedom of field of view offered by 360 coupled with live streaming technology enables people to experience moments in an unprecedented way.
If you’re using an Android or iOS smartphone, it doesn’t matter, you’ll now be able to stream 360-videos directly through Facebook’s Live capabilities. The company is banking on its shoutout, in opposition to Insta 360 Air, will further the usability of their platform by even more individuals, in addition to brands, media or production houses.
