The Predator Orion 9000 and Switch 7 Black Edition may have grabbed much of the limelight at its next@acer showcase in Berlin, but Acer also sprung a few other surprises. The Holo360 all-in-one and Vision360 cloud-connected in-car cameras were announced as part of a new connected camera range.
When you talk about a 360-degree camera, you’d imagine a device like the Gear360 or LG 360 Cam that pairs to and works with your smartphone. Or perhaps an alternative, somewhat “modular” interpretation like the Insta360, which latches on to your smartphone. Brands like honor and ASUS have recently launched their versions of the Insta360, which literally turns any smartphone into a 360 camera.
Acer Holo360
Acer, though, is pushing the envelope a little further. Granted it isn’t the most conventional-looking 360-degree camera, with its boxy form. But there is a perfect reason for that. We’ll get to that in a bit.
So, the Holo360 is powered by the Qualcomm Connected Camera Platform, with a Snapdragon 625 SoC underneath.
The all-in-one SoC gives it integrated LTE connectivity, which makes the Holo360 an wholly independent device. No, you won’t need a smartphone.
It lets you stitch videos in real-time, unlike something like the Gear360 which does the processing on a Galaxy smartphone. With built-in connectivity, it can also livestream 360-degree videos.
It features panomorph optics certified by ImmerVision, to capture high-res images without distortion. It delivers photos in 6.9K resolution and videos in 4K.
Back to the boxy interior. As mentioned, there’s a perfect reason for that—it’s to house a 3-inch touchscreen for operation.
Thanks to this screen, you can preview videos and photos on the device without first needing to pair it with a smartphone or PC.
Holo360 runs Android 7.1 Nougat.
Acer Vision360
Acer’s also wants you to put a connected 360-degree camera in your car. The Vision360 does exactly that. With two high-resolution cameras, it captures every angle around the car in 4K.
It has motion detection built-in, so when an object collides with your car when it’s in motion, the device will start recording. It will also record GPS coordinates of the incident, and save the information in a secure area of the device.
It will also upload this data to the cloud for evidence preservation.
The camera is mounted on the windshield, aligned with the driver’s eyes, and it also displays the vehicle’s current speed.
If a collision happens when the car is stationary or parked, the device will also record a clip, and send a notification to your smartphone. It will also upload a copy to the cloud.
The Vision360 camera also provides on-demand remote viewing and location tracking.
Aside from that, the camera can be used as a recording device for family outings or roadtrip. Videos can be views with a VR headset.
Pricing and availability
The Acer Holo360 will be available in North America in November at USD429/MYR1,490, bundled with a water resistant case. In EMEA, it will be available in Q4 2017, with prices starting at EUR349/MYR1,771.
No pricing details of the Vision360 has been revealed yet.
