HUAWEI to launch 360-degree HONOR VR Camera for its phones

Huawei, which officially announced its HONOR V9 phone in China earlier this week, has also revealed plans to release a 360-degree camera add-on device. It’s called simply the HONOR VR Camera, and it was developed in partnership with Insta360, which has previously released similar add-ons for smartphones.

According to a statement from Insta360, the HONOR VR Camera will support “3K photography and seamless livestreaming”. The company also helped to develop the app for the camera, which it says will allow users to “download to capture, share and livestream their 360-degree creations.”

That’s pretty much all we know so far about the HONOR VR Camera in terms of its hardware specs. HUAWEI and Insta360 did not reveal a price or release date for the product. The press release said HUAWEI does plan to begin international sales of the add-on sometime soon. That likely means the camera will be available outside HUAWEI’s home country.

Insta360 is already selling a consumer camera add-on, the Insta360 Nano, which is available for the iPhone 6 and 7 for $195. It can take 360-degree videos at up to 3040 x 1520 resolution at 30 frames per second. The company recently announced another product, the Insta360 Pro, that is aimed at the professional photographer. It will have six lenses that can take 360-degree videos in up to 8K resolution, along with support for high-def livestreaming and 3D video. It will be released later this year, but it will have a much higher price tag of $2,999.

Since we know so little about this new HONOR VR Camera, it’s hard to tell if its capabilities will be similar to the Insta360 Nano, or closer to the Insta360 Pro, but without the super-high price tag. Hopefully HUAWEI will reveal more about its plans for its latest device later this week at the 2017 Mobile World Congress trade show in Barcelona, Spain.