Samsung Electronics has just announced availability in New Zealand of the Samsung Gear 360, a camera that lets users easily create, edit, view and share 360-degree video and still image content using their smartphone. The Gear 360 camera leverages the best of the Samsung Galaxy experience so users can create their own virtual reality content, to view and bring to life through Gear VR headsets.

“The launch of Gear 360 opens up endless possibilities for virtual reality content. Both consumers and businesses are now seeing the potential of VR – from gaming, film and entertaining to the B2B, education, property and retail sectors,” says Todd Selwyn, Head of Product for Samsung New Zealand.

“Gear 360 allows consumers to create and edit content on a Samsung Galaxy smartphone, which can then be viewed on a Gear VR headset, making for a truly immersive VR experience.”

Gear 360 had its first public preview at last week’s Tech Week 2016 Magnify VR & AR South Pacific Summit Conference. The event was dedicated to virtual and augmented reality and comprised interactive workshops, product experiences and panel discussions about the rise and use of VR and AR by both amateurs and businesses alike.

Samsung Gear 360 is equipped with dual fisheye lenses, which both have 15 megapixel image sensors, giving users the ability to capture high-resolution (3840×1920) 360-degree video that also supports 30 megapixel still images. Users are also able to shoot 180-degree wide angle video and images with only using one side of the camera lens. Built for any time of day, Gear 360 offers Bright Lens F2.0, which creates high resolution images even in low-light conditions, where users can create full panoramic videos.

With a light and compact, spherical shaped design, Gear 360 maximises portability to film on the go or for indoor activities. Gear 360 features a user-friendly tripod and is also compatible with a wider selection of accessories and mounts currently available on the market.

Samsung continues to demonstrate its strengths in hardware, software and services to create devices that are designed to improve how consumers connect, share, organise and get more out of life. The company is redefining what is possible, beyond the limits of today’s technology, by introducing a constellation of seamless mobile experiences.

“Samsung continues to push the boundaries of the mobile experience to extend beyond the smartphone,” said DJ Koh, President of Mobile Communications Business for Samsung Electronics. “On the heels of last year’s Gear VR release, Gear 360 continues to push the limits on immersive content – providing a visual experience that makes capturing and sharing life’s moments even easier.”

When Gear 360 is synced with a Samsung smartphone, users can preview content in real-time when recording. Also, Gear 360 will automatically bring up filmed content for users to view and save on their smartphone or to upload and share directly on social channels including Facebook, YouTube and Google Street View. For a real 360 viewing experience, users can simply watch self-created content through Gear VR. All these features will be available through a dedicated mobile application for download from Galaxy Apps, Google Play and PC software for more in-depth editing capabilities.

Gear 360 is compatible with select Samsung smartphones including the newly released Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge, Galaxy S6+, Note 5, Galaxy S6 edge and Galaxy S6.

Gear 360 will be widely available for online purchase via the Samsung eStore from 23rd of May 2016 and in-stores from the 20th of June 2016 at a RRP$649 NZD.

Samsung Gear 360 Specs:

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In June of last year (2015) Samsung NZ sent out a Gear VR unit for me to have some personal hands on time with.

This was the Innovator Edition (you can read our review of it HERE), and while I thought this was already a stellar product, it turned out Samsung were still working on their Oculus Rift powered VR behind the scenes to get it all that more perfect.

The final edition was announced in September last year and released to retail in November, 2015 in Australia and New Zealand.

For the uninitiated that do not know Samsung have been dabbling in the arts of Virtual Reality, the Gear VR is a strap on visor that uses a combination of Oculus ingenuity and Samsung smartphone technology. The VR unit is essentially a viewing platform and the magic is powered through the smartphone. Just like the short lived craze of the 90’s you are propelled into a fully immersive 360 degree world, but unlike the 90’s, full HD and a totally responsive 3D environment.

Once the Galaxy phone is clipped into the visor it’s magic time. Literally drop your self into gaming worlds, have the best seat in the house within your own iMax theatre and more.

The final Retail Edition of Samsung’s Gear VR has not seen alot of changes, but what they have revised will give the VR headset longevity and makes it more user friendly.

The previous Gear VR’s were designed to fit one or two models of Samsung smartphones. The Gear VR Innovator Edition that I reviewed almost 7 months ago was designed to solely work with a S6 or S6 Edge. There was even a model before that one was designed for the Galaxy Note only.

Now the front phone clip on the visor is slide-able and adjustable to suit the Samsung smartphone that you have, with A or B option (on overseas models this will be S6 / S6 Edge / Note 5 options).

Whatsmore, with the Innovator Edition it was easy to ‘lose’ the side Touchpad when using the Gear VR, the indentation of the control pad just got lost when you were engrossed in VR content. Samsung have given this a once over and made that feature alot easier to blind control.

The face hugging foam padding which needs to completely block out any real world light sources seemed to be of a more form factor size, hugging any face shape or type and alot more cushiony than I remember the Innovator Edition being.

The comfortable factor could also be due to the weight reduction of this new unit. Samsung have reduced the weight of the Gear VR by 22% from the last version; being a mere 318 grams without the phone slotted in.

Inside the VR environment there have been tweaks aswell, such as your ‘Home’ from where you select the Content Type and differing Theatres in which you can watch your very very large screen movies or fully immersive 360 stereoscopic 3D ones.

Menus and commands are navigated or executed via head tracking and a small blue cursor in the center of your vision. Gaming and playing games also requires head tracking but there is a few in the Store that will require you to own and pair the Samsung Bluetooth Gamepad to your Galaxy smartphone.

We were also supplied with one of these which allowed us to try out as much free content as we could devour within the gaming applications. The Samsung Game Pad is simplistic to pair via bluetooth, it auto maps its buttons to any and all compatible games, it’s rechargeable (gives around a day of gaming use) and will cradle any Samsung Galaxy smartphone due to the height / width adjustment within the sliding handset cradle. Naturally you do not need to have the Galaxy handset cradled onto the Gamepad in order to make use of it.

The Samsung Gear VR  has completed it’s technical and design transition with a selection of small changes. But as small as they are they are crucial to the usage and functionality of the a true Gear VR experience.

I know that the Gear VR is not going to be for everyone. It requires yourself to be tuned out, wearing a rather large visor strapped to your head. It is also ideally a more home based device, unless you are brave and bold to look like a cyber freak on, say, public transport.. but hey – up to you.

But for the target market; entertainment aficionados, tech junkies and the wildly curious smartphone consumers the Gear VR has vastly improved from the Innovator Edition and is a budget priced smartphone accessory.

Whether we like it or not, the entertainment, technology and video gaming industry is adopting Virtual Reality as a medium. If you are new to VR or a seasoned Virtual Realm adventurer, Samsung’s Gear VR is the tool you need to ensure that you are not left behind.

*Visit the Official Site HERE

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Virtual Reality – a short lived craze from the mid 90’s saw you strapping a visor to your face and entering a sphere of wonderment and alternate reality.

Even Hollywood tried to get into the VR action with such films as the now very cult ‘The Lawnmower Man’.

Now you can be the Lawn Mower Man as Samsung, the producers of much coveted and highly spec’d devices has bought VR back to the masses and made it cool again with the Gear VR.

To be fair, the video games industry has been tinkering with VR units for the past, forever, one in particular; the Oculus is an open platform device where developers are free to fine tune the software and make programs befitting a the virtual reality enthusiasts in us all.

The Gear VR is using the Oculus Rift and requires a Galaxy S6 or S6 Edge to function. The smartphone, infact does all of the work while the Rift is a mere viewing platform.

Having the S6 or S6 Edge clipped into the front of the visor, you also require the VR App and a WiFi connection (or a large Mobile Data plan) for streaming content.

And that’s really it – your good to go.

The Oculus VR Store is currently loaded with demo’s and videos that are specifically optimised to a full 360 degrees view aswell as games for you to truly immerse yourself into the VR experience.

The unit itself, well it is big but extremely lightweight and still somewhat portable and is a comfortable wear. We predict that in future Samsung will release a slimmer, less bulky model if past trends of their Galaxy devices are taken into consideration.

There is a touchpad to the right of the visor and a return button just above that.

Using the virtual reality however, you can get most things done by just keeping the small blue dot in one place for a few seconds.

Content that you download is stored in your Library (on the S6 or S6 Edge) and there is alot to choose from, both free and paid for.

Immediately on offer is such things as space scapes, nature and wildlife vids and even Cirque de Solei.

Games are also a hell of a lot of fun, the ones we tried out mostly used the blue dot, which is your pointer, to play through. We expect that in the future though there will be higher grade games where you can fully interact.

There are already a whole swag of third party Apps on the Google Play store, most are free for the Gear VR.

Audio can be can from the Oculus istelf or you can plug in your headphones, which for a more personal experience is the best way to go.

Officially, the Gear VR is not designed for you to be able to view your personal collection of movies or recordings that you may have on your Samsung Galaxy S6 or S6 Edge, however, there is of course work arounds for this – such as the video we have included with this review.

I have always been a bit skeptical about VR units myself and seen them as a novelty with a short life span. A device that while has immediate functionality, loses support from both developers and the industry.

But Samsung have done it. Proving that they are true innovators. They have beaten every other major player in bringing out a ready to retail VR unit that is at least a must try, let alone must own device. With Samsung now a major player in the VR industry we can expect that it is now not just a short lived novelty and is here to stay.

I doubt users of the Gear VR will strap it on when, say, on public transport, but for at home it is an extremely amazing kit, absolutely worth it’s price tag and offers you your very own iMax screen and then some.

To anyone who may see you using the Gear VR, well, yes you will look a bit odd, as you physically lob your head about, even your entire body. But any temporary loss of dignity is totally worth it.

In New Zealand the Gear VR is available at Noel Leemings stores, Samsung kiosks and online for $299.00 (NZD). This of course does not include the Galaxy S6 or S6 Edge.

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