Motorola One Action designed to eat into the Action Cam market

by Mark Tyson on 19 August 2019, 15:11

Tags: Motorola (NYSE:MSI)

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Motorola has launched an interesting new smartphone designed to take images and videos with a twist, literally. The new Motorola One Action features a rear 117º ultra-wide action video camera, alongside a pair of more traditional rear cameras. Motorola claims this represents "the industry's first ultra-wide action cam," in a smartphone.

Putting it another way, the Motorola One Action can shoot video in landscape format while still holding your phone vertically. It adds that filming this way fits "four times more in the frame," compared to filming in vertical mode and playing back on a horizontally oriented screen.

Keeping on the topic of the cameras, Motorola has packed the following cameras into this new smartphone:

  • Rear: 16MP f/2.2 Quad Pixel technology, 2.0um, Ultra-wide FOV 117º with EIS which supports 1080p/60fps video
    12MP f/1.8 primary camera, 1.25um, with 4K/30fps video support and phase-detection autofocus
    5MP depth-sensing camera
  • Front: 12MP f/2.0 1.25um pixels selfie camera, enables Face-Unlock

Motorola adds that the cameras use AI for shot optimization, smart composition, auto smile capture, and more.

Other key specs of the Motorola One Action are as follows:

  • Screen: 6.3-inch 21:9 FHD+ IPS screen
  • Processor: Samsung Exynos 9609 processor with 2.2 GHz Octa-core CPU and Mali G72 MP3 GPU
  • RAM/Storage: 4GB / 128GB plus microSD card support to 512GB
  • Audio: single Dolby Audio speaker, 2 microphones, 3.5mm headphone jack, FM radio
  • Connectivity: up to 4G LTE via Nano-SIM, dual-band Wi-Fi 802.11ac, NFC, BT 5, USB-C, Supports GPS, AGPS, GLONASS
  • Sensors: Fingerprint reader, Proximity sensor, Accelerometer, Ambient Light sensor, Magnetometer, Gyroscope
  • Battery: 3500mAh with 10W rapid charger
  • Security: Face unlock, Fingerprint reader
  • Dimensions: 160.1mm x 71.2mm x 9.15mm, 196g, IPX2 water resistance
  • Colours, Blue, White, Teal
  • OS: Android 9 Pie - Android One program, plus Moto Experiences

Motorola says that the new One Action is now available in various European countries, priced from €259. Residents of Brazil and Mexico can pick it up today too. Other countries in Latin America, Europe and North America should see the Motorola One Action in early October.

HEXUS Forums :: 11 Comments

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Posted by Skyflier - Mon 19 Aug 2019 16:01
While I can't see this “Eating into the action camera market” very far, mainly because the appeal of action cameras is that their compact, robust and can be mounted on to almost anything. It is kind of cool and the price doesn't seem too bad either.
Posted by scaryjim - Mon 19 Aug 2019 21:42
Skyflier
… the appeal of action cameras is that their compact, robust and can be mounted on to almost anything. …

Indeed, I was interested right up to ‘6.3“ screen’. That's a huge slab of a device, and it's not even ruggedised. Do anything remotely ”action"y with that and you're likely to end up with an expensive collection of glass shards… :rolleyes:
Posted by philehidiot - Mon 19 Aug 2019 22:26
scaryjim
Skyflier
… the appeal of action cameras is that their compact, robust and can be mounted on to almost anything. …

Indeed, I was interested right up to ‘6.3“ screen’. That's a huge slab of a device, and it's not even ruggedised. Do anything remotely ”action"y with that and you're likely to end up with an expensive collection of glass shards… :rolleyes:

I wonder if it might be useful on a bicycle or something when on a decent mount and in one of these rugged cases? I video all my motorcycle rides as people tend to try and kill me and then lie. I can see my using this as a navigation and filming device. But, I do like redundancy and I don't like all my eggs in one basket. I prefer a separate camera, shat nav and phone as it means if one fails I'm not screwed and also a phone with all those in will never be as good as a dedicated device.
Posted by Ttaskmaster - Tue 20 Aug 2019 12:00
No no no, peeps… You're missing the key selling point:

HEXUS
Putting it another way, the Motorola One Action can shoot video in landscape format while still holding your phone vertically.

No more complaints about peoples' awful vertical videos!!!
Posted by chrestomanci - Tue 20 Aug 2019 15:10
philehidiot
I wonder if it might be useful on a bicycle or something when on a decent mount and in one of these rugged cases?

I don't think so. If you mount an action cam on the handlebars and ride over anything other than super smooth tarmac, you tend to get a very jerky video that makes the viewer seasick, so most cyclists will use a chest or helmet mount. Not sure about a chest mount, but a phone in a ruggedised case will be much too big an heavy to put on a helmet.

philehidiot
I prefer a separate camera, shat nav and phone as it means if one fails I'm not screwed and also a phone with all those in will never be as good as a dedicated device.
Also a good point. If I faceplant the trail, I would prefer it if my action cam survives, but if it does not, I still want a working phone to call for help with.

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