LG 360 Cam and 360 VR put company into virtual reality race

Tonight, LG inserted itself as a fierce competitor in the virtual reality race with the introduction of two new products at its MWC 2016 event. The LG 360 Cam and LG 360 VR are both part of the LG Playground ecosystem that utilizes the company’s existing partnerships to release innovative devices for consumers wanting a deeper mobile experience. As their names suggest, the LG 360 VR is a virtual reality headset and the LG 360 Cam is a 360-degree camera.

Let’s take a look at the new virtual reality products in the LG Playground.

With the LG 360 Cam, the company is allowing users to snap photographs and record video in a rich 360-degree format. The device has two 13MP 200-degree wide angle cameras which make it capable of seeing everything in its surroundings. This puts video in 2K resolution in addition to 5.1 surround sound channel recording with three microphones. So you’re never missing an angle or a sound.

This 360-degree camera is shipping with 4GB of internal storage, but LG has included a microSD card slot because we all know photos and videos in a rich format like this consumes a lot of memory. And the battery providing the LG 360 Cam with its longevity is 1200mAh.

LG has partnered with Google to make it possible for users to upload photos and video from the LG 360 Cam to Google Street View and YouTube360. Of course, anyone with a device and a proper virtual reality headset like a Google Cardboard viewer can jump into these 360-degree environments.

Pricing and a release date for the LG 360 Cam was not provided.

Maybe you want to dive into content from your LG 360 Cam on an LG-made virtual reality headset. Good thing the company announced the LG 360 VR today, too. The LG 360 VR is unquestionably a direct competitor to Samsung’s Gear VR, which could see a new model debut later today. The virtual reality headset here gets its power from the LG G5, but the phone isn’t doubling as the display. The LG 360 VR connects to the G5 by USB Type-C only to provide power.

LG’s advantage with its first virtual reality headset is size and quality. The LG 360 VR weighs just 118g yet has a display with pixel density of 639ppi. How good is that? The display essentially simulates what you’d see from a 130-inch television at a distance of two meters.

The LG 360 VR also does not have pricing or a release date publicly known at this time.

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