China’s leading smartphone maker, Xiaomi, recently released a cheap, high-definition camera that comes at a price of only 399 yuan ($64).
The Yi Action Camera is equipped with a 16-megaixel camera and a wide-angle lens that let users shoot videos and capture photos in a Go Pro style. Go Pro is a high-end wide-angle shooting camera that costs twice as much as Xiaomi's.
The newly launched action camera can also be used in making time-lapse movies. Up to the depth of 40 meters, Yi is designed to be waterproof.
To serve as a complementary gadget, the device can be aired and can be controlled remotely by a smartphone. The pairing can also help Yi's users to share their captures in any social media platforms and in many Internet websites.
However, industry enthusiasts suggest that Yi is more suitable for domestic use rather than for a Go Pro-like, action-packed filming popular for shooting extreme sports. As seen on Yi's so-far available accessories, the Xiaomi action camera still has a lot to improve on when it comes to making a competition with Go Pro.
"Go Pro has brilliant traction within the action junkie audience, and more importantly its devices work amazingly whether that's being attached to someone going for a run or jumping out of a spaceship," Stuart Miles, tech site Pocket-lint founder, shared.
He further emphasized how a plethora of Go Pro "wannabe" have been entering the market, stating how Xiaomi's Yi could struggle to find a stable share in the industry.
"That loyalty isn't something that can be replaced with a cheaper price," he remarked.
The Yi Action Camera offers extras like a selfie stick and a harness that makes the device attachable to a bike, helmet or even a cat.
Though Yi is only available in China, the smartphone giant plans to open an online store that will cater to its global market.