Moto 360 Camera
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| Moto 360 Camera | |
|---|---|
| |
| Basic Info | |
| VR/AR | Virtual Reality |
| Type | 360-degree Camera |
| Subtype | Add-on Camera Mod |
| Creator | Motorola |
| Manufacturer | Motorola |
| Announcement Date | 25 July 2017 |
| Release Date | 10 August 2017 (United States) |
| Price | US$299.99 (launch price, United States) |
| Website | https://www.motorola.com/us/products/moto-mods/moto-360-camera |
| Requires | A Moto Z family phone (launch list: Moto Z, Moto Z Force, Moto Z Play, Moto Z2 Play, Moto Z2 Force) |
| Storage | |
| Storage | Saved to the attached phone's storage or microSD card |
| Display | |
| Resolution | 360° 4K at 24 fps (video) |
| Image | |
| Field of View | 360° spherical panorama; 150° ultra wide-angle with one lens |
| Optics | |
| Optics | Two opposing lenses, f/2.0 |
| Audio | |
| Audio | 3D sound (4 channel ambisonic) |
| Microphone | Four microphones |
| Camera | 2 × 13 MP |
| Connectivity | |
| Connectivity | Moto Mods connector (16 pins, magnetic) |
| Power | Drawn from the attached Moto Z phone (no battery) |
| Device | |
| Weight | About 80 g |
| Sensors | 2 × 1/2.8" image sensors, 1.25 μm pixels |
| Input | Shutter button in the Motorola logo on the back |
The Moto 360 Camera is a snap-on 360-degree camera accessory made by Lenovo-owned Motorola for its Moto Z family of modular smartphones. It is a Moto Mod: a back plate that attaches magnetically to the rear of a Moto Z phone and connects through the phone's Moto Mods pins, with a two-lens camera stalk protruding above the top of the phone.[1][2][3] Two 13-megapixel sensors record 360-degree video at 4K and 24 frames per second together with four-channel ambisonic 3D sound, and each lens can also take 150-degree ultra wide-angle photos on its own.[4]
Motorola announced the camera in New York on 25 July 2017 alongside the Moto Z2 Force and released it in the United States on 10 August 2017 for US$299.99.[5] Because it uses the phone's battery, storage and camera app, the Mod needs no charging, pairing or wireless file transfer, which reviewers counted as an advantage over standalone consumer 360 cameras such as Samsung's Gear 360. Its price and the fact that it works only with Moto Z phones drew the most criticism.[6][3][7]
The Mod's 360-degree photos and videos could be shared to YouTube, Facebook and Google Photos, and viewed by panning on a phone or in a VR headset.[3][7][8] It received a Red Dot Award: Product Design in 2018.[9] In 2019 Motorola bundled it with the unlocked Moto Z4, the only Moto Z phone the company released that year.[1][10]
Announcement and release
Motorola first showed the 360-degree camera Mod at a press event in Ghana before announcing it formally.[11] When TechRadar asked for details in early July 2017, the company said it had "no further news to share about anything shown at this time."[12] The formal announcement came at Motorola's New York City event on 25 July 2017, where the company also introduced the Moto Z2 Force and gave the Mod a price of US$299.99 and a release date of 10 August, the same day as the phone.[5][13] Road to VR reported on announcement day that the camera was already available for pre-order at US$299.[14]
According to Digital Trends, the Mod worked with the Moto Z, Moto Z Force, Moto Z Play, Moto Z2 Play and Moto Z2 Force. Motorola told the publication that the Z2 Force supported it out of the box, while older Moto Z phones needed a software update "following in-market availability."[3] At launch it was sold in the United States through Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon and Motorola's own website, and Digital Trends reported that Best Buy would begin carrying it later in August 2017.[3]
Motorola released the camera in Australia on 28 September 2017 for A$369, sold through its Australian online store.[15] In Japan, Motorola Mobility Japan released it on 27 October 2017 at 29,800 yen before tax on its official online store, together with the Moto GamePad Mod.[16]
| Region | Release date | Launch price | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 10 August 2017 | US$299.99 | Announced 25 July 2017; carriers Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon, plus Motorola's website[5][3] |
| Australia | 28 September 2017 | A$369 | Motorola Australia online store[15] |
| Japan | 27 October 2017 | 29,800 yen (before tax) | Motorola official online store price[16] |
Moto Z4 bundle
When Motorola introduced the Moto Z4 on 30 May 2019, its announcement said the unlocked phone would go on sale at Best Buy, B&H Photo and Amazon from 6 June 2019 (presale from 30 May) "bundled with the moto 360 camera moto mod for $499.99."[1] Droid Life noted that Motorola had no new Mods to announce with the Z4 and that Mods from earlier Moto Z years would still work on it.[17] Motorola also confirmed that the Z4 would be the only Moto Z device of 2019, with no Z4 Play or Z4 Force.[10]
Status
The Moto 360 Camera works only with Moto Z family phones. In its 2019 Moto Z4 announcement, Motorola still promoted the camera, suggesting users attach it to capture "interactive, 4K 360° video with immersive 3D audio" and sold it as part of the unlocked Z4 bundle.[1]
Design and hardware
The Moto 360 Camera has the same footprint as other Moto Mods: a plastic back plate with a cut-out for the phone's own camera module and the magnetic connector near the bottom.[7] It attaches to the phone's 16-pin Moto Mods connector, the same interface used by Mods such as the JBL SoundBoost speaker.[11][3] The outside of the shell is white with a dimpled pattern for grip, and the inside surface is orange. The camera array juts out from the top as a stalk a little more than an inch tall, with a lens on each side, and Motorola includes a rubber hood to protect the lenses when the camera is not in use.[7] The Motorola logo on the back doubles as a physical shutter button, and Digital Trends found that it still worked as a shutter when the phone's regular camera was selected.[3]
The Mod has no battery and draws power from the phone.[13][3] Photos and videos travel over the wired connection and are stored on the phone or its microSD card, so they can be edited or shared immediately without the Bluetooth or Wi-Fi transfer that most standalone 360 cameras of the period required.[6] The Red Dot award entry lists two 13 MP wide-angle cameras, four microphones and onboard processors.[9] Weekly ASCII gave the weight as about 80 g.[16]
Each camera uses a 13-megapixel 1/2.8-inch sensor with 1.25 μm pixels behind an f/2.0 lens.[4] Android Central noted that these sensor figures are identical to those of the Moto Z2 Force's own camera.[6] A single lens covers a 150-degree field of view, and the two images are stitched into a full spherical panorama.[4][13] Phone Scoop described the combined stills as 19.5-megapixel images.[7] Audio is recorded as four-channel ambisonic sound, which Motorola calls 3D sound.[4] According to Motorola, the recorded audio follows the direction in which the viewer is looking during playback.[15]
The Verge's Chaim Gartenberg found the shell not much thicker than Motorola's wireless charging Mods, apart from the camera, but judged the module "probably a little bit too big" to leave attached every day.[2] Phone Scoop called the Mod light and slim but said the camera stalk tended to snag on pocket linings.[7]
Software and features
When the Mod is attached, the phone recognizes it and Motorola's standard camera app gains a toggle between the 360-degree camera and the phone's own camera.[2] 9to5Google described it as "literally plug-and-play," with the camera app opening in 360-degree view the next time it was launched.[18] On first use, the Mod Manager app walks the user through the basics; Phone Scoop's unit needed a quick software update first.[7]
Motorola lists the capture modes as Photo, Video, Live, Ultra Wide-Angle Front and Rear, and Professional Mode.[4] In Digital Trends' description, Photo mode is fully automatic, the ultra wide-angle mode takes a photo with only one of the two cameras, and Professional Mode allows ISO, white balance, shutter speed and exposure compensation to be set for a 360-degree photo. A timer can fire the shutter after three or ten seconds, for example when the phone is on a tripod.[3] Motorola's specifications list ISO settings of Auto and 100 to 3200, and white balance settings of Auto, Incandescent, Fluorescent, Sunny and Shade, for Professional Mode.[4]
The viewfinder offers several views of the scene:[3][2][7]
- a spherical "globe" view that can be dragged and pinched to zoom;
- a split view showing the front and rear camera feeds in two panes;
- a view with a draggable panorama strip below a larger preview of the selected area.
The Verge also described a circular mode that overlays the rear view on a background of the front-facing side.[2]
The camera app includes basic editing. For photos, Motorola lists flat crop, 360 crop, filters and adjustments for exposure, contrast, vibrance and hue; for video, trim, compile, video snapshot and "Director's Cut."[4] Motorola said it had worked with Google so that the stills and videos were compatible with YouTube and Google Photos, and the product page promoted sharing directly from the Google Photos app.[19][4] 360-degree videos could be uploaded to YouTube, and 360-degree photos and videos to Facebook.[3]
Live streaming was part of Motorola's pitch, but it was not ready at launch. Motorola promised it for a software update after the 10 August release, and Digital Trends reported that Facebook Live streaming would arrive by update once the product was available in each market. Neither The Verge nor Digital Trends could test it.[2][3][19]
The Verge noticed a delay of one or two seconds between pressing the shutter and the picture being taken, which it presumed was the time needed to process and stitch the two images.[2] Phone Scoop also reported a short shutter delay, followed by about another second of processing and saving.[7] Because the lenses sit above the phone, the phone itself does not appear in 360-degree shots, so the user's hand seems to hold nothing.[2][3]
Reception
The price was the most common criticism. The Verge called US$299.99 "really steep for what you're getting," and Digital Trends concluded that the camera was not worth US$300 because other 360 cameras work with more than one brand of phone.[2][3] Phone Scoop pointed out that the Mod cost US$70 more than Samsung's 360-degree camera and recommended it only as part of a bundle or at a reduced price.[7] TechRadar noted that the Gear 360 then sold for US$199 from Samsung, but wrote that "for Moto Z owners, it's hard to beat a 360-degree camera that attaches right on your phone."[8] Trusted Reviews compared it with the 360-degree camera accessory for Andy Rubin's Essential Phone, which offered 4K video at 30 frames per second and cost US$100 less.[19]
Opinions on image quality varied:
| Publication | Date | Findings |
|---|---|---|
| The Verge | 25 July 2017 | Results "pretty sharp" in a short hands-on; slow shutter and slow panning of the live feed[2] |
| 360 Rumors | 27 July 2017 | Analysis of a 4K sample video: excellent sharpness, decent dynamic range, almost no purple fringing, some parallax error at the stitch line, and slight blur near the stitch line on one lens, suggesting lens misalignment in that unit[20] |
| Phone Scoop | 4 August 2017 | Soft and grainy images, poor handling of high-contrast scenes, obvious stitching and a white balance mismatch between the two cameras; best results outdoors in even light; praised the 3D sound[7] |
| Digital Trends | 10 August 2017 | Photos "pretty much on par" with other 360 cameras and colors accurate, but grainy in low light, easily overexposed, and hazy or grainy in the areas between the two cameras[3] |
| 9to5Google | 24 August 2017 | Decent stitching but a visible line from the exposure difference between the cameras; stills a little soft, less noticeable in video; less directional microphones made dialogue hard to hear[18] |
Engadget's Chris Velazco advised using headphones when watching footage recorded with the camera, because of its 3D sound.[13] Phone Scoop found the camera software well designed but slow to open and prone to freezing and crashing.[7]
The Moto 360 Camera won a Red Dot Award: Product Design in 2018, listed under "Smartphone Camera" with Motorola of Chicago as manufacturer and an in-house design. The jury statement said the camera "produces impressively sharp photos and videos which can be shared remarkably easily."[9]
The product's name drew comment because Motorola had used the Moto 360 brand since 2014 for its smartwatches. Android Central's Daniel Bader wrote that reusing the name for a Moto Mod did not inspire confidence in the future of the smartwatch line.[6]
Specifications
All values are as listed on Motorola's US product page.[4]
| Part | Spec |
|---|---|
| Field of view | 360° spherical panorama |
| Sensor resolution | 2 × 13 MP |
| Video resolution | 360° 4K at 24 fps |
| Sensor size | 2 × 1/2.8" |
| Pixel size | 1.25 μm |
| Aperture | f/2.0 |
| Shutter speed | 1/30 sec |
| ISO equivalent (pro mode) | Auto, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600, 3200 |
| White balance (pro mode) | Auto, Incandescent, Fluorescent, Sunny, Shade |
| Audio recording | 3D sound (4 channel ambisonic) |
| Capture modes | Photo, Video, Live, Ultra Wide-Angle Front and Rear, Professional Mode |
| File format | Still: JPG; Video: MPEG4 |
| Advanced editing on phone | Photo: Flat crop, 360 crop, Filter, Adjust (Exposure, Contrast, Vibrance, Hue); Video: Trim, Compile, Video Snapshot, Director's Cut |
See also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 "the new moto z4: uncompromised phone. unreal price.". Motorola Global Blog. Motorola Mobility. 2019-05-30. https://web.archive.org/web/20260121213151/https://motorolanews.com/the-new-moto-z4-uncompromised-phone-unreal-price/. Retrieved 2026-10-21.
- ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 Chaim Gartenberg (2017-07-25). "Hands-on with Motorola's $299 360-degree camera Moto Mod". The Verge. https://www.theverge.com/circuitbreaker/2017/7/25/16026256/hands-on-motorola-360-degree-camera-moto-mod. Retrieved 2026-10-21.
- ↑ 3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10 3.11 3.12 3.13 3.14 3.15 Julian Chokkattu (2017-08-10). "Moto 360 Camera review (archived copy)". Digital Trends. https://web.archive.org/web/20190214073326/https://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/moto-360-camera-mod-review/. Retrieved 2026-10-21.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7 4.8 "moto 360 camera - moto mods (archived copy of 3 January 2018)". Motorola US. Motorola Mobility. https://web.archive.org/web/20180103055750/https://www.motorola.com/us/products/moto-mods/moto-360-camera. Retrieved 2026-10-21.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Joe Maring (2017-07-25). "Motorola announces pricing and availability info for 360-camera Moto Mod". 9to5Google. https://9to5google.com/2017/07/25/motorola-announces-pricing-and-availability-info-for-360-camera-moto-mod/. Retrieved 2026-10-21.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 Daniel Bader (2017-07-25). "Motorola's latest Moto Mod is a snap-on 360-degree camera". Android Central. https://web.archive.org/web/20180112111007/https://www.androidcentral.com/moto-360-camera. Retrieved 2026-10-21.
- ↑ 7.00 7.01 7.02 7.03 7.04 7.05 7.06 7.07 7.08 7.09 7.10 7.11 Eric M. Zeman (2017-08-04). "Review: Motorola 360 Camera". Phone Scoop. https://www.phonescoop.com/articles/article.php?a=19415. Retrieved 2026-10-21.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Michelle Fitzsimmons (2017-07-25). "This 360-degree camera turns your Moto Z phone into a video powerhouse". TechRadar. https://www.techradar.com/news/this-360-degree-camera-turn-yours-moto-z-phone-into-a-video-powerhouse. Retrieved 2026-10-21.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 "Moto 360 Camera". Red Dot Design Award. Red Dot. 2018. https://www.red-dot.org/project/moto-360-camera-24968-24967. Retrieved 2026-10-21.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Vlad (2019-05-31). "There won't be a Moto Z4 Force or Moto Z4 Play". GSMArena. https://www.gsmarena.com/there_wont_be_a_moto_z4_force_or_moto_z4_play-news-37335.php. Retrieved 2026-10-21.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Elyse Betters Picaro (2017-07-03). "Motorola made a new 360-degree camera mod for all Moto Z phones". Pocket-lint. https://www.pocket-lint.com/phones/news/motorola/141520-motorola-made-a-new-360-degree-camera-mod-for-all-moto-z-phones/. Retrieved 2026-10-21.
- ↑ Michelle Fitzsimmons, Parker Wilhelm (2017-07-03). "Motorola's newest Moto Mod has a 360-degree camera on top". TechRadar. https://www.techradar.com/news/motorolas-latest-phone-add-on-is-a-360-degree-camera. Retrieved 2026-10-21.
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 Chris Velazco (2017-07-25). "Motorola's newest Mod is this $300, 360-degree camera". Engadget. https://www.engadget.com/2017-07-25-motorola-360-camera.html. Retrieved 2026-10-21.
- ↑ Scott Hayden (2017-07-25). "Motorola to Launch 360 Camera 'Mod' Alongside Latest Moto Z Phone". Road to VR. https://roadtovr.com/motorola-launch-360-camera-mod-alongside-latest-moto-z-phone/. Retrieved 2026-10-21.
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 "Transform your Mobile Experience in a Snap with New Gamepad and 360 Camera Mods". Impulse Gamer. 2017-09-29. https://www.impulsegamer.com/transform-mobile-experience-snap-new-gamepad-360-camera-mods/. Retrieved 2026-10-21.
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 16.2 "モトローラのスマホが携帯ゲーム機＆360度カメラに 新Moto Mods登場". Weekly ASCII. 2017-10-26. https://weekly.ascii.jp/elem/000/001/576/1576562/. Retrieved 2026-10-21.
- ↑ Kellen (2019-05-30). "Moto Z4 is Official at $499.99, Keeping the Moto Mod Dream Alive". Droid Life. https://www.droid-life.com/2019/05/30/moto-z4-is-official-at-499-99-keeping-the-moto-mod-dream-alive/. Retrieved 2026-10-21.
- ↑ 18.0 18.1 "Hands-on with the Moto 360 Camera Mod [Video"]. 9to5Google. 2017-08-24. https://9to5google.com/2017/08/24/moto-360-camera-mod/. Retrieved 2026-10-21.
- ↑ 19.0 19.1 19.2 Chris Smith (2017-07-25). "The latest Moto Mod is a $300 360-degree 4K camera". Trusted Reviews. https://www.trustedreviews.com/news/moto-mod-360-4k-camera-3151055. Retrieved 2026-10-21.
- ↑ Mic Ty (2017-07-27). "Sample 4K 360 video from Moto 360 Camera looks impressive!". 360 Rumors. https://web.archive.org/web/20180108195415/http://360rumors.com/2017/07/sample-4k-360-video-moto-360-camera-looks-impressive.html. Retrieved 2026-10-21.