Essential has a unique port around back on its debut Phone, which can handle data and power transfer, and which attaches to accessories via magnets. The first such accessory is Essential’s own 360 camera, which offers you an easy way to capture immersive images and video in a very small package. The Essential 360 camera is much smaller than most other consumer 360 cameras out there, and aims to be something that’s as easy to take with wherever you go as the phone itself.
I got a chance to take the 360 camera for a spin over the past few days, now that it’s preparing to ship out to early Essential customers. The diminutive camera easily slides into a pocket or bag, and snaps into place on the back of the Essential phone with a satisfying click. The magnetic force also feels strong enough that you can be confident the camera won’t fall off during use, while also keeping the accessory easy enough to remove when you want to.
Snapping the camera on to the back of the Essential Phone results in the camera app itself launching right into 360-degree capture mode. This was a bit hit or miss for me – the camera app also launched, but sometimes I’d have to exit and relaunch to get the image preview to appear. Removing the camera also automatically quits the app, which is a nice feature.
By default, the app launches in photo capture mode, where you tap the virtual shutter button to grab a still. You can also pan around the image in live preview using your finger to see what the whole scene looks like. Essential stitches the image on the fly, so what you see is what you get...