Gear 360 VR Camera Set to Accompany Galaxy S7; Announcement Date Set

Samsung trademarked the name Gear 360 a few weeks ago, and today it has been confirmed that the Gear 360 is a spherical virtual reality camera that will accompany the much-anticipated Galaxy S7.

Samsung's Gear 360 will probably look similar to Project Beyond, but with only two lenses.

The camera uses two 180 degree fisheye lenses to capture 360 degrees of photo or video. Gear 360 connects via Bluetooth using the Gear 360 Connect application. The camera has a battery, so there's no need to connect to an external power supply. It also carries an unspecified amount of internal storage.

So far, the camera is only confirmed to be compatible with the upcoming Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge, but it's possible that older Galaxy models will be able to use Gear 360 as well.

You can watch a live stream of the video feed on your phone, but there's no word on whether or not you'll be able to stream to something else, like a TV. There's also no word about whether or not you'll be able to stream video to a phone docked to Samsung's Gear VR headset, but we'd have to think there's a strong possibility that it will happen.

You'll control the camera with a viewfinder app on your phone. It includes all the standard settings, like HDR, white balance, ISO, and exposure control. You can record with both lenses simultaneously, or just use one at a time. Shooting modes include VR View, Dual View, Panoramic View, Time Lapse, and Looping Video. Maximum resolution for dual lens mode is 3840 x 1920 pixels, and 1920 x 1920 pixels for single lens mode.

The Gear 360 is expected to be unveiled on February 21st along with the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge. No pricing details have been released yet for the Gear 360.

What Else We Know About Galaxy S7

Get ready, because Samsung will introduce the new phones, along with other gadgets, at their Unpacked Event on February 21st in Barcelona.

• Galaxy S7 will have 5.1-inch display, similar to S6. However, S7 Edge will feature 5.5- or 5.7-inch display.
• The screen will be pressure sensitive, similar to Apple's 3D Touch.
• Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge will have a microSD slot built into the SIM tray.
• The handsets will have IP67 certified dust- and water-resistance. This means it's totally protected from dust, and resistant to water when submerged up to 1 meter.
• Battery capacity increased for both handsets, however, like the S6, batteries will not be replaceable.
• Wireless charging for S7 is 2 hours; wireless charging for S7 Edge is 2 hours 12 minutes.
• 12 megapixel rear-facing camera, said to have high performance in low-light settings, and the camera is now flush with case, eliminating the "S6 hump."
• Two storage options will be available; 32 GB or 64 GB with 4 GB RAM.
• Initial colors will be black, white, and gold.

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