This tiny Android camera lets you livestream your life
FrontRow is the latest wearable camera that promises to allow to you to live in the moment while simultaneously capturing it.
David Carnoy
Executive Editor / Reviews
Executive Editor David Carnoy has been a leading member of CNET's Reviews team since 2000. He covers the gamut of gadgets and is a notable reviewer of mobile accessories and portable audio products, including headphones and speakers. He's also an e-reader and e-publishing expert as well as the author of the novels Knife Music, The Big Exit and Lucidity. All the titles are available as Kindle, iBooks, Nook e-books and audiobooks.
FrontRow is on sale now for $400.
Someday someone will get the wearable camera right, and it may actually look something like Ubiquiti Networks' new FrontRow camera, which weighs less than 2 ounces and can be worn around your neck like a pendant to capture your life as you live it.
The device comes in black or white and has both front- and back-facing cameras as well as an integrated 2-inch circular hi-resolution touchscreen. It actually looks fairly sleek and pretty understated -- and by that I mean it doesn't stand out like a pair of Snapchat Spectacles.
The only problem is that it costs $400, which would seem a tad expensive, especially compared to Spectacles, which retail for $140. Earlier wearable cameras like the Narrative Clip ($279) and newer Narrative Clip 2 ($200) also aren't cheap, but FrontRow seems more capable than those devices.
Though it's Android-based, FrontRow works with Android and iOS devices.
It has a standby time of up to 48 hours and can capture in story mode (time-lapse shooting) for up to 16 hours and in livestreaming mode for up to 2 hours. And since it's Android based, it can run a variety of apps. The company says it features native apps, such as a stopwatch and a compass, but also runs third-party apps, such as Spotify. That sounds interesting.
It also features a USB Type-C connector and has a quick-charge time of around 20 minutes.
I can't tell you how good the image and audio quality is because I haven't tried it yet, but the resolution for livestreaming is listed at 720p, which is technically HD.
Here's a look at FrontRow's other key specs. As soon as I get a review sample, I'll post a full review.
- Primary camera has a 140 degree wide-view lens (roughly double that of a typical phone)
- Water resistant but not waterproof
- Built-in microphone and speaker for local playback
- Resolution while livestreaming: 720p
- Camera shoots 30 fps
- 2K video capture (16:9) and 4K in 4:3 format
- Front-facing camera is 8 megapixels, selfie cam is 5 megapixels
- Battery lasts up to 100 minutes livestreaming, 10 hours in Story Mode, 100 minutes recording HD video and three days in standby
- Lanyard and clip-mount included (clip mount allows you to clip the camera to a shirt and also doubles as a stand)
- Price: $400 from Amazon
The included clothing clip-on accessory also doubles as a stand.
