LAS VEGAS—There are tons of VR headsets at CES this year, but not nearly as many devices designed for actually making your own VR content. Yezz is looking to change that with the Sfera, a new smartphone that uses two spherical cameras that allow you to record 360-degree virtual reality videos and easily share them with friends. I got to check out a prototype at the show.
As you can probably tell from the pictures, I didn't get my hands on an actual, working Sfera. One is just a mock-up dummy model, while the one with a working camera doesn't really look or feel close to what's intended for the finished product. That said, seeing how the video capture works in person is still pretty cool.
Essentially, there's a 5-megapixel camera with a fish-eye lens on either side of the phone. These cameras record video at the same time, which is then stitched together via software to create a 360-degree video you can view using Google Cardboard or another VR content viewer. And it actually works really well. I watched a VR video that was recorded in the Yezz office, and I was able to tilt my head in any angle to look around, making it feel like I was actually there. Of course, you'll probably want to record something slightly more interesting than your office, but as a proof of concept, I can safely say that it works quite well.
As you're recording video, you can get an idea of what's actually being captured in a number of different ways. Finger-Pick lets you use your finger to navigate in any direction around the scene as it records. Full-Frame shows the entire 360-degree landscape in one condensed window. And HUD is a split-screen view that shows you what the front camera is capturing on one half of your phone screen, and what the back camera is capturing on the other half.
Because you'll probably want to share what you record with friends, Yezz has baked some features into the software (the phone runs Android 6.0 Marshmallow) that make it easy to do so. Once you record a clip, you can simply tap a button that automatically uploads it to YouTube, and gives you the option to share it via text message, social networking, etc.
Given the unique recording capabilities, the rest of the phone's design follows suit. It's on the thick side to accommodate those cameras, and it cuts off on each end in a diagonal corner, which is supposed to make for a better grip. I'm not sure if the phone meets any standards for ruggedization, but it certainly feels solid. The back is home to a mount so you can attach it to a helmet, and Yezz plans to release a number of additional accessories.
Aside from the camera, the Sfera is otherwise a fairly standard midrange phone powered by a 2.0GHz octa-core Mediatek Helio P10 MT6755 processor, along with 3GB of RAM. The display is a 5.5-inch, 1080p LCD. And it has a 3,000mAh battery, which is important because I imagine recording VR video will require a good amount of power. It also comes unlocked with support for U.S. 4G LTE bands.
The Sfera is available for pre-order now for $299.99 and is expected to start shipping April 30. Check back for our full review.