Initial Review of Samsung Gear 360: It arrived nicely packed which included an instruction leaflet, a battery, a 128 GB Samsung Evo micro SD Card, a small tripod, a USB Cable, a wrist strap, and a very necessary bag to keep the camera in. The camera can be stored safely in the round container it all comes in. It also comes with a licence to download CyberLink Gear 360 Action Director Software. DONOT loose the small piece of paper which has the licence number for the software ! you will need it to activate the Director. Screw on the little tripod supplied (just to stand it up) and Insert the battery and fully charge it up (just under 3 hours in my case) and then insert the SD Card and you are ready to go. Just follow the good instructions supplied. Download the Gear 360 app on your phone ( Samsung S6 is mine) and the Action Director on your PC. Power up the camera and connect to your smart phone app. Fun part: Use the app or the menu on the camera to turn on either the front or rear or both cameras. Red Lights show which ones will be used. Press the button on top to start recording. You can view what is being recorded on the Phone. It is different experience taking 360 videos and you will have great fun walking around and seeing what this little lightweight camera will do. You can record and store the videos on the SD Card or on the phone or both. I don't have a VR viewer as yet so can't say what they look like on VR 360. Pros: 1. Small Lightweight camera which can be carried in your pocket. 2. Video quality is very good in daylight whichever resolution you decide to use. 3. Photo quality also very good in bright light. 4. Video in artificial light good but contrast levels make dark areas very dark. I have not had time to edit photos or videos to improve the quality as yet but for most times it is acceptable. 5. Photos also good except in very low light 6. Time lapse works well for use as security purposes. Put it in the window to find out which bird fed at the bird table. Cons: 1. With the tripod supplied you will almost always see yourself in picture ( you may not want this is some circumstances) 2. Tripod is too short for comfortable handling for a longer period of time. 3. There is no image stabilisation of any type. A VERY SERIOUS omission in my opinion. Most videos and photos taken with this will be when you are moving and the jerky picture is not good. You have to learn to have very steady hands. Put it down on a still surface if possible. 4. Omission two. There is no flash / LED light on the camera 5. Video taken when driving in a car is very shaky. 6. You do look a bit silly when walking around with this round ball until someone realises what you have and then you have to stop and talk about it. (pro or a con?) 7. Software does not seem to be very easy to use for editing but this may be a question of learning more so I will need to review it after further use. Conclusion: It is an interesting addition to my camera collection. Until VR videos really take off it will be a curiosity. I can see a very good use for it for landscape photography initially as I can never do justice to these holiday photos usually. I think this will work well on a selfie stick or on top of a riding helmet. The lack of image stabilisation is a big omission. Experience will tell if this proves anything more than a toy at present.

It surprises me what this camera can do. The quality of the images is very good and I even have a A3+ print of a 360 degree view of my hall - hanging in the hall. I hoisted my Gear 360 on a tripod above my garden gazebo and now have a 360 degree of my garden and surrounding properties. It works really well with my Galaxy S7 edge and the buttons/menu are straight forward. Charging (showing red light) is easy and quick (green light when ready). Micro data card and battery easy to get to and it saves power by switching off when not used. It's well made, heavier than it looks and the small black tripod that comes with it is very handy. Taking 360 images and then scrolling 360 degrees left, right, up, down is a level of photography that is new and I think to become exciting. To look around a recording in 360 degrees with all the action happening is amazing, as is the quality of the definition of the picture.

I was a little skeptical that I would find the 360 feature any better than recording images on my S6. I am pleased to say that I was wrong. The Gear 360 easily links to my S6 allowing me to set up my photos and focus my images to get the best look. It is easy to flip between the 180 and 360 functions on my phone. Images are really good quality and after sticking the images together it was amazing being able to explore the images and zooming in on different areas of the image. The only downside is that when in video mode there is no ability to zoom in while recording that I found which means that you have to stop in the middle of recording and then reset the focal point before starting the filming again. Replay sound quality on video was as good as on my phone. I would invest in a selfie stick as when you try to hold it in your hand while taking pictures you can wind up with a weird half claw look. At Xmas I used it at a family function on the centre of the table which gave some really good images of us enjoying ourselves. The images came out really well and my relatives really enjoyed experiencing the images through the VR app and headset. The camera is light and come in its own little soft pouch making it easy for me to carry in a handbag on a night out or pack into my luggage when I went away on short breaks. Yet the camera is very solid in construction and gives you confidence that it could survive being knocked in a bag or a fall from a potential stand. I seriously love this camera and if you have any compatible Samsung phone that supports VR it is definitely a must have. I am looking forward to taking it away with me on my future travels.

This is one amazing little camera, simple to use, fast setup charge last a couple of hours of recording and has a removable battery. Now think about all the moments you won't miss because you weren't facing the right direction. You get it all even if you missed it, it doesn't. It feels real solid, not like it will break easily like some cameras I've had in the past and comes with a micro tripod. The setup to shooting from storage is less than 30 seconds; you don't even have to use the phone app. I've always wanted to try the latest in video because I firmly believe motion pictures are better than still pictures in truly capturing a given moment in time. This camera takes that concept to a whole new level by allowing you to see --as Willy Wonka would say-- "sideways, and slantways, and longways, and backways, and squareways, and front ways, and any other ways that you can think of." You can not only capture 360 photos, but 360 video. Incredible! Even without having to refer to the instructions, I was able to get the camera up and running in minutes. Sorry Apply fanboys, but Samsung now rules when it comes to user-friendly and ergonomic design. I was able to figure out the entire camera, all it's features, download and install the related apps, and record some test footage, all within an hour. If there were one criticism I'd have of this camera, it's that you must have a Samsung phone to use it. My understanding is that the software needed to stitch the photos and video together is in the app, and not built-in to the camera. That's a pity because this camera shouldn't be limited to the small percentage of smartphone users who specifically use Samsung. But honestly, I would be willing to trade-up to a Samsung from another brand or buy a dedicated Samsung phone just to use this camera. That may not be the case for everyone, but I'm loving 360 video. Even with pictures, Instagram feels like a joke. Why capture a square postage stamp when there is so much more to capture!? Okay, I'm gushing at this point. But seriously: This camera is absolutely wonderful, and I only wished I'd had it for so many life memories and experiences I'd love to have captured in 360 degrees. Photos: As someone who used to do the manual way of taking 20 shots with my phone to make a photosphere, this instant way of taking a 360 photo was perfect. No weird 'half human' stitches from people walking between shots. The photos are stitched well as long as the nearest subject is at least about a foot away from either lens. Putting the brightest light source (like the sun) pointing at the area between the lenses helps to give really nice consistent stitching. Video: Video resolution is 4k, but keep in mind that's 4k when stitched together, NOT per lens. The quality is again really good, but if something is moving fast (a Eurofighter Typhoon flying past at near Mach speeds) you won't see smooth high res motion, but a little more jumpy motion. Night video isn't that great unfortunately, so you have to bump the ISO limit up for there to be enough light, and that will introduce noise into the video. Also, the videos are split into multiple smaller files and can take a really long time to transfer to the phone. However previewing the videos on the phone (without downloading them) is really fast. Phone App: The Samsung Gear 360 Manager is a mobile app that can be quickly downloaded from the Google Play or Samsung app stores that let's you connect the camera to your Samsung phone using Wi-Fi direct, Bluetooth, and NFC. It's very simple, but can be slow to respond when trying to connect to the 360. Keep in mind that the 360 does not stitch the images/videos in camera, your phone does all that. I love using the Live View feature of the app so I can attach the camera to a railing or on a standard tripod to setup a shot and then move away to view the action or I set up the shot for still pictures. You can also use the app to change shooting modes - in addition to regular photos and videos, there is time-lapse video (for slow events, like sunsets) and looping video (for creating seamless action that repeats). It's also very easy to change the limited camera settings (ISO, exposure value, quality/size, white balance, etc) with the app. The app also allows you to share you videos and pictures quickly and easily to your favourite social media sites or on my Samsung Gear VR device. Build Quality: The Gear 360 is a ridiculously sweet-looking camera, with a bright white spherical design that looks almost like a tiny robot – think BB-8 from Star Wars – with an eye staring back at you. It's light too, although completely the wrong shape for slinging into your pocket. The camera build quality is pretty solid overall, but being that it has two huge lenses on either side so you will not want to drop it. I wish there was some sort of screen protector I could put on the lenses to protect them. Buttons are kept to a minimum. There's a big record button on the top, with a further two buttons on the side for selecting which mode you want to use. There's a removable battery, plus a slot for a microSD card and water, dust, dirt, etc are no issue. Accessories: The 360 comes with the battery, a USB cable, a mini, and a nice draw-string carrying pouch. There is an optional accessories pack that includes a remote control, various types of mounts for the 360, and a longer tripod, so you can pop it down on a tablet and record without fear of it rolling around. Overall: The Samsung Gear 360 is a game-changer. It's a fun, creative, and easy to use device that allows me to take great pictures and videos to share 360 memories with my friends and family. It's a great start to what will hopefully only get better. As the whole VR craze continues to get more and more popular, I think 360 cameras will be seen more and more. Right now, everyone stares at my 360 like it's some alien device and are very interested in what it is... but I think we'll see more people with them in the future. If you want to jump on 360 bandwagon and take photos and videos of vacations, trips, etc this is the perfect gadget for that and the best camera to start with... just make sure you have a Samsung phone.

Fantastic 360 camera. Looks and feels like a smart and high quality product. Its quite small in size, smaller than a tennis ball but surprisingly heavy for its size. It can take an SD card in the device. The battery is removable too so I can carry a back up in case it runs out but the battery life lasts quite long in my experience. The camera can shoot 360 or wide angled pictures. The 360 pictures stitch seamlessly using the 2 wide angled lenses, with no camera rotation. You can change between photo, film or time lapse using the camera itself but I haven't yet found a way to switch between dual lens, just front and just back using the camera so I've been switching lenses using the app on the Galaxy S7. This is a shame because I've pulled the camera out to take a quick shot a few times and when I've opened up the app to look at it, it has remembered the previous lens choice and not taken a 360 automatically. The app makes it a lot easier to use the camera with live view and easier option changes such as how many lenses and what type of shot you require. The app also makes it easy to take shots using a tripod. You can set the tripod up and use the live view through the app to take the shot meaning you don't need a stable surface as such to put the camera. It came with a carry case and wrist strap but I rarely use the wrist strap as it shows in the 360 pictures. The sound quality is fairly good for such a small device when playing back videos. I like that I can take 360 videos using the camera, view them on my S7 very easily and then play them back through the Gear VR headset. The app is easy to use and all 3 devices work perfectly together.

Having seen the Samsung Gear 360 in television advertisements, I was intrigued to see how the shape worked in practice. It has taken some getting used to, holding a separate, spherical lens in one hand whilst monitoring on a mobile phone screen in the other. We did find ‘still' shots where the camera is left on a surface are much easier to compose but we are getting better with practice and patience. Mastering the use of the device is well worth the time! The pictures that you can take, and the quality of them, are stunning. Many times I have been on holiday or visited somewhere and wanted to capture the feeling – I have found photos taken with a standard lens disappointing as they don't give a full representation of what you actually see. With the Samsung Gear 360, in both the single and dual lens settings, you are capturing moments on a whole other level. When showing people some of the photos they have been amazed by the feeling of actually being in the location. This little sphere literally captures the world around you, to revisit any time you want to. We have yet to properly test the video function – having too much fun experimenting with the photo capability – but I expect to be further blown away by this.

Got one of these just before Christmas. Found it a little tricky to set up (recorded most of our initial videos in the Gear VR headset mode rather than the "standard" 360 degree mode). Once worked it out though, it seems to be a very capable 360 degree camera. Impressed withe the quality of video and sound that it records. Since I've got a Samsung Galaxy S7 edge, using it wasn't a problem; however, I understand that getting it to work with anything other than a Samsung is problematic.

The Gear 360 is a fantastic camera, from the moment of unboxing it delights, it is a pleasure to use and the pictures and video which it creates are fantastic. If you are looking for a simple to use, high quality camera for capturing 360 videos and images this is, simply, it.

Disclosure: I received a Gear 360 for a reduced price as part of a marketing initiative. I have used the Gear 360 several times and have yet to be disappointed with the quality of the output. Even in relatively dim lighting, the pictures taken are clear and vibrant. The device is a marvellous little gadget that moves taking 360 degree panoramas from a fiddly long-winded process to a simple one click operation. It is great for the photographer who wants to supplement their equipment and/or panoramic abilities, but is also fantastic fun for anyone who is just looking for a different way to document their life. All in all, highly recommended!

You are able to use as 360 camera or 180 for a really wide shot. I've found that you can take the still and view them using google cardboard as well as the Samsung headset. The cons: I've had intermittent issues connecting the phone to the camera, usually when I have poor mobile signal. The stitching is not great, and the quality is average. The general post processing is a bit cumbersome. As a 1st gen consumer 360 camera, it is good but sure that it will be improved on.