Hands-on: BubbleScope 360-degree iPhone

 

camera accessory - Panoramic photography and video

An iPhone accessory that enables you to capture both 360-degree stills and video before sharing them online will soon be available.

Pocket-lint saw the BubbleScope camera accessory in person at the Digital Summer event in London and after years in the making, the company behind the kit, BubblePix confirmed its arrival in July.
We say years in the making, as way back in July 2011, BubbleScope creator Tom Lawton spoke in depth about the technology used in the accessory. Then it was simply a device that could capture 360-degree photographs, but Pocket-lint can now confirm that the gadget will also be capable of recording video too.

The BubbleScope accessory is small enough to fit in your pocket and rather than clip onto the case (included with the camera lens) that encompasses your iPhone it screws on giving it a tighter grip – particularly useful should you be filming while in a moving vehicle for example.

The lens itself rises out of the tube like container before being stowed away once you’ve finished snapping which should help avoid any accidental scratches to the lens while in your pocket or bag.

The device can be turned to any position, which not only enables you to capture snaps at any angle, it also doubles up as a useful desk stand too.

Due to the poor lighting in the showroom, it was difficult to get a true feel for how well the BubbleScope captured imagery, but we were treated to a sample shot taken earlier outside which looked great albeit a tad unusual.

To capture your 360-degree stills and video you only have to press the camera key once just be wary of how you’re holding the phone to avoid a sudden close up of your face.

Once you’re happy with your snaps (or “Bubbles” as they’re known) you can share them online via bubblepix.com (you need to download the free BubblePix app) to Twitter, Facebook, Instagram et al.

 

Though the BubbleScope accessory will initially only be compatible with the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S, BubblePix says it is working on other leading smartphones and platforms.

The BubblePix app is available now for free from the Apple App Store (it will be updated once the device lands) while BubbleScope itself will be available for £69.99 from the BubbleScope website as well as other major retailers from July.