Xiaomi launches cheap action camera to rival GoPro

Xiaomi, the makers of smartphones such as Mi3 and the Redmi Note. They are a company based in China and are currently the world's third largest smartphone distributer. Their smartphones are selling like hotcakes in Asian countries as they have specs that can match Apple's iPhones and Samsung's S5 but for a fraction of the price.

But Xiaomi don't just sell smartphones. They have just launched their Yi Action Camera for a very low price of 399 yuan (£41) that to rival GoPro's cameras.

Yi Action Camera

The Yi action camera has pretty good specs that can match GoPros Hero camera specs which is more than double the price of Xiaomi's camera.

Both cameras share a few features they have in common such as built-in Wi-Fi for file transfers and remote control via companion apps. They both have similar battery capacity, identical waterproof depth of 40m, and a handy option of bracket-mounting the device on your chosen helmet, pet harness, or on a vehicle.

Yi Action Camera with pet harness

However when it comes to video quality, the Xiaomi's Yi camera wins due to the device being powered by an Ambraella A7LS image processor paired with Sony's back-illuminated Exmor R BSI CMOS image sensor, which enables it to shoot photos at 16 megapixels and record 1080p video at 60fps. Whereas the GoPro Hero can only shoot at a 5-megapixel resolution and record 1080p video at 30fps or 720 video at 30fps. The Yi camera is also weighs less than its rival at 72g versus the 111g GoPro Hero.

At the moment the device is only available in China but the company has plans to open an online store that will allow people from outside the country to purchase their products directly.

Xiaomi - Yi Sport Camera