LG Electronics, a latecomer to the virtual-reality (VR) segment, said Thursday its new smartphone camera that rotates 360-degrees officially connects to Google's Street View service, announcing its full-fledged debut in the industry.
Korea's No. 2 tech giant said it marked the first time for a smartphone maker to win such recognition from the U.S. giant.
Along with Samsung Electronics, LG Electronics introduced its first camera exclusively for VR content.
LG 360 Cam (Yonhap)
The LG 360 Cam comes with three microphones for surround-recording. Its 1,200mAh battery allows users to take a 70-minute video, with the micro SD card slot capable of expanding the capacity to 2 terabyte.
Google's Street View allows users to take a virtual trip to designated places displayed on its map.
Following the accreditation, users can post their LG 360 Cam videos on Google Street view without having to go through a file conversion.
The LG 360 Cam also connects to the G5 smartphone, which was showcased at the Mobile World Congress held in Spain last month. The smartphone is distinguishable from other rivals as it allows users to "add" features through the bottom, like the VR camera.
LG also introduced the LG 360 VR, its first headset for virtual-reality content. While users have to insert smartphones into the Samsung Gear VR, making the device inevitably heavier, the LG 306 VR only needs to be connected through a cable.
The LG 360 VR weighs 118 grams, while Samsung's weighs 318 grams, even without a smartphone inserted. (Yonhap)