New Product Expected to Replace Action Cameras

Models show KT 5G wearable 360-degree camera FITT 360 at Cafe Onion, Jongno-gu, Seoul on June 25.

KT Corp. has launched 5G wearable camera FITT 360 to challenge GoPro, the biggest player in the global action camera market.

KT presented the detailed specifications and functions of the FITT 360 in a showcase held in Seoul on June 25.

KT expects the 360-degree camera to gradually replace action cameras in the future. KT has taken notice of the recent increase in video communication and one-person media, in which anyone can easily become a content creator.

KT and Linkflow have jointly developed a communication platform called Real 360 that can transmit and receive 360-degree large-scale videos. Linkflow also demonstrated a wearable 360-degree ​​camera optimized for Real 360.

The FITT 360 ​​is a neck-band type camera, which is the world's first 360-degree wearable camera that allows hand-free filming unlike other 360 cameras. Three cameras are mounted at 120-degree intervals, and there are two cameras in the front and one camera in the back. When the photographing button is pressed, three cameras simultaneously film the surroundings in 4K ultra-high definition (UHD), and the filmed video is transmitted in real time to KT's Real 360 application after the stitching task in the device.

The Real 360 is a representative 5G communication service of KT, and it can receive video filmed with FITT 360 and make a group video call with up to four people in 4K UHD quality as well as one-on-one video call. In addition, the 360 live streaming feature allows transmission of a video in real time to social network service (SNS) followers of YouTube and Facebook.

The FITT 360 will be sold exclusively at the KT Shop from the June 28in three colors of black, gold and mint. The price is 792,000 won. To commemorate the launch of the FITT 360, KT will apply a discount of 99,000 won for one month after the launch. It is possible to purchase it at about 376,000 won with a discount card.

KT also plans to launch the FITT 360 in Japan and the United States. It is expected to be launched in Japan by early 2020 and in the United States by the end of 2020.

Meanwhile, GoPro's sales totaled US$1.15 billion last year. It had an 87 percent share in the U.S. action camera market in the fourth quarter of last year, a 91 percent share in Europe, 57 percent in Japan, and 36 percent in Korea during the same period.

Copyright © BusinessKorea. Prohibited from unauthorized reproduction and redistribution