Read our reviews of the best 360 cameras for smartphone and tablet with Android and iOS. These pocket-size 360 cameras are suitable for everyone, the professional and the amateur who seeks a practical and economical product.
The two-dimensionality starts to be tight and with the diffusion of the VR viewers here is that photography also finds new life. If the films have attempted the 3D path with little success and the video games still struggle to break through the hearts of the gamers, 360 photography seems to be booming.
The merit is perhaps in the soft passage we have witnessed in recent years.
From the mobile shot, we went to the panoramic without even realizing the change and from here to 360 the path was short and painless. In addition, we can add that all-round cameras are small, practical, simple to use and all inexpensive, work with every device and do not need a viewer to show the shots: 360 photos can be seen easily even from smartphones and from computers by moving them with the mouse, the touch or the gyroscope.
Why trust us?
Our editorial team spends thousands of hours researching, analyzing and comparing products to find the best value for money.
We do not publish any sponsored articles. We sometimes receive a commission from Amazon when you buy a product via our links. It allows us to finance our work while remaining completely impartial. Read more
The best 360 cameras for Android and iPhone
To help you take the first steps in this new fashion, we have chosen the best 360 camera models for your smartphone and tablet. There are very advanced models able to satisfy the palate of experts who want to have fun with something new, but also cheaper cameras that can make us understand if this 360 of which we talk so much will really be the photographic technique that suits us.
Ricoh Theta S Digital Camera
Let’s start with a tutelary deity in photography, Ricoh, who brought Theta S, a camera that combines simplicity and quality, onto the market. We already reviewed the device here. However, onboard, we find two 190-degree lenses combined with two 12-megapixel sensors. Thanks to the flat shape it can be easily stored in the pocket while the absence of integrated tripod signals that the Theta S wants to be held and carried around with us (But there is still the screw connection for the tripod).
Compatible with both iOS and Android, has an app easy to use and excellent responsiveness shooting and the only drawback is the memory. The Theta S has only 8 GB of non-expandable internal memory, which means that it fills up quickly and you will have to download photos often when traveling.
Discover more and the best deals here
Insta360 Nano Camera for Smartphone
Designed for those who want to limit the bulk, this camera sticks directly under the iPhone hooking it with the Lighting port.
Very small (110x33x21 mm) and light (70 grams), it is compatible with the iPhone 6 and later and offers two 210-degree wide-angle lenses combined with a Sony 8-megapixel sensor. For memory, the Nano relies on an SD card up to 64 GB, while in the shipping package we also find a very basic 3D viewer, which will, however, make us enjoy our works by putting our heads inside. Good onboard software that allows you to edit and export photos with relative ease and in the end we can say that the Nano is for those who want maximum convenience even at the cost of losing quality.
Discover more and the best deals here
LG 360 CAM Spherical Camera
The economic choice comes from one of the best Asian electronics giants, LG. Its 360 CAM stands out for its compact, flat design, which incorporates Ricoh’s Theta S, but which reduces its price by 60% (online is also 120 euros). On-board, there are two 206-degree lenses combined with two 13-megapixel sensors, the memory is guaranteed by a microSD card up to 2 TB and has an accelerometer, gyroscope and digital compass. To use it you need a smartphone or tablet iOS or Android while below we find the classic screw attachment for the tripod. In short, we can call it a good car at a great price, from the comfortable and ultraportable form and the only neo concerns the videos that are yes in 2K, but limited to only 20 minutes of recording.
Discover more and the best deals here
Samsung Gear 360 4K
This 360-degree smartphone camera offers two 180-degree wide-angle lenses combined with as many sensors from 8.4 megapixels.
It has the sphere with the optics resting on a knob that allows you to hold it very comfortably, but also to rest it without the need for a tripod. But Samsung has given its best by focusing on total connectivity: the 360 can be connected wirelessly not only to iOS and Android smartphones and tablets but also to all the devices running Linux, macOS and Windows. As we said the simplicity is maximum both in use and editing: to start it just press a button while the apps help us to edit and share on the fly both photos and videos, and you can shoot a lot, with a card slot microSD up to 256 GB.
+ PROS
- Easily pocketable, compact design
- Live streaming support has a ton of potential
- A fun and unique way to capture and share memories
- Improved 4K video capture
- Supports live streams
- Compatible with iOS devices and Macs
– CONS
- Transferring and processing footage off the Gear 360 not super smooth
- Not submersible
- 4K footage limited to the 24p frame rate
- Non-removable battery
Discover more and the best deals here
Garmin VIRB 360 Camera for Smartphone
We close with the most expensive of our list, a camera that stands out above all for its outdoor vein.
It is a real action cam and is completely independent of the smartphone, but obviously uses it for connectivity and sharing. This box of 39 x 59.3 x 69.8 mm weighing 160 grams amazes not only for the quality (in the videos reaches 5K to 30 fps) but also for the possibility of going 10 meters underwater and withstand temperatures extreme between 0 and 40 ⁰C, in addition to the presence of barometer, accelerometer, compass, GPS and gyroscope. On the photographic front, we have images of 360 equivalent to 15 megapixels of excellent quality, especially thanks to the automatisms that allow you to shoot without too many thoughts. In short, a top choice that allows you to shoot and film the big and also to replace our wide-angle action cam.
+ PROS
- Shoots 360 videos at up to 5.7K
- Pre-stitched 4K 360 video
- VIRB Edit enables stabilization and G-Metrix overlays
– CONS
- Relatively pricey
- Stitching 5.7K shots not straightforward
Discover more and the best deals here
That’s all for now, friends. These are some of the best 360 camera models for Android and iPhone devices. All of them are well valued by the users who have bought them and are a good gift.