Much has been made about the fact that smartphones pretty much give everyone a camera for everywhere they go. And with many smartphones including built-in HD video cameras does anyone need a pocket camcorder these days? Well, apparently Philips thinks so, and its new ESee pocket video camera could fill the void left by the now-discontinued Cisco Systems Flip camcorder.
The Philips ESee shoots in full 1080p HD resolution, and give users the option to simultaneously record a QWVGZ 240p version, giving the best of both worlds. There can be the full HD file version for editing, plus a smaller sized file that can be emailed around. This pocket camera further makes use of the H.264 video compression to help reduce file size, while the ESee makes it easy to transfer files, and posting as it supports built-in Windows software with one-button posting of videos to YouTube or Facebook.
But the question again remains: what does the ESee have over that smartphone? Well, for one thing it is shockproof to a drop of about five feet (1.5 meters), dustproof, and waterproof to about 10 feet (three meters). Right there it might maker users want to grab this on the go rather than their smartphone. Plus the ESee can record for up to two hours. It also includes anti-shake gyro sensors, features an 8megapixel image sensor, built-in editing software, and a flash for still images, along with auto focus, face- and smile-recognition. It features 128MB of internal memory, and supports Micro SD cards up to 32GB, and offers a 2inch screen for playback. At $199.99 the ESee could be a good alternative for anyone who wants to take a camcorder on the go and not put their smartphone in harms way.
[Via PC & Tech Authority: Philips launches hard as nails Esee pocket camcorder]