Garmin’s New Action Cam Boasts Voice Control, Beats GoPro to the Punch
While we all sit here drumming our fingers on the counter like Cookie Monster in an Apple ad, waiting for GoPro to release the Hero 5 already, Garmin just released a new action camera that’ll tempt a few of us to quit waiting and jump ship.
The new VIRB Ultra 30 brings Garmin’s action cam offerings into the 21st century with 4K/30p video, electronic image stabilization, voice control, and so many built-in sensors you’re not going to know what to do with yourself. We’re talking barometer, accelerometer, compass, gyroscope, and GPS.
Like the previous VIRB action cam, the Ultra 30 can use these sensors to overlay data about your speed, altitude, hang time, and even G-forces onto your video footage. And if you want to stream live video or control the camera from your phone you can thanks to the built-in WiFi and Bluetooth.
All of that is neat, as is the ability to shoot 4K video, but what really makes the Ultra 30 stand out is something that GoPro is actually supposedly building into the Hero 5: voice controls.
Starting your camera, marking cool moments, taking a 12MP photo, and stopping your recording can all be done by saying Okay Garmin, followed by a command—and yes, it’ll work through the camera’s waterproof case, which will keep the Ultra 30 safe to a depth of 130 feet.
Finally, the VIRB Ultra 30 boasts “3-axis image stabilization,” but don’t let the name fool you because that’s electronic stabilization, not optical. As such, it stops working beyond a resolution of 1440/60p, but it’s definitely better than nothing.
The Garmin VIRB Ultra 30 is available right now for $500, so if you’re sick of waiting for GoPro to release the Hero 5, give the VIRB a gander at this link. Or, you know… keep on drumming your fingers. Rumor has it the wait is almost over.
