Chinese company Xiaomi has just introduced the ¥399 (roughly $64) Yi Action Camera, which looks like an interesting budget version of the $130 GoPro HERO, but with better specs. The HERO can do 30fps at 1080p and 60fps at 720p, but the Sony 16MP sensor of the Yi can do 1080p 60fps and 720p 120fps. Unfortunately, you're only going to be able to get one in China right now. Even if Xiaomi does try to release it in other parts of the world, I'm not sure GoPro would be happy about that design. 

As we all know though, specs don't mean everything, and unless this video is compressed poorly, the HERO may actually have the edge in image quality:


And for reference, here's the introduction of the entry-level HERO:

Here are the specs:

  • 16MP Sony Exmor R Sensor
  • f/2.8 155 ° Super Wide-Angle Lens
  • H.264 MP4
  • 4608 x 3456 Maximum Still Resolution
  • 1080p 60/48/30/24fps
  • 960p 60/48fps
  • 720p 120/60/48fps
  • 480p 240fps
  • Length X width X height: 60.4mm x42mm X21.2mm 
  • Body weight: 72g
  • Audio: Dual-channel, 96KHz sampling, 92dBA SNR
  • Time-lapse: 0.5S / 1S / 2S / 5S / 10S / 30S / 60S
  • 1010mAh Battery
  • Waterproof to 40 meters (requires separate waterproof shell)
  • Built-in WiFi and Bluetooth 4.0
  • Supports up to 64G Micro SD Cards
  • Price: ¥399 ($64) for standard version, ¥499 ($80) for version with handle

It looks like the Yi can be controlled through mobile devices with its built-in WiFi/Bluetooth (this is a Chinese translation):

Yi Action Camera Mobile

And here's a blow-up of the device and the measurements:

Xiaomi_yi_action_camera_measurements

Xiaomi Yi Action Camera Blowup

And it's also going to be available in this interesting color scheme:

Xiaomi-yi-action-camera-1_0

For more info and specs, and how to order, check out the link here.

Source: Xiaomi