This wearable Android camera wants to beat Snapchat Spectacles at its own game

Wearable cameras have been far and few in between and they’re generally designed to be either clipped onto your person or worn as spectacles.

Now Ubiquiti Networks, the company behind the Amplifi Wi-Fi mesh system, is taking a different approach with its FrontRow wearable camera, which is built into a necklace, so you can make a fashion statement when you're not snapping photos and video.

Shaped like an oversized pendant, the FrontRow is about the same size as a smartwatch but weighs in at a lighter 55 grams. It’s practically a standalone Android device, with a built-in two-inch circular touchscreen as well as an 8MP front-facing camera and 5MP rear-facing camera.

The front camera is also fitted with an ultra-wide 140-degree lens that basically captures everything the wearer sees, so they won’t have to compose every shot. You won’t have to worry about stopping to take a picture either, as the FrontRow uses accelerometers to judge when its level and not moving so quickly that images will be blurred.

The FrontRow runs a modified version of Android Marshmallow, allowing users add their favorite filters and special effects through thrid-party apps. Of course, it also connects to iOS and Android devices through its own app, enabling you to transfer and edit media, as well as access the remote controls.

In terms of battery life, Ubiquiti Networks claims the FrontRow gets up to 48 hours of standby time. Operating in Story Mode, which captures several hours of your experiences as a timelapse movie, users can expect up to 16 hours, and in Live-Streaming Mode up to two hours. You can recharge the device in a quick 20 minutes via a USB Type-C connection.

The FrontRow is available in black or rose gold, and is on sale at Amazon.com for $399.99 (about £310 or AU$510).

Kevin Lee

Kevin Lee was a former computing reporter at TechRadar. Kevin is now the SEO Updates Editor at IGN based in New York. He handles all of the best of tech buying guides while also dipping his hand in the entertainment and games evergreen content. Kevin has over eight years of experience in the tech and games publications with previous bylines at Polygon, PC World, and more. Outside of work, Kevin is major movie buff of cult and bad films. He also regularly plays flight & space sim and racing games. IRL he's a fan of archery, axe throwing, and board games.