The Full Xiaomi Yi Action Camera Review
Monday, March 30, 2015 at 9:50PM I must have had upwards of fifty people contact me and ask if I’d heard of the new Xiaomi Yi camera and whether I was going to review it, however a few hours before the first of those messages arrived, I’d already pre-ordered one. I suspected that a budget 1080p60 camera from a reputable manufacturer would be worth taking a look at…and it seems I wasn’t wrong.
I’ve been using it for a little over a week now, and you can find my video review below.
As I mentioned in the video I intend to revisit this camera when the waterproof case is released. At that point I’ll probably do another video showing how it performs on my motorcycle, however you should be already able to tell that the video quality from this camera is very impressive.
If you want to download my SAMPLE CLIPS & PHOTOS- then CLICK HERE. Make sure you Download and play these back locally rather than streaming them.
Waterproof Case details here (pre-order)
Below are some purchasing links
EBAY (click your country)
UK US DE NL AU BE CA CH ES FR IE IT
BANGGOOD (Links below)
Jungle Colour (Green/Lime & a bit cheaper) or White
Android App Link - http://sports.xiaoyi.com/app/sports_camera.apk
UPDATE - Connecting to the Camera.
Since the manual is in Chinese and not everyone is familar with the process of connecting to a WiFi camera, here is a basic guide.
First download and install and update the app listed above. Once it's working, then...
1) Go into the settings on your phone and look for the WiFi option
2) Turn on the WiFi on the Camera (tap the button on the side)
3) Wait approx 15 secs until the blue light starts flashing
4) In the WiFi settings on your phone you will then see the camera appear as a WiFi hotspot.
5) Connect to the hotspot - it will ask for the password - it's 1234567890
6) When the Phone is connected up to the camera - then go into the app and you can access the camera and it's settings.
UPDATE MAY 2015: Whilst the Stills & Auto-Exposure are excellent - I’ve had second thoughts about the video sharpness. After watching the footage I recorded on my motorcycle - objects at a distance look a little soft to me. I suggest you download some samples and make up your own mind.
Reader Comments (122)
Hi Mat,
After your glowing review I went ahead and purchased one, it has completely lived up to its promises, thank you for that.
In the meantime they have announced a version 2 that looks even better, 4k, extended battery life and a touchscreen for example.
I wondered whether you already had they occasion to review it and if yes what's your opinion?
In any case I went ahead and pre-ordered one, delivery expected by the end of this month.
Here's the link if you (and others) are interested:
http://www.gearbest.com/action-cameras/pp_360137.html?utm_source=Criteo&utm_medium=CPCFR&utm_campaign=Displayads&vip=138125
Thanks again for your instructive site.
Hi, Techmoan
I have been watching your reviews and they are great! I have a xiaomi yi for a year now and I love it, I am shooting at 1920x1080 60fps but I have read somewhere that shooting in 30fps improves image quality. Care to comment? Also there is a firmware hack for the camera, what is your opinion? Lastly in the last official firmware camera resolution was increased but althought I can see the higher setting in my ios app, this is not available in the android app. What do you make of that. Thank you!