FrontRow FR Wearable Lifestyle Camera Review

Show of hands – who remembers when taking a picture required film, a developer, and time? Now, selfies are as common as saying hello, and capturing the best moments of your life (or the most random) are as simple as breathing.

However, technology has given us the next level of picture-taking convenience: the FrontRow Wearable Lifestyle Camera.

With this camera, you can record video for several hours without having to hold it in your hands; you can stream live to Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube; and, through the app, you can easily transfer any content to your smartphone for storage.

While there have been some complaints about connectivity issues, the camera being wobbly, picture quality issues, and that you need really good lighting to get a good shot, let’s take a more in-depth look.

Then you can decide if this camera is right for your travel plans, your daily vlogs, or just recording the good life!

FrontRow Wearable Lifestyle Camera: The Details

Specs

• Product Dimensions: 3 x 0.5 x 2.8 inches.
• Product Weight: 6 ounces.
• Product Type: Camera
• Compatible with Amazon Alexa? No, but can stream live to Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.

How Does It Work?

Setup

The set-up of the FrontRow camera is fairly straightforward. It runs a version of the Android-operating system and can connect to your smartphone either via Wi-Fi or by using Bluetooth.

But that doesn’t mean you need your phone for the camera to work its magic as the camera can operate independently.

You can save your photos and videos right on the device, do a live video (if you’re connected to Wi-Fi), or just adjust the settings of the camera without a smartphone at all.

You’ll only need a phone to watch videos remotely, transfer your pictures and videos to your phone (obviously), or share your creations on social media.

To start a video, just tap twice on the correct icons and you’re ready to go. It’s that simple.

If you tap the screen once, a real-time video feed comes up. If you want to take a photo, you simply have to tap the correct icon.

Starting a live stream works slightly differently. You just swipe the record icon to the left or right, and you get the option to live stream to Facebook, YouTube, or Twitter.

The camera runs on a rechargeable battery with a quick 20-minute charge feature when you’re in a hurry.

Normally, the battery lasts up to 100 minutes live streaming, 10 hours in story mode, 100 minutes recording video, and three days while in standby.

Three Modes

The FrontRow camera comes with three different modes you can choose from: camera, video, and story.

While camera and video are pretty self-explanatory, story mode is something specific to this device.

When in story mode, the camera takes a picture every three to five seconds for up to 16 hours and then puts them into a video once you’re done shooting for the day (picking what it determines are the most important moments).

You can also edit your time-lapse videos and can edit out photos you don’t like.

FrontRow App

While the app is not absolutely necessary to use the camera, it is very helpful.

If there isn’t an open Wi-Fi network at your location, the camera will use your phone’s data package to live stream or share your content on social media.

The app also gives you statistics, regarding how many times you’ve done a live stream and how many photos and/or videos you have stored.

If you want to change the FrontRow wallpaper on your camera to a picture from your phone (maybe a picture of your dog), you will need the app and your phone for that as well.

Sharing and Livestream

There are a variety of options to share your videos and photos.

You can send them through email, text message, and most of the major social media platforms, including Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. You can also send your content to Google Drive.

Wearing/Setup Options

The FrontRow camera includes a number of ways to set-up or wear your camera.

The first option is the clip mount. It allows you to stand your camera up on any flat surface, clip it to any object, or magnetically stick it to anything that takes a magnet. Much easier than a selfie stick!

FrontRow also comes with an adjustable lanyard, so you can wear your camera around your neck. They don’t call this camera “wearable” for nothing.

You also get a multi-wear connect, which allows you to attach the camera to your favorite necklace. Pretty cool, right?

Ubiquiti Networks: The Brand

Founded in 2005 by Robert Pera, Ubiquiti Networks’ stated mission is to provide an “unparalleled user experience,” while being a company that “thrives on innovation” and understands what the customer needs.

They work mostly on creating different technology platforms like airMAX and airFiber.

FrontRow Wearable Lifestyle Camera Review

The Positives

Compact and Portable

At under a pound in weight, and just around two inches in size, the FrontRow camera is easy to take anywhere. It can be packed away in your pocket, purse, or luggage if you’re not hanging it around your neck.

Since it barely weighs two ounces, you won’t feel any strain on your neck when wearing it for a long period of time, and it won’t stand out like a sore thumb like other wearable cameras.

We’re not saying it’s not noticeable, but we’re happy with the fact that it doesn’t stand out like a unicorn horn.

The design is minimalist and modern, with a clean circle and flat camera letting your photos and skills do the talking, instead of the camera.

This gives the user a lot of versatility no matter what or where you’re filming.

Versatile

Speaking of versatility, the FrontRow camera comes with a number of different ways to make it ready for filming.

You can wear it, mount it on a stand, or use the magnetic backplate to stick it anywhere.

If you choose to wear the camera, you can either put it on the included lanyard or use the multi-wear connector for your favorite necklace. The options are almost endless.

Whether you’re trying to get the perfect first-person action shot, or simply journaling your travels, this camera gives you no excuse to not get the shot.

Easy to Use

This camera is easy to set up and use with the LCD touchscreen and easy-to-read icons, so you will never be confused about what needs to be pushed to snap a picture, take a video, or to live stream.

Once you download the FrontRow app on your smartphone, it will take you through the process of syncing your camera with your phone.

All you have to do is follow the prompts and you’ll be ‘app’ and running in no time.

High-Quality Images

The FrontRow Wearable camera also provides high-quality images. You might think the camera’s size will mean sacrificing quality, but that is not the case.

The five megapixels ensure your images and video are vibrant and clear.

Keeps Up

The FrontRow Wearable Camera works to keep up with its users by upgrading its firmware regularly. This allows the camera to keep up with the times (and any bugs) so your camera will always be up to date.

Customers have noted seeing improvements in the camera after these updates and a camera that only gets better with you is something that’s not hard to get behind.

FrontRow also regularly updates their app, adding new features and options for your camera.

Great for Travel

FrontRow clearly understands how daunting it can be to lug around a bulky camera (with or without lenses) while you’re trying to take in the sights of a new location.

Thanks to how compact and light this camera is, you’ll be able to get all the shots you want on your trip or vacation with ease.

It’s great in busy cities since you can easily clip it on to a necklace or lanyard and have it close to you while wandering streets, or in crowded trains.

With its connectivity options, it’ll be easy to share your photos or upload them to online storage while you’re on the go. It really is the perfect travel companion.

Here’s a video showing what the FrontRow Wearable Camera looks like out of the box.

The Negatives

Needs More Image Stabilization

While FrontRow states that the camera includes multiple image stabilization features, many users stated the camera experienced severe wobble issues.

Considering its wearability is the entire idea, this is a major issue.

Need Good Lighting

Users found that, while the image quality is great during the day, at night or in low-lit settings the quality really begins to suffer.

To get the best images, you should take your video and pictures in the best light possible, which means that concerts or any kind of night events are out of the question.

Connectivity Issues

There have also been complaints about syncing the camera to your smartphone.

While the camera can work on its own without the app, using the app does give you a lot of extra features that users who can’t connect will be missing out on.

Angle Awareness

Users considering the FrontRow Camera should be aware that the camera angle can’t be adjusted, which for some, can be annoying when you’re trying to grab specific shots.

The angle of the camera stays in line with its housing, not giving you much creative freedom for getting the fine details of a shot just right.

Overall Verdict

After considering all the positives and the negatives, we are cautiously recommending the FrontRow Wearable Lifestyle Camera.

While it has some great features – producing high-quality images, being wearable, and allowing you to share your images on social media – the wobbly images and lighting problems are definitely problems to consider.

Even still, this could be the camera you need for your travel or party plans – and if it’s not right for you, it’ll make a pretty cool gift!

Where to Buy the FrontRow Wearable Lifestyle Camera

The FrontRow Wearable Camera is an innovative take on a camera that keeps up with our technological, online world. It’s no surprise that it has gained a lot of attention from tech websites, blogs, and enthusiasts.

While it’s always best to check your local tech or department stores, the FrontRow Camera isn’t hard to find, being available at retailers both in-store and online.

To start, check out the following online outlets.

• Best Buy (from $399)
• BH Photo Video (from $362)
• Sam’s Club (from $379)

And of course, the FrontRow Camera is also available on Amazon.

That’s all for our FrontRow review. Curious to give this camera a try?