It's easier to film and view video on a mobile when it's in a vertical rather than a landscape orientation, but it looks very odd on sites like YouTube. The new Motorola One Action offers a compromise – shoot landscape footage while holding the phone in portrait mode.
In most respects the handset is another solid mid-range offering from Motorola – something the Lenovo-owned brand specializes in – but the eye-catching feature here is the 117-degree, 12 MP ultra-wide "action video camera" that's around the back, together with two other camera lenses.
"Through a unique combination of hardware and software innovation we've made it possible to finally film amazing ultra-wide video while holding the phone more naturally in a vertical position," says Motorola. "And when you play it back horizontally, you can relive all your action packed memories in full screen."
Motorola says it's packed enhanced video stabilization into the camera too, as well as pixel technology designed to allow more light into each frame for a better picture. Essentially, it's like a miniature GoPro inside a phone.
The camera configuration isn't going to appeal to those you post everything they record to Snapchat or Instagram, but for uploading to sites like YouTube it seems like a clever idea. With the special vertical/horizontal video trick, you'll be able to hold the phone in one hand while recording, and then watch the footage back in 21:9 widescreen. The other 12 MP and 5 MP lenses complete the rear camera array.
Besides the camera, the Motorola One Action brings with it a respectable configuration: a Samsung Exynos 9609 processor, 4 GB of RAM, 128 GB of internal storage, a 3,500-mAh battery (that's listed as lasting all day), and even a headphone jack. The screen measures 6.3 inches, with a 1,080 x 2,520 pixel resolution.
Like other recent Motorola phones, it's an Android One handset, which means a clean and uncluttered version of Android straight from Google, with regular updates. The phone is going on sale in select countries today, before reaching the US in October. Pricing for the US hasn't been confirmed, but it's going on sale in Europe for €259, which works out at around US$285 with a straight currency conversion.
Source: Motorola