Google - Clips - White

I am rating this Google Clips product at 2.5 out of 5 stars based upon its initial selling price compared to its overall limited functionality, with that said, Google could upgrade the product firmware and add some functionality which would make it a more versatile product. It seems to me that a product of this type should have been made to be more versatile, it is designed to be placed in various locations and it automatically captures short video clips of you and your family and friends, but naturally a customer is going to hope that it could also do other things, such as have more video and picture capturing modes. The Google Clips app could have a mode that would allow it to capture more than 7 seconds of video, and also a mode that captures only a single picture each time that the shutter button is pressed. These are things that Google could add to future firmware upgrades. The future upgradeability of this product is limited in several ways, Google will not be able to add the capability of this camera to record audio, since it does not have a built in microphone, not adding a mic was a bad choice, after all, adding a mic would have been simple, and what customer would not hope to be able to record video with audio at some point if owning this Google Clips product. Another way the future upgradeability of this product is limited, is that this camera does not seem to be designed to be able to focus on objects that are close up to the camera, say for instance if Google ever added a mode to capture only images with each shutter press, then if you wanted to take a close up picture of an item in hopes of getting a really detailed view, this still won’t be possible because this camera does not focus well on up close objects. With that said, the Google Clips does capture objects that are at a distance clear enough. As it is, upon the release of this product, its functionality is limited to 7 seconds of video, or a picture download capability, of which if you wanted only a single picture, every time the shutter button is pressed, it records 7 seconds of video anyway, and a picture can be downloaded from any place in the 7 seconds of video. Given the limited functionality of this product, why on earth is the original selling price so expensive? This is what any customer might wonder given the impressive functionality that is built into most electronics these days. This Google Clips product has quite limited battery life, it is a small portable product so this in kind of to be expected, but I was expecting a bit better battery capacity, and I was actually surprised that it took so long to charge the battery. I did not test to see exactly how long it took to charge the battery, but I did find myself looking over at it several times and being surprised that it was not charged yet. Last of all I found it quite annoying that in order to connect a smart phone to this Google Clips, it is necessary to have both the Bluetooth and WiFi turned on. Bluetooth can transfer data in the same way that WiFi can, except WiFi is faster, and since this product requires the faster WiFi connection to be able to transfer video fast enough, I am not understanding why it is necessary to also need a Bluetooth connection in order to connect your smart phone to the Google Clips.

Pros: * Small and unobtrusive. * Easy to operate. * Captures spontaneous shots automatically and gets better over time. Cons: * Video quality is merely OK - especially in low light. * Have to plan for your spontaneous shots. * Relatively short battery life. * Too pricey for an impulse purchase. The Google Clips camera is designed to capture spontaneous short sound-free video segments. While that sounds good in theory, in practice you have to plan for your spontaneity a bit more than you might want. The camera lasts about 3 hours on a charge, so you have to plan ahead to not only place it in a spot that might get a good shot, but also have to charge it up and turn it on before capturing that great spontaneous shot. For example, if you want to catch your dog doing something funny, you have to put the charged camera in a spot where it might see the dog, turn it on and hope that the dog does something funny in front of the camera within the 3 hours of battery life. This camera can be kinda fun to experiment with, but ultimately its just not quite ready for prime-time. Longer battery life and better low-light sensitivity would help a lot - especially at the same price for a point-and-shoot camera that has better picture quality. The concept is fun and novel, but the product is best left in the oven a tad longer before buying.

I looked forward to using this complimentary Google Clips camera at my Grand Kids home to see what Google's AI (Artificial Intelligence), Moment IQ, was all about. I wondered just how this cutting edge tech could benefit me by taking impromptu clips and images of my Grand Kids when I already had one of the world's latest, greatest smart phones to do that? ? ? Well, for starters this Clips camera can be setup inconspicuously almost anywhere, and runs continuously for approximately three hours. I would have to be in the same vicinity and have my smart phone in hand, ready to shoot at a moment's notice to duplicate what it can do. Additionally, my Grand Kids are now conditioned to say 'cheese' every time Grandpa has his smart phone ready to take their pics. The Clips camera almost looks like some kind of a toy, not a smart phone at all. It can be placed in a location to blend in with the surroundings, and, not noticeable. The Google Clips camera is an automated robot, which will also allow you to preview live action from a remote location if you wish through the Google Clips App and Bluetooth. I set my camera up clipped to the kids art easel on the wall facing the middle of the 'play room', which is approximately ten feet by ten feet. Google states that the optimum distance is from three to eight feet. It is designed for close-up video and image capturing, which is ideal for kids, pets, and immediate family members. So, what can I tell you about this ingenious little automated camera after two weeks of daily use? Probably the most important phenomenon is that Google Clips AI required some time to 'learn' my Grand Kids faces, expressions, gestures, playing habits, etc. The next most important dimension is that Google Clips presents opportunities for me to capture images I never would have been able to capture with my Smart Phone. WooHoo! The first eight days of use this camera took approximately eight hundred pics a day (over a period of two and half hours of use). I think the average length of the motion clips was three to four seconds long at most. In my opinion there were about forty that were worth saving or sharing for the entire first week. However, after the ninth day the Clips camera started to take fewer motion clips per day (about five-hundred), but longer in duration. Surprisingly, there was approximately two-hundred clips and images worth considering to either save or share. That really convinced me the AI was working and getting better at recognition of expressions, gestures, and 'quality' of clip taking over all. This whole technology fascinates me. Although the Google Clips camera is more ideal for a stationery setup then one in motion, it may be updateable in the future. It does need to be close to the action since its field is limited to one-hundred-thirty degree, 'fish-eye' lens. However, you can use this camera as your automated robot to take clips without your physical presence and take advantage of the remote control of live action through the App and it will record while charging. *** Cautions *** * AI – Give this camera several weeks or more so it can 'learn' how to take the best clips. It will react to expressions instead of plain motion, which is what you really want to capture. * Storage – Once you start getting successful clips for saving, you will need more hard drive and, or, auxiliary storage to save the clips and images. * It is not designed to be worn to take motion images. Mine turned out to be extremely blurry. * Audio - Does not record audio. * Charging – Requires USB-C to USB-A cable (furnished). * Video Resolution - Since it has a 'fish-eye' lens the resolution can vary, especially at the limits of the lens. The images can turn out to be distorted at the very edges of the lens. * Battery Life – Google says three hours. I got no more then two and one half hours of use. * Lighting – Clips does a great job in ample lighting, but not good for night time conditions. * Because this camera is not weather or water proof extreme care must be taken in an outdoor environment. * Update – Needs a Wi-Fi connection to update. * Camera – Does not pan, tilt, or zoom. *** Advantages *** * AI, Moment IQ – Work in progress and cutting edge tech, which can capture motion and images you would not be able to do without a personal sacrifice of time and effort. * Updateable – Google has already stated they will make this camera 'smarter'. * Google Clips App. - Free for both IOS and Android. Allows you to select the quality, You can switch between High and Low quality, and make the camera snap videos at three levels of frequency. High-quality clips are mostly in the 2 to 3MB range, and low-quality clips are 1 to 2MB. I use the High-quality and High-frequency range. The App also allows you to save still images from motion clips, and or, delete clips or images. There are two manual shutter buttons. One in the app, one on the Clips itself. Tap either to capture immediately. * Longer Motion Clips – To take longer motion clips, hold down the shutter button in the App, or, on the camera to shoot longer than the standard 7-second shot. * Live Preview Mode – You can stream the camera to your phone from the App. * Motion Videos Encrypted – Videos and images are not sent over Wi-Fi to Google Cloud, or, anywhere else but to the phone you have connected too. It only connects to one phone at a time and keeps your videos and images safe. * Easy Connections – Uses simple Wi-Fi Direct to connect to one phone at time and Bluetooth to your phone. After downloading Google Clips App it will walk you through connecting the camera to your phone. * Orientation – Work in any physical orientation you place it in, even upside down. *** Conclusion *** If you are like me and live for 'cutting edge' tech, this is the camera for you to have fun with. The AI only requires some time to learn faces and expressions. A few days of use is not enough to realize its full potential. I really love this fun Google Clips camera except for the lack of audio. I am not a good lip reader and am disappointed it does not have that feature. However, I do recommend it for folks like me, who have some of cutest Grand Kids in the world, and, or families with children, or pets for impromptu videos and images you could never take otherwise. Step into the future and buy this for yourself or that special someone you know, who loves and appreciates the latest tech.

My initial thoughts when I first heard about the Google Clips were the idea seemed innovative and could come in handy in certain situations. So, of course, I had to have it like any tech geek would, especially since most of the products I already use are Google based. However, when I received it, I wasn’t exactly sure what I was going to use it for and was at a loss for ideas in my everyday life. Let me start off by saying the quality of the camera it what you would expect from Google (meaning great), the clips it takes are great like their Pixel cell phone cameras, it’s easy to use, very simple to understand and conveniently small and lightweight. I also like that the application syncs with your current Google Photos to determine who, in your life, is most important to you and to take clips of those people when it detects their faces. However, the cons far outweigh its use for my life, even with little children and animals; I found it’s just as easy to point and click with what you already have in your pocket like we’ve been used to for the past decade. There is much room for improvement and I like the concept, I just wish there were more options for its use. I found myself trying to think up situations where it would come in handy and I could get the most picture "bang for my buck". So, I started off small by setting it on my kitchen table during dinner hoping to catch an epic fail moment or something that would start trending on social media… nope, just a regular family dinner as usual. I got plenty of clips of my daughter making a mess of her meal, as usual, and found that it would be really nice to actually hear what was going on, not just seeing a three second clip. Then I decided to take it to a friend’s child’s birthday party but after I arrived thought it would be awkward clipping this thing on my body in hopes for another great family moment or trending video… nope, just a bunch more three second clips of regular everyday life moments. Next, I set it by my pool to capture the fam in the water… except I’m usually the one behind the camera and realized after viewing clips why I’m still insecure about being in pictures myself as I tend to ruin them; my family is much more photogenic. Again, more and more three second clips. Okay, this sounded like a great innovative idea but perhaps not in my world. The best part about it was that I no longer felt obligated to have my cell phone camera at the ready and this little guy took more clips than I would have ever considered taking in any situation. You do have the opportunity to review the clips before saving them, and the application is very user friendly and easy to set up; swipe one way to save the clip and the other way to delete it. The device has on board memory so you don’t have to worry about having your phone around you at all time and once you’re back in range of the phone it will upload the clips. A few improvements I would like to see are the option for sound, the option to take single pictures or record longer than three second videos, a small built in screen for reviewing clips and waterproofing would be a start to compete with what is out there for small cameras. Any option for accessories, like a waterproof housing, would be great too; there really isn’t anything aftermarket that serves much of a purpose.

I had high hopes after seeing the press release but the Google Clips falls a bit short. Ill explain why below. Pros: • Easy setup • Minimalistic design • Comes with case and clip • Great app Cons: • Cost • Short battery life • No indication on recording Like other google products, the quality and ease of use is fantastic. I love the innovation and the idea of an AI driven camera that puts me in the center of the action. As a photographer myself, there are very few photos of me with my family as im always the one behind the camera. I loved the idea that I can set it down and its not continuously capturing but smartly capturing key moments via its AI algorithms. Reason for my 3 star rating is the following: • Yes im in the videos/photos but its hard to aim with no view finder. The lens is super wide so everything looks very small if its not within 3 feet from you. • Cost. Maybe worth $125. Not MSRP at $249.99 The perceived value isn’t there. I know its packed full of technology for facial recognition but it should come with a few more things to justify the high price point. • No indication that its recording. I wore the camera on the collar of my shirt while playing with my daughter hoping that it was capturing all her smiles at 7 weeks old. Logged into the app, nothing. I was crushed. It could have been user error and I realize I could have used the phone to live stream it to check my aim but where was the spontaneity? Maybe a small audible beep if it doesn’t detect a face every 30 seconds? I want to recommend Google Clips for the shear idea of the potential, but I really couldn’t with the lack of execution on its promises. It may be a bit early and early adapters beware.

I was skeptical about this camera at first but it eventually won me over after using it for a few days. First off, this is a luxury item. Most phones can do what this camera does so you only really need one of these for situations like: - You want to be in the moment at certain events and not focused on getting good pictures - You like to grab a bunch of content and edit later to find the perfect images The best thing about this device is the partner app. It works flawlessly and allows you to easily edit and/or upload any of the content you capture. Your phone pairs to the camera and will allow you to adjust settings from within the app and even tells you the battery life of the camera. It's very small and lightweight (see picture below with an Apple TV remote for scale). You can easily take it anywhere. What I love about the camera was how I could go into the app, easily delete any footage I didn't care for by swiping left, and then use the edit feature on certain clips to find the perfect image. Since this camera is taking many clips, you are able to view each frame of the clip and save an individual photo that you like best. Cons: - Battery life is not great. After playing around with it for about 30 minutes the app showed me at 50% battery life. I expect that I'll have to turn it on and off to save battery life during some outings. - Like most cell phones, image quality is not great in low light. But it works great outdoors. This camera is not for everyone. But if you want an accessory camera that you can leave on its own and play with the media later on to find some great shots, you'll have fun with this.

To be honest - I was a little unsure how to "test" this Google Clips camera. I already have my house monitored by 8 wireless cameras, so I wasn't sure of how to use or where to place it. After thinking a few days - BOOM - I had an idea! In the last few days, I've been attend High School Graduation parties. I decided to clip the camera on the photo boards that the graduates are displaying - capturing candid shots of the guests as they walk past looking at the pictures! AWESOME! We got some pretty cool shots! The camera itself is impressive. It has 16GB storage, a large 130 degree field of view and takes live photo shots! My only complaint is the 3 hour battery life. You have to recharge it everyday at a minimum - so just another thing I have to remember to plug in. The concept is great - but I'd like to see an 8+ hour battery. I turned it on before the 4 hours grad party started so I could gather some of the setup, and burned through an hours and a half of the battery - so only could capture 90 minutes of the party.... I'd also like to see a few different mounts come standard. Perhaps a suction cup, larger clip and adjustable angle. Overall - if you're looking for a new perspective on your photos - this is a very cool addition to parties, events and normal family life!

Google Clips has an ambitious goal: to help memorialize those quick moments where you can't get to your phone or camera fast enough to capture. Those times the kids or pets do something funny. Quick interactions at family parties. The camera wants to be a seamless part of your life, but in practice, it requires more effort than it's worth. PROS: - Easy setup, assuming you have a compatible phone. The Google Clips app (iOS and Android) will walk you through everything and begin the process of "learning" about your existing pictures, family, friends, etc. - Includes a sturdy clip-case that can also be used as a stand. - Durable design. The camera should easily survive short falls and curious children. - The Clips app is easy to use and offers tons of export options, including GIFs, MP4, and Live photos. - For a camera of this size, image quality is decent (perhaps a little soft-looking). CONS: - Google Clips wants to be a set-it-and-forget-it camera, but unless you only live or play in one place, you'll have to constantly remember to move the camera to wherever the action is. I already carry my phone with me, so the idea of hauling around a second device seems strange. - The camera "intelligently" learns common faces over time, but it seems to record very random moments. Movement alone will not activate the camera, but a smile or a laugh will. - The camera angle is very unflattering, as it almost always needs to be resting on a flat surface. Videos are often taken from way too low of an angle. What's worse, the camera has fallen down flat several times while I've used it. - Video clips look crisp, but they are very jerky (only 15 frames per second). Acceptable for GIFs and Facebook posts, but I wouldn't rely on this to capture important moments. - There is no obvious way to tell if the camera is recording. In my testing, that made everyone in the room a bit uneasy. Is it recording? Is it not? Should we perform for the camera or not? - The camera is compatible with a very limited range of devices. It only works with Pixel phones, iPhones, and the Samsung Galaxy S7 and S8. If you don't own any of those, this camera isn't for you. OVERALL: I'm partially confused and partially creeped out by Google Clips. It's not going to replace anyone's smartphone camera. If you want to use it effectively, you have to constantly remember to move it around and check the app to make sure it's recording what you want. I also don't like knowing whether or not a camera is recording me or my family. With a security camera, I've accepted the fact that it's always recording a specified area. With the Google Clips, I find myself constantly wondering whether it's recording me during an unflattering or unwanted moment. If you are heavily invested in the Google Photos ecosystem and don't mind tinkering with this camera to capture more footage of your family, then give this a look. But for everyone else, this feels like more of a guinea pig for Google's AI capabilities -- which, if Google Clips is any indication, could use some improvement.