World's smallest 4K camera challenges GoPro

GoPro is the go-to brand for many in the wearable camera market. They have been around for a while and built up a strong brand around quality and stable video recording for active users. There has been more competition recently, however, with smaller companies choosing to compete on unique features. Mokacam is one of these groups, and this year it completed a successful crowdfunding campaign for the world's smallest 4K camera, which also bests GoPro on price.

The Mokacam measures 45x45x30mm and will retail for $270, according to Engadget. GoPro's Hero4 4K camera, on the other hand, costs $500. The Mokacam is still available for pre-order on Indiegogo for $200, making it an even better deal. While the size is impressive, Engadget noted that the water-resistant case actually makes it bigger than the encased Hero4.

The Mokacam also has more megapixels than the Hero4 at 16MP instead of 12. The 4K video captures 25fps and the camera uses a Sony sensor. Mokacam also addresses battery life, a particular pain point among GoPro fans. The attachable screen is able to use its battery to recharge the Mokacam and the company also offers magnetic batteries that stick on the back to recharge the device. Even without these peripherals attached, though, Mokacam is meant to last for eight hours of use.

Mokacam's campaign makes it stand out from GoPro, but the maker might actually be targeting different demographics. Mokacam is designed to be the camera that can go anywhere. It can work up to 60m underwater, and the magnetic back allows it to stick to different surfaces. It can be used on drones, as a home security camera or, of course, as a sports camera. It might not be settled yet whether or not the device works as well as GoPro until it is more widely available.

While Mokacam's hardware is good, and the company is positioning the product as a camera meant for the average person, Engadget concluded that the device is simply not as easy to use as GoPro products, in part because of smartphone software issues. The price difference, however, is still too big to ignore. Given the equivalent camera quality, Mokacam might have really tapped into a new part of the market. These kinds of cubic wearable cameras are now being produced in China, showing the popularity of the form factor.