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LG's take on the GoPro broadcasts to YouTube Live (hands-on)

You can use the waterproof, LTE-enabled action camera to record video privately, or press a button to share your adventures with the world.

Headshot of Jessica Dolcourt
Headshot of Jessica Dolcourt
Jessica Dolcourt VP, Content Operations and Commerce, CNET Group and CNET Labs
Jessica is a passionate content strategist and team leader across the CNET family of brands. She leads a number of teams, including commerce, performance optimization and the copy desk. Her CNET career began in 2006, testing desktop and mobile software for Download.com and CNET, including the first iPhone and Android apps and operating systems. She continued to review, report on and write a wide range of commentary and analysis on all things phones, with an emphasis on the iPhone and Samsung devices. Jessica was one of the first people in the world to test, review and report on foldable phones and 5G wireless speeds. Jessica began her leadership role managing CNET's How To section for tips and FAQs in 2019, guiding coverage of topics ranging from personal finance to phones to home. She holds an MA with Distinction from the University of Warwick in the UK.
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Jessica Dolcourt
2 min read

With its new LTE Action Camera, LG hopes to one-up GoPro and its other action camera ilk. How? This little device has LTE, a waterproof body (you won't need to use extra housing), and you can broadcast directly to YouTube Live.

Built-in LTE is important because it lets you leave the camera streaming under its own 4G power, while you can use your phone to do something else. If you wanted to stream to YouTube Live without an independent LTE connection (as other action cameras use), you'd have to tether the action camera to the phone, much more rapidly draining your battery and slowing processing power while you broadcast live.

(P.S. LG is pretty much alone in offering an LTE-enabled action/lifestyle camera. Samsung tried it out with its connected Galaxy camera, which flopped. Samsung's second attempt was Wi-Fi-only.)

I went hands-on with the palmable action camera at LG's headquarters in Seoul, Korea, where I met with the company as part of a 19-day tech trip around Asia.

Check out the LG LTE Action Camera...in action (pictures)

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The device is coated in rubber, which makes it easy to hold and operate. There are two buttons, which are straightforward, one to record and one to broadcast to YouTube Live. Alternatively, you can manage the whole business of taking photos and recording video through a mobile app.

The camera and app were dead-simple to use, but the conference room where I saw the device wasn't the kind of interesting setting where you'd usually use an action camera, so we'll need to wait to get a review unit to see how it stacks up against rivals like GoPro.

lg-action-camera-selfie.jpg

LG's new LTE-enabled action camera tethers to your phone to preview what you're shooting -- or broadcasting live.

 Jessica Dolcourt/CNET

Again, since there's no built-in screen, you'll need to connect to a phone or tablet to see what you're shooting -- that wasn't terrifically convenient.

At the bottom of the camera, a flip-open panel reveals an SD card card where you can stores your photos and videos.

LG says you can record and store over four hours of video and broadcast up to two hours of video at 1080p HD quality over 4G.

You'll have three options for recording resolution and frame rate:

  • HD: 1,280x720 (60 fps)
  • Full HD: 1,920x1,080 (120 fps)
  • 4K: 2,560x1,440 (30 fps)

LG didn't have pricing or availability details for me, but will officially announce its GoPro rival soon -- and hopefully answer those burning questions about when and where it'll be available, and for how much.