Nokia’s VR hardware is OZO, a high-end professional camera
Nope, it's not a headset: Nokia aims for movie studios and pro content creators
Last week, we heard that Nokia was on the verge of announcing brand new virtual reality hardware, and our minds immediately went to a Oculus Rift-like headset. That’s the current trend, right?
But the Nokia we love and remember from its glory days doesn’t chase trends. Sure enough, Nokia just made its announcement, and although the actual product probably isn’t for the vast majority of our readers, it might help produce much of the content you’re viewing come next year.
Introducing OZO, a high-end virtual reality camera designed for professional filmmakers and content creators. It creates stereoscopic 3D video with eight synchronized camera sensors, as well as spatial audio through eight microphones. The footage captured can be viewed through VR headsets like the Oculus Rift and surely the Gear VR, among others.
And it’s not simply hardware for creators, but rather a complete package with software that lets users see the footage as it’s being filmed. Nokia says it’ll plug into existing VR creation workflows, however, so the company isn’t expecting everyone to drop their current methods – just to upgrade to this new camera.
The OZO is built in Finland, and to drive home the point that it’s really not for the average consumer, The Verge says it’s expected to "sell in the mid-five figures" in U.S. dollars (if it were US$50,000, that would be about £32,000). Actual pricing and tech specs will follow at some point before the OZO starts shipping in Q4.
And Nokia says the OZO is "the first in a planned portfolio of digital media solutions from Nokia Technologies," which means the Nokia we thought we knew plans to stretch even further into unfamiliar terrain. Still, there are probably smartphones in its future.
Read More › Nokia will showcase VR hardware, claims report
Andrew Hayward
Freelance Writer 
