Flip Video is dead. The company that led the craze for affordable, one-button pocket camcorders with the Flip Ultra and Flip Mino is being wound up by owners Cisco in the face of competition from big-name rivals, video-shooting compact cameras and camera phones.
Cisco bought Flip two years ago for £360m, and although Flip camcorders are still popular they clearly don't pay their way. Cisco is pulling the plug on more than 550 workers. With a gaping Flip-shaped hole in our lives, let's take a look at the rivals that saw Flip off, and see what unique features could help them swim where Flip sank.
What the Flip?
Flip basically invented the market for pocket-sized camcorders in 2008 with the Flip Video Ultra, a plastic AA battery-powered camcorder with a big red button to record YouTube-sized footage. Flip became a tad more sophisticated with the arrival of the smaller Flip Video Mino.
The following year Flip went high-definition as it faced a slew of competitors from big companies such as Sony, Panasonic and Kodak scrambling to catch up.
The alternatives
Ultimately it seems it's not the raft of rivals that killed Flip. No, it's the camera phone. A phone with a camera in it can't challenge a compact camera for picture quality, but 1080p high-definition video is now well within a phone's grasp.
Flip-style camcorders only have one function, and have been left behind by the multi-function smart phone. The Flip camcorder won't be the last single-use casualty of the feature-packed phone, and it'll be interesting to see how long even the big name mini-corders last.
Sony Bloggie Touch
The Flip's simplicity was its main virtue, but there's only so much you can do with one button. Sony solves that problem with the Sony Bloggie Touch's large 3-inch touchscreen, allowing you to adjust options without cluttering up the camcorder's body. The 1080p Bloggie also uses a 360-degree attachment to film very cool panoramic video.
Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc
The wafer-thin Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc smart phone couldn't be more pocket-friendly if it tried, but it's what's inside that wins our hearts. The mobile packs an Exmor R CMOS sensor, as seen in Sony's compact camera range. The size of a mobile phone usually severely limits the size of the camera sensor, so it's good to see the Arc making the most of what it's got to work with, offering plenty of settings to play with.
Panasonic HM-TA1
The Panasonic HM-TA1 is one of the cheaper camcorders from a major manufacturer. It doesn't offer any exciting whistles and bells -- so its days could be numbered -- but it is a colourful 1080p pocket shooter that does everything the Flip could.
Kodak PlayTouch
Mini-camcorders are great for capturing the fun of holidays, but standard cameras aren't up to the sand, sea or snow. Enter the Kodak PlayTouch, a waterproof, sand-proof, drop-proof 1080p mini-camcorder that will slide happily into your swimming trunks and film your snorkelling adventures.
Casio Exilim EX-H15
Compact cameras had a hand in Flip's demise too, as many now offer 720p or 1080p video. Even if we stick to the Flip price range, cameras such as the Casio Exilim EX-H15 offer large screens, long zooms and high-quality still photos.
iPhone 4
We always get stick for putting the iPhone 4 in lists like this, and the video does have issues -- but it deserves a mention for one simple reason: iMovie. When you've filmed your video with the iPhone's 5-megapixel 720p camera, Apple's simple video-editing app lets you edit your mini masterwork with transitions, music and titles before uploading it straight to the Internet.
LG Optimus 3D
The LG Optimus 3D isn't out yet, but it's one of a forthcoming crop of phones to offer 1080p hi-def video such as the HTC Desire S, Samsung Galaxy S 2 and HTC Sensation. The Optimus packs not one but two cameras, so it can record 720p video in 3D and play back the video on its 3D screen.
Flip RIP
Do you own a Flip or does your phone take care of all your video needs? And what do you think will be the next casualty of convergence? Flip out in the comments.
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Comments 15
Add your comment
gatorrock 14 April, 2011 13:17
Never owned a Flip -nor had thought they were worth anything- my digital camera always took better video and still does. Won't be sad to see them go.
anonymous 14 April, 2011 14:23
We've got a Flip camera and it was great whilst it worked, which wasn't for very long...
anonymous 14 April, 2011 15:22
It's fine to include some mobiles that can record HD, but most (including the Xperia arc with Exmor R sensor) still have very poor sensors in comparison, can drop frames and have limited editing facilities. Many mobiles are also rather hard to hold for filming.
In addition, which is perhaps the worst of all, you can be interrupted by a phone call that totally ruins your video (and in some cases will result in the video captured so far being lost). Annoying enough for a still photo, but devastating for a video!
anonymous 14 April, 2011 15:43
We've included a mix of devices to show the possibilities. The Flip had extremely limited editing options on board, so it's fair to offer phones as alternatives - and that's why the iPhone 4 is here, because of iMovie.
As for phone calls, hey, if the video's that important stick your phone in airplane mode and get shooting
Anonymous 14 April, 2011 16:36
People have recorded whole movies using the Nokia N8 yet it gets no mention?
anonymous 14 April, 2011 16:47
I considered it, but opted for the Arc, iPhone and Optimus because they all have unique selling points (sensor, software, and 3D).
Bear in mind this isn't gospel, by the way - it's just an overview of the video-recording landscape and the types of devices that made life hard for Flip
Anonymous 14 April, 2011 17:06
It wouldn't be a CNET article without at least one mention of the iphone...
Anonymous 15 April, 2011 13:07
Have owned a Flip for nearly two years now and have Loved it. It' shame that they are closing this business.
EvilJoe39 17 April, 2011 07:21
you could argue the N8's camera was the unique selling point, it certainly wasn't Symbian.
Andrew Sloan 22 April, 2011 21:00
didnt understand the need for the device my last three phones all had video capture so why clutter your pocket with an other device
Sco1996 20 June, 2011 13:53
Not sad to see Flip go. Expensive, and not packed with many features. Kodak camcorders are a good bet.
anonymous 18 July, 2011 23:34
Can't believe Sony Xperia Arc is on the list and Nokia N8 isn't. Nokia's have been creating great camera phones since the N93
anonymous 14 March, 2012 01:10
Absolutely loved my FLIP. Had many students win music scholarships and audiitions with just my FLIP. 2 Hours of recording, easy to edit, easy to share to Facebook, Youtube and easy to video to universities and friends......USB arm right into my Mac. Excellent for the price too.
anonymous 30 March, 2012 02:00
I want to record horse training, how do I get the audio synced with the video , what king of mic, I will be moving around with the horses.
anonymous 16 April, 2013 19:41
A phone with a camera in it can't challenge a compact camera for picture quality,
Two words "Nokia N8".