Local tech vendor Kaiser Baas made their name with action cams. It should come as little surprise that the company’s latest achievement in the area sits at the front and center of the company’s recent rebranding.
The new X4 Action cam promises to make an impression on even the most passionate enthusiast. A big step up for the brand, it’s capable of shooting true 4K video at 30 frames-per-second as well as 12-megapixel still images.
Powered by an Ambarella A12 chipset and Sony sensor, it’s not just an action-cam built to last but one built to thrive, offering up results that are effortlessly enhanced by the X4’s built-in image stabilization and even FHD slow-motion playback at 120 frames-per-second.
The X1, X2, X3 sit in the shadow of the X4 but are only a little less impressive. That said, if your aspirations sit a little lower than the cutting, they’ll likely prove themselves the right tools for the job. The X1 offers 1080p video at 30 frames-per-second and 5-megapixel stills. The X2 doubles the frame rate and bumps the megapixel count up to 8.
Finally, the X3 proves itself a more serious and robust package – capable of recording 2.5K quality video (at 30 frames-per-second) and shooting 12-megapixel images. It’s even got some added punch on a technical level, incorporating image stabilization tech to smooth out still footage.
Speaking to SmartHouse, Kaiser Baas CEO Evan Kourambas says that “Kaiser Baas is a brand that is growing internationally.”
The brand has now expanded its operations globally, moving product within Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Mexico, Canada, France, Sweden and the UAE.
The says the company’s angle on things is always guided by a central objective “to provide a low-cost alternative in the categories we play in.”
He says that the aim to offer an experience that’s 70% of the specs found in the market leader at a price-point that’s roughly 30-40% cheaper.
Speaking to SmartHouse, Kaiser Baas’ Global Brand and Marketing Manager Tatum Murison says that “the overall rebrand was not just a new look for us, but it included a full overhaul of our brand image. Through extensive research, we were able to better understand that customers appreciated the initial value-for-money when purchasing Kaiser Baas products but found that products were lacking in features, app integration and sometimes, the quality just didn’t stack up to the market leaders. The steps that Kaiser Baas previously took to ensure that we could offer affordable products to customers meant that we were skimping on important features that ultimately led to a less than 100% satisfaction rate with their products.”
This information ultimately guided the company’s new direction.
According to Murison, “the market was already saturated where brands were competing for professional, tech-laden appearances and there was a huge opportunity for us to re-enter the market with the products and the look that appealed to a market that didn’t care as much about the crazy features, but more about the enjoyment of using these products, or the way their footage looked as an end result.”
“Until now, there hasn’t been a brand with products for the everyday people and we’re very glad to be that brand.”
That idea can be seen in action when it comes to the company’s action cam offerings. Going up against GoPro might not be easy. However, the technical differences between the Hero 4 and the X4 aren’t easy to see while the difference in price is clear as day.
What’s more, it’s far from the only category getting a refresh alongside Kaiser Baas’ broader branding efforts.
Kourambas says he sees the company as a competitor to Parrot when it comes to with drones and Garmin and Navman when it comes to dashcams.
He says that new drones will be coming but for now the differences between the models sold before and after the rebrand are purely aesthetic
Meanwhile, there will be big changes coming to Kaiser Baas’ dash-cam offerings. From the sounds of it, they’re the company’s “next big thing”.
He describes these dash-cams as “next-generation in that they don’t have any screens on them.”
Instead, they use gesture controls for some functions and connect to your smartphone for everything else.
The R40 and R50 pack built in G-Sensors that detects and saves footage in the event or any sudden shock or impacts.
Otherwise, users can simply wave their hand near the device and it will make a shutter sound and take a photo.
Kourambas says it’s “very smart the way they do it.”
In the company’s own words, Kaiser Baas say they are “redefining safety on the roads with a new series of dash cameras that promote distraction-free driving.”
Though he says that they have good relationships with both Harvey Norman and JB Hi-Fi, they’re likely to go with the former when it comes to ranging the company’s new dash cams.
After all, JB Hi-Fi did have first-go on the company’s new action cams.
There are also big changes coming to the company’s efforts in the VR space.
Their soon-to-be-revealed VRX Pro headset will come Bluetooth-enabled for more intuitive headset controls – offering up the familiar set of pause, play, forward, backward and skip buttons.
Similar to Samsung’s GearVR but designed for use with smartphones of all brands and sizes.
Essentially, the new headset isn’t designed for the a cutting-edge VR future that isn’t quite here yet but instead designed for use with the plethora of 360-degree content that’s available now.
