Like 'em or not, it looks like selfies are here to stay. Using the just-released HISY, however, they don't have to possess that "I'm holding my phone out at the end of my arm" look. It's a simple Bluetooth device that lets you prop your smartphone up and get out in front of it, then remotely trigger the phone's camera once you're in place. I recently got my hands on a HISY, and gave it a try.
Pairing the device with the phone is simple. The first time you use it, you just make sure the phone's Bluetooth is on, hold down the HISY's single button until the phone detects it, then select it for pairing.
From there, every time you activate the camera, you can take a photo – or start and stop recording video – just by pressing that same button. No app is required, and you can still use the phone's onscreen shutter release button when preferred.
As far as usability goes, I can definitively state that yep, it works just as advertised. Although it will probably never replace the user's extended arm for those spur-of-the-moment "Hey, lemme get a shot with you guys" pics, it could certainly prove useful for more thought-out group photos, or "Here I am in front of this thing" holiday snapshots.
It could also be a boon to solo outdoors enthusiasts, who want to get shots of themselves "in action." While it's certainly possible to get such photos using a timer, it can often be quite tricky getting into just the right spot in the frame at just the right moment. There are also, of course, cameras with their own wireless remotes, but the average person is more likely to simply be packing their phone.
My only quibble with the HISY is its headphone jack attachment. This is a plug/cord combo, that allows the device to dangle from the phone's headphone jack when not in use. Users have to initially attach the cord to the HISY by pushing it through a slot in the top, but it took quite some doing before I could get it to go through – for quite a few tries, it would just go half way in, then catch and bunch up.
The HISY has a range of up to 90 ft/27 m (given a clear line of sight) and its battery is claimed to last for at least two years, even if taking 100 shots per day. Although it currently only works with iOS devices, an Android version is on the way.
It began shipping globally yesterday, and is priced at US$24.99.
Product page: HISY