It’s a bold step to go from webcams to an action camera that, according to the company, offers a range of features that set it apart from other cameras on the market, but the Aicoco onAir does surprise for its versatility. The camera works as a wireless live stream and wireless 4k camera besides being designed to be used as a USB camera and video recording device that seamlessly connects and streams without the hassle of cables.
The webcams from Aicoco are available under the name AI Street Cam, three models, one at 1080p the other two able to reach 2K, so it’s a huge step for Aicoco to offer a 4K camera for streaming. In fact, during the tests for this review we found the camera to get extremely hot, when used at 4K, after just 20 minutes of use, which may be a problem for some users. Even at 1080p it does get hot during extended use, and makes you fear about what that may mean to the electronics inside the small brick that is the Aicoco onAir.
Two firmware updates since we got the camera for testing suggest Aicoco is working hard to make the model competitive and solve the apparent heating problems with the camera. The company even created a video about the high temperature, showing lab tests that suggest the camera is designed to handle high temperatures, around 70 Celsius (158 F), “never overheating”, claims Aicoco. The test shows comparisons with a regular action cam and a smartphone, both stopping working long before the Aicoco onAir.
The video does suggest the company recognizes the problem and the concerns expressed by some reviewers and while Aicoco states that the camera is equipped with a high-speed micro-fan cooling system (yes, we can hear the noise when it kicks in…) the company does not clarify two points: the resolution used for the test and for how long it ran, as the test video stops at 13 minutes. We have the camera running at 4K as we write this article, it has been on for 33 minutes, and it’s too hot to handle. You can touch it but it’s too hot to keep holding. Curiously, the thermometer on the screen keeps green.
As the Aicoco onAir will probably be used on a support most of the time, the heat may not be a problem, if the electronics inside the small brick are not affected. Scaling down the resolution to 1080P may also help… as does not streaming for too long. The Aicoco onAir, is after all, more than just a streaming device, and that’s what makes it interesting.
Regarding wireless streaming, be it 4K or 1080p, the Aicoco onAir offers seamless live streaming without the need for cumbersome cables (use your smartphone as the hub), as the user can save an entire live stream (in the microSD card used by the camera) for subsequent editing and sharing, using the Live Back Up functions. For those that like to simultaneously stream to multiple platforms like YouTube, Facebook, or Twitch with one step, the camera offers a “set once and forget” mode that makes the process easy and allows to stream to multiple platforms simultaneously.
The Aicoco onAir is also a USB 4K camera, which you can connect to a PC as, Aicoco says, “a plug and play wired 4k webcam”, like any other webcam from the company. Finally, the camera is also designed to record video at 4K 30fps (or 25fps in PAL countries) or 1080p 60fps stabilized HDR video at 16:9 or 9:16.
The versatility of the camera extends to another interesting feature: the Aircoco onAir, when used in wireless K mode to connect to a PC, can be paired with multiple cameras, to achieve multi-angle and multi-scene switching. This is a feature that might interest YouTubers and vloggers or anyone covering a variety of activities who wants to create engaging content and has the means to afford buying multiple units of a camera that costs $349.00.
The control of the multi-scene capturing setup is made through a user-friendly app that allows switching cameras and offers all the controls needed to set the camera(s) remotely. We tested the Android version with the single unit received for review, and the informative interface shows everything from the status of your Wi-Fi connection to a preview of the captured video, allowing users to control the different functions of the camera. Some of them, like the microphone capture mod or the zoom (2x) can be adjusted during recording. The app still needs to be completely translated to English or whatever language is chosen – some operation warnings still appear in Chinese -, but it’s a good start and makes the whole operation easy to achieve.
Although there is a microphone connection – 3.5mm jack – the built-in “dual mics matrix” offers good quality for most uses. It features omni-stereo, front-mono and rear-mono and you can adjust the microphone operation directly on the cameras screen or on the app. For image capturing the camera uses a 1/1.8” Sony Starvis CMOS 2 sensor, a sensor designed to improve low-light performance and contrast, with an architecture similar to the Exmor R sensors but developed, mainly for dash cams and security cameras.
Image quality is good for this type of device, and the Aicoco onAir can be surprisingly effective in some situations, being able to capture detail in moderately backlit situations with good results. Whether you’re streaming from a nature trek, capturing a live event, or producing content in your home studio, the Aicoco onAir appears to be a versatile solution.
One feature deserving mention is the hot-swappable battery design. Not only is the battery long-lasting, with 240 minutes recording time, it can be removed for a new one to be inserted, while the camera is working, thanks to a built-in battery that gives enough power for the operation to be carried in seconds.
The Aircoco onAir comes with a small pouch to keep its lens and screen protected when not in use. The rectangular design is similar to models from other brands, but the device has a 180 degrees rotating camera, so you can use it for either capturing scenes in front of you or vlogging. The body features connections for an external microphone and an USB-C and has two standard tripod mounts for landscape and portrait capture.
For this review we asked Aicoco for the Creators kit, which may be the logic choice for someone starting who wants to have everything needed in one package. With a price of $399.00, $50 more than the price of the camera, the kit includes an extra battery and charger – so we could try the battery swap feature – a 64GB Lexar High-Performance 633x microSDXC UHS-I Card, an adapter to read the card on a PC USB and a tripod. The camera and kit are also on sale during major sale events, so keep an eye on the company’s website if you’re interested.
The battery charger, with two slots, is a very good-looking piece of hardware that feels solid and pairs well with the, somehow heavy, Aircoco onAir camera. The weak point in the pack, from our perspective, is the tripod, which doubles as a selfie stick. It has a remote Bluetooth trigger that can be removed from the tripod and connected with the Aircoco onAir (or any other Bluetooth device), but that’s the best about it. The tripod is a bit flimsy and the connection to the camera is awkward. The Aicoco onAir deserves a better tripod for its Creators kit.