Announced back at CES, and set to go head to head with the GoPro HD 2, the ION Air Pro records in full 1080p HD using its wide angle lens, and can also capture still images. Where it stands out from the crowd is with the associated iOS app (currently in beta) that enables you to watch a live stream of the action on your iOS device, or upload directly to Facebook or Youtube.

This is all made possible by the Wi-Fi Podz - a disc that fits neatly into the back of the camera.

ION Air Pro: Build

Sporting a much more streamlined look than the GoPro HD, the ION Air Pro is cylinder-shaped with striking black and semi-metallic blue finish. An octagonal finish around the base of the camera means that it won't roll away if you put it down.

Unlike its main rival, there's no need for a separate waterproof casing, as the unit itself is waterproof up to 10m. This means that there's no pesky outer casing to muffle the microphone when you're out shooting.

The unit feels extrememly lightweight, tipping the scales at 123g, while the build quality still feels reassuringly sturdy, yet compact.

ION Air Pro: Features

You can buy the ION Air Pro on its own (£199.99), or alternatively pick up the Air Pro Plus package which includes a couple of bike mounts and a small tripod, which all fit ION's Camlock system. More mounting options are set to launch in the near future for attaching the camera to various bits of sporting equipment. We haven't had a go with setting up all the mounts yet, but that's something that we'll cover in our full review.

ION is also offering 8GB of free cloud storage for your snaps and videos.

ION Air Pro: Controls

Controls are about as simple as they could possibly be - the power on and off button also doubles as the still image capture control while a sliding switch on the top starts the camera recording. It also makes a small vibrating alert so that it's clear when you're recording and there's no need to check a visual cue such as a light.

Operation really couldn't be easier and we found that it was easy to locate the correct controls and switch the camera to record without looking, a must for anyone who's taking part in any extreme sport.

ION Air Pro: App

The iPhone app is already available on iTunes, with the iPad version and the usual Android alternative coming very soon. At present, the app is in beta mode, so functions are limited, but eventually you'll be able to view photos and videos and create albums for them, as well as live streaming the action directly to your mobile device.

The app will also enable you to use your smartphone as a remote control for the camera.

ION Air Pro: Battery

The camera can be charged from your computer via USB or using the supplied charger, offering up to 2.5 hours of juice. Alternatively, a battery pod will be available that offers up to four hours of recording.

ION Air Pro: Picture quality

The camera takes both HD (at 30fps) and lower-res footage, so that you won't cripple the wi-fi when trying to live stream to your social networking site of choice. While we haven't had a chance to take the Air Pro out for a spin just yet, the demo videos that we were shown in an iPad certainly looked impressive.

ION Air Pro: Verdict

The ION Air Pro certainly looks set to give the GoPro HD a run for its money. Not only is it smaller and lighter, it also has a slicker, more attracive chassis, as well as the ability to live stream. Once its up and running, the app integration will likely be the key to its success and we look forward to trying it out in detail. Stay tuned for a full review.

The ION Air Pro HD Sports Video Camera might be a mouthful to say – but carrying and using it look to be very easy indeed. Thanks to a Wi-Fi Podz add-on you can connect the ION Air Pro to your smartphone and instantly upload footage to social networks like Facebook. Showing off has never been easier.

The ION Air Pro's wide-angle lens records 1080p video with a 170-degree viewing angle, which should be perfect for clear perspective shots of dodging boulders on your downhill bike ride. Another nice touch is that the Wi-Fi Podz lets you stream your freaky footage directly to your smartphone, so you can angle the camera just right, and watch your run immediately after.

Wireless linking works with iOS and Android devices. The Ion folk kindly throw in 8GB of online storage in their very own ION Cloud too.

You can get yours from early April for £200 including a mini tripod, or spend £250 for the ION Air Pro Plus, which includes a system for mounting the camera on your bike handlebars or helmet. The Wi-Fi Podz is an extra £80 – yiou can also get the whole lot in the Ion Air Pro Wi-Fi package for £300, due out in May.

There’s a new player in the action camera market – the ION Air Pro is set to arrive in the UK in April and we’ve got our hands on one of the first samples to give you the lowdown on the latest high-definition helmet cam.

ION may be an unfamiliar name but it’s one which comes with nearly 20 years experience in the electronics business, developing and distributing cameras from their Hong Kong HQ – this, however, is the company’s first product to be launched directly under the ION brand. Let’s take a closer look…

Build, picture quality and controls

The ION Air Pro is a sleek, cylindrical shape with a striking yet somewhat understated blue and matt black finish. Pick it up and there’s little too it; with a headline weight of 123g the ION is significantly lighter than its main rivals, but the build quality is excellent and it feels sturdy in your hand.

The camera records in full 1080p high-definition through a wide angle lens at 30 frames per second. You can also snap five megapixel photographs (one at a time or in a burst of ten) and by keeping that figure relatively low the company’s managing director Giovanni Tomaselli, who talked us through the product, say the camera’s ability to film in low light conditions is improved.

The ION’s casing is waterproof down to 10m – so need need for a separate case – while the built-in microphone is also fully waterproof, plus the octagonal base means it won’t roll away if you put it down.

The camera uses an intuitive control system, with only two buttons. The first is a sliding button – push it forwards and the camera turns on and starts recording, pull it back and it stops recording. Press the button at the front of the camera (while it is recording) and it’ll take a picture, while this also doubles as the on/off button.

As for battery life; the ION Air Pro, charged via USB or using the mains socket provided, offers two hours of power as standard, while this can be increased to four hours by using one of ION’s detachable Wi-Fi Podz (available separately, more on that later).

Shoot and share

What sets the ION Air Pro apart from its rivals is its shoot and share capability. This runs in conjunction with ION’s iPhone app (available now on the iTunes store in beta version, with an iPad and Android version to follow) and allows the user to directly upload their footage and photographs to Facebook and Twitter, or you can stream it via the app. It also means you can attach the camera to your helmet then, using your smartphone, make sure you’re filming what you want to film before setting off down the trail. ION also give you 8GB of cloud storage through mimedia.com so you can access your content from anywhere with an Internet connection.

To take advantage of the camera’s wi-fi capability you need one of ION’s Wi-Fi Podz. This slots into the back of the camera and increases battery life to four hours without adding any mass to the unit. You can buy one of the Wi-Fi Podz separately for £79.99, or it comes as standard with the most expensive bundle. The Wi-Fi Podz won’t ship until May so we’ll have to wait until then to find out how easy it is to use – sounds like it could be fun, though.

Price and availability

So how much does this all cost? Well, the ION Air Pro is a competitively priced package, with three bundles set to go on sale through Amazon in a couple of weeks.

The standard package comes with just the camera and charger for £199, while for £249 a range of mounts (including helmet and handlebar mounts, and a mini tripod) are included, while the £299 bundle also includes one of ION’s Wi-Fi Podz.

So that’s the ION Air Pro. It looks an impressive package but, now we’ve got the bare facts out of the way, we’ll put it through its paces before reporting back with a full review.

T3 - The Gadget Website News Article

Announced to launch at CES the ION Air Pro is one of the first sports camera that lets you be the first down the slope and then first to upload it to Facebook

World Wide Licenses is to launch a new range of ION products which will include one of the world's first sports cameras that lets you wirelessly upload your footage on the go.

Consisting of two parts the ION the range is made up of the main camera which shoots full 1080p HD, can take 5MP stills and then on top of that is also 10m waterproof. Of course no snowboarding jump would be complete without the full picture, in this case 170 degrees of wide angled loveliness.

To help you get started you'll also get 8GB of free cloud storage to help you throw your content onto the web as soon as possible. All of this then being possible via the ION the Go WiFi 'BackPack' which gives the camera its wireless capability.

The backpacks wireless tech is also compatible with both iPhones and Android smartphones with a downloadable application letting you remote control the camera, of course, whether or not you'd be happy to take your iPhone 4S snowboarding is entirely down to you.

With just a handful of images available and no word on how big the backpack is the real clincher will be in just how mobile it is when it finally gets its official launch in Las Vegas for CES 2012.