Akaso Brave 8 Action Camera Review: Great Hardware Meets Poor Software

Akaso has launched the latest member of Brave family, the Brave 8. It is pronounced as the best cheap alternative to the GoPro Hero 10. It has a larger image sensor and comes with flagship features and upgrades.

So, is Akaso Brave 8 actually that good? The comprehensive review will cover every aspect of Akaso Brave 8.

Let’s Inspect.

Overview

In a hurry, read this short overview stating the pros and cons of Akaso Brave 8 Action Camera.

Pros

Robust Build quality
Pleasing appearance
Comes with lots of useful accessories
Slow-motion is great
Voice control option
Handy remote-control accessory

Cons

Buggy interface and app
Video quality is not great
Camera does not have a quarter-inch hole

Price

Starting from the price, it is the first factor that consumers consider when shopping for a device.

Akaso Brave 8 is priced at 279$, 120$ lesser than the GoPro Hero 10, and the most expensive action camera from Akaso. Moreover, it’s almost two times pricier than the Brave 7.

Unboxing

The brave 8 arrive in a similar box to most of Akaso’s cameras, identical to the old GoPro Hero 8 packaging.

It is a nice two compartment box top transparent and bottom cardboard. The top section has the camera, while the second box has all the accessories and mounts that come with the device.

The camera has all the essential mounts and accessories. Moreover, Akaso also gives some weird gifts with the camera, like a pair of socks or gloves and a beach towel.

In the box, we have nine mounts, two batteries, a battery charger, frame, remote control, and many not so essential accessories.

Build Quality and Appearance

From the first glance, the camera feels solid and rugged. It has a robust chassis and fantastic design features like the complimentary red colour around the camera and better button positions.

The camera frame is a necessity and has many design flaws. Akaso Brave 8 does not have a 1/4 threaded hole for mounts; instead, the cage has the hole. So, it is a necessity, but the cutouts for buttons are pretty off the line, and the SD card and port door simply won’t open with the case on, which is not quite friendly.

Overall, the build quality is supreme; it has survived some bumps during testing, and I don’t see a scratch or damage on the body. The included tripod is not great; it is weak and can break quite easily.

Specs

Chipset: Ambarella H22S85
Lens: ½ inch 48MP IMX 586 image sensor
Video Quality: 4K 60fps
Battery: 1550mAh
Wi-Fi: Yes
Waterproof: Yes (up to 10 meters)
Microphone: Yes
Voice Control: Yes
Smartphone App: Akaso GO

Performance

Akaso Brave 8 is fairly better than the Brave 7; it has a better sensor, image quality and more video modes.

Firstly, the 4K; the quality is good in optimum light. While it fails to deliver on bright sunny days, the dynamic range is not good, and many areas appear dark.

The camera was put against the Mi 11 Ultra because both have the same image sensor. The smartphone wins the competition because of its better dynamic range and image quality. Moreover, the 4K does not support in-built stabilization, so you have to apply that in post-production, which can be tricky for new users.

I had high expectations with the low light videography because of its ½ inch lens. But the results are similar; it is struggling in similar areas as other action cams. One good thing is the amount of detail it captured in low light.

Lastly, slow-motion is among some pleasing features. It is not as good as GoPro Hero 10, but the results are admirable.

A problem in the lens is the sharpness. In time-lapse, the video is quite sharp and crisp in the center but suffers softness in the corners, which is a problem with most 100$ action cameras. While Akaso Brave 8 is a 280$ device. Moreover, it does not have shutter speed control and 24FPS recording.

Features that I Loved

Akaso Brave 8 does not have a lot of features that I love, but there are a few.

First is the stabilization; the in-built stabilization is exceptional. I have tested the camera in some harsh conditions, and it never disappointed me. The supersmooth in the Akaso Go app is also good.

Another good thing is the rugged construction and design. It is robust, waterproof and beautiful.

Moreover, the included accessories are absolutely outstanding. Some of them are slightly weak, but they get the job done. Especially remote, the waterproof remote is easy to use and allows us to conveniently control the device in many different conditions.

Akaso Go App

Akaso GO is not a bad app, it is like the Akaso’s take on Insta 360 app. It has some good features, and the workflow is smooth. A downside of the app is its availability, it works only on Android devices, and Akaso plans to launch a computer tool soon.

Drawbacks

I have faced many issues with the Akaso Brave 8, like the lack of a quarter-inch mount. It is a vital part of every action camera, and the separate frame for the mounting hole is not good. Moreover, the interface is not up to par. It has GoPro like swiping actions, which are not smooth with a bunch of other problems.

The main drawbacks of Akaso Brave 8 are

Buggy smartphone app.
Firmware issue.
Supersmooth is hard to use.
Image is not sharp on edges.
No Pro mode.
Lack of 24FPS.
Dynamic range is not good.
And the body does not have the essential ¼ inch hole.

Conclusion

Akaso has opted to fight against the innovative and exceptionally functional devices from GoPro, DJI Osmo and Insta 360. After Brave 8, I think Akaso has a long way to reach the potential of the above-mentioned devices.

Honestly, if Akaso takes cheaper hardware and makes a brilliant user experience, it may be more valuable than picking great hardware and punishing it with such undercooked functionality.

I think that you got to be financially brave to Buy the Akaso Brave 8 at this price. But there always is the chance that Akaso will catch up in future.

In the end, Akaso Brave 8 is a camera, so visit our YouTube channel for the best experience and learn about some more cool techs at tech4all.net.

Where to Buy?

You can get the device from Aliexpress.