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When SeaLife started shipping their new SportDiver smartphone housing in November last year, Apple iPhone users were offered an inexpensive way to start shooting high-quality images and video underwater. Now, with the launch of SeaLife’s Android app for the SportDiver, the wait is finally over for owners of Android phones. The free app is compatible with both Android 10 and 11—the latest release of the operating system. Check out SeaLife’s compatibility chart to see if the housing can accommodate your Android model.
Like the iOS version, the Android app allows you to adjust zoom, exposure compensation and white balance, and switch between photo and video modes, among other features. In playback mode, you can easily find photos and videos by scrolling vertically through the thumbnail viewer. After a period of inactivity, the app automatically turns off the phone’s camera and dims the display to save power—any button press will immediately “wake up” the app.
The SportDiver housing, on its own, retails for $300, but is also available as the SportDiver Pro 2500 Set, which bundles the housing with tray, grip and Sea Dragon 2500 photo/video light for $650.
PRESS RELEASE
SeaLife Launches New Android App for Popular SportDiver Smartphone Underwater Housing
MOORESTOWN, NJ – SeaLife has launched their Android app for the popular SportDiver Smartphone housing. The SeaLife SportDiver is a compact, lightweight underwater housing that fits most Android smartphones and Apple phones from iPhone 7 and up. The Android and iOS apps work with the current OS and the previous version, e.g. the Android app presently works with Android 11 and 10.
The SeaLife SportDiver housing allows divers to take photos and video with their smartphone down to 130 feet or 40 meters. The heavy-duty housing is constructed of polycarbonate, stainless steel, aluminum and optical grade glass. And while the SportDiver housing is “heavy duty”, it is not heavy, weighing less than 1.5 pounds (641 grams) on land, and offers near-neutral buoyancy in water depending on which smartphone is used.
The SportDiver ergonomic design is easy to hold and use, featuring a large shutter lever and rear control buttons for easy operation, even with dive gloves. Snorkelers and Divers can get more creative with their photos or video shot by using advanced camera settings. Adjust Zoom, control exposure, Auto/Manual Focus, White Balance, Lens selection, RAW+JPEG mode, and many more settings depending on your phone model.
The SeaLife SportDiver includes the free SportDiver camera app for both Android and iOS. With the SportDiver app, you can easily switch between photo and video mode. The SportDiver app utilizes the native phone camera technology resulting in the same high-quality photos and videos that you would expect from your phone. The app also offers a power-save mode that temporarily turns the phone’s camera off and dims the display; a touch to any button wakes it up immediately.
The App Playback mode shows full size photos and videos with a vertical thumbnail strip to easily locate your images. Videos start playing automatically when selected. All files are also saved to the phone’s camera roll. The SportDiver housing automatically connects to your phone and the SportDiver app using Bluetooth® Low Energy wireless technology. No cables or buttons touch the phone and the SeaLife SportDiver housing offers ultra-low power consumption which is powered by two AAA batteries that last over 50 hours of continuous use.
For enhanced imaging results, a removable underwater color-correction filter is included with the SportDiver which restores natural underwater colors. The filter easily attached or removes underwater and includes a safety tether to prevent loss. The SportDiver housing features triple 1/4-20 tripod mounts which mounts to any light or light tray with standard tripod threads such as SeaLife’s own range of Sea Dragon underwater photo/video lights. SeaLife also offers the SportDiver and Sea Dragon underwater light combined dubbed the “SportDiver Pro 2500 Set”.
For the phone’s safety and protection, the SportDiver has a sturdy holding spring and rubber grip tabs that securely hold the smartphone in place and add shock-protection. The SportDiver has “Dual Leak Alarms” which include an internal moisture alarm and a vacuum pressure alarm which alert the diver with on-screen warnings, audio and LED signal in the unlikely event the waterproof seal is compromised when there’s a loss of housing pressure or moisture is detected. The door of the SportDiver is sealed with a TPE O-ring and a robust cam-lock sealing latch that easily and securely locks waterproof door. To prevent interior fogging from residual moisture, the SportDiver uses the anti-fogging agent “Moisture Muncher” capsule which prevents fogging and internal condensation.
SeaLife SportDiver phone housings are available now. Since there’s no change in hardware or electronics, any SportDiver housing will be able to connect to both the iPhone or Android app.
The new Android app is available at the Google Play store now:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.sealife.sportdiver
The official app name when searching is “SportDiver” by Pioneer Research.
SeaLife offers a “fit-guide” on its website for users to instantly determine if their phone model will fit into the SportDiver housing. Go to https://www.sealife-cameras.com/sportdiver-compatibility to see if your phone fits.
Item | Description | US Retail |
SL400 | SportDiver Underwater Smartphone Housing | $299.95 |
SL401 | SportDiver Pro 2500 Set with Sea Dragon 2500 underwater light | $649.95 |
Included with SeaLife SportDiver, Model SL400:
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Included with SeaLife SportDiver Pro 2500 Set, Model SL401:
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