Xiaomi's new action camera combines the best of GoPro's Hero4 editions

Xiaomi's new YI 4K Action Camera 2 just went on presale at Gearbest for $249.99. The updated version adds 4K recording and some girth to the original YI, which came out last year as a budget alternative to GoPro's cheapest Hero edition cameras. The YI 2 does the same but with GoPro's high-end Hero4 Silver and Black editions, which retail at $399.99 and $499.99, respectively.

The YI 2 uses the same Ambarella A9 chipset found in the GoPro Hero4 Black edition, and has a 2.19-inch, 330 PPI resolution touch display that's similar to the one found in the GoPro Hero4 silver. The updated YI is slightly wider than the preceding version, but still much smaller than the GoPro Hero4 at 2.36 x 0.83 x 1.65 inches. The YI 2 has an updated battery life that can record 110 minutes of 4K video with 30 FPS. It also supports 1080p and 720p recording. It comes in black or white, which is kind of a bummer, since I'm a big fan of the original YI's lime green option:

While most Xiaomi products aren't available to US consumers, the YI 2 is because Gearbest will ship it to the US. Other vendors, like banggood.com and geekbuying.com, are selling preorders, although not as low as Gearbest's price point.

GoPro Hero 4 Session

• SourceGearbest