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Most smartphone makers are busy making their built-in cameras better every year, but at IFA 2026, I came across a phone taking a very different approach. Ulefone sub-brand, RugOne, has packed a GoPro-like action camera into the Xsnap 7 Pro, and the best part is, you can literally pop it right out of the phone.
Where the action is
Adamya Sharma / Android Authority
The detachable camera uses a magnetic connection to attach to the back of the Xsnap 7 Pro, with an additional physical safety lock to ensure it doesn’t accidentally fall out. That’s useful for a phone designed for outdoor enthusiasts, but it also makes removing the camera a little fiddly.
Getting enough leverage to release the camera was almost impossible for me.
I have long fingernails, and getting enough leverage to release the camera was almost impossible for me. Once it’s out, though, the idea gets much more interesting.
The camera can record at up to 2.8K at 30fps, while dropping to 1440p lets you record at up to 50fps. It can capture both vertical and horizontal video, and it has 64GB of built-in storage. The camera itself can record for up to 40 minutes on a single full charge and is waterproof to a depth of 5 meters.
It connects to the phone via Wi-Fi 6 and can operate up to 50 meters away from the handset. The camera also charges while it’s docked inside the phone, and RugOne says it can fully recharge in around 35 minutes.
The clever part is the Xsnap Pro app
Adamya Sharma / Android Authority
The real trick isn’t just being able to pull the camera off the phone. RugOne has built a dedicated XSnap Pro app that lets you see what the camera is recording and access the footage on the phone.
That opens up some genuinely cool possibilities. For example, if you’re out with another person, one person can carry the detachable camera while the other holds the phone and watches the live view from almost 50 meters away. You can also start recording using a button on the camera itself or trigger it from the phone.
You don’t have to treat the detachable camera like a completely separate device.
Once you’re done, the footage is accessible from the phone, so you don’t have to treat the detachable camera like a completely separate device.
It’s a neat trick, particularly for outdoor activities where you might want to place the camera somewhere that isn’t very convenient for a phone, or simply have someone else operate it while you monitor what’s being captured.
The phone itself is no slouch
Adamya Sharma / Android Authority
The Xsnap 7 Pro is a rugged Android phone aimed squarely at outdoor enthusiasts. It’s powered by MediaTek’s Dimensity 8400 chipset and comes with 12GB of RAM and 512GB of storage, with expandable storage available. There’s also eSIM support.
I’m not sure the phone is a replacement for a dedicated action camera.
Elsewhere, the device features a 6.67-inch display with a 120Hz refresh rate, while the rear camera setup includes a 50MP primary camera with OIS and a 64MP infrared night-vision camera paired with dedicated IR LEDs. And because this is a rugged phone, it gets an IP69K rating for dust and water resistance.
I’m not sure the phone is a replacement for a dedicated action camera based on my brief hands-on time, but I can see the appeal. The ability to physically separate the camera from the phone, watch its live feed remotely, trigger it from either device, and have the footage land back on the phone makes this much more interesting than simply sticking another camera on the back of a smartphone.
The RugOne XSnap 7 Pro will debut at IFA this weekend before heading to Kickstarter on September 7, where it will be discounted for early-bird backers. It’s expected to launch globally next month for €1,099 (~$1,276).
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