As a parent, you rarely want to miss moments in your childs’ lives. You want to be there for the first ballet recital, the times they star in their school play, and all kinds of sporting events. Even if it’s just tee ball or their first recreation league basketball game, it means a lot to them, and it can be exciting to watch. But if your child shows a talent in a particular sport, they will likely want to pursue it. As the stakes get higher and their talent grows, it may make sense to film their games to put together a highlight reel for colleges to potentially see.

Having to record a lot of games can mean that the parent is not able to watch as much because they’re focused on filming, and holding a phone in their hands and trying to keep it steady during a breakaway at a soccer match or hockey game can be difficult. Setting up an expensive camera still means the camera needs to keep track of the action. If any of this describes your current situation, the XbotGo Chameleon is a gadget you should consider.

The XbotGo Chameleon is an AI camera system that allows the user to mount their phone on it. It uses AI technology to track the movement during the game, serving as a filmer. That way, parents are able to watch the game rather than have to track it with a camera. These aren’t the only use-cases for this device, as I used it to help break down my golf swing. I’ve been testing this for a while and see a lot of potential in it.

Price, specs and availability

It’s expensive, but the bundle is worth it

The XbotGo Chameleon is available from XbotGo. It retails for $369 for the standard bundle, which includes the XbotGo Chameleon and a remote control. I tested out the Portable Bundle, which included the Chameleon, a remote, a Gimbal T1 tripod, and a carrying case for the tripod. That package retails for $440. There’s also an Elite Pro Bundle that includes a larger T4 tripod and retails for $530, and the All Inclusive Bundle, which has both the T1 tripod and the T4 tripod that costs $627.

The XbotGo Chameleon is offered in three colors: lava graphite, pearl grey, and lemon green, which is the one that I tested. The Chameleon features an AI tracking lens and can screw onto a tripod easily, as it’s designed to attach tightly, so it’s able to pivot and maneuver while capturing footage. It weighs a little over a pound, so it’s not heavy, but it also doesn’t feel that light. The clamp on the top is easy to turn and allows you to secure your smartphone to it, but it’s not tight enough that you are damaging the phone. The tripod that comes with the portable bundle is telescopic and folds up compactly, making it easy to bring with you different places. You need to download the XbotGo app to make the Chameleon work, but it works via Bluetooth with your phone, so you don’t need a Wi-Fi connection.

What I like about the XbotGo Chameleon

This technology is only going to get better

It took almost no time to set up the XbotGo Chameleon. Downloading the app and signing up for an account is simple. By signing up for an account, it allowed me to set up a cloud folder to save my videos. It works with iOS and Android phones, so many of the smartphones on the market today are able to use the app. As of now, you can record only a few of the promised sports modes, with others to soon follow in app updates. The sports include:

• Soccer
• Football
• Flag Football
• Lacrosse
• Ice Hockey
• Tennis
• Volleyball
• Beach Volleyball
• Badminton
• Rugby
• Basketball
• Table Tennis
• Figure Skating
• Pickleball
• Boxing
• Fencing
• Gymnastic
• Taekwondo

As I aimed to record my golf swing, I chose ice hockey, as I figured it would record a swing well. I use this more to break down my golf swing. While the AI tracking only follows my swing slightly, you can see that it can follow a ball well enough that you’ll be able to track what might cause a slice or a hook if you hit a bad shot. It can shoot in 720p, 1080p, and 4K resolution, providing crisp videos to help you analyze the footage. I love that you can start and stop the recording using a remote. That eliminates the need to be in front of the camera, pressing start and stop. This also can be used to livestream, allowing others who aren’t attending a game to watch the game live through the app while the XbotGo Chameleon shoots the action. It immediately uploaded the files to a local drive I accessed in the app. It even suggested where I could make cuts with its intuitive software.

I wanted to test the tracking abilities, so I set it to soccer and ran back and forth in front of it. It did a decent enough job of following me as the gimbal swiveled on the tripod, forcing the phone to move with it. This seems to be a bit before its time, but you can tell that the tracking abilities will improve over time. While I’ve used the XbotGo over the last few weeks, multiple firmware updates have been applied to enhance specific sport modes. XbotGo seems to be working on the app and technology frequently to fine-tune it and make it the best it can be.

What I don’t like about the XbotGo Chameleon

It’s pricey and might not be worth it for you

When you hold it in your hand, the XbotGo Chameleon feels like a gadget that’s expensive. You’ll instantly recognize the price tag of over $300, and you’ll want to keep it safe and protect it. While it feels like it has some weight to it, the XbotGo Chameleon isn’t as cumbersome as carrying around a lot of camera equipment. Because of its price and acute technology, you’d imagine that XbotGo would’ve given users a carrying case for it. But it doesn’t come with one. It doesn’t make sense to not provide buyers with something to put their expensive purchase in. There isn’t even an option to buy a carrying case through the company.

Should you buy the XbotGo Chameleon?

This could be the first step towards sports photography’s future

Is the XbotGo Chameleon a niche product? Definitely, and it may not be worth it for you given its expensive price. But if you’re someone that’s interested in recording high-quality videos and not having to do all the camera maneuvering yourself, it could be worth your purchase. The fact that it works with so many different smartphones makes it versatile. Even though you will need to keep track of the equipment, it’s a device that feels like something you’re going to use a lot in the future if it makes sense for your purposes. For any parent of an aspiring athlete, it’s a gadget that will make recording sports easier for you. I’m hoping it can help me play golf better and be a device I eventually use to capture my kid’s sporting events. I’m happy to have given this a test early on in the process.