Unfortunately, Pure Digital has been slow to respond to their competitors. With other products offer 1080p recording, external memory expansion, and more, Pure Digital is behind on the spec sheet. Working to their advantage however is usability. The Flip line has always been easy to use and remains the easiest way to go from camera, to computer, to DVD or social network. With all that in mind, I’ve formulated a list of five ways the Flip can, and should be, improved within the next few months to continue to aggressively compete with other low-cost, easy to use camcorders.

1. Memory Expansion:
   You will never be able to get enough storage. Point blank. I’m always looking for more storage to record video content to so allowing users to install large and inexpensive SD cards on the fly is a great attribute. This won’t impact the quality of your content but it will provide peace of mind on vacations and long events.
2. Increased Battery Capacity:
   The Flip Ultra HD allows users to swap rechargeable battery packs or standard AA battery’s pretty quickly which makes longer events easier to manage. Unfortunately, the device will power down during the swap so you won’t be able to record extra long video clips. For me, user replaceable batteries aren’t a big issue but improving battery life to easily get through a day on the trail is a big request.
3. Still Shots:
   The Flip line isn’t able to take pictures. You can use the included software to export a freeze frame as an image but the hassle isn’t worth the degraded quality. Simply put, these pocket camcorders should be able to quickly snap a photo. There is no reason your nearly $200 product cannot take pictures.
4. Improved Video Quality:
   I specifically didn’t say 1080p recording. Often, resolution is marketing hype and most consumer cameras in the market fall under this label. Pure Digital needs to improve the vividness of recorded video, low light recording, and perhaps include an auto-focus, optical zoom lens. It’s a hassle to use a camera that doesn’t focus on the subjects you are recording. Granted, the fixed-focus lens on current cameras works, but it’s too hard to fit the scene into the proper distance while focusing on capturing the scene in all it’s glory.
5. Image stabilization:
   Pocket camcorders are meant to quickly capture the moment or preserve your memories on a budget. With this in mind, the camera is constantly in your hand as you walk and talk. The issue is, there is so much judder in the videos you record it’s nearly unwatchable. A true, high quality optical image stabilizer is a must on the next incarnation of these camcorders. Without this upgrade, it will be hard to continue to recommend the flip line.

Overall, the Flip line is a great blend of quality, simplicity, and price. At this point, pushing the market forward are competitors with more powerful and beefy devices. Flip has the opportunity to retain their dominance in this niche but Pure Digital must fight proactively to continue to be the perennial powerhouse.