Kraken Smartphone Housing Review (KRH08 & KRH07)

The Kraken Sports KRH08 and KRH07 Universal Smartphone housings are two of Kraken's newest underwater smartphone housings. They are compatible with most Android and iPhones to a max size dimension of 175mm x 85mm x 8mm (click here to see if your phone is compatible) - including the iPhone Pro Max's, iPhone 14, Google Pixel 2 (& up) and the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G. And perhaps even more exciting is the fact that Kraken also released an update to their Apple and Android app alongside the new housings. Some of the highlights of this new app include a wide angle field of view (for phones with wide angle lenses), a selfie mode, and more control over zoom, shutter speed, autofocus, and ISO.  

We had the opportunity to dive with the new Kraken Smartphone Housing in our backyard of Catalina Island California. ***Shout out to Dave at Diving Catalina for sponsoring this review!***

The sun graced us with ethereal rays of light shining through the kelp and there were beautiful orange Garibaldi everywhere. It was very nice to dive with (for once) a camera that is light enough to (almost) fit into your pocket! We think the Kraken smartphone housing is perfect for new underwater photo & video shooters that want to get a feel for underwater photography and practice changing settings to improve their photos. Using a smartphone can be a great learning tool to get you ready for the next step in taking photos. For those of us who have big rigs, sometimes it's just nice to carry around something that doesn't weight a ton and is easy to use. And finally, if you're looking for an easy way to document your dive and quickly share your photos and videos on social media - there's nothing quicker than a smartphone.

So what's the difference between the KRH08 and the KRH07? 

Both smartphone housings are essentially the same. The main difference between the two is that the Kraken KRH07 is decked out with two "pro" features - a depth and temperature sensor. The KRH08 retails for $375 and the KRH07 retails for $449. 

Purchase your Kraken KRH08 and KRH07 Universal Smartphone Housing from Bluewater Photo!

Kraken KRH08 Universal Smartphone Housing

Kraken KRH07 Universal Smartphone Housing

Shop Kraken Universal Smartphone Housing Packages

Wide Angle Smartphone Package

Kraken Universal Smartphone Dual Light Package

Kraken Universal Smartphone Single Light Package (Kraken 4000)

Kraken Universal Smartphone Single Light Package (Kraken 2500 V2)

Key Features

Build and Controls

The new Kraken smartphone housing V2 is manufactured from a rugged polycarbonate material and has been designed slightly larger than its predecessor to fit newer smartphones like the iPhone 14 Pro Max. Smartphones connect to the housing via Bluetooth which allows the user to control their phone via stainless steel buttons on the back of the housing.

The Kraken smartphone housing is powered by an 18650 lithium ion rechargeable battery. One of our favorite features of the Kraken universal smartphone housing is the ability to charge your phone via a cable built into your housing while you are using it! This ensures you'll never run out of batteries during a dive.

Keep Your Housing Safe with a Built In Vacuum System

Vacuum systems allow you to test if your o-ring seal is solid before you bring your phone underwater. This enables you to look for issues with your housing above water so that you never have to worry about a flood. In the case of a flood the housing has an audible and visual alarm to notify you of a broken seal. 

An Updated Kraken App for Versatile Camera Control

The Kraken app that is designed for use with the Kraken smartphone housing has been updated! The new app is much more versatile and gives you more control of your phone. This means that with the app you are able to shoot in an "almost manual" mode. For new underwater shooters that want to learn underwater photography, the amount of control you have is perfect for learning. You can play with individual settings like ISO and shutter speed to learn how they affect photos underwater. Some of the key features of this app include the ability to set your shutter speed and ISO; enhanced zooming ability; use of your phone's wide angle lens (if your phone has it); use of the selfie mode on your phone; and the ability to control your focus. But the app goes much deeper than this - Kraken thought of everything. One of our favorite features is a built-in compass and battery indicators for your phone and housing. Another cool software built into the app is the ability to color correct your underwater photos. 

Lighting with Smartphone Housings

Unfortunately the one downside of shooting with a smartphone housing is the lack of ability to trigger an underwater strobe. Despite this, underwater lighting is essential for adding colors and details back into your underwater photos and videos. The next best option is to use an underwater video light - both for taking photos and videos. Continuous lighting is easier to use than an underwater strobe because you can have an idea of what your photo will look like before you take your photo. The top underwater video lights we recommend for the Kraken smartphone housing is the Kraken 4000 Hydra, Kraken 6000 Hydra, SeaLife 5000+, Sola 3800, Kraken 2500 V2, and Sola 2500. If you want to use one video light we recommend at least a 3800 lumen light. Two lights allow for versatility and creativity with your lighting - in which case anything 2500 lumens or more works great.

Top Accessories for the Kraken Smartphone Housing

The Kraken KRH08 and KRH07 have the widest assortment of accessories available for underwater shooters out of every smartphone housing currently available on the market. If you want to get a little more creative than what you can do with your phone's built in lenses, wet lenses are great options for taking both excellent macro and wide angle photos. In order to use wet lenses with the smartphone housing, you'll need the Kraken threaded adapter. Our favorite wet macro lenses for smartphones are the Bluewater +7 and the Kraken +6.

If you'd prefer an alternative to an underwater video light for correcting colors in your underwater photos and videos, a red filter is the next best option. Red filters add red colors that are lost at depth back into your blueish photos. There is an optional red filter for the KRH08 and KRH07 that retails for $24.99.  

Conclusions

Overall the Kraken KRH08 & KRH07 underwater smartphone housings represent the best of what the market has to offer. With more options for accessories and more features in their app than their competitors, the Kraken universal smartphone housing is built for both serious smartphone shooters and beginner underwater photographers that want to learn underwater photography. While they might not be as simple as some competing housings, the options for creativity are endless. And at the end of the day - if you're a "big rig" underwater photo shooter, there's something to be said for having a streamlined, easy system at your side for some lazy dives. And if you're a new underwater shooter, the KRH07 and KRH08 are one of the most affordable ways to enter a new hobby and artform of underwater photography.