GoPro has dominated the action camera market and the demand for the gadget has risen steadily over the years. While GoPro is still a leading brand, at least in North America, a new device launched recently might give the gadget a run for its money.

Xiaomi, a privately owned Chinese electronic manufacturing company, has advertised on its website what is dubbed as the "GoPro" killer - the Yi Camera – which was launched this March. The action cam is sold on Xiaomi's official site, though there are reports that the Yi Camera is manufactured by Xiaoyi, Xiaomi's partner.

Judging from the design of the Yi Camera, there is no denying that it has been inspired by GoPro's looks. Apart from aesthetics, how does the Yi Camera fair against the more popular brand?

Xioyi's action camera sells for $63.53, which is a third of the price of the cheapest entry level GoPro Hero sold at $129.99. The Yi Camera shoots videos at 1080p60 and takes pictures at 16 megapixels. It has a removable 1100 mAh battery and is completely WiFi capable.

Yi Camera is one up on GoPro Hero, at least when it comes to video and photo specifications. GoPro shoots videos at 1080p30 and takes pictures at only 5 megapixels. However, the Yi Camera advantage ends there.

Unlike the more expensive brands, the Xiaoyi variant does not feature an LCD. The camera has to be linked to a smartphone app in order for the user to check its battery status, storage capacity and other indicators. What's worse is that the application is in Chinese, making the Yi Camera even more difficult to use.

The Yi Camera can accommodate 128 GB SD cards, but it does not have memory of its own, which means that buyers have to purchase storage separately. The accessories that usually come with action cameras, especially the waterproof case, is also not included in Yi Camera's kit.

The online reviews of the Yi Camera are not all that stellar, though most of them agree that Xiaoyi's version of an action camera is capable as it is cheap. However, there is no comparing the Yi Camera with GoPro, as the former just doesn't match up.