G6 Thumb Camera Review: A Cheaper Alternative to the Kodak Charmera

If you were on social media during the 2025 holidays, you probably saw the hype around the Kodak Charmera. It was everywhere. Tiny, cute, nostalgic, and honestly overpriced for what it does.

I almost gave in to the trend myself. Spending around ₱2000 for a toy camera felt a bit too much, especially knowing the kind of photos it produces. Good thing I held back, because Quira surprised me with an early birthday gift, the G6 Thumb Camera, which is basically a clone of the Charmera, but way cheaper.

And after using it for a while, I realized something. This tiny camera is not about quality. It is about the experience.

Specifications

0.96-inch display
Ultra-wide lens, around 130° field of view
Photo modes from 1MP up to “12MP” (interpolated)
1080p video recording
Built-in microphone for voice recording
300mAh battery, roughly 50 to 180 minutes use
Supports microSD cards
Built-in flash
Multiple filters and shooting modes
Can function as a webcam for PC

On paper, it sounds decent. In reality, manage your expectations.

Design and Build

The first thing you will notice is how ridiculously small this thing is. It is literally thumb-sized, hence the name. You can attach it to your keys and forget it is even there.

What surprised me is how close it is to the Kodak Charmera. I would say around 98% identical in terms of size and overall look. If you place them side by side, most people would not even notice the difference.

It feels light, almost toy-like, but that is part of the charm. It is a toy camera.

Features

This is where the G6 actually pulls ahead a bit.

Aside from taking photos and videos, it has:

Voice recording
Webcam functionality for PC
More filters compared to the Charmera

That added versatility makes it feel less like a novelty and more like a fun little gadget you can play around with.

One downside though, I still cannot figure out how to properly turn off the flash. Not that it matters much, since the tiny LED is almost useless anyway.

Image Quality

Let us be real here.

The image quality is bad. Like early 2000s phone camera bad. Think old Nokia phones from early 2000s level.

Photos are:

Low resolution
Soft and lacking detail
Poor dynamic range
Easily blown out in bright light
Very noisy in low light

That said, I actually prefer the output of the G6 over the Kodak Charmera. The 16:9 aspect ratio feels more modern compared to the 4:3 look of the Charmera. Also, images somehow look a bit cleaner, though not by a huge margin.

Just do not expect anything usable for serious photography. These are memories, not masterpieces.

Video Quality

It shoots up to 1080p, but do not get excited.

The video quality follows the same story as photos:

Soft details
Inconsistent exposure
Weak low-light performance

It is usable for fun clips, nothing more. Think of it as bonus functionality rather than a main feature.

Battery Life

The 300mAh battery gives you around:

50 minutes on heavy use
Up to 2 to 3 hours with light usage

For something this small, that is actually decent. It is enough for casual events or short trips.

Real-World Experience

This is where the G6 Thumb Camera really shines.

I brought it to Disney On Ice last December, and honestly, it was way more fun using this than our smartphones.

Yes, the photos were low quality. But the experience felt different.

You take a shot, look at the tiny screen, and laugh at how it turned out. There is no pressure to make it perfect. No need to post it online.

It reminded me of my college days carrying an Aiptek Pen Camera. Back then, we did not care about megapixels. We just wanted to capture moments.

That is exactly what this camera brings back.

Small Details I Noticed

I prefer the date stamp of the Kodak Charmera, it looks like classic film cameras
The G6 uses a plain white stamp on the lower left, which feels less nostalgic
No auto-rotation for portrait shots
Focus is inconsistent, expect blurry images

These quirks can be annoying, but they also add to the charm.

Pros and Cons

Pros