Insta360 has become the go-to brand for 360 cameras, but now, it has its sights set on other markets.
The company surprised us with the launch of its Link webcam last year, and it quickly became one of our top recommendations.
Now, Insta360 is taking these learnings, and applying them to something much more portable. Meet the Insta360 Flow.
It’s a 3-axis smartphone gimbal with a built-in selfie stick and tripod which can also be used as a power bank.
Aesthetically, it gives us some Nothing Phone (1) vibes, with noughties-throwback transparent plastic elements revealing a slick black PCB underneath.
As we’ve come to expect from Insta360, the design is extremely thoughtful, and the way in which the tripod legs can extend from the body is a very nice piece of design.
To attach your phone, a magnetic clamp system is used, which looks very similar to the one on the DJI Osmo Mobile 6.
“For our first smartphone gimbal, we wanted a device that goes beyond the basic functionality of a gimbal and offers a whole new way to film moments on your smartphone. Powered by our AI technology, honed over years of research and development, Flow tracks, stabilizes and edits content for you,” said JK Liu, founder of Insta360.
Insta360 never fails to impress on the software side, which is a big part of the reason its 360 cameras are so popular. We’ve got high hopes that it can deliver the same great experience with this new gimbal.
The brand has placed emphasis on its AI-tracking capabilities, and if the Link webcam is anything to go by, we can expect some very accurate subject recognition. The gimbal also supports gesture controls, which is another feature that worked great on the Link.
Insta360
For beginners, the Flow has an Auto Mode, which automatically adjusts gimbal settings based on the user’s movements for guaranteed shake-free shots. But if you’re more experienced with a gimbal, full manual controls are easily accessible with the SmartWheel on the front.
Of course, all the usual gimbal features are available on the model, too. You can create panoramas, hyperlapses, motion timelapses and dolly zooms.
The Insta360 Flow boasts a 12-hour battery life, so it should see you through a long day of shooting with ease.
It’s available today at a price of $159.99 and comes with a protective pouch, grip cover, charging cable and magnetic phone clamp as standard. You can choose between Summit White and Stone Gray colour options.
A spotlight for night shooting as well as decorative inserts for personalisation are available separately.
