360 camera war hotting up: DJI's Osmo 360 to edge out GoPro completely?

Leakers have shared FCC filings for the rumored DJI Osmo 360 – a new 360-degree camera from the leading drone company.

At first a lot of the leaks came from a lesser-known leaker – @Hakasushi (see below) – but this source has been backed up by one of the most reliable.

So it's fair to say that between that, and the fact these do look like FCC listings, we might be looking at something close to a final product. So will it make my guide to the best 360 cameras?

The spec sheet suggests that the new device will be reasonably rugged, able to operate in temperatures from -4° to 113°F / -20°C to 45°C, and will boast WiFi and Bluetooth.

Not, admittedly, enormously surprising – these technologies are present on the DJI Osmo Action cameras, too. Other details include a 1950mAh battery that can charge at a rate up to 30W.

DJI will have two competitors in its sights. One is GoPro, which registered a success with the GoPro Max back in 2019 and has managed nothing more than a refresh ever since (except for some big talk).

While the world waits for a newer GoPro Max 2, which has been teased to the shareholders, the 2019 model has been re-released with a software update and universal 1/4-20 screw mounting.

The main competition, though, is the dominant brand in 360 cameras (and especially rugged ones) Insta360. That company has refined its main offering to a near-annual release, having just refreshed it with the Insta360 X5 that I reviewed last month.

Just as DJI dominates camera drones, Insta360 has come to dominate this niche of cameras – and DJI will need to challenge hard.

What makes 360 cameras an especially difficult area to move into is that, unlike traditional cameras, a complete offering includes software (ideally in app and computer form) that enables the user to re-frame video after the fact.

Insta360 has versions for phones, Mac and PC, and plugins for Premiere Pro and Final Cut Pro, while GoPro is catching up with object tracking and keyframing features in the Quik app.

DJI will need to address this somehow, or find itself some way behind.

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If you've been wondering what is a 360 camera, hopefully our explainer will help. But if they're not quite right for you, perhaps the best action cameras are a better fit.