New Insta360 X4 Air is a new category of 360 camera – are you tempted this time?

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GoPro has finally got a flagship 360 camera to go with its historic one – Insta360 introduces a new X4 Air to really set the all-round cats among pigeons...

Insta360 X4 Air
(Image credit: Focus Nordic)

Insta360 – known for action cameras and above all 360 cameras – had established a strong technical lead in the niche over GoPro until that company finally launched its GoPro MAX 2 a few weeks ago. Suddenly, GoPro had both a new 8K spherical camera and an older 5.7K one, which retailers could sell for a bargain price.

Where did that leave Insta360, which already had 8K as a feature of its premium X5 camera? Interestingly, it seems that the company has chosen, instead, to beef up its lesser offering with a new category, which it is calling the "X4 Air."

(Image credit: Focus Nordic)

The new camera is being offered in both white and black housings, both featuring dual 1/1.8-inch image sensors. These sensors represent a 134% increase in pixel area in comparison to the original Insta360 X4 camera.

The "Air" refers to the body weight of the camera, at 165 grams (0.36 pounds), but the fact the camera is still an 'X4' means that it boasts 8K video recording when capturing 360-degree video. Camera can shoot using AdaptiveTone and Active HDR at up to 8K30fps, and has a 'Portrait Mode' which can detect faces and adjust the brightness to favour smooth natural skin tones.

(Image credit: Focus Nordic)

The X4 Air has, despite the weight loss, seen a boost to durability, user-replaceable lenses with an ultra-hard optical coating which Insta360 doubles drop resistance compared to the original X4.

"X4 Air is about capturing life as it happens," said Max Richer, VP of Marketing and Co-Founder at Insta360. "It lets creators stay present while capturing everything around them. It's for anyone who wants to film real life without the weight or complexity — a lighter, simpler way to tell stories."

Later, you can easily reframe footage in the Insta360 app to uncover new perspectives and share moments you didn't even know you caught.

For a limited time, every X4 Air purchase includes a free one-year Insta360+ subscription with 200GB of storage.

The Standard Bundle retails for US$399.99 / £359 / AU$639.99, while the Starter Bundle, including a 114cm Invisible Selfie Stick, Lens Cap, and extra Battery, is priced at US$439.99 / £389 / AU$699.99. Both also include a one-year Insta360+ subscription at launch, with cloud storage.

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Check my guide to the best 360 cameras.

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Adam Juniper
Adam Juniper
Managing Editor

With over 20 years of expertise as a tech journalist, Adam brings a wealth of knowledge across a vast number of product categories, including timelapse cameras, home security cameras, NVR cameras, photography books, webcams, 3D printers and 3D scanners, borescopes, radar detectors… and, above all, drones. 


Adam is our resident expert on all aspects of camera drones and drone photography, from buying guides on the best choices for aerial photographers of all ability levels to the latest rules and regulations on piloting drones. 


He is the author of a number of books including The Complete Guide to Drones, The Smart Smart Home Handbook, 101 Tips for DSLR Video and The Drone Pilot's Handbook. 

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