An FCC filing has been made for the Insta360 Ace Pro 3 – the next generation of the company's 8K action camera. The filing letter for the new one suggests a timeline of confideality on details until March – perhaps the release window?
The original 8K Ace Pro was the first action camera I reviewed to boast 8K, but in the time since it came out, both DJI and GoPro have caught up with the technology and arguably added benefits of their own – not least the sensor sizes which
- 🆕 Ace Pro 3 registered with 🇺🇸 FCC
- 📈 Leaked pictures have implied bigger sensor is coming
- 🔋 Larger battery of 2250mAh is in leaked specs
The two generations of the Ace Pro series, however, retain a degree of their own personality, with a hinged rear display more like those seen on popular vlogging cameras than other action cameras.
Together with a series of accessories which even includes a printer, the device has established itself in the market, as a solid competitor.
The FCC filing includes a larger 2250 mAh battery capacity (beating the 1800mAh of the Ace Pro 2), and plenty of confirmation that the new camera will have dual-band Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, but the other kind of details photographers might be interested in aren't shared in an FCC filing.
In previous editions – and indeed in the entire premium action camera space in recent years – low-light capability has been a significant area of technical growth as companies have added ever bigger sensors, first DJI's Osmo Action series (most recent being Osmo Action 6) and, more recently, the GoPro Mission 1 cameras.
So, we're left with rumors. What we're expecting to see is a 1-inch 50MP image sensor tuned by Leica, which would be consistent with the key competition, previous generations, and the Insta360 Luna Ultra.
There are some photos in the EUT test which shouldn't have leaked from the FCC filing but we've seen, and they seem to show a protruding lens a little bigger than the previous edition, suggesting that bigger sensor might be on the way, and there appears to be a button on the upper left side (power button in a new place?)
It seems impossible to roll back on 8K video, but the more useful 4K at 120fps with 10-bit color might come too.
I've seen no discussion of a variable aperture anywhere yet. DJI has managed this with the Osmo Action 6, and noteably the iPhone 18 Pro series also has the same feature (though the GoPro Missions cameras opted not to and I was told by a representative that it was an unnecessary moving part on an action camera).
We will wait and see (and expect some discounts on the Ace Pro 2).
In the meantime the AcePro 2 has a low-light mode and is one of my choice for our best action camera guide, and I have also assessed it against its key competitors in GoPro Mission 1 Pro v Osmo Action 6 v Ace Pro 2
