Insta360 Announces 'X4' Action Camera Capable of 8K 360° Video
Featuring a 67% improved battery life compared to the X3 and able to go as deep as 164ft in water.
Insta360 is taking 360° video into new territory with the announcement of its latest device, Insta360 X4, a pocketable action camera that’s capable of capturing super high-resolution 8K video.
A follow up to its popular X3 from 2022, the brand’s latest flagship X4 camera promises to deliver video with greatly improved clarity and detail, and becomes the highest resolution action camera in the company’s portfolio. It features multiple capture modes that include the aforementioned 8K at 30fps, 5.7K at 60fps, and 4K slow-motion at 100fps.
As well as its 360° credentials, the new X4 is being touted as “two cameras in one” and can be used as a standard wide-angle action camera when switched to ‘Single-Lens Mode’, saving users the need to carry multiple devices. The X4 can be mounted in all the usual positions to capture a first person perspective thanks to its ultra wide 170° view, and the ‘Invisible Selfie Stick’ effect that helped to popularize the company’s cameras returns with the X4.
The camera is powered by a 5nm AI chip that lets users control the camera by voice or gesture. AI is also utilized within the camera’s built-in editing functionality, allowing users to quickly shoot and share content without the need for a computer. New for the X4 are removable lens guards – something Insta360 fans have long wanted – that will help to keep the device safe and protected from the elements: these come in two options, the ‘Standard Lens Guards’ come included with the camera, whilst the ‘Premium Lens Guards’ are sold separately.
Battery life has been greatly improved on the X4 and users can now expect up to 135 minutes of run time thanks to the 2290 mAh battery – 67% more than on the X3. The touchscreen is also larger than its predecessor, measuring 2.5” now, and is built with super strong Gorilla Glass. The X4 is completely waterproof and can be taken to depths of 33ft out of the box, and those wanting to go deeper can purchase the ‘Invisible Dive Case’ separately, an add-on that allows the camera to be submerged in 164ft of water. Cold weather exploration has also been taken into consideration and the X4 is operable at temperatures as low as -4ºF / -20ºC.
Hoping to inspire its users’ creativity, Insta360 has included an array of features within the X4 such as ‘Bullet Time’, a Matrix-like slow-motion preset that can be used to capture footage up to 240fps, and ‘8K TimeShift’, a “mind-bending hyperlapse” captured in 8K. There’s also the built-in ‘Motion ND’ effect that simulates an ND filter (without actually using one), opening up a world of creative possibilities within the device. Runners, riders and other athletes who use a Garmin or an Apple Watch to track their performance can connect their devices to the X4, allowing workout information such as a maps of routes taken, distance and speed information to appear as interactive stats within videos.
The Insta360 X4 is available now via the brand’s website priced at $499 USD / £499 GBP / €559 EUR.
