Insta360’s X series continues to be arguably the best thumb-sized action cam in the market. Its compact size, powerful sensors, and excellent software come together to deliver better footage than, pretty much, any other camera in a similar form factor. Well, that camera now gets even better with the Insta360 X6.
That’s right, Insta360’s follow-up to the X5 is here and it’s about as premium as a camera can get at the size. From the larger dual sensors and dedicated imaging chips to the eight-core processor and larger battery, this thing packs a lot of hardware upgrades, all while coming at a more compact size.
The Insta360 X6 boasts improved video capabilities, courtesy of the larger 1/1.1-inch square sensors it uses, which is 33 percent bigger than the 1/1.28-inch sensors found on the X5. According to the outfit, the new sensor comes with 14.5 stops of dynamic range, as well as 300 percent more light intake per pixel and 100 percent more 8K pixels than the X5’s sensors, making it for overall better base hardware. It retains the replaceable lenses from the last generation, but gets an upgrade in durability, with the lenses now five times more scratch-resistant while being 60 percent cheaper than before.
Images are processed using a new Qualcomm 8-core 4nm flagship chip and two dedicated AI imaging chips, a combo that, the outfit claims, gives it 500 percent greater computing power while consuming 35 percent lower energy than its predecessor. With that new hardware, it’s able to shoot 8K 360-degree footage at 50 fps, a big step up from last-gen’s 30 fps. For higher framerates, you can drop down to 6K at 120 fps or 4K at 240 fps. Like previous releases, it employs the outfit’s FlowState technology to electronically stabilize images and 360 Horizon Lock to keep the footage upright and level, no matter how you move.
The Insta360 X6 also has a single-lens mode that shoots footage in 5K at 60 fps with a 132-degree field of view. If you need an even wider FOV, you can go up to 170 degrees, although it drops the frame rate to 30 fps. You can also do higher framerates in single-lens mode, with 4K resolution available at 120 fps. Insta360 claims it’s also the first 360-degree camera with built-in Dolby Vision support, allowing it to capture brightness and contrast metadata frame by frame, so HDR footage looks completely accurate on compatible displays. It also gets two ambient light sensors designed to dramatically reduce flicker, helping it shoot low-light video better than ever before.
The camera gets a ton of AI optimizations, including a mode that optimizes skin tone during portrait footage and a new tone-mapping module that captures the full color and contrast range of any environment. Other features include a 2.3-inch OLED display, 47GB of onboard stoage (expandable via microSD card), a 2600 mAh battery (rated at 140 minutes of 8K 30 fps recording), an optional selfie stick with an integrated battery that adds 180 minutes of runtime, waterproofing up to 66 feet, and an upgraded InstaFrame feature that cuts out 4K video from 360-degree 8K footage.
The Insta360 X6 is available now, priced starting at $699.99.
