GoPro just made a move that might catch Insta360 off guard, and it’s not a flashy new camera, but a smarter, easier way to edit immersive 360° footage.
In a recent announcement, the action cam brand revealed major upgrades to its Quik app, including new editing tools that streamline how creators reframe, crop, and export POV clips from 360° footage.
These updates follow with a quiet refresh of GoPro’s 360° camera, the GoPro Max, which relaunched earlier this year.
It introduced minor hardware upgrades, including a larger Enduro battery, standard tripod threading, and improved internals, all at a new lower price than the original.
Think of it as a tune-up rather than a full sequel. It’s still shooting at 5.6K, and GoPro has confirmed it’s not the long-awaited Max 2.
A quiet comeback, but with clear intent
So why now? Because something bigger is coming.
According to statements from GoPro CEO Nick Woodman during an earnings call and leaks by GoPro’s Creative Director Abe Kislevitz, a true second-generation GoPro Max 2 is still on track to launch later in 2025.
Some reports suggest this will be a more substantial leap, potentially featuring 8K video, improved low-light performance, and a higher price point (rumoured around $599).
That makes these Quik updates feel even more important: GoPro is laying the groundwork for a serious challenge to Insta360’s dominance.
Tools like Motion Editor (for quick reframing) and POV video extraction (which automatically follows a subject) make 360° editing much more accessible.
GoPro is clearly trying to lower the barrier to entry for creators who’ve previously been intimidated by the complexity of immersive workflows.
And crucially, all of this happens inside the existing Quik app, which means no new software, no extra subscriptions.
That said, Insta360 remains ahead in some areas like modularity, low-light quality (PureVideo), and 8K capture on the Insta360 X4 and Insta360 X5.
The 2025 Max refresh was the brand's first sign of life in the 360 space since 2019.
But with this suite of smart, AI-assisted features now landing in Quik – and a full Max 2 on the horizon – GoPro is clearly ready to compete again.
If the upcoming hardware lives up to the software promise, Insta360 might just have a real fight on its hands.
