Insta360 has announced the One X2, an updated version of their main 360 camera. It joins the modular One R, and offers a more “traditional” 360 camera approach despite sharing some features.
The headline specs are 5.7K video resolution, much longer battery life, and a more rugged design compared to the One X.
Here’s a first look.
360 in the round
Insta360 surprised a lot of us with last year’s One R. It was not just a radical departure from their previous cameras, but it was unlike anything else on the market. Using interchangeable modules, you could have a standard action camera, an ultra-high-quality 1-inch sensor, or a 360 camera. A best-of-all worlds.
It has its strengths and weaknesses. While it offers incredible versatility, it’s a bit cumbersome to use. That versatility requires some fiddling with the modules to get what you want, when you want. Not a huge deal, and personally I think the tradeoff is worth it. However, there seemed to be a market for something with the simplicity of a regular 360 camera with at least some of the ruggedness of an action cam. Or to put it another way, the One R competes with both the GoPro Max and the GoPro Hero9 Black at the same time. A straight alternative to the Max would be welcome.
And that brings us to the One X2. It’s an update of the One X, of course, but in nearly every way it’s taking ideas that worked from the One R and putting them in something that’s “just” a 360 camera. As someone who loves 360 cameras and has used one for years, from multiple brands, this seems like a good idea.
Let’s take a look at what I think are the four biggest changes with the X2. First is the body itself. This feels far more rugged than the One X. This isn’t too difficult. The One X didn’t feel delicate, per se, but it definitely didn’t feel rugged. The edges of the X2, for example, are rubber. The two access compartments, one for the battery and SD card, the other for USB-C charging, both have rubber seals. These changes to the body result in an IPX8 rating that’s good down to 33ft (10m) without a case. There will also be a dive case available, good down to 148ft (45m). The One X was waterproof down to “don’t.”
The X2 is slightly bulkier, with less rounding to the edges. A little thicker, but very slightly shorter and less narrow. So the overall volume is similar, it just feels larger in your hand.
A huge portion of the interior is taken up with the second major change: the battery. Physically, it’s nearly twice the size of the One X’s battery. Capacity is 1,630mAh to the One X’s 1,050mAh for a claimed 55% increase in use time. Insta360 claims it can record 5.7K video for 80 minutes.
The next biggest change is probably the most obvious. It’s that big porthole on the back. The Hero Max, and to a lesser extent, the One R, showed us all how useful it is to have a touchscreen built into a 360 camera.
The last major change is to the microphones, which now number 4, up from 1. Sound was always a weak point in the One X. It would be diplomatic to call it “fine.” Along with what I hope is better overall fidelity, Insta360 intends to add ambisonic, aka 360, audio. For anyone looking to shoot VR content, this will be great.
What’s not changed? The sensors are the same as the One R, which were similar to the One X. There’s a higher bitrate (up to 110Mbps) and a claimed improvement in colors. The maximum resolution and framerate are the same as well, at 5.7K30. There’s also 4K50 for some high-resolution slo-mo, or 3K100 for some lower resolution but even slower slo-mo.
The X2 also has one of Insta360’s greatest assets: their app. It’s easy to use and lets you get interesting content easily. One of the new features is a “Steady Cam” mode like what you can get on the GoPro Max. This uses only one of the X2’s cameras, for times when you don’t need 360 but do want some ultra-stabilized, ultra-smooth video.
Spherical Thoughts
Anyone interested in 360 cameras has an interesting choice here. On one hand the One R offers more flexibility. You don’t always want or need 360 video, and sometimes a higher-quality 16×9 image would be better than a reframed 360 that is, by necessity, lower resolution. When one of the R’s modules is a huge 1-inch sensor with 5.3K video and great low-light performance, the flexibility of the R is enticing.
On the other hand, the One R does take some time to set up how you want it. It can also be a bit fiddly and if you get all the modules, it’s not cheap. Maybe for some people they don’t need the more “action cam” aspects of the One R. Or maybe they already have an action cam, and want to add a 360. In those cases, the X2 might be the better option, offering some of that ruggedness, but in a simpler package. It’s also worth noting that the X2 is far easier to fit in a pocket.
An MSRP of $430 is not unexpected. I would have liked it to be a bit cheaper, but hey, isn’t that true of everything?
Personally, I’m not sure which I’d pick. I’d guess that will come down to how it is to use. I’ve got one in for review to find out exactly that. For now, you can check out their site for more info, and check out my unboxing video.
One X2: $430
