Insta360, a company known for its 360-degree action cameras, launched its first ever product for the mobile market yesterday evening. As teased by the company days prior to the launch, the new device is indeed a smartphone gimbal, known as the Insta360 Flow, which functions pretty much like the DJI Osmo Mobile and Zhiyun Smooth series. Of course, also included onboard are several exclusive features that sets it apart from its competitors.
The new Insta360 Flow exhibits the usual design for a 3-axis smartphone gimbal, save for several differences. For starters, found on the back of its gimbal arm is a transparent shell that reveals certain components and branding underneath it, presumably inspired by Nothing’s design language. Situated in front of its handgrip is a touch-based SmartWheel interface with a surrounding rotating dial for zoom controls, while on the back is a trigger button for tracking activation and other functions.
Other useful built-in features include a deployable tripod at the bottom of the grip, an external microphone mount on the back of the arm, a retractable selfie stick hidden in the neck, and a smartphone clamp that can be attached and detached from the gimbal magnetically. Designed with portability in mind, the Flow can also be folded into a considerably compact form that’s even storable in pockets.
Given Insta360’s library of digital features offered in their existing products, you can expect its new gimbal to come with plenty of these as well. Highlights include its onboard AI-powered tracking capabilities such as Deep Track 3.0, Person Re-Identification, Slow Motion Tracking, Zoom Tracking, Live Mode and Dolly Zoom, as well as other features like gesture controls, 360 Panorama, TimeShift and more. There’s also the Shot Genie function that recommends how to shoot a scene based on over 80 example scenarios, and the FlashCut tool that uses AI to help edit various clips into a single video.
For battery life, the Flow is claimed to be able to last up to a staggering 12 hours, which actually is double of what the DJI OM 6 offers. This is thanks to its large 2,900 mAh battery which, by the way, can also act as a powerbank for your mobile devices if required. According to the company, fully charging the gimbal’s battery will take two hours when plugged into a power source via USB-C.
For the Malaysian market, the all-new Insta360 Flow is available now via the brand’s official online stores on Shopee and Lazada at a starting price of RM 759 for the standalone package, which interestingly is the same price as its DJI rival. There’s also the Creator Kit combo for RM 979, which comes with extras such as C-to-C and C-to-Lightning cables, a carry bag, and a Spotlight attachment. In terms of colour selection, the gimbal is offered in either Summit White or Stone Grey, but do note that currently only the former is available if you’re planning to pick up the Creator Kit bundle.
