Articles by Andrew Williams,Contributor

Technology

Insta360 X4 Air Is A Lighter, More Affordable 360-Degree Action Camera

Insta360 X4 Air Insta360 has yet again released a new camera in its 360-degree X family, the Insta360 X4 Air. This is a more affordable, lighter alternative to the Insta360 X5, which was announced in April 2025. It weighs 165g, compared to 200g for the Insta360 X5, or 203g for 2024’s Insta360 X4. And the price? The basic package costs $399.99, while a bundle with a selfie stick, lens cap and additional battery costs $439.99. This makes the Insta360 X4 Air $120 less than the Insta360 X5, and it effectively has the specs to match that status. Insta360’s X4 Air has a pair of 1/1.8-inch camera sensors. These are smaller than the 1/1.28-inch sensors of the X5, but notably still larger than the 1/2-inch sensors of the older Insta360 X4. Insta360 aims for approachability with this camera, whose stick-like design already provides a form that doesn’t necessarily demand a constantly attached selfie stick. “It lets creators stay present while capturing everything around them," says Max Richer, Insta360 co-founder. "It’s for anyone who wants to film real life without the weight or complexity—a lighter, simpler way to tell stories,” It’s not the most affordable member of the family, though. Insta360 is currently keeping the old Insta360 X3 on its shelves, now at $299.99. MORE FOR YOU That camera will slightly have lower native dynamic range thanks to its smaller sensor. And Insta360 claims to have made substantial dynamic range improvements in software too with this new generation, thanks to AdaptiveTone. This is intended to deal with one of the trickier parts of 360-degree image processing. How do you handle exposure when a 360-degree field of view all but guarantees massive disparities in light levels across the frame? Insta360 says AdaptiveTone manages exposure across the two lenses “independently,” but without leaving you with jumps in brightness at the lens seam lines. Insta360 X4 Air Shooting Modes The Insta360 X4 Air also offers better ActiveHDR than the X3. This HDR shooting mode is available at up to 8K/30 capture, compared to 5.7K/30 in the Insta360 X3. Other mode ceilings include 50fps capture at either 6K or 4K 360-degree resolution. Or 4K/60 when treating the Insta360 X4 Air like a single-lens action camera — producing flat video. Slo-mo like frame rates only kick in at 1080p, where 120fps is the cap. Other key features include replaceable lenses — always a useful feature in a 360-degree camera — and 15m water resistance, matching the Insta360 X5. The Insta360 X4 Air is available to order now, and includes a 1-year subscription of Insta360’s cloud storage service, which provides 200GB of space for clips and currently costs $29.99 a year. Editorial StandardsReprints & Permissions