Top action camera brand Insta360 is no stranger to televising its upcoming product launches via cryptic social media posts. Their latest post on Instagram, titled 'The 8K era is here', depicts what looks like an obelisk in front of a solar eclipse. The date is 16 April – but what could the product be?
Let's make an educated guess here. Last year was huge for Insta360. They launched the successor of the immensely popular tiny action camera, the Insta360 GO 3, as well as the superb Insta360 Ace Pro. Both cameras received generally positive responses from experts and users.
Looking at the shape of that object, we can't help but think it might be hinting at the X4, the successor of the brand's most popular product, the Insta360 X3. One of the best action cameras around, the X3 came out in September 2022, and it's sold over a million units since then.
Furthermore, the brand recently permanently dropped the price of the X3, suggesting they are trying to clear out stock to make way for the new action camera. It's not uncommon for brands to do this. Apple did the same last year before the launch of the Apple Watch Ultra 2.
Of course, it might just be wishful thinking. The strapline for that image certainly suggests a camera is launching next week. For all we know, the upcoming product is the successor of the Insta360 ONE RS 1-Inch 360 Edition.
That came out nearly two years ago; however, we haven't seen much action in the modular action camera front for a while, which might mean manufacturers moved away from the concept.
Insta360 also shared a YouTube video in which we get to see people doing all sorts of things, from dicing to motorcycling and more. The footage definitely looks like something from a 360-degree camera.
As well as saying 'more resolution', the video also adds 'more frame rate' – whatever the new camera will be, it'll have a better resolution and frame rate than its predecessor.
One thing is for sure: we won't have to wait too long to see it. The date on the image says 9 am EDT on 16 April, which is less than a week away. You can sign up for the newsletter at Insta360 to be among the first people to hear about the new launch.
[UPDATE: Insta360 dropped a teaser video on YouTube with a bit more detail since this article was published. The changes are reflected in the article.]
