Insta360 has announced the X4 Air — a lighter and more affordable 360 action camera that offers 8K spherical video without hauling around bulky or travel- or shoot-stopping flagship rigs. At $400 and only 165 g, it sells for less than the company’s high-end X5 but still has key strengths such as waterproofing and changeable lenses, and retains a feature known as the Invisible Selfie Stick effect that causes poles to disappear from shots.
Big-Sensor Optics With a Lighter, Travel-Friendly Build
At the core of the X4 Air are dual 1/1.8-inch sensors, a sizable jump from the 1/2-inch chips used on previous-gen 360 cams. Bigger sensors usually translate to superior low-light performance and dynamic range, two areas in which action cameras have traditionally lagged. With its 165 g body, it’s built perfectly for traveling, bike mounts/helmet mounting, and ensuring every gram travels with you.
Durability comes in the form of 15 meters (about 50 feet) of waterproofing without a case and swappable lens covers, so you can do some field maintenance when necessary. Photo shooters will capture approximately 29MP 360 stills — a compromise from the X5’s 72MP output — but the Air’s lighter weight and lower cost will fit creators seeking portability over all else, especially if they are primarily shooting video.
8K Capture Options And Practical, Usable Frame Rates
The headline spec is 8K 360 capture at up to 30 fps, although there are also 6K and 4K modes for those workflows that prefer smaller files or quicker edits. For action, the camera delivers up to 50 fps in 4K and 120 fps in 1080p when using a single lens — handy for smooth slow-mo cutaways, even if it’s not going to completely replace dedicated high-frame-rate rigs for extreme sports jocks.
As with the company’s recent models, stabilization is key. FlowState-style smoothing and horizon leveling will help keep footage steady when strapped to handlebars, skis, or a backpack strap. Shooting in 8K 360 also offers editors more leeway to reframe into a clear-cut 4K rectangular cut, something creatives who are publishing to YouTube and other platforms such as Instagram and TikTok routinely cite as a benefit. The increased capture resolution doesn’t just look sharper today — it also future-proofs content as the quality of displays and headsets continues improving.
Pricing, Bundles, Accessories And Availability Details
The X4 Air is available in Graphite Black and Arctic White in a $400 Standard Bundle. If you need accessories, the company offers a $440 Starter Bundle with a 114 cm Invisible Selfie Stick, lens cap, and extra battery — accessories first-time 360 buyers quickly end up purchasing anyway. Both bundles now come with a free one-year subscription to Insta360 Plus, available for a limited time. The rollout kicks off on the brand’s online store, key e-commerce platforms, and select retail partners, with US/Canada availability to soon follow.
How It Compares With Rivals In 360 Action Cameras
Within Insta360’s own lineup, the X4 Air sits as a more accessible sibling to the X5, which caters to professionals who need higher-resolution stills and more control. If your goal is to capture as much detail as possible for virtual tours, or even for large prints in some cases, the X5 still makes sense. If you want something particularly nimble for shooting, quick reframes, and don’t mind a smaller kit, the X4 Air strikes an appealing balance.
Compared with the wider field, the X4 Air’s 8K 360 spec is unique. The Max is still limited to 5.6K, and Ricoh’s Theta X and QooCam 3 from Kandao come in at around 5.7K, both offering competitive features — straightforward interfaces, tripod-friendly designs — but at a price lower than $400, the trio of resolution, stabilization, and durability in the X4 Air is unusually aggressive. Both reviewers and production-minded makers have long observed that the jump between 5.7K and 8K noticeably improves reframed detail at 16:9, especially for action shots with fast motion and fine textures.
There’s also a platform angle. All the major services such as YouTube support 8K-resolution 360 playback and reframing, while today’s VR headsets reap the benefits of cleaner masters even if end users don’t stream full-fledged 8K that often in reality. In practical terms, being able to acquire 8K 360 gives editors more flexibility to punch in, say, to track subjects or stabilize without getting all soft on us.
Early Takeaway For Creators Considering Insta360 X4 Air
The X4 Air appears to be aimed at travel vloggers, cyclists, or regular shooters who want stylized clips without undertaking a steep learning curve or attaching extra weight to their mounts. You lose out on ultra-high-resolution stills and the quickest pro-grade frame rates, but you get 8K 360 capture in a very portable body with robust stabilization and reasonable accessories.
For many creators, that equation is the sweet spot: less gear, fewer compromises, and footage that will hold up when reframed across platforms. If you’ve been holding out for a more approachable entry point into 8K 360, then the X4 Air makes quite the argument.
