Insta360 X4 is the highest resolution 360 action cam yet

It’s a struggle to keep up with Insta360’s hectic release schedule, but I couldn’t help but sit up and take notice of its new action camera. Why? Well, the Insta360 X4 is the company’s first to offer 8K 360º video, plus 72MP 360º photos.

Like previous X models the One X, One X2 and X3, the X4 uses dual ultra-wide angle cameras to capture everything around it. Its built-in software then automatically stitches the two images together to form a near-seamless 360º video or photo. Afterwards, users can create standard ‘flat’ images or clips using their preferred section (the so-called ‘shoot first, point later’ approach) or share a full 360º photo or video for people to view online.

• Read more: Insta360 Ace Pro review

Previously, the highest resolution available for these videos was 5.7K, but the X4’s 8K clips, while limited to 30fps, promise to boost clarity and detail to new heights. It’s worth noting that, given that you’ll probably be reframing and therefore cropping the video, the resulting clip’s resolution will be significantly smaller than 8K. So don’t worry: there’s no need to upgrade your PC monitor to get the most out of the X4’s pixel count glow-up.

Smooth, slo-mo or standard

5.7K video is still an option for those who want to shoot at smooth 60fps, while dropping down to 4K ups the frame rate limit to 100fps for slick 4x slow-motion playback. There’s also a single-camera mode, in which only one half of the dual-cam setup is used. With a 170º field-of-view, this offers something more akin to a traditional GoPro-style action camera (and records 4K at 60fps).

And make no mistake: the Insta360 X4 is very much an action camera at heart, built to accompany you on your sporty pursuits. It’s waterproof to 10m (or 50m with the optional dive case) and freezeproof to -20ºC, comes with removeable guards to keep the bulging lenses scratch-free and its 2.5in touchscreen is made from super-tough Gorilla Glass.

• Read more: Thumb-sized Insta360 Go 3 might be the ultimate tiny action cam

There’s a generous 135-minute battery life (when shooting 5.7K/30fps footage – it will be less when recording 8K or 60fps content), a whopping 66% improvement over the X3, and video benefits from FlowState and Horizon Lock electronic image stabilisation.

AI-assisted editing

On the software side of things, the Insta360 X4 is designed to work in tandem with the company’s mobile app. With your phone linked to the camera via Wi-Fi, you can quickly reframe and otherwise edit your shots, as well as tweak settings and share finished clips or photos via social media or messaging apps. It’s 2024, so of course there’s an AI-powered editing mode in here too, which analyses your clips, picks out interesting subjects and reframes videos accordingly. I’ve tried it out and it’s not perfect (it seems to regard even parked cars as noteworthy subjects at times) but it was still in beta form at the time. I’d expect it to improve in future.

You can pre-order the Insta360 X4 action camera today from the Insta360 web store and other retailers. It’s priced from US$500/£500/€560.

• Read more: The best action cameras from GoPro, DJI and more