Popular camera company Insta360 today announced Insta360 Flow – an AI-tracking smartphone stabilizer with 3-axis gimbal stabilization for content creators. It’s advertised as an all-in-one smartphone content creation tool that comes with a built-in selfie stick, tripod, and a cold shoe.
The Insta360 Flow has mechanical stabilization for shake-free shots and uses Insta360’s Deep Track 3.0, allowing it to follow subjects in real-time and automatically frame shots for creators.
Deep Track 3.0’s Person Re-Identification allows the Insta360 Flow to continue tracking the same person throughout the recording even if they are blocked from the view, while All-Angle Tracking lets it continue the tracking when the subject’s shape changes.
Tracking Recovery, on the other hand, keeps tracking the subject by zooming out or following the direction it’s moving in when it’s out of frame. There’s also a Live Mode for tracking in video calls or live streaming. It supports apps such as FaceTime, Instagram, and TikTok.
The Insta360 Flow also supports Gesture Control, allowing creators to use it as a tripod and start hands-free tracking, eliminating the need to point the camera or press a button.
Speaking of, the Insta360 Flow’s built-in tripod can extend up to 80mm (3.14″) in length and has an extended diameter of 187.6mm (7.38″). Its selfie stick’s rod, however, extends up to 215mm (8.46″). It also has a built-in cold shoe, so you can add a mic for better audio.
Insta360 says the Flow unfolds in just one motion with its 1-step rapid deploy mechanism, and you can attach your smartphone to it via the magnetic phone clamp that comes bundled with the package.
Insta360 Flow with the Magnetic Clamp on the smartphone
The all-in-one tool also features a SmartWheel with a minimalist design, allowing creators to quickly access different functions of the Flow. A swipe on the SmartWheel lets you toggle between four main modes – Auto, Follow, Pan Follow, and FPV.
Insta360 Flow with SmartWheel
The Auto mode, unique to Insta360 Flow, automatically adjusts the gimbal settings based on the user’s movements for “guaranteed shake-free shots,” which the camera company says is perfect for beginners. The FPV mode, on the other hand, is aimed at adventurous creators and can be used to spin your smartphone to simulate FPV drone-like movements, such as a barrel roll.
Other shooting modes include Panorama, TimeShift, Motion Timelapse, and Dolly Zoom. There’s also a Hoop Mode for basketball fans. It uses AI to track the basketball and hoop to recognize when a basket is made and saves the highlights as individual clips for easy editing into a reel.
Insta360 Flow with Spotlight attached to it
Speaking of editing, Insta360 Flow users can use the AI-powered shooting and editing tools in the Insta360 app to edit their videos. They can also take recommendations from Shot Genie for shooting techniques according to the scene. There are 80+ templates available for that. Besides, creators can use FlashCut to edit video clips and add music to them with seamless transitions and effects.
The Insta360 Flow packs a 2,900 mAh battery, advertised to have a 12-hour endurance at 25℃ room temperature when the gimbal is fully balanced and the Flow is placed on a flat surface. It draws power through a USB-C port at up to 10W and takes two hours for a full charge. You can also use it as a power bank to charge other devices.
Insta360 Flow can be used to charge other devices
The Flow is compatible with phones that are 6.9-10mm thick, 64-84mm wide, and weigh 130-300g. It has Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity and works with both Android and iOS devices. You can check the list of compatible devices on Insta360’s website.
The Insta360 Flow comes in Stone Gray and Summit White colors and will go on sale in the US, Europe, and Japan later today through Insta360’s official website and Amazon. It’s priced at $159.99, with the retail package including the magnetic phone clamp, a protective pouch, and a Type-C to Type-A charging cable.
Insta360 Flow in Stone Gray • Insta360 Flow in Summit White
There’s also a Creator Kit, priced at $209.99, which includes Spotlight, a Type-C to Type-C cable, and a Type-C to Lightning cable as additional accessories.
Haslinda has worked with some of the largest telcos in North America and Asia. She loves tech and doesn’t like iPhone
