Just as smartphones have become increasingly capable pocket cameras, smartphone hubs have evolved quite a bit over the years, moving beyond simply stabilizing your videos to becoming intelligent robots that film for you. However, recent models have been a bit stagnant, making many wonder if they are just repackaged versions of the previous generation.
The new Insta360 Flow is coming, the company’s first run on a gimbaled smartphone and a clear competitor to the DJI OM6. Although there are some compromises and first-generation bugs to work out, it does have some smart new features for its target market of vloggers and content creators.
Insta360 streaming
As the first Insta360 smartphone, the Flow does a lot of things right, going toe-to-toe with options like the DJI OM6. However, the tilt range could be better, and not all Android phones have access to all the features.
- Selfie stick
- It extends 215 mm
- Maximum load
- 10.6 oz
- Bluetooth
- 5.0
- battery
- 2900 mAh
- weight
- Gimbal: ~369g (13oz), Magnetic Phone Clip: ~32g (1.1oz)
- Shipping time
- 2 hours (10 watts)
- Operating time
- Up to 12 hours
- Mechanical tilt range
- -100° to 82°
- Mechanical scale roll
- -150° to 180°
- Comprehensive mechanical scope
- -230° to 100°
- Maximum thickness of the phone
- 10 mm
- Maximum width of the phone
- 84 mm
- Great face and object tracking
- Easy and compact foldable design
- Intuitive and feature-rich application
- Sporadic compatibility issues on Android phones
- Tilt angles are very limited
Price and availability
Insta360 offers streaming in three bundles, starting at $159 for a standalone set with a gimbal and phone clip, rubber grip, fabric carrying case, and USB C-to-A cable. The $193 Pro Tripod Kit is identical, but adds a detachable mini tripod.
The Creator Kit is the most expensive at $209, and replaces the canvas carrying case with a sturdier plastic bag and shoulder strap. It also adds a small detachable spotlight and two additional phone charging cables from the coax: C-to-C and C-to-Lightning.
Insta360 Flow is available directly from the Insta360 website and most major online retailers.
Design and hardware
At first glance, the Insta360 Flow looks like any other smartphone, and it certainly borrows many features from the competition; But it makes a lot of small but impactful improvements that really add up.
The body is folded on a single axis that separates the handle from the stabilizer arm. It only requires a simple 180-degree twist to fold or unfold, which is much smoother than many fasteners that require carefully arranging the parts every time.
A unique addition to the Flow is a set of mini tripod legs that sit neatly at the bottom of the handle, mostly eliminating the need to carry a separate tripod. However, the legs are not very long or solid, so they are not completely reliable on uneven surfaces or in the wind. There is still a standard 20¼-20 mount for larger tripods, if necessary. The handle also has the now-popular telescoping “selfie stick” that extends to just over eight inches.
The handle is a little short for anyone with large hands, and while the Insta360 includes a separate rubber grip that feels more comfortable, it doesn’t add any length. In theory, the tripod legs should act as an extension, but they slide back into the handle very easily. I also find that my hands struggle to grip the gimbal for longer sessions because all the weight is distributed too far in the front.
The circular control panel includes the joystick in the middle of the classic iPod-style click wheel. It’s also touch-sensitive to change gimbal modes with a swipe across the top – though I’d recommend reconfiguring this to use soft double taps on the left and right side instead. A jogging wheel surrounds the outer edge to control zoom or focus, and there’s a trigger on the back to activate object tracking, center orientation, etc.
The longer part of the gimbal arm holds the battery and electronics behind clear plastic. It looks fine upon closer inspection, but there’s also a slot for inserting paper if you want to add your own artwork. There’s also a small door covering a plastic shoe holder, which is great for attaching accessories like a wireless microphone receiver.
Application and features
The Insta360 app is one of the best companion apps I’ve ever used—minus the occasional missing language translations. It loads quickly and offers a lot of features, but remains easy to navigate. Just like every cam and action camera app, there’s a small social network built in, but it can be overridden with a single tap to switch to the camera.
All the usual modes are here, including: Panoramic, Timelapse, Time Shift (aka Hyperlapse) and Dolly Zoom. Gesture activation as well as beauty filters are also available. There’s a story mode known as Shot Genie that guides you through creating your own multi-shot scenes by showing you where to place the camera to capture the best angles. These shots are stitched together for a quick video sequence. There is also an auto-editing feature in your camera roll where you can choose multiple shots to automatically cut along with the music.
Flow’s main advantage over its competitors comes from its subject tracking, which is branded as Deep Track 3.0. At first glance, this feature works just like any other tracking features in the gimbal system, but it’s smart enough to resume following subjects if they enter or exit the range of view. This also works while recording in slow motion.
There’s also a Live Mode designed to work with other apps that have built-in camera features, like video chat and messaging, or social media like TikTok and Snapchat. This works by sending the Insta360 app to the background while it continues to watch the camera feed, and keeps the smartphone trained on the subject while another app records.
Insta360 is experimenting with custom tracking scenarios as well. The first of these is Hoops mode, which aims to get the best shots from basketball matches. He keeps the ball in frame and center, scoring only scoring shots to create a host of special moments.
Unfortunately, many of these features are compatible with phones, and all Android phones currently lack manual exposure controls. Insta360 attributes the hybrid support to vendor-specific implementations, and claims that some gaps will be filled in future app updates, but it’s impossible to know which features will make it to which phone.
performance
Like all modern stabilizers, Insta360 Flow does an excellent job of eliminating vibrations caused by walking and running — much better than your phone can do on its own. It even seems a little better than most stabilizers at finding and maintaining a perfectly level horizon.
The only undeniable problem is with the design of the arm, which limits the downward tilt to about 35 degrees, and only 20 degrees for the upward tilt. This is a side effect of striking a compromise between keeping the gimbal small and compact, while also designing the arm to hug the back of the phone to avoid appearing in front of the ultra-wide cameras. Unfortunately, it’s a common problem for most smartphones and there’s really no perfect solution, but streaming has less range than most competitors.
In practice, the limited tilt range is nothing more than a minor annoyance for most users, and may not be noticeable. However, this will likely be a deal breaker for anyone who needs advanced gimbal movements, such as pushing up or lifting from a dangling position to an upright position. Simply put, it’s better for social media and casual users, but perhaps not for aspiring filmmakers.
Battery life
Insta360 says battery life can last up to twelve hours under ideal conditions. I didn’t try using it for 12 hours straight, or logging usage over consecutive sessions, but my battery level never dropped below 50%, even after several sessions without charging.
Since the battery life is so good, this means that the coaxial is also a reliable source of extra power to charge your phone.
a race
While there are a lot of unknown or counterfeit smartphones out there, two brands have been leaders in the market for years: DJI and Zhiyun.
It’s clear from the $159 price and nearly identical features that the Insta360 Flow was designed to compete directly with DJI’s current model, the OM6. The Flow features better subject tracking and a better app experience (it’s available from the Play Store, unlike DJI’s Mimo app). However, the OM6 carries some advantages in range of motion, a better control panel, and fewer compatibility gaps across phones.
Zhiyun doesn’t make a “one size fits all” gimbal, instead choosing to make several models designed for semi-specific uses. However, the Smooth-Q4 is the most similar to the Flow and OM6, and is priced at just $119. The physical design and app don’t look polished, but the breadth of features, performance, and ease of use are all very comparable.
Should you buy it?
The first Insta360 smartphone comes out of the gate with a bang as it immediately challenges the dominance of DJI’s latest gimbal. It’s clear from looking at the flow that it’s designed to solve some of the typical challenges that come with using a smartphone on a gimbal.
However, it is not a perfect deviation. I’m frustrated by the limited tilt range, and it’s frustrating to see missing features — blamed on Android — even though other companies have been supporting the same things for years on a wider range of phones. But if those issues aren’t deal-breakers, and they likely won’t be for most people, all the qualities built into the Flow will make it one of the best hubs you can get right now.
Insta360 streaming
As the first Insta360 smartphone, the Flow does a lot of things right, going toe-to-toe with options like the DJI OM6. However, the tilt range could be better, and not all Android phones have access to all the features.
