Insta360 has entered the smartphone gimbal marketplace with a device that makes it easier to capture smooth, stabilized and well-framed videos with your smartphone’s camera. The Insta360 flow is a $159.99 gimbal that features three-axis stabilization and is available now in the US, Europe, Japan, and Asia.
The obvious rival for the Flow’s $159 Osmo Mobile6 line of smartphone gimbals is DJI. Insta360 has attempted to match DJI’s specifications at least on paper. Insta360 also includes a tripod with the Osmo Mobile 6; DJI does not. Insta360 offers Deep Track 3.0, while DJI’s ActiveTrack 5.0 subject tracking feature is available. The Flow even has a built-in 215mm (8.5-inch) selfie stick, which is the exactly the same length as Osmo Mobile 6’s extension rod.
The Flow has a built in cold shoe mount that allows for microphones to be plugged directly into their phones. This is a feature that the Osmo Mobile 6 lacks. Insta360 claims that the Flow is capable of providing 12 hours of continuous use, as opposed to six hours or 24 minutes for DJI. The Flow’s 2,900mAh battery is larger than the average smartphone’s and can also be used as a power bank in a pinch.
“For our first smartphone-based gimbal, we wanted something more than the basics. We wanted to offer a new way to capture moments on your phone.” JK Liu, founder of Insta360, said that Flow is powered by our AI technology. This technology has been refined over years of research.
Another interesting feature in Flow worth mentioning is the “Shot Genie”, which can recommend what scene to shoot based on more than 80 examples. Insta360’s software will give you tips on how to film a beach scene versus one of the city’s streets. Insta360 claims that its app can edit photos together with flashCut.
Dolly zooms, time-lapses and panoramas are all possible shooting modes. You can use the “Live Mode” to stay in the frame even when you are streaming or video calling. The Flow can be mounted to your phone using a magnetic clamp that is similar to DJI’s mount. It also comes in a choice between white and gray.
These specs don’t reveal how stable the Insta360 Flow’s stabilization in practice, or how reliable and accurate its tracking. It offers the same features as the Osmo Mobile 6 but we will have to wait to read full reviews to find out how it does in real life.
