Insta360 X3

Very good image quality Large, beautiful touchscreen display Creative and fun modes Waterproof

Some features don’t work well in lowlight situations

“The Insta360 X3 is a highly versatile camera capable of capturing high-resolution 360 footage.”

New, larger touchscreen is a game changer ; Me Mode can obtain some really impressive shots ; Fast UI with easy to read menus and icons ; 360-degree and single lens footage looks incredible

Single lens shooting still bested by GoPro, but only just ; Professionals will still want to use an external mic

The Insta360 X3 not only takes the competition to GoPro as an excellent single-lens camera, but it also shines in 360-mode for folks who love to shoot VR-ready content. As an all-in-one device, the X3 is an essential piece of kit for any vlogger.

Easy to use ; Solid image performance ; Waterproof and rugged

Stitching still not perfect ; Not a generational leap over the X2

While it’s not a generational leap over its predecessor, the X3’s myriad of small improvements build on the solid foundations laid by its predecessor. The result is the best small 360 action cam on the market: rugged, waterproof, easy-to-use and packed...

New sensor and lens yield much better 5.7K 360 video. Great battery life. Large, bright screen. Can be used as 4K, single-lens action cam. Slim, relatively lightweight. Shoots 72-megapixel spherical images. Great editing software.

Difficult to mount to helmet or body. Any 5.7K 360 footage is still only 1080p when cropping to flat formats.

As with the company’s other cameras, the X3 connects with Insta360’s mobile editing app, which remains one of the best I’ve used. No, it’s not Final Cut Pro, but for an app that runs on your phone it’s impressive. Even if you have no idea what you’re...

5.7K30 HDR video Slim, waterproof build Big touch screen with straightforward interface Robust desktop and mobile editing tools Loads of capture modes

Video must be processed before editing A bit of a learning curve to grasp 360-degree editing Mobile editing app limits resolution

The Insta360 X3 uses two ultra-wide lenses to capture the entire world around it, and includes software to make 360-degree video more exciting.

Enjoyable to use handheld Massively upgraded screen Fun and powerful 360-degree editing Active HDR mode keeps highlight detail

Detail processing can look more synthetic than GoPro’s Single lens 4K videos are soft

A versatile and easy-to-use 360-degree action camera, the Insta360 X3 takes what made the One X2 special and amps it up a notch or two. It’s handheld fun – you can comfortably use without any mounts, while its large screen, powerful stabilization and...

Compact, sturdy and waterproof build ; Large rectangular touchscreen ; Wealth of user-friendly features

Relatively small upgrade over the X2

The best all-in-one 360 camera on the market just got (a little bit) better

Big, easy-to-use screen ; Single lens mode now goes up to 4K ; Loop Recording covers 360 degrees

360 image quality similar to the One X2 ; Bigger and heavier than the One X2

The Insta360 X3 is a bit of a tricky product to assess, then, mainly because it doesn’t really improve basic image quality that much over the Insta360 X2. If you already own one of those cameras, it isn’t worth upgrading.

2.29-inch display is an excellent viewfinder ; Rugged and accessible design ; Insta360 software is basically dark magic ; User-friendliness is underrated

5.7K resolution translates to just 1080p video ; Software export times can be sluggish ; You'll want a large MicroSD card to store the 360-degree footage

I will never forget my first experience using a 360-degree camera. The Samsung Gear 360 which, to this day, collects dust in my treasured tech drawer, was slow, janky, expensive, and absolutely mesmerizing for photos and video capture. It was such a...