Insta360 X5 camera lands with better night footage and swappable lenses

Insta360 has carved out a loyal following among action and 360-degree camera enthusiasts. While it’s on the pricey side, the arrival of its latest flagship, the Insta360 X5, looks set to keep them happy.

Officially announced today, the Insta360 X5 introduces a bunch of firsts for the brand’s 360-degree cameras, including a pair of much larger sensors, a new AI-powered low-light mode, and even user-replaceable lenses. It’s available to order now for $549.99.

While the upgraded 8K video capture might grab the headlines, several other significant improvements lie under the hood.

The X5 features 1/1.28-inch sensors, notably bigger than the Insta360 X4’s, allowing it to gather far more light in both day and night shots. These are paired with a new Triple AI Chip system that Insta360 says delivers “clean, uncompressed images in any conditions,” as well as a new low-light mode called PureVideo.

One of the new features is InstaFrame, which simplifies the usual 360-degree editing process by simultaneously generating a traditional flat video clip — either selfie-style or forward-facing — along with the full 360-degree recording. That means you can shoot something, share it instantly, and still have all the 360-degree footage to re-edit later.

Insta360 emphasizes durability with the X5, calling it “the toughest 360-degree camera ever.” While that’s a bold claim, there are some tangible upgrades to back it up. The lenses are now protected with a more durable scratch-resistant glass and, more significantly, can be swapped out without tools if they get damaged — a first for the brand. The body is waterproof to 49 feet (15m) and includes a built-in wind guard for better audio in harsh conditions.

Battery life sees a slight bump, with the new 2,400mAh cell purportedly offering up to three hours of continuous recording in endurance mode and hitting 80% charge in just 20 minutes.

As you’d expect, the updated Insta360 mobile app has also been reworked to make editing easier. It has a cleaner UI, a dewarp button to fix fisheye distortion, and more templates and auto-editing tools. For desktop users, Insta360 Studio is still available as a free option, and the X5 now integrates with the company’s cloud service, Insta360 Plus, for sharing and remote editing.

The camera weighs in at 200g and measures 46 x 124.5 x 38.2 mm. It records to microSD cards and connects via USB-C, Wi-Fi, or Bluetooth 5.2. It also supports a wide range of Bluetooth headsets and earbuds for audio capture, and the app works with both Android and iOS devices, though budget phones may struggle with some AI features.

We haven’t tried the device yet, but seasoned YouTube reviewer Becca Farsace gives an unbiased (and unpaid) hands-on assessment that is an interesting watch for potential buyers. The TL;DR is that she likes the X5 and was impressed with some of the new features, particularly the low-light mode and the replaceable lens. That said, her view is that the incremental upgrades probably aren’t worth paying another $550 for if you’re already rocking the Insta360 X4.