Certain brands are often closely associated with specific products. For example, Kleenex is a household name for facial tissues, while GoPro dominates the action camera market. However, beneath the apparent dominance of these brands lies a competitive landscape filled with lesser-known companies. These emerging players frequently introduce unique features to differentiate themselves. A prime example is Insta360, known for its 360-degree action cameras that capture content from all angles—something GoPro models cannot achieve.

The latest offering from Insta360—the Insta360 X5—is a modest upgrade from last year’s X4. This new model is impressive, providing the finest spherical video quality observed across the cameras tested. However, despite some AI enhancements, it does not fully address a significant drawback that deters many potential users: the complexity involved in managing the captured footage.

Examining the specifications, the X5 maintains a similar design to the X4, characterized as a sleek, elongated rectangle equipped with camera lenses on either side, and a large display dominating one face. With measurements of 4.9 inches in length, 1.8 inches in width, and 1.5 inches in thickness, it tips the scales at 7.1 ounces. This weight can be noticeable, especially when mounted on a helmet or held at the end of an extended selfie stick. Similar to its predecessor, the X5 supports the capture of 8K30 spherical video, although branding a resolution of 7680×3840 as “8K” might be debatable, particularly given that both lenses overlap and should not be counted redundantly. Users can, however, extract a flat 4K or 1080p image from this spherical footage when required. Additionally, when in 2D mode, it is capable of recording 5.7K footage at a smooth 60 frames per second.