Insta360 X4: YouTube teaser fuels rumours of 8K 360 action camera launch on April 16

The months, weeks, and days preceding any sort of camera launch are usually fraught with leaks, rumours, and teasers. Insta360 is no different, and it appears as if the next action camera on the company's release roster will be the Insta360 X4 360-degree camera, an 8K update to the Insta360 X3.

Insta360 recently posted a teaser for an unspecified 360-degree camera to its YouTube channel, confirming the arrival of 8K resolution and higher refresh rates to the upcoming camera. The giveaway that the teaser is referencing the announcement of the next-gen X camera is the vertical touch screen shown in the very first second of the video. If you squint hard enough at the menu selection in the teaser video, when the switch to 8K happens, you can see a handful of the video quality options available, one of these being 5.7K, possibly referencing the Insta360 X3's maximum video resolution.

At the very least, the video confirms an upgrade from a maximum resolution of 5.7K on the Insta360 X3 to 8K on the Insta360 X4, but Insta360 also hints at higher frame rates for the new 360° action camera with a quick “More Frames” flashing across the screen at one point.

From the short blurry glimpse we get at the image quality selection screen, it looks as though the Insta360 X4 will be capable of at least 8K at 30 fps, but lower resolutions should also get an upgrade to beyond the 3K 100 fps maximum.

According to leaked and rumoured specifications for the upcoming Insta360 X4 (via Gimbal Guru) corroborate the clues in the YouTube teaser, suggesting 8K, 30 fps video capabilities alongside an upgrade to a 1-inch sensor with a larger F/1.8 aperture. These hardware updates alone should greatly improve dynamic range and low-light performance compared to the previous-generation 1/2-inch sensor found in the Insta360 X3.

Unfortunately, this means that the price may also see a bump to around the $550 range. The good news for those of us looking for a cheaper 360° action camera is that the outgoing Insta360 X3 should come down even further from its current $399.99 Amazon price.

Upgraded low-light performance and image stabilisation, similar to what we saw on the Insta360 Ace Pro (curr. $449.99 on Amazon), is also to be expected from the X4, which could be more exciting than the upgraded resolution. Of course, much of this is speculation based on the teaser and on previous leaks and rumours. How things play out in reality remains to be seen when the camera launches on April 16.