Insta360 X6 Review: A near-perfect 360° camera with a wild price tag

Overall, the Insta360 X6 is the finest 360° camera the company has ever made. No doubt, the X6 is a well-rounded upgrade over the X5, with a newly redesigned compact body, dual 1/1.1-inch square sensors, a larger and brighter OLED screen, better low-light performance, an impressive battery life, good microphone quality and wind reduction, meaningful AI features, improved waterproofing, 10-bit color, Dolby Vision, and 47 GB of built-in storage.

The video quality is excellent, stabilization is really good, and the compact design is both practical and convenient. The low-light performance is particularly impressive, while the battery life is more than enough for most users. 

However, the camera is certainly not without its flaws. I still miss the physical shutter button, while the companion app feels unnecessarily confusing when editing manually. And there's a steep price, which is hard to overlook.

Is it worth upgrading from X5? I would say no, especially if you are on a tight budget; the X5 is still a capable camera. However, if you are using an X3 or X4 model, the X6 is a solid upgrade.

The Insta360 X6 is priced at $699/£619 for the standard bundle, which gets you the camera, a protective pouch, one battery, a USB-C cable, and a cleaning cloth. The Essential bundle costs $799/£709, which offers everything from the standard bundle plus a rubber lens cap, a fast-charge case, an 114 cm invisible selfie stick, and an extra Xtreme battery. Buyers can purchase the action camera directly from Insta360's official website and Amazon. 

The X6 is $150 pricier than the X5, which launched at $549. For context, the X6 is currently the most expensive action camera available on the market. It even costs more than its closest rivals, the DJI Osmo 360 II and the GoPro Max 2, which are priced at $549.99 and $499.99, respectively. Given the X6’s crazy price, the last-generation Insta360 X5 isn’t a bad choice either, especially if you have a tight budget.

The Insta360 X6 is the latest 360° action camera from the brand, which succeeds the X5. Surprisingly, the company brings significant improvements to the X6, from a new large square sensor, upgraded processor, and completely overhauled design to 8K 50 fps recording, Dolby Vision, and better water resistance. On paper, the X6 seriously looks like a solid 360° action camera, but is it enough to stand against the likes of DJI Osmo 360 II and the GoPro Max 2? Plus, is it worth upgrading from the X5? Let’s find out.

For the first time, Insta360 has completely overhauled the design of the X6, which I believe is really a good move from the brand. Until now, the X-series, including the X3, X4, and X5, had a tall candybar design. The new X6 is now smaller and slightly wider than the previous generations. Though, it still follows the same candy bar aesthetic. Speaking of dimensions, the X6 measures 2 x 3.9 x 1.6 inches (50 x 100 x 40 mm) and weighs around 196 grams (6.9 oz). In contrast, the X5 comes in at 1.8 x 4.9 x 1 inches (46 x 124.5 x 26.2 mm) and 200 grams (7.01 oz).

Practically, the X6 feels more compact and is quite easy to handle compared to the X5. The build quality of X6 is quite sturdy and premium. You’ll know this camera is built to last the moment you hold in your hands. You now get bigger and better sensors than before. The action camera is equipped with a pair of larger 1/1.1-inch sensors. More on that in the performance section. The addition of the OLED display is a welcome upgrade. It’s more responsive and brighter than the X5’s LED display. Despite testing the camera under the sunlight, I never had issues seeing the display.

Plus, Insta360 has replaced two physical buttons found on the previous model with pressure-sensitive on-screen buttons. It does sound like a good upgrade on paper, but I’m not sure; maybe it’s good for motorcyclists, mountaineers, or skiers. I found both even more frustrating than old physical buttons. The obvious reason is that you need to tap on-screen controls firmly to get them to respond. Looking from the functionality perspective, I felt the physical control buttons of the X5 were more responsive than the X6’s pressure-sensitive on-screen buttons.

Interchangeable lenses are fantastic, which eliminates the need for lens covers without compromising safety and image quality. Insta360’s newly redesigned lenses are said to be five times more scratch-resistant than the previous generation's. Plus, it’s now cheaper to replace when they do get damaged.

The X6 is waterproof to 20 m/60 ft without any housing at all and 60 m/196 ft with Insta360’s official dive case. For context, the X5’s waterproofing is capped at 15 m/49 ft, and some of its rivals, such as the Osmo 360 and the GoPro Max2, only manage 10 m/33 ft and 5 m/16 ft, respectively. This is a solid upgrade at least for underwater shooters. Finally, Insta360 has added onboard storage—the upgrade I’ve been waiting for over the last three generations. While 47 GB is less than half of the Osmo 360’s 105 GB of storage, it’s especially handy when you accidentally leave your memory card at home.

While 47GB is less than half the Osmo 360’s 105GB of storage, it’s still incredibly handy when you accidentally leave your memory card at home.

Insta360 has advertised the X6 as three cameras in one: a subject-tracking gimbal camera, a 360° camera, and a single-lens action camera. Though, the 360 camera is my go-to mode most of the time during testing. The new custom dual Sony 1/1.1” square sensors now offer 33% more sensor area than the X5's 1/1.28-inch sensors and around four times the light intake ability per frame. The new 4 nm-based triple AI chip (one 8-core 3.3 GHz flagship processor paired with two dedicated imaging chips) powers the X6. Plus, the maximum frame rate of the action camera has been boosted to 50 fps, a step up from 30 fps on the X5. Speaking precisely, you can now shoot video at a maximum 8K 50 fps resolution, matching the Osmo 360. Plus, the photo resolution climbs to 120 MP and 42 MP in 360 and flat shots, respectively.

Videos from the X6 look amazing. Although it's quite hard to spot a difference between X5 and X6 footage shot in broad daylight, I’d say there are subtle refinements rather than a giant leap. I shot the content in 360° and single-lens using standard mode (Rec.709) at 8K 30/50 fps and 4K 60 fps while exploring Mumbai; the results were simply amazing. Videos taken from the X6 are smooth, vibrant, detailed, sharp, and noise-free with nice contrast. I noticed the colors produced by the X6 look bolder and more appealing than the X5. Plus, it handles high-contrast scenes better than the X5, thanks to the AdaptiveTone 2.0 system.

The real difference becomes noticeable at dusk and at night. This is where the X6’s larger sensors shine. As you can see in the footage below, low-light video from X6 looks fantastic. The camera automatically switches to Purevideo mode whenever low-light is detected, which is impressive. I noticed the low-light footage is well-detailed, clean-looking, and sharp with very little visible noise. The X6 did a great job, especially while capturing shadows, streetlights, and illuminated signs. Although, there’s a loss of sharpness, which you are going to notice mostly at the corners. That’s not a big deal, though.

I’m quite impressed by the FlowState stabilization system in the X6. For better results, I would suggest enabling Jitter Blue Reduction mode, which further enhances clarity and low-light stabilization during motion. The addition of the 10-bit I-Log recording is a key upgrade, giving serious editors more flexibility in color grading. The I-Log captures up to 13 stops of dynamic range and further adds post-production flexibility. The tiny action camera also has Dolby Vision, and I found that it performs quite well at night. I did shoot some videos, and they looked pleasing.

The Insta360 X6’s audio department is now better than before. You get an Auto Wind Reduction mode, which detects wind noises and automatically adjusts noise reduction. In addition, there are also Intelligent Audio and Engine Sound Enhancement modes available for better audio results. Speaking of audio performance, the built-in microphones do a good job of picking up clear audio. However, I would suggest opting for Insta360’s Mic Pro wireless mic for exceptional audio quality.

Insta360’s new InstaFrame 2.0 mode is pretty cool and convincing, which does the job of a gimbal camera. It is basically single-lens mode with subject tracking but also preserves 360 footage that can be reframed later. I find this useful while solo shooting. Unfortunately, stitch lines are still an issue, especially when the subject is near the lens overlap. I faced the same problem with the X5, as well. Although the issue is occasional, it’s still something Insta360 needs to do better here.

The X6 has a 2,600 mAh battery capacity, a step up from 2,400 mAh of the X5. Unfortunately, the redesigned body also brings a new battery design, so X5 and X6 batteries aren’t interchangeable. The same applies for some accessories such as the dive case, fast charger case, lens guard, carry case, and more.

The Xtreme battery is rated for 140 minutes of continuous 8K/30 fps video recording with Active HDR turned off. That’s a 50% improvement over the X5’s battery life. I noticed the action camera managed to offer 123 minutes of recording time while shooting in flat and 360 mode at 8K 30 fps. That’s 38 minutes longer than the X5 (85 minutes). Insta360 has really done a great job with the battery life. It’s worth noting that the 360° camera gets slightly warm during extended recording, but I didn’t experience any significant heating issues. It does support 30 W USB-C PD fast charging. In my testing, it took over 40 minutes to fully charge the camera, while reaching the 80% mark took just 26 minutes.

AI director is the new software feature for the X6, which is pretty similar to GoPro’s Auto Highlight. Basically, it automatically edits your videos into a basic, shareable video, complete with music, titles, and transitions. And the best part is that it does everything while the camera charges. I genuinely like this feature because it saves a lot of time when you just want a quick, sharable video.

Unlike GoPro, which locks its similar features behind a subscription, Insta360 processes everything directly on camera. The Insta360 editing app offers a range of features, templates, and tools, but there’s a learning curve in order to truly unlock the X6’s full potential.