Insta360’s new Flow 2 Pro AI Tracker makes its flagship gimbal work with Android phones, 3rd party apps

The competition for dominance in the smartphone gimbal category is pretty intense at the moment. While DJI finally launched the Osmo 7 only hours ago, Insta360 has kept the pressure on. Yesterday it launched the Flow 2 Pro AI Tracker, an accessory that allows Android users to access the Flow 2 Pro gimbal’s full feature-set with no app-limitations.

The Insta360 Flow 2 Pro (curr. $160 on Amazon) was launched last month as an iPhone-first device that integrates with DockKit, Apple’s subject-tracking technology. Key features like multi-person and active zoom tracking were unavailable to Android users, as was compatibility with third-party apps. The AI Tracker fixes that. With its independent camera dedicated to subject-tracking, it effectively makes the Flow 2 Pro ‘platform agnostic’.

It also frees up Android users from shooting on Insta360’s app, just as the DockKit integration had done for iPhone users. Now, Insta360’s excellent AI tracking algorithms will work on the native camera app as well as on third-party ones. The Insta360 app is needed to enable gesture control, which can start/stop recording and toggle AI tracking on or off. The tracking algorithm can handle obstructions, animal subjects and multi-person shots.

While it makes a lot of sense for those using Android phones, it’s not clear what the benefits would be for iPhone owners. Possibly, attaching the AI Tracker will switch to Insta360’s own tracking algorithm (instead of using Apple DockKit), but that's something a full review would clarify. The company has also not specified any additional third-party apps that are newly enabled on iOS.

The accessory plugs into the Flow 2 Pro’s onboard USB-C connector, and can be made to face either way, depending on which direction you wish to shoot. Adding to its usefulness is the inclusion of a ‘spotlight’, complete with three brightness levels and three color temperature settings. Given that the Flow 2 Pro Spotlight (with the same adjustment features) is available as a separate standalone accessory, this makes the AI Tracker something of a 2-in-1 unit.

The Flow 2 Pro AI tracker is now available on Insta360’s online store, with availability on Amazon expected soon. It is priced at $40 if you buy it separately, but will also be available with the Flow 2 Pro for $179, as part of the soon-to-launch AI Tracker Bundle. That’s a pretty good deal – a 50% discount, in fact – considering the Insta360 Flow 2 Pro on its own is currently retailing for $160.