Insta360 recently unveiled its latest flagship camera, the Insta360 X5, but how does this 360° action cam compare to its predecessor, the Insta360 X4?
The Insta360 X4 set the action camera benchmark for 360° video when it launched last year, with our reviewer praising the camera’s rugged, compact design, excellent battery life and ease-of-use.
The Insta360 X5 has received a boost in all of these areas – and more. Keep reading to learn how the Insta360 X5 compares to the Insta360 X4 in several key areas, including price, design, features, audio and battery life.
Price
The Insta360 X5 was announced on April 22 2025 and is available to buy now. The camera launched with a price of $549.99/£519.99.
The Insta360 X4 launched one year earlier in April 2024 with an RRP of $499.99/£499.99. However, you can currently pick up the X4 for as low as £425.99 on Amazon UK, saving you £94 compared to the newer camera.
The Insta360 X5 is better for low-light shooting
While both the Insta360 X5 and Insta360 X4 support 8K/30fps shooting, the X5 benefits from a major boost in low-light environments.
Firstly, the X5 packs 1/1.28-inch dual sensors that are 144% larger than the dual 1/2-inch sensors in the X4, enabling them to capture more light. There’s also a new Triple AI chip that offers 140% more computing power for cleaner, brighter images with more vivid colours and less noise.
On top of this, the X5 has a new PureVideo Mode dedicated to low-light scenarios. This setting uses AI to reduce noise and improve dynamic range in low-light settings which, again, should result in clearer, more vibrant videos.
The Insta360 X5 has a built-in Wind Guard
Audio has been improved too, thanks to a new Wind Guard designed to reduce wind noise.
This built-in wind guard is designed out of multi-layer steel mesh and is poured with an improved sound algorithm, meaning audio should also be sharper and more immersive than that captured by the Insta360 X4.
The Insta360 X5 features a new InstaFrame Mode
One software update that we’d love to see trickle down to the Insta360 X4 is the new InstaFrame Mode.
This shooting mode automatically flattens your video and frames it to follow either a constant direction or the selfie view, providing you with a framed and ready-to-share version of your video right out of camera.
Of course, Insta360 also preserves the original 360° version of your footage alongside the flattened one, allowing you to edit this as usual if you prefer.
The lenses on the the Insta360 X5 can be replaced
Insta360 also claims that the Insta360 X5 is more rugged and durable than last year’s X4, which is great considering we were already impressed with the ruggedness of its predecessor.
The lenses are more scratch-resistant and the camera is now waterproof up to 49ft (15m) instead of 33ft (10m), which is a huge jump. Of course, this can still be improved further with the Invisible Dive Case.
Perhaps the standout update here is that the lenses are now replaceable at home. All you need is the Insta360 Replacement Lens Kit and you can switch out any cracked lenses yourself without leaving your filming location or paying expensive repair costs.
The Insta360 X5 has a longer battery life
Finally, the excellent battery on the Insta360 X4 has also seen a boost on the X5.
The X4 offered a 135 minute run-time when shooting 5.7K/30fps video in a lab environment. The Insta360 X5 can now record for up to 185 minutes when shooting 5.7K/24fps footage in a lab environment using its Endurance Mode for a 37% improvement.
Meanwhile, the new fast charging support provides 80% charge in as little as 20 minutes to get you back out the door and recording again quickly.
Early Verdict
The Insta360 X5 is packed with upgrades over last year’s X4.
While the image quality in daylight remains the same and there are no major changes to the look of this camera, features like improved low-light shooting, better audio, a convenient InstaFrame Mode and faster charging make this a worthy year-on-year update.
