Countdown to mystery product from Insta360. After taking on GoPro and DJI, what's next?

Insta360 is one of the most exciting brands in photography, especially, of course, if action cameras and 360-degree photography is what you're interested in. Now their latest teaser is promising a new product on January 16th and there are a lot of possibilities.

The emphasis on the term "Locked In" opens up a lot of possibilities. When I've reviewed the best 360-degree cameras, a list currently dominated by Insta360's X4, one of the aspects that has kept the company ahead isn't just the evolving camera tech, but the software. If you're looking at 360-degree video from a device like the Insta360 X4, then using AI to "lock in" on a subject later is a useful feature.

But, well, you can already do that – and across plenty of platforms. So that's probably not something to make a bit launch event for. Also it looks to my eye like we're seeing some hardware – a new device? – in the teaser video, which makes it more exciting...

You can, of course, sign up for an email of the launch event to find out on the day via Insta360.com. But why wait?

So, let's quickly rule some out. The Insta360 X4 is still under a year old – having launched in April – and still faces no serious competion (though we've heard rumors of a DJI 360-degree camera, and GoPro keep saying they've got a Max 2 coming this year). That seems unlikely to me.

My reviews of the Ace Pro 2 8K action camera and even the Go 3S body-worn action camera also still seem quite fresh, though the company does move fast. Still, I'd be inclined to rule these out. And the Insta360 Connect conference camera is a very fresh launch and unlikely to be associated with soccer/football – as seen in the teaser.

The only other consumer category the company already plays in I can see is the Flow Pro phone gimbal – now that, too, doesn't seem very old. I've been testing one myself and it's a great device. But the necessities of folding mechanics mean you get voids in designs – a potential explaination for

It is also an area where tech could improve and grow – if there isn't a limit to the number of people prepared to carry the devices. Perhaps a more "pro" line could develop? Maybe they're even after the best mirrorless camera gimbal market?

All I can tell you is I'll be watching and we'll be covering it – when an ambitious company makes a statement of intent, why not?

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Insta360 appears on my guides to the best GoPro alternatives, the best action cameras, and as I already said, the best 360-degree cameras. Check too out guide to the best smartphone gimbals.