Insta360 X4 Air 360 Action Cam Review

The Insta360 X4 Air sees the company take a step back from the flagship X5 and give the previous model some love. It’s an unexpected move, but a welcome one, with the result being a smaller and lighter product that offers more choice to those looking for a 360-degree camera. After using the X4 Air to capture my adventures in the hills and on runs in my city, it’s time for my review.

Smaller yet still mighty

The highlights of the X4 Air are the dual sensors that capture up to an 8K 360-degree video. Support for Active HDR and Adaptive Tone help in more challenging scenarios. Having the potential to capture at this quality, in a smaller and more lightweight body, really makes the X4 Air stand out.

The boost to portability shouldn’t be understated as, while the size and weight changes might not look that impressive on paper, I found myself super impressed when comparing the original X4 and new X4 Air side by side. The X4 Air feels easier to tuck away inside a running belt pocket and, when deployed, it is less cumbersome to wield. For someone who runs while filming, the updated design reduces friction and makes me want to pull the camera out a lot more. 

Winning software

Within Insta360’s software features, the big highlight is the FlowState Stabilization which remains the gold standard in the action camera world. You can really shake the X4 Air and footage still comes out super stable.

Editing 360 footage is easy enough within the PC or phone app, though it can take quite some time to arrange keyframes and perfect a video. You can make use of the AI editing functions, but this is only really useful for highlight reels to post to Instagram or TikTok. Anything long-form would likely require the user to make adjustments manually. 

Personally, I use the 360 mode specifically for cinematic shots where I’m running in a dramatic place, and then settle for the 16:9 mode for any vlogging. Switching between modes is easy enough, so this has worked well for me. 

Night-time limitations

During the day, in sunny and overcast conditions, the X4 Air delivers excellent video quality. However, when the sun goes down, there’s only so much this 360-degree camera can do. 

After sunset, footage becomes softer and noisier. While still stable, videos can get blurry. It can do the job in a pinch, for the occasional video ending with some nighttime footage, but those looking to regularly shoot during the evening may want to save up to get the X5 with its PureVideo mode (and additional slow motion options). 

Outside of nighttime shooting, the X4 Air delivers an impressive 360-degree camera experience for the price.

Disclosure: Review sample provided by Insta360.