Insta360 X5 vs Insta360 X4
In short: The Insta360 X4 costs $120 less; the Insta360 X5 collects light over 72 mm² per lens against 31, which is 2.3× the area; the Insta360 X5 goes 15 m deep with no housing against 10 m; the Insta360 X5 claims 2 h 15 min at 5.7K30 360 video, screen off, Wi-Fi on auto.
| Spec | Insta360 X5 | Insta360 X4 |
|---|---|---|
| Approx. price | ~$549 | ~$429 |
| Year-one cost | ~$585 with the plan | ~$465 with the plan |
| Type | 360 | 360 |
| Sensor size | 2 × 1/1.28-inch | 2 × 1/2-inch |
| Sensor area | 72 mm² per lens | 31 mm² per lens |
| Max resolution | 8K 360 @ 30fps | 8K 360 @ 30fps |
| Reframed resolution | ≈1.7K (estimated) | ≈1.7K (estimated) |
| Max fps at 4K | 120 | 100 |
| Max fps at 1080p | 60 | 60 |
| Max bitrate | 180 Mbps | 200 Mbps |
| Colour depth | Not published | Not published |
| Log profile | I-Log | None |
| Stabilisation | FlowState | FlowState |
| Horizon lock | 360° (full) | 360° (full) |
| Aperture | f/2 | f/1.9 |
| Waterproof | 15 m bare, 60 m cased | 10 m bare, 50 m cased |
| Claimed runtime | 2 h 15 min at 5.7K30 360 video, screen off, Wi-Fi on auto | 1 h 15 min at 8K30 360 video, screen off, Wi-Fi on auto, high bitrate |
| Tested runtime | No third-party test collected | No third-party test collected |
| Battery | 2400 mAh | 2400 mAh |
| Cold rating | -4°F | -4°F |
| Weight | 200 g | 203 g |
| Screens | 2.5-inch rear touch | 2.5-inch rear touch |
| Mount | Magnetic quick-release + 1/4-20 | 1/4-20 |
| Replaceable lenses | Yes | No |
| GPS | No | No |
| Voice control | Yes | Yes |
| Storage | microSD | microSD |
| Subscription | Insta360+, ~$35.88/yr | Insta360+, ~$35.88/yr |
| Released | 2025 | 2024 |
A highlighted cell is the outright better figure in that row, and only where one direction is unambiguously better. Weight, field of view and battery capacity are left neutral because the better direction depends entirely on what you are shooting.
Strengths and drawbacks
Insta360 X5
- +Replaceable lenses turn the category's worst failure mode into a cheap part swap
- +Big sensor jump over the X4 — the low-light difference is not subtle
- +15 m bare waterproofing, 5 m deeper than the X4 and triple the GoPro MAX2
- +Insta360 Studio's reframing and AI tracking are the best in the category
- +Now sells well below the X6 while keeping most of what matters
- −8K caps at 30 fps, so reframed slow motion means dropping to 5.7K or 4K
- −Insta360 publishes no colour bit depth for it — only the X6 gets that spec
- −No internal storage, so a slow microSD card is a real failure risk at 8K
- −200 g, the heaviest of the current X-series bodies
Insta360 X4
- +8K spherical for well under the X5's price
- +200 Mbps holds fast-motion detail better than the bitrate on most rivals
- +Same Insta360 Studio reframing workflow as the current flagships
- +2400 mAh battery matches the X5's
- +Bullet-time at 4K240 is a mode no flat camera can reproduce at all
- −Lenses are not replaceable — a scratch is permanent, and these lenses scratch
- −1/2-inch sensors, under half the X5's area, and it shows the moment light drops
- −75 minutes at 8K30 against the X5's 135 at 5.7K30
- −No magnetic mount; it is a 1/4-20 thread and an adapter
- −No magnetic mount, so it needs an adapter to use the accessories the newer bodies clip straight onto