The Insta360 Flow is a DJI smartphone gimbal rival with a handy bonus trick
The Insta360 Flow is official, taking on DJI’s OM series and going after smartphone vloggers who want to smooth out their handheld footage or capture hands-free content.
Positioned as the world’s most advanced AI-tracking smartphone stabilizer, the Insta360 Flow works in conjunction with its smartphone app, available for iOS or Android, to combine 3-axis hardware stabilization with smart software features like subject tracking.
The Insta360 Flow itself looks similar to the DJI OM 6, consisting of a grip with a joystick, and a flip-out arm that flips out to hold the phone, and then extends to create a modest selfie stick for a wider shot and more shooting versatility in general.
In its Creator Kit, the gimbal also packs a USB-C LED light that plugs into the Insta360 Flow to brighten up scenes, and when it isn’t plugged in, you can connect your phone to the USB-C port on the Flow’s arm for on-the-go power from the onboard 2900mAh battery.
(Image credit: Insta360)
What’s novel about the Flow is the rotating dial around the buttons that toggles zoom, and the touch-sensitive interaction around the joystick to switch between stabilization modes. Its design is also standout, featuring a combination of white plastic and a transparent section along its arm for some Nothing Phone (1) type see-through style.
Insta360 also promises live tracking in apps like FaceTime on iOS, and while live streaming to services like Facebook and YouTube, as well as 360-degree photo capture and time-lapse features.
Priced at $159 / £145 / AU$239, the Insta360 Flow matches DJI’s OM 6 pricing, making it one of the most premium smartphone gimbals around. For anyone after a more complete system, Insta360 has also launched a creator kit, which combines the gimbal with a USB-C light, a soft-touch Grip Cover, a Type-C to lightning cable, and a carry bag, and can be had for $209 / £199 / AU $319.
(Image credit: Insta360)
Analysis: All-in-one pocketable camera person
After spending a day with the Flow, and having used the DJI OM-series in the past, Insta360’s inclusion of an extending set of tripod legs within its mobile gimbal is a stroke of genius.
This makes it an all-in-one camera person in your pocket without the need to piece together multiple elements for it to be self-standing. And if you need a more stable, wide base, there’s also a tripod thread so you can easily mount it.
The inclusion of a cold shoe mount also means you can capture with upgraded audio, so whether you want to hook up a DJI Mic or Rode Wireless Go 2, your smartphone’s mediocre mics won’t hold your vlogs back.
You can see the gimbal in action in Insta360’s video above, and check back for our full review in the coming weeks. And if you’re not sold on the Flow, or just want to see what other mobile gimbals are out there before picking one up, check out our guide to the best phone gimbal out now.
