Insta360 X4 Review: A Daylight 360 Camera That Needs the Right Discount

The X4 is now a value question. Its 8K spherical capture still makes sense for daylight travel, cycling perspectives and edits that need several directions from the same moment. Its smaller sensors and non-replaceable underlying lenses are harder to accept when an X5 costs only a little more. A good discount can make the X4 a rational purchase; the original price cannot be assumed to do the same.

TechRadar's Tim Coleman dates its introduction to April 16, 2024 and lists a US$499.99 launch price. We retain that as a historical reference, not as a live offer. Our recommendation does not assume a particular present-day sale or retailer inventory.

Verdict Hound has not tested the X4. The review draws on Insta360's specifications and guidance, independently reported use and our assessment of the trade-offs. The six scores judge its current role among dedicated 360 cameras rather than reproducing its launch reception.

Insta360 specifies a 203g body and a 2.5-inch touchscreen. The X4 is bigger and heavier than the X3, and Coleman preferred the easier operation and clear screen. The gain is practical when changing recording modes or checking framing on location, although it does not replace inspecting finished video on a larger display.

The lenses protrude from both sides. That is essential to capturing a sphere and inconvenient for everyday protection. The X4's removable screw-on guards are more manageable than permanently treating a vulnerable camera as untouchable, but they protect rather than replace the actual optics.

This distinction matters in an older-camera bargain. A discounted body with scratched underlying lenses is not equivalent to a discounted camera needing inexpensive protective accessories. Inspect used equipment with the guards removed where the seller permits it. Look for damage, haze and contamination rather than judging only the exterior casing.

Exposed optics, with a thermal cover fitted: ItzANormalFioko / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0. Resized and converted to WebP; the derivative retains this license.

Clean glass has an outsized effect on a camera that is always looking into some bright part of the environment. A fingerprint can add flare or smear to an otherwise good exposure. Put the transport cap on before putting the camera in a bag, and check both lenses when switching from carrying to shooting.

Invisible-stick footage also depends on a tidy physical setup. Keep the stick aligned with the body and avoid bulky attachments near the lens join. If a clamp or hand occupies the wrong part of the sphere, software does not necessarily make it disappear along with the stick.

The X4 records 8K/30fps, 5.7K/60fps or 4K/100fps spherical video. It also offers 72MP spherical stills and a 4K/60fps single-lens mode. These are manufacturer mode specifications. The faster spherical modes trade capture detail for temporal resolution; they are alternatives, not improvements you receive simultaneously.

Coleman found the 8K footage sharper than X3 material and useful for reframing. That is the reason to choose an X4 over the older model if your final edit needs a moderately tighter view. More source pixels give the editor more room to work, though a narrow view of a distant subject remains much less detailed than the whole-sphere headline.

The distinction is particularly important for riders tempted to zoom into something on the horizon. A 360 camera's strength is choosing direction after capture, not turning a wide recording into a telephoto lens. Bring the story close enough to the camera and keep the crop reasonable.

The dual 1/2-inch sensors and f/1.9 lenses have harder limits in poor light. TechRadar describes smeary detail from noise reduction and weaker results when the illumination drops. It is reasonable to expect attractive daylight clips; it is not reasonable to assume that a high pixel count makes dim streets equally successful.

For a vacation camera, that suggests a schedule rather than a ban: use it for well-lit walks, outdoor activities and broad establishing shots, then consider a different tool or more light for late-night detail. If evening filming is frequent, the X5's independently reported improvement is a better fit than hoping the X4's denoising will change the physics.

Coleman was impressed with stabilization and handling, including useful moving footage. A 360 source lets software choose a level view and compensate for some camera rotation. This is why the X4 can produce a composed-looking shot even when the camera is not carefully aimed at capture time.

It still cannot correct every vibration or erase motion blur. If the mount flexes, a stabilized horizon may coexist with distracting image movement. Choose a secure mount for the activity and inspect a short test clip. That is a general working recommendation, not a test we performed.

Stitching is also imperfect. The review reports seams that can appear in some scenes. Very close objects are challenging because the lenses see them from different positions. Keep a face or a main subject toward one lens rather than straddling the join; do not make the stitch the center of the final composition when it can be avoided.

The camera's body is rated to 10m, and the specified Invisible Dive Case supports 50m. Insta360 explicitly recommends the case for underwater 360 recording. Its benefit is not merely reaching a greater depth: the case addresses the refraction that makes camera-only underwater stitching problematic.

Treat those depths as manufacturer ratings with conditions. We have no independent depth test in the cited evidence. A correctly maintained seal, the correct accessory and compliance with the instructions matter more than using the number as shorthand for indestructibility.

The X4 fits the established Insta360 app and desktop Studio workflow. Choose a subject, set keyframes and decide the output shape later. That makes it flexible for creating a vertical clip and a horizontal edit from one event, provided you retain the spherical original.

An editor's first task is to choose what the viewer should see, not to add every possible camera move. A smooth change in direction can reveal a reaction or a landscape. Constant rotation can hide the point of the shot. A cheap older camera used with clear editing choices can outperform a newer model used without them in the only sense the audience cares about: an understandable finished piece.

Coleman notes that large 8K files and editing requirements are genuine costs. Do not count only the camera and stick. Account for card space, copies on the computer and working exports. A phone with little free space can become the limiting part of the kit even when the camera has a fresh battery.

Also distinguish export dimensions from actual image detail. The flat crop may be exported at a chosen resolution without containing that much independent subject information. We do not repeat an absolute reframed-resolution ceiling from third-party prose as though it were an unchanging software specification.

Single-lens 4K/60fps is convenient when you already know the view you want, but it removes the full-sphere choice. The dedicated 360 mode is the reason this camera belongs in this category. Use the single-lens option as a complementary mode, not as proof that this is the ideal conventional action camera for every job.

The official 2290mAh battery specification is paired with a manufacturer lab claim of 135 minutes at 5.7K/30fps. Insta360's own specification sheet separately lists a lab-rated 75 minutes at 8K/30fps. Both figures are manufacturer lab claims under controlled test conditions, not independent measurements, and it is a mistake to assume the 5.7K number applies to 8K recording when Insta360 itself publishes a lower, mode-specific figure.

TechRadar describes warming during high-resolution stationary filming, and that independent, real-world observation is a separate, non-manufacturer data point: it does not supply a controlled, universal thermal limit for every mode, and actual runtime in the field (heat, temperature, airflow) can fall short of either lab figure. We therefore lower the recording score for the planning required without inventing a precise shutdown time.

For a long event, select the lowest capture workload that still meets the edit's needs, consider airflow and keep spare power ready. A static high-resolution recording in a warm room is not the same use case as short outdoor clips on a moving pole. Do not rely on an accessory or power bank to make an untested workload unlimited.

Charging and file offload can share a break. The practical objective is to start the next activity with enough power and space, not to record indefinitely just because a large headline runtime appears on a product page. Shorter purposeful clips also make the later edit easier to navigate.

The X3 is the lower-resolution older option. Choose it only if its total cost is materially lower and wide, well-lit output meets your needs. If a tighter crop is important, the X4's 8K source is a more relevant upgrade than a small accessory difference.

The X5 improves difficult-light capability and adds user-replaceable outer lenses. Those are significant advantages for a camera that can be knocked or scratched. At similar local prices, we would normally choose the X5 rather than buy an X4 because its launch-era reputation was strong.

The X6 is the premium route for newer imaging and stronger reported 8K/30fps endurance. It is a different budget and has its own launch-era app warning. A buyer doing only daylight travel does not automatically need that premium.

The Osmo 360 is worth considering for internal storage and DJI audio integration, but shares the non-replaceable-lens concern. The Osmo 360 II addresses that and adds high-frame-rate 8K, with availability and thermal caveats. Compare the exact kit, support arrangement and editing fit before assuming brand alone decides the choice.

Our X4 value score is deliberately moderate. It acknowledges a viable lower-cost role without pretending a live discount has been verified. Image quality earns less than the newer models because the difficult-light limitation affects real use, while stabilization remains one of the better-supported strengths.

Buy an X4 when it is meaningfully cheaper than the X5 in a comparable, supported kit and your filming is predominantly daylight. It is also an understandable upgrade from X3 for someone who already knows the editor and wants more room to reframe.

Skip it for dim interiors, regular night video or situations where repairable lenses are a central ownership requirement. Be cautious about used units with unknown optical condition. A bargain stops being one if lens service or missing accessories absorb the savings.

The lead image shows an X4 with its transport lens cap fitted: ItzANormalFioko's product photograph, via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0. Our resized WebP derivative retains that license. Both photographs are third-party product illustrations, not footage from Verdict Hound testing.