insta360 ONE X2 360 Degree Waterproof Action Camera, 5.7K 360, Stabilization, Touch Screen, AI Editing, Live Streaming, Webcam, Voice Control

The GOOD:
This camera alone is a fun camera to use and play with. I love the fact that you can record all directions without worrying about missing a shot (but you still need to be mindful of the direction you point your camera). To get the best video quality without giving yourself or the viewer a headache you need to actually point and record with the lens facing the subject (if you’re taking clips from a weird angle the video doesn’t look that good.)
The battery life for the most part is pretty good considering it’s supposed to be waterproof (haven’t dared to test it in water yet). I find the battery outlasting the gopro and also the dji osmo action.
Price vs video quality is not bad, I would say it’s very competitive with gopro and dji BUT still not as good as my phone (S22 Ultra) video quality. I mainly choose this over my phone as I wanted to have a camera that acts like a cameraman for me so as I’m doing activities this will be able to capture myself. (very capable).

Now… The CONS:
I really hate that there are no good lens protectors (well they have a premium protector that is like $50, but even that can get scratched or cracked and you’re out $50) that are cost efficient and don’t hurt the video quality. I’ve read many reviews that any lens protection available still depreciates the quality. I’ve opted to not get a lens protector yet but just the rubber lens cap for now. I’m extremely worried for the lens getting scratched or worse cracked. I don’t see this as an action cam and the GoPros and DJI osmo action definitely has this beat as far as durability.
I do find that the camera does heat up pretty warm when recording for awhile, I haven’t got any errors in regards to overheating but have had issues with the micro SD card not being able to record fast enough (even though I’m using a 128GB Sandisk Extreme 160MB/s card. The camera just ends recording and shuts down.

Video/Data Transfer to Phone & Mobile App – A HUGE NEGATIVE and

Potential Deal Breaker:
First off, the Insta360 app is a pretty decent app which allows editing to be fun and intuitive BUT… I find the process EXTREMELY frustrating, time consuming, and not efficient.

The ONLY way I currently can transfer the recorded videos from the camera (micro sd card) to my phone (S22 Ultra) is via wifi connection with the camera and only through the Insta360 app. (I HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO FIND ANY OTHER WORK AROUND).
I’ve tried via USB cable – USB C to USB C does not work (I read on forums that ONLY THE INSTA360 USB C cable will work, I haven’t tried yet because it was not provided with the camera and can only be ordered through the Insta360 site for $8 + $18 shipping and tax?)
I’ve tried taking the micro sd card out and using a card reader – DOES NOT WORK, the app doesn’t load any of the files via card reader.

I don’t mind taking the time for post production editing the videos (ie adding keyframes, exporting, adding music). Took a few hours just to edit a 7 minute clip, and I still needed to import the clips into another video editing app, BUT the end product is awesome.

THE ISSUE – they advertise that you don’t need to download the clips in order to edit in the app BUT if you choose not to download and edit straight from the camera you are consuming the camera battery as well as your device battery (the camera itself also gets very warm, also the video clips lag when editing).
If you decide to download the video clips from the camera to edit it TAKES FOREVER! and on top of that you still need to spend time to re-frame then export which also TAKES FOREVER! During the download and export times, your phone or device is pretty much unusable because you have to wait for the processing to complete.

If I had to reconsider my purchase this big issue would have changed my decision… Hopefully this information helps others to make up their own minds.

If Insta360 would of just provided the USB C cables (USB C to USB C) this issue probably wouldn’t have been a deal breaker.

I noticed that there was a grayish stain on my images and looking more closely I noticed that there is a defect on one of the two lenses. Since I am confined to my home due to COVID19, I am sure I did not damage the lens myself. I am offered to repair the camera, but I have to pay for transport, customs clearance and insurance for the trip to and from Hong Kong, (2 X $ 415 by UPS) which costs more than a new camera. ..

360 cameras have always used fish eye lenses and the results have been something that you’d need to adjust to like. This camers however, knocks it out of the park. The video app is amazing making video editing a breeze. The video quality is stunning. I’m coming from a GoPro Hero 6 and the improvements are stunning. The X2 is a stellar camera and I can’t wait to try the X3!

画質は申し分ありません、継ぎ目が目立たなく高精細で風切り音も少なくスペックは高いです、
専用ソフトで書き出さないと通常のプレーヤーでは再生できないタイプでした。
私が買った個体は9分録画した所で音声のみしか収録されておらず、その後シャットダウンし、
再起動するも画面が砂嵐状態となりました、しばらく時間を置いて録画を再開しても1分少々でシャットダウンする症状が残りました、品質管理を疑います。

I purchased this camera specifically for its ability to live stream in the 360 degree viewing angle (uses lenses on both sides of the camera) when it worked, it was great, however, over a short time period, it became inconsistent and then stopped live streaming in 360 degree view altogether. I contacted customer support which if I understood correctly, one person works in customer support that is able to communicate in english. This means leaving a message and they will call me back as soon as they can. I was getting error codes on the insta360 One x2, often. When I read the codes to customer service, they said their engineers had not ever received these error codes before but that they would get back to me when they had a solution. I also sent (by their request) video of the malfunction (I screen recorded the error codes and what would happen when the camera would not allow me to live stream in the 360 degree viewing angle). Tech support and the engineers did not ultimately offer a solution and I did not hear from them again. Because all of this happened within the thirty day return time period, I was able to return the camera but had to wait two weeks from the date they received the camera, to receive my refund (this was highly frustrating) and I also was not given the choice to exchange the camera which would have allowed me to be sent a replacement, right away, and return the malfunctioning camera. But this option was not available to me. A highly frustrating experience. I give the camera five stars because I really like it in every other way and it’s a great idea, great build quality, and if they can fix the live streaming in 360 degree viewing angle, would be a masterpiece. I still like the camera but will wait until they offer a solution to the live streaming in 360 degree.

Also, to clarify, the many times I called and spoke to customer support (I would be required to leave a message) the same person (I recognized her voice) called me. So I asked if she was the only one that works in customer service and she said no, but that she was the only english speaking person that worked in customer service. Stating that if I knew their language, they have many customer service I could speak to. She was nice except when a couple of times she told me I asked too many questions. I’ve never been told this by any customer service, before. To me, it’s normal to ask questions when I’m trying to understand something and especially when I’m trying to find solutions.

Also, it would be wise to mention, I had purchased the additional warranty offered on the insta360 One X2 website, I think it cost 39 dollars and provides a one year free replacement (one time only). This warranty at the time of purchase, was not available here on amazon. It appeared I was required to purchase this warranty from the insta360 one x2 website. Which it says one has three days maximum to purchase this free replacement warranty, from the date of camera purchase. I purchased the free replacement warranty and when I returned the camera, insta360 customer service told me that the free replacement warranty is not returnable, even though I clarified that the camera was still within the thirty day return policy and is not working properly.

All that said, I still like the camera very much and hope to one day own one again. I will watch closely to see how the live streaming feature in 360 degree viewing angle is working for everyone on their YouTube videos and social media videos altogether. Thank you for reading my review! I hope you have a wonderful day!