Insta360 X4 vs X6: Is the Older 360 Camera Still Worth Buying?

The X6 is the better 360 camera. Whether it's the better buy is a different question, and the X5 complicates it. At US launch list prices the X4 was $499.99, the X5 was $549.99, and the X6 is $699.99. That makes the X6 $200 more than the X4, while the X5 costs only $50 more. Everything below comes down to whether the X6's upgrades are worth that $200, and whether the X5 makes the X4 hard to justify before you even get to the X6.

The X6's biggest advantage shows up after dark

The X4 uses 1/2-inch sensors. The X6 moves to dual 1/1.1-inch square sensors. In bright daylight, reviewers found the gap modest: TechRadar and Trusted Reviews both described the X6's daylight improvement over the X5 as incremental. After dark it opens up, and TechRadar called the X6 the best 360 camera for low-light shooting currently available. Low light was already the X4's weak spot, which is why TechRadar's X5 review said the X5's image quality was markedly better in challenging conditions.

8K50 and a much longer 8K runtime

The X6 records 8K at 50fps in 360, against 8K at 30fps on the X4. On battery, Insta360's lab figures put the X6 at about 140 minutes of 8K30 recording, while the X4 manages about 75 minutes at the same resolution. The X4's headline 135 minutes is at 5.7K30. The X6 also charges to 80 percent in about 24 minutes with a compatible 30W charger.

The X6 is easier to use as an everyday video camera

A 360 camera doesn't have to mean reframing everything later. The X6's InstaFrame 2.0 mode tracks a subject and outputs a flat 4K clip you can share straight away, with an optional 8K 360 backup recorded alongside. Its single-lens mode reaches 5K60 and 4K120, while the X4's tops out at 4K60. The X6 also records 10-bit color across its shooting modes, including the low-light mode, according to TechRadar, and Insta360 says it's the first 360 camera with native in-camera Dolby Vision. A 10-bit I-Log profile is there for grading. Most casual users won't touch the color options, but they matter if you grade footage or want finished clips without an editing step.

Tougher to live with

The X6's waterproof rating rises from the X4's 10 meters to 20 meters without a case. Insta360 also says that underwater 360 footage with the X4 needs its Invisible Dive Case, because refraction affects stitching. The X4 has no replaceable lenses, a feature that arrived with the X5. Insta360 says the X6's second-generation lens is five times more scratch-resistant and about 60 percent cheaper to replace than the X5's. The X6 includes 47GB of usable built-in storage alongside a microSD slot, while the X4 relies on microSD cards alone. Despite the larger sensors, it's also lighter, at 196g against 203g.

The X5 makes the X4 harder to justify

The X5 launched in April 2025 with 1/1.28-inch sensors, which TechRadar measured at 144 percent larger than the X4's, plus a PureVideo low-light mode, replaceable lenses, 15-meter waterproofing, and the first InstaFrame mode. At list price it costs $50 more than the X4. TechRadar also noted that the X6's daylight gain over the X5 is smaller than the jump from the X4 to the X5, which means most of the improvement a typical buyer notices arrived with the X5.

When the X4 is still the sensible choice

The X4 makes sense when it is meaningfully cheaper than the X5, through a clearance, a bundle, or a used price, and you mostly shoot in daylight, travel or hike, and edit casually. A $50 gap isn't enough to give up a bigger sensor, better low light, and replaceable lenses.

When the X6 is worth the extra money

The X6 earns its price if you shoot at night, at dusk, or indoors, want subject-tracked flat 4K clips, work with 10-bit color, record long sessions in 8K, or spend time in the water. Here's where people overspend: buying the X6 for daylight footage alone, which is the situation where reviewers found the gain smallest. If you're also weighing a flat action camera instead of a 360 camera, our DJI Osmo Action 6 vs Insta360 X6 comparison covers that decision.

Should an X4 owner upgrade?

Usually not just because the X6 is newer. If you mostly shoot in daylight, the X4 still does the core job. Upgrade if low-light footage, 8K battery life, flat 4K clips, or 10-bit grading are limits you've already hit. If you'd upgrade anyway, price the X5 first, because for many X4 owners it delivers the biggest jump for the least extra money.

The short version

Skip the X4 unless it is meaningfully cheaper than the X5. Take the X5 if you mostly shoot in daylight and the price gap to the X4 is small. Take the X6 if you shoot at night, want flat 4K and 10-bit color, or spend time in the water, and the extra $150 over the X5 at list price is acceptable. Street prices move, so check the live gap between all three before you buy.