Insta360 wants to sell you the camera that can replace them all, and I think they can

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One of the perks of this job is that we get to see upcoming tech before the public does. For example, I went to New York City for a first look at the Insta360 X6 before its launch, but the event was about more than just the new product. Insta360 also seized the opportunity to tell us about its history and offer a glimpse of what the future could hold.

As awesome as the Insta360 X6 is, I walked away more excited about the ecosystem the brand is creating.

Insta360 launched its first 360-degree camera 10 years ago. As a tech journalism veteran, I actually remember it. It was the Insta360 Nano, and I got to see it at CES. It was a 360-degree camera that attached to an iPhone.

Back then, Insta360 was a new brand with big aspirations, and, as with any new, experimental company, I had doubts about its future. Not because I didn’t believe in the product (it was really cool, after all), but because I didn’t see how mass adoption could be accomplished.

Producing 360-degree content had all kinds of barriers people had to jump through. For starters,  you needed specialized cameras. This could be solved, but you would also have to consider the rest of the process. You needed specialized software to process the clips, not to mention the editing skills to finalize the content. Being involved in content creation, I realized that making videos takes a lot of time and, back then, required a powerful computer. And this was for regular 2D videos; imagine how it would seem to make completely immersive 360-degree content.

It all seemed a bit far-fetched. Maybe I lacked vision in this department, but Insta360 didn’t. Needless to say, the company didn’t fail, and is now the staple market leader in consumer-focused 360-degree cameras. The market is thriving, and it’s getting better.

Insta360 had to pave the way for a brighter future for itself. As it stands, 360-degree content remains a bit of a niche activity. It’s mostly reserved for thrill-seekers and extreme sports enthusiasts who want to share exciting adventures. There’s also a market for this content style in industries such as real estate and tourism. Casual user adoption is definitely growing, but it’s not widespread quite yet. After spending some time with the Insta360 team, I am pretty sure this will change very soon, though.