Ricoh might have one of the most popular 360-degree cameras on the market with its Theta S 360 camera, but there are plenty of competitors looking to carve out their own niche in the virtual reality world.
Take for example Insta360, a new camera company looking to make its mark with its brand new Insta360 Nano camera. Much like the Ricoh Theta S 360 and other 360-degree cameras on the market, the Insta360 Nano is a small, pocket-sized camera designed to capture an immersive view of whatever activity you’re filming.
What sets the Insta360 Nano apart is its unique hardware and software combo, which lets you instantly transfer photos and videos to your iPhone using an integrated Lightning connector.
Unlike other 360-degree cameras, which rely purely on wireless connectivity, the Insta360 Nano features a built-in Lightning connector for easy transferring of media to your iPhone.
The camera itself features two 210-degree lenses to capture the entire scene — with plenty of room for overlapping when stitching the images together. Behind the lenses are a pair of sensors capable of putting out 3K footage at 30 frames per second.
The defining characteristic of the Insta360 Nano is its ability to instantly share any and all visuals you capture with it. When paired with its proprietary application, you can easily share your immersive photos and videos to Facebook and Twitter with the tap of a single button.
In addition to sharing content after its been captured, it’s also possible to live-stream full 360 video via Facebook or WeChat when plugged into your iPhone — a feature few other cameras on the market offer at this time.
Below are a few 360-degree promotional videos showing off the capabilities of the Insta360 Nano (you will need a compatible browser to view them as they’re intended to be viewed):
Insta360 says the Nano offers 70 minutes of recording time and is compatible with iPhone 6/6S and iPhone 6 Plus/6S Plus devices. It’s priced at $200 for pre-order, with an expected shipping date of July 30, 2016. Five colors will be available to mix and match with the color of your iPhone.
