Insta360 Nano S Adds 360-Degree Video Chat To Any iPhone
Insta360 started off as a small company with an almost odd product: a 360-degree camera that you attach to the bottom of an iPhone, forcing you to use the iPhone upside down. In a little over a year's time, the brand has exploded into the 360-degree camera scene, embraced Android phones, and even put out an even stranger Insta360 ONE "orbiting" camera. Today, it is going back to its roots with the Insta360 Nano S, successor to the Nano that kicked off the company's business. And it is adding more than just a letter to its name, bringing a set of interesting features to an accessory you can easily stow in your pocket.
The Insta360 Nano S naturally captures photos and videos in 360-degrees, up to 20 megapixels for stills and 4K for videos. You can even livestream it for the world to see, on YouTube, Facebook, or Periscope. What the Nano S adds on top, however, is the ability to use that footage in a one-on-one video chat.
And the recipient doesn't even need to have an Insta360 Nano S camera to view it. You simply need to send them a link from the Insta360 app, which they can open in any web browser. What's more, recipients will be able to pan through the 360-degree video chat and see everything around you.
The fun doesn't stop there either. Insta360 is introducing a new MultiView feature that lets you select different camera views and lay them out in split screens. You can, for example, lock one view facing forward and another facing you. Or you can have one view showing a "tiny planet" feed while focusing on other subjects in the other view.
The Insta360 Nano S also incorporates features from the company's other cameras. Like FreeCapture, which turns you into a director, shooting at full 360-degrees and then later choosing the angles and shots before sharing it with others. The tiny camera also boasts of a stabilization system that actually uses the iPhone's own gyroscope instead of bulking up the camera's size with a built-in sensor.
The Insta360 Nano S retails for $239, available both directly from the company's online store as well as from Amazon. Given its design, it is once again only compatible with the iPhone 6 and newer models, except the iPhone SE.
