Insta360 has launched the Flow Pro smartphone gimbal with a feature we've never seen on any rival product: Apple DockKit support. That allows it to track you around automatically while you present, perform or do other activities, much like DJI's popular Osmo Pocket 3 gimbal.
DockKit support effectively gives you a robotic cameraman. Just set the Flow Pro up on its built-in tripod that extends from the handle and pair it with your iPhone. Then, attach your iPhone to the gimbal using the magnetic phone clamp or MagSafe-compatible magnetic phone mount and you're ready to shoot.
From there, it'll use your iPhone's front or rear camera and the native camera app to track and focus on your or your subject. That gives you the freedom to move around, knowing it'll keep you in frame and in focus. It also works with over 200 third-party iOS apps including FaceTime, Zoom and TikTok.
The only other DockKit product we've seen to date is Belkin's Stand Pro iPhone dock, but that has no gimbal functionality. The Flow Pro, however, is a more powerful version of Insta360's original Flow gimbal (and is cheaper than Belkin's product to boot). To that end, it offers three-axis mechanical shake reduction that's far superior to your phone's electronic stabilization.
It also comes with the company's AI-powered subject tracking with features like tracking recovery (re-acquiring a subject after losing it), person re-identification and slo-mo tracking. Insta360 also introduced Deep track 3.0 that adds 360-degree infinite pan tracking, meaning it can rotate 360 degrees horizontally while tracking subjects. It also supports animal tracking (dogs, cats and horses) and adds an LED tracking ring so you can see if it's following your subject at a quick glance.
Flow Pro also offers a selfie stick that extends to 215mm (8.5 inches), a built-in cold shoe to add a mic or other accessories and a 2,900mAh power bank to charge your iPhone. Other features include "one-step rapid deploy" to unfold the gimbal in one motion, 10-hour battery life, a SmartWheel for quick access to shooting controls, and four gimbal modes (auto, follow, pan follow and FPV).
The Insta360 is now available in the US and worldwide for $149 at select retailers. It includes a magnetic phone clamp, charge cable, grip cover and protective pouch, with other accessories like a spotlight, magnetic phone mount and decorative inserts sold separately.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/insta360s-flow-pro-smartphone-gimbal-uses-apples-dockkit-to-track-you-010029542.html?src=rss
