Welcome to my Insta360 One X2 vs One X comparison article.

Insta360 has included nice upgrades with the One X2 camera including the new OLED screen. Which camera should you consider purchasing?

The Insta360 One X2 was launched in October 2020 and it is the direct successor to the Insta360 One X2 which was launched in October 2018.

Check my insta360 One X2 review.

These cameras have two years difference but surprisingly enough, they share a lot of details when it comes to specs.

In January 2020, many people thought that Insta360 would introduce the successor to the One X series, but unpredictably, they introduced the first modular design action camera named Insta360 One R.

SEE ALSO: Insta360 One R vs One X.

The One X2 has a seemingly new body design that is an improvement of what we had with the One X.

Check my Insta360 One X review.

Both cameras have a long body design which is suitable for mounting and bullet time recording.

With that in mind and moving with the current trends, it was much expected to see the One X rock a much higher video resolution, however, it has 4K as the maximum similar to the older One X.

One important selling point for the One X2 is the improved battery which is also bigger in physical size.

However, this battery will have a hit because now we have an OLED touchscreen.

Speaking of the OLED screen, it is an improvement from the LCD panel we had with the One X.

You can now control the One X2 using your fingers by making swipes and touches on the screen.

The One X2 also has improved audio thanks to the increased microphone count to 4.

You will recall that the One X has only 2 microphones which were rather disappointing for a 360-degree camera.

There are many things to talk about when comparing these cameras, I will try as much as possible to give you all the important details that you need to know.

As always, I will start this comparison article by giving you tabulated information on the differences in technical specifications for both cameras.

Let’s Jump to the Comparison!

Product: Insta360 One X2

Release date: October 2020

Warranty: Yes

Cheapest place to buy: Amazon

Product: Insta360 One X

Release Date: October 2018

Warranty: Yes

Cheapest Place to Buy: Amazon

Insta360 One X2 vs Insta360 One X Technical Specifications

The Unboxing Experience

Being cameras from the same manufacturer, we expect a pretty similar unboxing experience in terms of what’s provided in the retail box.

You will find the following items in the retail package of each unit:

Design and Components

Moving on to the design of both cameras, you will immediately notice that both cameras have a similar physical design language save for a few tweaks made to the One X2.

Both cameras are made of plastic with a rubbery finish that makes them feel more premium.

The One X2 has a rubber bumper on its side that makes the camera easy to hold and move around with.

Dimensions and Weight

Since the cameras have a similar outlook, it is very easy to confuse the two without taking a keen look.

The cameras however differ in terms of dimensions and weight.

The One X2 has a body measurement of 4.62 x 11.30 x 2.98cm / 1.82 x 4.45 x 1.17 inches while the One X has a body measurement of 11.5cm (L) x 4.8cm (W) x 2.8cm (H).

In terms of heaviness, the One X2 has a weight of 149 grams whereas the One X has a weight of 115 grams.

We can see that the One X2 is heavier than its predecessor. The extra weight can be ascribed to the increased battery size in the One X2

Touchscreen vs. Status Screen

The One X2 has an OLED touch-sensitive screen while the One X has an LCD screen for displaying a bit of information like recording time and battery status.

This is a worthy improvement and indeed it can be a deal-breaker for some.

I find it a lot comfortable to operate the camera using my fingers.

The OLED screen is also used to give live monitoring of what your lens is capturing. This is mainly helpful when it comes to framing up your shots.

Many users complained about the visibility of the LCD screen on the One X, especially in bright sunlight.

With the One X2, this is not a problem at all because the new OLED panel is very visible even in bright sunlight.

One advantage of having a non-touchscreen display is that the battery will not have a huge hit since the LCD panel does not drain a lot of power.

This concern has been taken care of well by Insta360 since the One X2 now has an improved battery with increased capacity and boosted performance.

The display on the One X2 is circular in appearance, possibly to illustrate that the camera is a spherical one.

Dual-Lens

Both cameras are spherical and as such, we expect them to have dual lenses which make 360-degree filming possible.

The lenses in both cameras are located at the top and they protrude out of the camera’s body making it vulnerable to accidental scratches and dents.

Both cameras have a lens aperture of f2.0.

It is advised to always keep your lens in good condition by wiping off dust and water droplets, make sure you use a soft lens cloth when wiping to prevent scratching the lens surface.

Insta360 introduced a lens cap for the One X, it is sold separately. I recommend getting the cap especially if you are the kind of person that travels a lot with your camera.

Ports and Sockets

The One X2 has a USB type C port for charging the battery and media file transfer.

The USB port is positioned on the side of the camera and it is enclosed in a small door. You can remove the door partially or fully when you want to use the port.

The One X2 has a memory card slot located in the battery compartment and can accept memory cards up to a capacity of 1TB.

The One X camera can accept microSD cards up to a capacity of 256GB.

In terms of ports and sockets, I am happy because Insta360 did a good improvement not only in terms of boosting the acceptable capacity but also in port placements.

The One X has a micro-USB port for charging and media transfers. The port is positioned on the side of the camera and it is not sealed off in a door.

This gives room for dust particles to lodge in the port hence posing dangers to your camera.

The memory card slot is located on the bottom side of the One X camera and it also supports a maximum card capacity of 256GB.

Removing the memory card from the One X is much more challenging than the One X2.

Both cameras have a ¼ inch mounting hole on the bottom side.

When you have mounted the One X on your preferred tripod/stick, it is impossible to remove the memory card since the mounting stick covers the memory card slot.

With the One X2, this problem is solved because the memory card slot is located in the battery compartment.

Microphones & Audio

The One X2 has a total of four microphones located on four sides of the camera while the One X has only two microphones.

One X2 will have a good audio output considering that the microphones will capture spatial audio.

In this category, GoPro has always been afoot ahead, taking the example of the GoPro Max which has 6 microphones.

Both the One X2 and One X function well in noiseless environments where there is no background interference. I noticed that the audio produced by the One X2 is clearer in this situation.

Moving to windy conditions, the audio performance will have a hit. However, both cameras have wind reduction mechanisms that try to eliminate background noise and focus on your voice when recording.

Both cameras do not have a dedicated 3.5mm external port input. If you need to connect an external microphone to these cameras, you will need to purchase an adapter that will make this possible.

I recommend using the external microphone when filming non-360-degree videos, otherwise, for the spherical videos, you can use the camera’s in-built microphone to eliminate the chances of distractions in the view.

Waterproof

The Insta360 One X2 is waterproof up to an underwater depth of 10 meters / 32 feet without the need for waterproof housing.

The One X2 has a better waterproof rating than the One R which is waterproof down to 5 meters / 16 feet.

The One X is not waterproof without the need for waterproof housing. If you need protection in underwater filming then you can get the Dive Case which is usable up to a depth of 30 meters /98 feet.

Please make sure you test out the dive case before using it with your camera. You may find some holes which will permit water to enter hence damaging the camera.

I don’t recommend filming spherical videos underwater because of the effect of refraction which interferes with stitching.

I Am impressed with the waterproof rating of the One X2 but I will not use it underwater. It is good enough to protect me against accidental splashes and rain.

Controls and Buttons

Both cameras have two buttons for controls and navigation although they differ in layout. For the One X2, the shutter button is located on the front side.

This button can also be used to navigate through the various shooting modes available in the camera. The power button for the One X2 is situated on the side of the camera.

For the One X, both buttons are located on the front and they are aligned vertically.

The Large button is the shutter and it also functions as the enter button. The small one is the power buttons and it also doubles up as the switch button.

I like the new button layout for the One X2, I think that the previous layout presented a more congested front side of the One X.

Voice Control

The Insta360 One X2 is responsive to voice commands following a predetermined set of voices.

This future will always come in handy when you are filming and your hands are held up in such a way that multitasking would compromise your safety.

You can utter the following set of commands to use this future:

·     Start recording

·     Stop recording

·     Take Photo

·     Shut down

Although the set of voices is not broad like what we get with GoPro cameras, it is still nice to have this feature around.

The One X2 can be paired with Apple Airpods. This possibility will let you use the Airpods’ microphone to channel your commands to the camera.

The Insta360 One X does not support voice control. I do not consider voice control capabilities as a deal-breaker. It is a good safety feature to have but you should not base your purchasing decision solely on it.

Using a GPS Smart Remote Control

You can use a GPS remote control for both cameras. You will have to ascertain that your camera runs on the latest software for you to have seamless connectivity with the remote.

The smart remote control is functional up to a determined distance of 10 meters / 32 feet. You can perform several actions using the remote control including taking photos, recording video, and many more.

Using the Smartphone App

Both cameras have built-in Wi-Fi that will enable you to connect the camera to a smartphone and be able to interact with the Insta360 smartphone App.

The App can be downloaded from both Google Play and Apple Store. After downloading and installing the App on your phone, you will then activate Wi-Fi on the camera before you start the connection.

You can use the App to control the camera in many ways including taking photos, recording videos, adjusting camera settings, and many more.

The smartphone can be used for live monitoring of the footage you are filming, also you can use the phone for playback of already-recorded videos.

Insta360 has done a good job in ensuring that the workflow in editing and reframing of spherical videos is reduced in the App. I enjoy using the App to edit and reframe my spherical videos.

Video

Moving on to the video segment, I will take you through how both cameras perform in this category. As both cameras have similar video resolutions, there are areas where Insta360 has been tweaked that improve the general video quality on the One X2.

Video Resolution

Both cameras have a maximum video resolution of 5.7K which is native. As I mentioned earlier, many people expected Insta360 One X2 to come with a boosted resolution of maybe 8K or less but not similar to what we had in 2018.

Other video resolutions for both cameras are 4K and 3K. The pixel width and height of each resolution is as follows:

·     5.7K: 5760 x 2880

·     4K: 3840 x 2160

·     3K: 3840 x 1920

A 360-degree camera works by stitching individual video clips that have been captured by each lens. When the stitching is done, the resulting video normally loses some pixels but not in great amounts.

For both cameras, you can take a 5.7K video and reframe it to Full HD.

Frame Rates

The maximum rates for both cameras are 100 frames per second and it can be used with 3K resolution.

High frame rates mean that you can record slow-motion videos. The lowest frame rates for both cameras is 24 fps.

The frame rates and video resolution combination for the One X2 and the One X are 5K@30fps, 5K@25fps, 5K@24fps, 3K@50fps, 3K@30fps, 3K (3008*1504) @100fps.

How Does Video Quality Compare?

Both cameras have a good performance in video quality, particularly in fine lighting conditions. As expected, the newer camera performs better than the One X and there is no big issue about that.

Despite both cameras sharing similar video resolutions and frame rates, the One X2 generally does an impressive job in processing the video data to bring out an impressive output.

The One X2 has a slightly sharper video with well-balanced colors and contrast. There is a noticeable improvement in dynamic range with the One X2 which makes shooting video in HDR more interesting.

The color rendering on the One X2 is also improved and it brings out a more colorful video compared to what we get from the One X.

Although both cameras perform below average in the dark, I was impressed to see a slight improvement on the night performance of the One X2.

Here is a video by ‘Brandon Li’ shot with the Insta360 One X2:

And, here is a sample video by ‘Kyle Pugliese’ shot with the Insta360 One X:

Video Formats

Video format refers to the extension used to save the recorded video on the memory card. Both cameras have similar video formats mainly because they are from the same manufacturer. The video formats are insv, and MP4.

Spherical videos are saved in the insv format while the regular videos are saved in the MP4 format.

Slow Motion

Both cameras can shoot 360-degree slow-motion videos thanks to the high frame rates.

Bitrate

This term refers to the amount of data the camera will use to record a one-second video clip. It is quantified in megabytes per second (Mbps).

Both cameras have 100Mbps high bitrate. For the One X2, you can use the high Bitrate with the H.264 video encoding technology.

High bitrate means that the camera is using a high writing speed to capture video data, this often improves the video quality to some extent.

Low bitrates vary from 48 to 60Mbps which is best suited for H.264 video codec.

Video Codec

These cameras differ in this category because the One X has only one video codec; the H.264 also known as AVC.

For the One X2, we have the H.264 (AVC), and the most recent H.265 (HEVC). Using the newer video codec is nice because it offers better compression which improves the video quality.

Another advantage of the H.265 video codec is that it results in video files that are reduced in file size; hence you will be able to save on memory space.

Make sure that you use a newer generation PC/Mac when editing videos compressed with H.265 codec. For H.264, you can use an older computer in editing.

Video Modes

There is an improvement on the video modes section with the One X2 since Insta360 has introduced a Starlapse mode which will come with a software update.

There is also a webcam mode in the One X2 which will enable you to broadcast yourself in a meeting. I think this mode will come in handy for most people since online meetings are our new normal.

Apart from the added modes, both cameras have the following video modes shared: Standard 360 video, Time Lapse mode, Bullet Time, HDR video, and Log 360 video.

For Bullet time recording, Insta360 has introduced a new Bullet time cord that will be used for this mode. The cord is retractable and it is more efficient to use than the Bullet time stick that we had before.

Electronic Image Stabilization

Both cameras have EIS technology powered by a 6-axis gyroscope used for making videos appear smooth.

The technology is branded as FlowState for Insta360 action cameras. Different companies use their branding to hype this technology but the mechanism of working is similar. GoPro uses the name HyperSmooth for their WEIS.

How does Stabilization compare?

In general, image stabilization for 360-degree cameras is always impressive because the cameras capture the view in a spherical manner hence giving EIS a smooth run when cropping the video to create a smoother one.

Insta360 has always offered a better version of EIS when compared to other action cameras in the market.

Both cameras perform well in image stabilization but I was able to notice a slight improvement with the FlowState technology in the One X2. Insta360 says that the One X2 FlowState stabilization now operates in all algorithms.

The below Insta360 One X2 video will give you a better understanding on the FlowState stabilization:

Photo

The Insta360 One X2 has an image resolution of 6080×3040 (2:1) in 360 mode and 4320×1440 (3:1) in Panoramic mode.

The One X has an image resolution of 18MP in 360 mode. The pixel width and height are 6080×3040 putting both cameras similar in terms of image resolution.

Photo Formats

Both cameras have insp and RAW photo format. The One X has an additional JPEG photo format. Photos saved in insp format can be exported via the mobile App or desktop software. When shooting photos in RAW, you only have the option of editing on desktop and not mobile App.

I prefer using the RAW photo format because of the flexibility in editing.

How is the Photo Quality?

Both cameras perform equally well in the quality of images produced but the One X2 has a slightly higher advantage in this category.

Despite both cameras having similar photo resolution, the One X2 does an overall good job in terms of color balancing, brightness and contrast.

You should keep in mind that the One X was launched in 2018 and as such, I can say that its performance is still solid compared to other 360 cameras in the market.

Photo Modes

Insta360 One X2 has two new modes known as PureShot, InstaPano. In PureShot mode, the One X2 uses improved HDR to boost the camera’s night performance.

This mode is available with the Insta360 One R camera. The InstaPano mode is used to capture a panoramic photo with just a single shot.

Other photo modes for the Insta360 One X2 are Standard, HDR, Burst, Interval, and Night Shot. The Photo modes for the One X are: Standard 360 photos, timed 360 photos, HDR 360 photos, interval 360 photos, and RAW 360 photos.

Photo Exposure controls

You can adjust the exposure of your photos to try and tweak how the camera performs in this category. The photo exposure modes for the Insta360 One X2 are: Auto, Manual (Shutter 1/8000s-120s, ISO 100-3200), Shutter Priority (1/8000s-1s), ISO Priority (100-3200), Isolated Exposure

The Photo Exposure modes for the One X are Auto, Manual (Shutter 1/8000s-55s, ISO 100-3200), Shutter Priority(1/8000s-2s), ISO Priority (100-3200) WB: Auto, Cloudy, Sunny, Fluorescent, Incandescent.

Battery Comparison

One of Insta360’s main selling point for the One X2 is the improved battery capacity. The One X2 has a removable and rechargeable battery with a capacity of 1630mAh. The One X has a removable and rechargeable battery with a capacity of 1050mAh.

The One X2 battery is also bigger in physical size than the one for One X.

The bigger One X2 battery has more work to do since the camera has a color touchscreen display.

The best recording time you can get with both cameras is 90 minutes. The One X2 has a USB Type C for charging and One X has a micro-USB for charging.

Why you should buy the One X2

·     Color touchscreen display.

·     Improved video and photo qualities.

·     Improved audio performance.

·     Waterproof up to 10M

Why you should keep/buy the One X

·     Substantially reduced in price

·     Similar photo and video resolution with the One X2

·     Easy to use.

To Conclude

The Insta360 One X2 is a nice camera seeing that it offers an improved battery performance, and still rocks the good video and photo qualities.

I was impressed to see the One X2 being waterproof down to 10M, that is a good step forward in this industry.

The doubled microphones boost the audio from stereo to spatial and that is something that should matter especially to vloggers and Youtubers.

It was rather disappointing to see that the video and photo resolutions have not been boosted up to even 6K. Yes, I agree that video quality is not a matter of resolution only but at least a boost would be something nice to have.

The colorful circular touchscreen display on the front side of the camera is a nice feature to have especially for live monitoring of your recordings. It also serves well in outlining your shots.

If you already own the One X, I don’t see any compelling reason that should make you upgrade to the One X2 unless you seriously need the touchscreen. The One X still offers a very solid performance despite being two years older than its successor.

If you have never owned a 360-degree action camera, then I will recommend the One X2 because it offers everything its predecessor does plus a little more things.

Otherwise, if you are on a tight budget, you can consider getting the One X which has now substantially reduced in price offering you the best value for money.

Thanks for reading my Insta360 One X2 vs One X comparison article, I hope you found it useful.

If you have any questions or comments, please respond by filling out a comment below and I will surely get back to you.