360 degree video’s role within immersive technology continues to be one that actively splits the community. To some it is, though at the lower end of the spectrum, a great and simple way to introduce people into what being in virtual reality (VR) can be like and a great tool for advertisers and creatives alike. To some it drives them mad that it is even considered in the same sentence as “true VR” and that the lack of interaction means that it is not truly immersive. Wherever you stand on that debate, however, it seems like 360 degree video is definitely here to stay.
So, it’s not surprising that beyond our thrice weekly Life In 360° series we hear so much news relating to 360 degree technology and projects. One company we’ve been helping you keep tabs on for a good couple of years now is Chinese firm Insta360, which makes 360 degree cameras. Insta360 launched its first one back in 2016 – the Insta360 Nano – which was a clip-on camera for the iPhone 6 series of devices. Since that time the company has launched more iterations of the 360 degree camera and picked up numerous awards.
So far this year the firm has worked on developing the quality of the video it is producing and recently announced a ‘choose your own adventure’ competition – but it also appears that we’ll have some new hardware to look forward to later this year as well if a new teaser image released by the company is anything to go by.
Insta360 is naturally being coy about what the announcement entails, however it is worth noting that its announcement comes just shy of a week from a year to the day that they launched their last 360 degree camera, the 4K Insta360 ONE. The wording would suggest the project might well be called the ‘Insta360 Move’, but that – and the stats of the camera – are things we will have to wait to find out. VRFocus will, of course, bring you details as soon as we get them.