If it seems like Insta360 has been updating its range like crazy in the past year, that's probably because it has. The Ace and Ace Pro touched down in November 2023, followed by the X4 in April 2024. Both cameras came offering 8K video out of the box, instantly setting themselves apart (though your existing computer hardware may or may not thank you).
Fast forward to today, and now it's the ultra-portable, ultra-wearable Insta360 GO line's turn for an update. The newly announced Insta360 GO 3S now packs 4K capability into the tiniest form factor the company has managed so far.
The previous camera, the Insta360 GO 3 (no S), by comparison, only offers up to 2.7K video. And while there's a case to be made for the idea that most of the world isn't quite operating at 8K speeds just yet, 4K seems to be a more common standard every day. That's especially true if you're say, uploading regular videos to YouTube.
What else is new about the Insta360 GO 3S?
While the 4K up-rezzing is the party piece, it also gets new Apple Find My compatibility. That's good news because, with an action camera as tiny as those in the Insta360 GO series, they're unfortunately also a lot easier to misplace.
Thanks to this new capability, if you're in the Apple ecosystem, it should at least offer you a little more peace of mind next time you're out and about. You know, as long as you don't end up feeding it to a shark on your next vacation, at which point likely no amount of tech tracker intervention will help. Here's hoping you got the video off the camera before it got eaten!
What's the amount of record time available on the Insta360 GO 3S? According to the camera maker, it's 140 minutes. Please keep in mind that this is a claim made by the company and not something that we have independently tested at the time of writing. Additionally, the company claims the new GO 3S is waterproof to 10 meters (or 33 feet).
Other GO 3S updates include a redesigned magnetic pendant, which Insta360 says is now made of "new materials" (which materials exactly are unspecified), as well as reshaped with a bit of a curve to dissipate heat more readily.
Likewise, the Easy Clip also gets a design update that involves a new magnetic mounting point as compared to the one that was previously available. The GO 3S Pivot Stand also now works on curved surfaces, giving more options to get the shots you want.
Familiar favorite features carried over to the GO 3S include that little 2.2-inch flip touchscreen on the Action Pod, which also offers both remote control capability and a live preview of what you're recording.
Insta360's popular FlowState stabilization and Horizon Lock features also carry over down the line to the GO 3S. While you may already be familiar with them from before, it's still nice to have the reassurance that features you previously appreciated didn't suddenly disappear on the newest hardware update. Decontenting is sadly a thing, particularly in the tech world, so it's always nice to see that not happen.
Are you excited to see the GO line bump up to 4K? Do you like the tiniest Insta360 action camera line, or are there other features you'd like to see in the future? Talk about it in the comments!
