GO WITH THE FLOW Insta360 Flow

An Al-powered gimbal with extensive tutorials and features packed to the brim

- SUJITH GOPINATH

Smartphone gimbal stabilisers have come a long way in their evolution, having reached the foldable selfie-stick design. The Insta360 Flow is the latest smartphone gimbal with this design and features AI tracking and a feature-rich app for support. Some brands have specially designed revealing outfits for their products, and the Insta360 Flow does show quite a lot of its otherwise hidden circuitry through a transparent segment on the stem. The device has a dual tone finish and our review unit had a dominant white (Summit White) colour. It is also available in Stone Grey colour. The device is foldable with smooth hinges and perfect locking mechanisms. The selfie stick has a five-segment telescopic design and feels robust. There is a standard tripod socket if you want to mount the gimbal on a standalone tripod apart from the built-in tabletop tripod. The magnetic phone clamp is sturdy and the magnet strong enough to hold most phones in place. The device has a control panel with a wheel (called SmartWheel) around the perimeter and a trigger at the back. A cold shoe hides well-camouflaged at one end of the transparent segment.

The Insta360 Flow is an AI-powered stabiliser that offers a built-in selfie-stick, tripod and a power bank to charge your smartphone. It can accommodate phones with 6.9 to 10 mm thickness and 64 to 84 mm width, weighing 130 to 300 g. The system is compatible with iOS and Android systems. The gimbal allows -230 to 100 degrees of panning, -150 to 180 degrees of rolling, and -100 to 82 degrees of tilting with up to 120 degrees per second of control speed. Both joystick speed and zoom speed can be adjusted. There are two USB ports, one for charging the 2900 mAh battery and the other for charging your phone and other accessories.