Around the same time last year, Insta360 released their thumb-sized Go 3 action cam, which gave us 2.7K video recording in an incredibly tiny package. This year, they’re beefing it up with a full 4K sensor in the form of the Insta360 Go 3S.
Why not just call it the Go 4? We’re not entirely sure, since there are some significant upgrades here from the last generation of the action cam. Maybe they’re not significant enough to warrant a new numbered update? Either way, there are definitely improvements here to make it worth upgrading from last year’s model.
The Insta360 Go 3S shoots 4K video at 30 fps, allowing you to capture footage in ultra-HD, as well as 2.7K video at 100 fps and 1080p footage at 200 fps. That’s right, it offers up to 200 fps slow-motion, which is pretty wild for a tiny action cam roughly the same size as a USB dongle. They pair that sensor with a new wide angle lens that, the outfit claims, enables a new MegaView FOV that allows for extra-wide shots with less distortion and straighter edges, along with a new chip that boasts 50 percent more computing power to handle all that 4K content. Other new features include Dolby Vision HDR for highly-improved video quality, the ability to switch between horizontal and vertical orientation in the middle of a recording, and an interval video mode that automatically turns the camera on to capture a series of clips.
The camera also gets improved waterproofing, now able to submerge in water up to 33 feet deep, twice the 16 feet maximum depth the previous model can handle. Lastly, the device now supports Apple Find My, which should make it easier to locate should you ever lose it at any point.
The Insta360 Go 3S cab still do hands-free shooting as before, either by clipping it to your clothing, snapping it on the included magnet pendant, or mounting it on the pivot stand. The new interval video mode comes in very handy in these types of videos, of course, since you can simply set a recording frequency and length to have the camera automatically capture clips all throughout the day, allowing you to get a bunch of recordings without even touching a button. From there, you can choose to edit the videos yourself or use the auto-edit AI functions in the app, which can combine those clips into one long video to show a day-long snapshot of your adventures.
It comes an included Action Pod, which is, basically, a GoPro-sized dock that takes the action cam on designated slot. Using it gives you longer battery life (140 hours compared to 38 hours), while also providing a 2.2-inch flip-up touchscreen for better framing your shots. Other features include electronic stabilization (FlowState and Horizon Lock), remote control via the Action Pod, stats overlay (when paired with Apple Watch and Garmin devices), creative shooting modes (timelapse, timeshift, and more), and instant access to files from the companion app.
The Insta360 Go 3S is available now in 64GB and 128GB variants.
