Insta360's upgraded Go 2 action cam will have a 'Minions Edition'
This thumb-sized camera also has fewer limitations when it comes to clip length.
Following a couple of solid 360 cameras, Insta360 is back in the action cam space with yet another "world’s smallest action camera," the Go 2. While this thumb-sized magnetic camera bares a strong resemblance to its predecessor, it's actually a little bigger and comes with many handy upgrades. Most notably, the camera now supports much longer clip lengths — up to 10 minutes with FlowState stabilization or up to 15 minutes with basic stabilization. This is a welcome change, considering the original Go had a 30-second limit per clip at launch, with the assumption being people would only need to shoot bite-size clips. (A 60-second mode was added later on.) Now that the time limit is practically gone on the Go 2, users should enjoy more creative freedom.
Other notable changes include an improved click button, which is now placed on the front side, along with a standalone run time boosted from the old 20 minutes to 30 minutes (1440p30 basic stabilization video). And instead of being just splash-proof (IPX4), the Insta360 Go 2 has an IPX8 waterproof rating, meaning you can take it down to four meters (13 feet) deep right out of the box.
Like before, the Go 2 comes with a handful of accessories to allow for different scenarios. The package includes a redesigned pivot stand with a reusable sticky pad (great for sticking to car windows); an easy clip that allows for angle adjustment (especially when using it on a cap or headband); a magnetic pendant for wearing the camera on your chest; and a replaceable lens guard, which comes preinstalled on the camera. If needed, there's the optional Magnetic Prong Mount to go with other action cam accessories, as well as the Action Mount should you need to clamp the camera down tightly for more hardcore sports. You can also switch the lens guard out with an optional ND filter.
The charge case here has gone through a major redesign, in order to double as a Bluetooth remote and a kickstand — very handy for timelapse photography or quick selfie videos. Its built-in LED display helps you identify the camera's current shooting mode, resolution, field of view, storage capacity and recording time. Gone is the Lightning plug (WiFi transfer is faster, anyway), but it's gained a 1/4-inch mounting point to go with your selfie stick or tripod, thus offering an extra use case. Unsurprisingly, the old micro-USB port has been replaced by a USB-C socket.
Of course, the charge case still provides additional run time, pushing it from the old 60 minutes up to a total of 150 minutes (1080p30 basic stabilization video) when the camera is used while attached. For comparison, that's a bit more than the 130-minute run time we got from the GoPro Hero 9's 1080p mode. When depleted, the Go 2 itself takes around 35 minutes to be fully charged, whereas its charge case needs around 65 minutes (the battery capacities are 210mAh and 1,100mAh, respectively).
Thanks to the new 1/2.3-inch image sensor and a new processor, the Insta360 Go 2 is capable of shooting stabilized videos at a sharper 2,560 x 1,440 at either 50fps or 30fps (25fps or 24fps when in HDR), and likewise for timelapse or hyperlapse (up to 6x) videos but at just 30fps. To support these larger video files, the Go 2 comes with 32GB of storage space (28GB of which is usable), which is a big jump from the original Go's 8GB. If you insist on shooting at 1440p at 50fps, that 28GB space should be good for around 47 minutes of footage. Slow motion is also supported, but only in 1080p at 120fps.
The Go 2 still offers single press or double press shortcuts to instantly start shooting in different modes. By default, when powered off, a single press toggles basic stabilized video recording, whereas a double press captures a photo (2,000 x 2,000). Long press for one second turns on the camera, and from here, a single press triggers a FlowState stabilized video recording, and a double press starts a hyperlapse video recording. These require a bit of learning to begin with, but if needed, you can customize the shortcut assignments the app. Or just use the charge case's Bluetooth remote control feature, if not the app.
Speaking of, the Insta360 app offers a variety of "FlashCut 2.0" templates that use AI to put your clips together with matching music, while still leaving with you the option to choose your desired part of each clip. These tend to be only around 13 to 15 seconds long, though I find this to be about the right length for my attention span after a day trip. Any longer would require more thinking, not to mention the longer wait time for exporting the videos. That said, you do have the option to extend your stories based on these templates. I've included two samples above to give you a taste of what the template library offers (be sure to choose 1440p resolution in the video player).
The Insta360 Go 2 seemingly makes a more compelling case for tiny action cameras than its predecessor did. There are fewer limitations this time, not to mention improved video quality and how some of the accessories make the camera more versatile. If you need more persuasion, the Go 2 will be getting a cute Minions Edition sometime this summer — a fitting match, given the camera's design. This will be available exclusively on Insta360's website for $329.99 (available in the US, Canada, Japan, Mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan only).
In the meantime, the regular Insta360 Go 2 is already available on the company's website, starting at $299.99 (or £294.99 in the UK). You'll also have the option on the site to design your own "skin" for the device.
