DJI announced the Osmo360 on July 31, 2025, nine years after Insta360 launched the first consumer 360-degree camera in 2016. During those nine years, Insta360 solved fundamental 360-degree capture challenges while established manufacturers focused on proven market segments. DJI’s entry applies conventional imaging principles to an established format rather than developing breakthrough solutions for 360-degree capture.
The timeline reveals the difference between market creation and market participation. Insta360 invested years developing purpose-built 360-degree technologies when success remained uncertain. DJI observed this market development while focusing on drone segments. Even in action cameras, DJI entered the market in 2019 – two years after Insta360’s 2017 pivot with FlowState Stabilization and “shoot first, point later” editing innovation. This pattern continued with 360-degree capture, entering only after Insta360 proved market viability and solved core technical problems. Creators now choose between nine years of specialized 360-degree innovation and a brand that consistently follows proven markets with adapted solutions.
Designer: Insta360
Innovation Leadership Versus Late Market Entry
Insta360 launched the first consumer 360-degree camera in 2016 when spherical capture required technical expertise and produced mediocre results. Established camera manufacturers dismissed the format as a niche experiment while Insta360 committed resources to solving fundamental challenges. The company pioneered computational photography for spherical content, developed consumer-friendly stitching algorithms, and created mobile editing workflows that made 360-degree content accessible to mainstream creators.
DJI focused on drone technology while Insta360 solved early adoption challenges. DJI’s entry represents a response to Insta360’s proven market success, applying conventional imaging approaches to an established format. The timing shows DJI following proven demand rather than creating new markets.
The X5 brings together years of work to solve common creator frustrations such as scratched lenses, poor low light performance, and complicated editing. It introduces Insta360’s most durable lenses to date, which are also fully replaceable. PureVideo mode manages spherical lighting in ways that conventional systems cannot. The extended 208 minute battery keeps creators recording throughout the day. A redesigned mobile app makes editing easier than ever, and clips can be exported directly in seconds.
Feature Implementation Reveals a Following Strategy
DJI’s Osmo360 appears to build on Insta360’s established innovations rather than developing original 360-degree solutions. Every major feature comparison reveals the same pattern: Insta360 innovates first, files patents, and brings features to market. DJI watches, adopts the functionality, and releases similar features months later with different names but identical technology.
Bullet Time vs Vortex Mode: Patent Innovation vs Imitation
Insta360 pioneered Bullet Time in 2017 with the first generation ONE, introducing cinematic effects using dedicated handles and auto-editing algorithms. Users swing the camera around their head while horizon leveling, smart speed control, and slow motion freeze the moment. Insta360 filed patents related to Bullet Time technology and continues this innovation in the X5.
DJI’s “Vortex Mode” delivers identical functionality with no meaningful improvements or originality. Both use rotating handles with 1/4″ screw mounting, though DJI’s handle measures ~187mm versus Insta360’s more compact ~169mm design. The interface designs show almost no difference, revealing DJI’s strategy of following proven innovations rather than developing original solutions.
Hardware Design Mimicry: Even Industrial Design Gets Copied
DJI OSMO360
DJI’s mirroring extends beyond software features to hardware design. Their Invisible Selfie Stick shows remarkable similarities to Insta360’s established design language. Insta360’s 114cm Invisible Selfie Stick weighs ~124g with distinctive diamond pattern texturing. DJI’s 1.2m version also weighs ~124g but uses different textured patterns while maintaining identical mounting methods and connection systems.
The top design, bottom design, and extendable connection systems show minimal innovation, suggesting DJI studied Insta360’s successful formula rather than developing original solutions.
Gesture and Voice Control: Following the Feature Roadmap
Insta360 first introduced Gesture Control with the X4, enabling users to take photos with peace sign gestures and start/stop video recording with palm gestures. The system supports Voice Control in English, Chinese, and Japanese with commands including “take a photo,” “start recording,” “stop recording,” “mark that,” and “shutdown camera.”
DJI’s Osmo360 offers matching functionality with comparable voice control features. Interface screenshots reveal nearly identical gesture and voice control menus, continuing the pattern of feature-by-feature replication without meaningful innovation.
App Design Similarities: DJI Mimo Copies Insta360’s Interface
DJI’s pattern of following extends to mobile application design. The DJI Mimo app incorporates features directly inspired by older Insta360 App versions, with player styles and design elements clearly drawn from Insta360’s established interface. Settings page layouts and visual styles appear remarkably similar to Insta360’s proven design language.
DJI’s Quick Framing feature mirrors Insta360’s Quick Edit in function, interaction, UI visuals, and color schemes. Both record user swipes and phone movements to reframe footage, but the operation steps, button texts, and animations remain virtually identical between platforms. Control functions use matching gyroscope motion control, finger swipe, virtual joystick, FOV slider zoom, and preset angles. Even icon line thickness, rounded corners, shadows, and interface elements show suspicious similarities. The Verge also pointed out that DJI’s mobile app looks suspiciously similar to the X5’s.
Core Technology Rebranding: Same Innovation, Different Names
Insta360’s AI Highlights becomes DJI’s “Best Moments.” Camera movement features in DJI Mimo closely resemble Insta360’s “Movement” feature from previous app versions, sharing concepts, motion template styling, and naming conventions. DJI’s Osmo 360 replicates Insta360’s “Me Mode” under the rebranded name “Selfie Mode,” and adds a nearly identical “Twist Shot” in an August 2025 firmware update after widespread media coverage of Insta360’s “Twist to Shoot”
Replaceable Lens System Eliminates Creator Equipment Anxiety
Insta360’s modular lens architecture solves the most persistent fear in 360-degree shooting through field-replaceable optics that maintain creative confidence in challenging environments. Adventure creators and extreme sports enthusiasts can pursue ambitious shots without equipment destruction concerns that traditionally limit creative risk-taking.
The implementation extends beyond simple replacement capabilities to create an expandable platform for specialized applications. Underwater lenses, low-light optics, and extreme weather protection become possible through the modular system rather than requiring separate camera purchases. Field maintenance eliminates expensive service requirements that interrupt production schedules and affect client relationships during professional shoots. When lens damage occurs, users swap in fresh optics and continue filming without missing critical moments.
DJI’s approach emphasizes conventional durability through established construction methods with IP68 waterproofing extending to 10 meters depth. The protection proves solid through traditional engineering techniques, but lens damage still requires complete camera service rather than field solutions. The magnetic mounting system adapts directly from DJI’s action camera ecosystem, providing workflow familiarity but incremental improvement rather than innovative solutions to 360-degree specific challenges. Professional users must plan for equipment downtime during lens repairs that can affect project timelines.
Real-World Performance Reveals Practical Usage Differences
Extended field testing across multiple shooting scenarios demonstrates significant power management and thermal differences between the systems that affect real-world production planning. The X5 achieves 208 minutes of recording in 5.7K long-lasting mode with its 2400mAh battery, compared to the Osmo360’s 190 minutes maximum with its 1950mAh battery. However, the Osmo360 faces critical overheating issues that severely limit actual recording time. Phillip Bloom said on Threads that Osmo suffers from when you shoot in temperatures over 26 Celsius. Anyone who tells you it doesn’t have an overheating issue isn’t being honest with you. And potential fogging issues can impact image quality and equipment performance during water sports, winter sports, and other low-temperature environments.
Software Ecosystem Highlights Market Leadership
Insta360’s mobile application ecosystem demonstrates years of 360-degree optimization that competitive offerings cannot easily replicate. AI-powered editing tools specifically designed for 360-degree content automate complex post-production tasks including object removal, deep tracking, and automatic scene detection. Creators can generate social media content, apply reframing effects, and export multiple aspect ratios without desktop software requirements.
With an Insta360 Cloud subscription, X5 footage is automatically backed up, ensuring creators never have to worry about losing an SD card or running out of phone storage.
The ecosystem maturity shows in community resources and learning materials that accelerate user skill development. Insta360’s established user base has generated extensive tutorials, techniques, and creative applications specific to 360-degree content. New users can access optimized learning paths rather than adapting traditional video production knowledge to 360-degree requirements.
DJI, on the other hand, emphasizes its broader hardware portfolio and places less focus on software. The Osmo360’s internal storage and familiar mounting systems are designed to fit smoothly into established equipment workflows, allowing multi-camera productions to add 360-degree content without significant process changes or additional training for crew members.
Market Leadership Defines Future Direction
Insta360’s continued investment in 360-degree specific innovations demonstrates long-term format commitment that extends beyond current market trends. The X5’s transformative features solve problems that users accepted as inherent limitations in 360-degree capture. The replaceable lens system, software processing, and extended battery architecture represent innovations that will likely influence future competitive products.
Real-world user experiences consistently reinforce the X5’s practical advantages over the Osmo360’s approach. Multiple independent reviewers have identified persistent warping problems with the Osmo360 that required post-launch firmware updates, highlighting first-generation product risks. Professional content creators report frustration with DJI’s steep learning curve compared to Insta360’s intuitive interface, while availability challenges expose DJI’s uncertain commitment to long-term 360-degree investment.
DJI’s market entry validates Insta360’s format development while applying proven action camera technologies to spherical capture. The timing suggests competitive response rather than visionary development, leaving creators to choose between proven innovation and incremental adaptation of existing technologies.
The post Insta360 X5 Dominates 360-Camera Market as DJI Osmo360 Arrives Nine Years Too Late with Borrowed Features first appeared on Yanko Design.