Insta360’s GoPro competitor now has a bigger screen and improved 8K capabilities

Insta360 has announced its new Ace Pro 2 action camera, an upgraded version of its GoPro Hero-series competitor. The compact camera now has a larger screen on the back that flips up 180 degrees for framing selfie videos, and it debuts at $399.99 — $50 cheaper than Insta360’s original Ace Pro.

The design of the Ace Pro 2 still closely resembles the GoPro Hero series and DJI’s Osmo Action line, with an offset lens making room for an additional screen on the front. But while the front screen on the cameras of Insta360’s competitors can display full-color video, the Ace Pro 2’s monochromatic front screen only displays information.

That’s why the company is carrying forward the hinged screen from the original Ace Pro and has bumped its size from 2.42 inches to 2.5 inches (matching the screen size of the recently announced Osmo Action 5 Pro), while also improving its brightness and pixel density. A larger screen makes it easier to frame shots, whether you’re standing in front of or behind the camera. However, that hinge is also a durability risk depending on what you’re using the Ace Pro 2 for.

The other feature that distinguishes Insta360’s new action cam from the competition is its 8K capabilities. The Ace Pro 2 can now record 8K video at 30fps — a slight bump from 8K at 24fps previously — using what Insta360 describes as a “next-gen” version of the 1/1.3-inch image sensor from the original Ace Pro that’s paired with a 157-degree wide-angle Leica Summarit lens. Still photography is also boosted to 50MP. Dropping the camera’s resolution down to 4K boosts frame rates to 120fps, or 60fps in HDR, while 1080p mode can record as high as 240fps for smooth slow-motion captures.

Insta360 says the Ace Pro 2 is powered by a Pro Imaging Chip, handling “image processing and noise reduction,” as well as an AI chip running a “complex, custom-trained AI neural network,” powering a PureVideo recording mode. When recording at night or in places where the lighting is dim, the PureVideo mode can boost the brightness of a video while also enhancing details. The camera can also leverage its AI capabilities to automatically create edited clips featuring what it decides are the best moments in a video.

The Ace Pro 2’s waterproofing has been extended to 39 feet — six feet deeper than the original — or 197 feet when used with an optional Dive Case accessory. Insta360 has also added a new “wind guard” to the front of the camera to improve the quality of audio captured during high-speed activities but with a magnetic mount so it can be easily removed when recording in quieter situations.

Other features include a larger 1,800mAh battery that Insta360 says is rated at 180 minutes but with video recording limited to 1080p at 24fps. In 8K mode, battery life will definitely be shorter than that. The Ace Pro 2 can also continually capture up to 120 seconds before a recording is started to reduce the chances of missing a shot, allows recordings to be paused without creating a new video file, and supports both hand gestures and voice commands for operating the camera from afar.

What Insta360 didn’t announce today is an updated version of the Ace camera that debuted alongside the original Ace Pro. Its video capabilities were limited to 6K at 30fps, but it was $70 cheaper than the Pro. Had a new version of the Ace debuted with the same $50 price cut as the new Ace Pro 2, it would have potentially been a cheaper alternative to both the $349 Osmo Action 5 Pro and $399 GoPro Hero 13 Black while offering better video capture capabilities.