Insta360 Debuts Cheaper Wireless Mic With Color E Ink Display
The $249.99 Insta360 Mic kit keeps the Mic Pro’s customizable display while trading its three-microphone array for a single mic and expandable storage.
Insta360 has introduced the Insta360 Mic, a lower-cost wireless microphone system that retains the customizable color E Ink display found on its Mic Pro. The new model replaces the Pro’s three-microphone array with a single mic, but adds a microSD card slot for backup recording, according to The Verge and Engadget.
Table of Contents
Price and positioning
The Verge places the new Mic between Insta360’s Mic Pro and its smaller, screenless Mic Air. A kit with two transmitters, a wireless receiver and a charging case costs $249.99, compared with $329.99 for the equivalent Mic Pro kit. A single Mic transmitter costs $79.99, versus $99.99 for a Mic Pro transmitter.
Engadget also reports a $140 bundle pairing one Mic with a receiver. Its prices for the individual transmitter and two-transmitter kit are rounded to $80 and $250, respectively. According to Engadget, the single transmitter comes with a magnet, a clip, a windshield and a carry pouch; the transmitter-and-receiver bundle also includes a USB-C phone adapter.
What the cheaper model keeps—and loses
Each transmitter has a 1.22-inch, six-color E Ink screen that can display a logo, photo or solid color, The Verge reports. Engadget says owners can also use included illustrations or upload images suited to a business or channel. Both outlets describe noise-reduction processing; The Verge additionally reports automatic gain control modes intended to adjust recording levels when sound gets louder.
The main compromise is sound pickup. The Verge says the new Mic offers only omnidirectional pickup, while the Mic Pro’s three-microphone array allows users to choose among pickup patterns. The new transmitter is slightly lighter, at 19.4 grams rather than 19.7 grams, and its stated battery life rises from up to 10 hours to up to 13 hours. The Verge says the charging case extends total use to up to 34 hours.
Recording and connections
Unlike the Mic Pro transmitter, which has 32GB of built-in storage, the new Mic requires a microSD card for onboard backup recording, according to The Verge. Engadget says installing a card is also necessary for 32-bit float internal recording. The card slot gives users an option to expand storage beyond the Mic Pro’s built-in capacity.
The transmitters can connect directly to compatible Insta360 cameras without a receiver, and The Verge says they can also connect to smartphones over Bluetooth. Engadget reports that one receiver supports up to four microphones and works with Mic Pro transmitters. With the receiver, The Verge says the new Mic has a range of up to 400 meters and can connect to cameras, laptops and other recording devices through a built-in USB-C connector.
Sources
This story was compiled by AI from the reports below. Read the originals for the full details.