Insta360 has announced Insta360 Wave, a professional-grade speakerphone with an integrated AI recording suite. The company says the device sets a new standard for clarity, intelligence and usability in meetings, podcasts, and beyond.
Audio quality
The Insta360 Wave is a 9.76-inch (248-mm) tall cylindrical device on a thin stand, which gives it what Insta360 calls a unique levitating design. You can also choose between graphite black or arctic white color schemes to match your décor. Inside, the Insta360 Wave features an eight-microphone 3D array. This can capture voices in Hi-Fi 48 kHz detail from up to 16 feet away. You can connect the Inta360 Wave via a dongle, Bluetooth or USB. If you want an all-in-one solution, the Insta360 Wave integrates seamlessly with the company’s best-selling Insta360 Link 2 AI webcam.
AI noise reduction
The Insta360 Wave uses AI noise reduction to eliminate more than 300 types of background sound, from keyboard clicks to street noise. Acoustic echo cancellation and automatic gain control also work in tandem to ensure natural, balanced voices without spikes.
In addition, the device features AI dereverberation to remove hollow or distant tones for a crisp, true-to-life sound. This all means that the Insta360 Waves delivers full duplex technology for smooth, two-way conversation with no dropouts or delays.
Adaptive beamforming
The Insta360 Wave uses adaptive beamforming to ensure your sound is optimized. This technology is normally only found on professional microphones. It means that you can select from five distinct pickup patterns to suit your scenario. These are:
- Omni: 360-degree pickup for group discussions
- Cardioid: Focused front capture for online meetings and podcasts
- Supercardioid: Suppresses ambient noise even further, perfect for busy offices
- Figure-8: Captures front and back, ideal for two-person interviews
- Stereo: Wide, natural audio for creative recordings like ASMR or music
Touch control
The Insta360 Wave features a touchscreen interface, which makes operating the device simple and tactile. You can toggle the mic on or off, adjust volume, or start and stop recordings, all with just a tap or swipe. The interface also lets you mute or adjust sound on the fly. You can use the Insta360 Wave as a portable, standalone recorder as well. It features 32 GB of built-in storage, which can store up to 1,000 hours of audio. In addition, once you are finished, you can upload directly to the cloud with a single swipe.
AI transcription
The Insta360 Wave is designed to work closely with the newly launched powerful AI agent, Insta360 InSight. This offers a range of features to utilize and enhance your conversations, including:
- Transcription in 99 languages
- Speaker identification and voiceprint labeling for clear attribution
- Custom workplace-specific glossaries to ensure industry-term accuracy
- Smart summaries and to-do lists to keep projects moving
- AI Q&A and chat (with the option to utilize ChatGPT and Gemini) for instant answers, traceable to specific timestamps
- Unlimited cloud storage, automatically backing up recordings
What we think
The Insta360 Wave is an interesting piece of technology by a company more well-known for their cameras. Its use of AI means it is so much more than just a microphone, making your conversations searchable and shareable. While it’s ideal for use in workplaces, it also has a lot to offer to content creators as well. The Insta360 Wave makes it easy to capture high-quality audio in different scenarios with just a single device. To make full use of the technology, you will need a subscription to Insta360 InSight. However, if you act quickly, you can pick up a free subscription to the Insta360 InSight Basic Plan.
Pricing and availability
The Insta360 Wave is available now and is priced at $299. For a limited time, early adopters receive a free subscription to the Insta360 InSight Basic Plan. The Pro Plan costs $99 annually or $17 per month. This includes 1200 minutes of transcription, advanced templates, industry glossaries and AI Chat, powered by ChatGPT and Gemini.
