Insta360’s new wireless mic looks no bigger than an Apple AirTag
Having already secured a strong foothold in the action cam market with its Ace Pro lineup, Insta360 is now challenging DJI, Shure, and Rode with the company’s first wireless microphone. Looking comparable in size to an Apple AirTag, the Insta360 Mic Air is one of the smallest and lightest wireless mics now available while still offering up to 10 hours of battery life.
The Insta360 Mic Air is currently available through the company’s online store and retailers like Amazon for $49.99 for the microphone by itself, or as part of a $69.99 bundle that includes a USB-C receiver needed to connect the mic wirelessly to smartphones and Insta360’s stabilized gimbals.
Weighing just 7.9 grams, the Mic Air is lighter than the 10 gram DJI Mic Mini, the 30 gram Rode Wireless GO II, and even Shure’s tiny 8.2 gram MoveMic. It’s designed to be worn by clipping it to clothing, using a magnetic backing, or by hanging from a pendant strap. For solo creators, the Mic Air also has its own button controls that can be used to activate noise canceling, start or stop video recording, and even quickly mute it, while the USB-C receiver has its own volume controls.
Insta360 claims the Mic Air offers up to 10 hours of use on a single charge and a range of up to 300 meters, but that’s while the microphone is connected to its optional wireless receiver in an “open, unobstructed, and interference-free environment” and with noise canceling turned off. The Mic Air can also wirelessly connect directly to the Insta360 Ace Pro 2 action cam and Insta360 X5 8K 360-degree cam over Bluetooth (the company is promising compatibility with other models coming later). But doing so drops the battery life to up to 7.5 hours and the range will be reduced to between 30 and 50 meters.
Although Bluetooth connectivity is included, the optional USB-C wireless receiver is needed to use the Mic Air with smartphones, which also means you’ll potentially need a cumbersome adapter dongle to use it with older iPhones that still have a lightning port.