Maybe it'll sound a little naive to say this out loud, especially in 2024. But I'll say it anyway, just for giggles: It's nice when it feels like a company whose products you like is listening to what customers want, isn't it?
Far too often, it feels like companies, broadly speaking, are just out to do whatever they think will rake in the most coin for themselves and any shareholders they might have. And yes, I know companies want to make money—of course they do. But I think it's also possible for both companies and their customers to win at the same time.
Indeed, companies can win by inviting their customers to help them improve and then iterating to give customers what they want (well, within reason). Make customers feel like they're being listened to, and that they're improving to meet what customers want. That's how you build brand loyalty. Not by beating everyone over the head with a really terrible, annoying ad involving some singing sitcom stars from 20 years ago at every single commercial break on a given streaming platform.
Annoying people doesn't make them give you money; giving them products with features they want does. And that's why I think that Insta360 has been interesting to see evolve over the past few years. From the time I reviewed the One X2 a few years ago to its most recent 360 camera, the X4, there's been a clear throughline. And it hasn't just been that the company keeps putting out new and/or limited edition versions of its cameras just to put out something new for people to buy.
No, it's steadily been integrating improvements into its products; listening to customer feedback, and making changes to newer versions of things that customers actually want. Imagine that!
For those who haven't used one yet, 360 cameras are cool because they offer you a nearly uninterrupted 360-degree field of view. Sure, if you look carefully, sometimes you can see the stitching. But for most practical purposes, they let you capture everything they can see (obviously, they can't see through or around you or other objects), then choose your point of view in post.
