(Credit: Antigravity)
Insta360, a brand best known for dual-lens action cameras like the X5, announced its first drone today. The Antigravity A1 uses a similar camera system to the X5, with two lenses that capture everything around the aircraft, along with an editing app that lets you pan, zoom, and creatively reframe its footage so you can drive the narrative by guiding the viewer's eye through the scene.
Antigravity A1: Dual Lenses With FPV Flight Controls
I'm eager to try the A1 drone and see what kind of video I can capture. Its cameras are far wider angle than single-lens alternatives like the DJI Flip, which should let pilots fly closer to the ground and still get a broad angle of coverage. Because it has all-around cameras, I expect flying low to the ground, below the treetops, will net some clips that single-camera drones simply can't get.
The A1 looks pretty good, specs wise. It has a 249g takeoff weight, so recreational pilots don't have to bother with FAA registration, but also includes a Remote ID, a required feature for licensed UAV pilots. However it is not suitable for use by solo operators in either case. The FAA requires that a drone be kept within line of sight by either a pilot or dedicated visual observer at all times, even if it's just a few feet off the ground, and doesn't allow you to use headsets, binoculars, or another visual aid to keep the drone within view—you've got to use your eyeballs. This means that anyone flying the A1 in the US needs to bring a friend along to keep their eyes honed on the drone.
I haven't flown the A1 yet, but between the headset interface and its one-handed pistol grip style remote control I expect the user experience to be similar to DJI's Avata 2 FPV drone. The A1 adds a head-tracking feature that's missing from DJI, however, so you can turn your head to pan around using its 360-degree camera system. You'll need to take some care when using this feature, however, as the A1 does not include an obstacle detection or avoidance system, plus I'm worried that flying in a different direction than the camera is facing may be disorienting enough to induce motion sickness. Either way it reinforces the reason to enlist a visual observer during flights, you don't want to fly the drone into a tree because you're looking in another direction.
Will Antigravity Get the DJI Treatment From Customs?
The 360-degree camera tech is neat for sure, and while the headset skirts regulations, I'm more concerned that the drone will fall victim to a government ban. DJI is already at risk. Last year's National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), an annual bill that funds the military, includes a provision that requires the Department of Defense to perform a technology audit to ensure that DJI drones are secure and safe to use. If the audit doesn't happen by Dec. 22, 2025, then all DJI drones will be banned from sale in the US, along with those from Autel Robotics, subsidiaries of either company, and entities involved in technology sharing agreements. We're about four months away from the deadline and said audit has not yet been completed.
I don't need a weatherman to tell me which way the wind blows, however. Despite the legislative ban being months away, US Customs and Border Protection (CPB) has already prevented DJI products from clearing customs for import to the US. The Air 3S drone was the first victim. It was set for a US debut last October, but delayed. At press time, several of DJI's drones that are still on sale in other regions, including the Mini 4 Pro, Air 3S, and Avata 2, are out of stock in the US.
More recently the company opted not to attempt to sell its upmarket Mavic 4 Pro drone stateside, though you can find them on eBay. One US pilot who bought a Mavic 4 Pro ran into issues with a repair, however. Eric Thurber sent his Mavic 4 in to DJI's Canadian facilities for repair after a collision and was held by CBP for more than three months. Thurber told me he was able to redirect the shipment to a friend in another country, who received it just last week. But he's unsure if he'll be able to get the drone back into the US, despite having spent more than $5,000 on its purchase and repair.
That's just one anecdote, but it's telling that the CBP is being this aggressive on DJI, even with months left to go before the NDAA deadline. The real question is, will Antigravity face the same treatment? I've not seen reports of CBP stopping other drone brands from import as is the case with DJI, but no other brand has enjoyed DJI's success in the consumer drone market to date.
So the way I see it, Shenzhen-based Insta360 is bringing Antigravity A1 to market at a time when US regulatory bodies are somewhat hostile to camera drones made in China. If the DJI ban goes through, the Antigravity A1 may enjoy very little competition in the US market. On the other hand, the powers have shown that they needn't wait for legislation to effectively ban camera drones, and it's easy to see how Insta360 could receive the same scrutiny as DJI. Time will tell if Antigravity manages to take off, or if the brand is destined to crash and burn.
A1 Pricing and Availability
The Antigravity A1 is set to go on sale in January 2026, so we'll know what's happening with DJI by the time it ships. The company has not yet set a price for the drone.