TECH

DJI and Insta360’s Battle for Gimbal Camera Market Comes at a Cost

Published: Sep. 24, 2026 3:24 p.m. GMT+8

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Global shipments of gimbal cameras surged in the second quarter of 2026 as intensifying competition between industry leader DJI and challenger Insta360 drove down prices.

Driven by rapid product iterations and a shift toward mainstream consumers, global gimbal camera shipments jumped 87% year-on-year to nearly 2.8 million units in the second quarter, while the average selling price fell 6% year-on-year to 2,968 yuan ($442), according to a report by IDC.

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Global gimbal camera shipments surged 87% YoY to ~2.8M units in Q2 2026; average selling price fell 6% to $442.
Insta360 entered the segment in June with Luna series, capturing ~6% share; DJI leads overall at 73% vs. Insta360's 20%.
Insta360's H1 2026 net profit plunged 94.2% to 30.4M yuan, swinging to a ~54.2M yuan Q2 net loss.

AI generated, for reference only

Who’s Who

DJI: DJI remains the dominant force in handheld smart cameras, holding a 73% market share in Q2 2026. It pioneered gimbal cameras with its Pocket series and countered Insta360 by launching the Osmo 360 panoramic and Osmo Nano thumb cameras, capturing 55% of the thumb camera market.

Insta360: Insta360 (影石) is DJI's key rival in handheld smart cameras. It entered the gimbal market in June 2026 with its Luna series, securing nearly 6% share quickly. It leads panoramic cameras (73% Q2 share) but ranks second overall (20%). However, competition hurt profitability: H1 revenue rose 50.3% to 5.5B yuan, but net profit plunged 94.2% to 30.4M, swinging to a Q2 loss. Gross margin fell to 39.1%.

Oppo: Oppo is a major Chinese smartphone brand that has announced plans to develop gimbal cameras, with products expected to be released by the end of 2026. This move is part of broader competition in the handheld smart camera market, as more players enter the segment.

Vivo: Based on the article, Vivo is a major domestic smartphone brand that has announced plans to develop gimbal cameras. Its products are expected to be released by the end of 2026, which will further intensify competition in the handheld smart camera market.

AI generated, for reference only

What Happened When

2023：: Global gimbal camera shipments were about 1.2 million units.

July 2025：: Insta360 launched the panoramic consumer drone brand Yingling.

May 2026：: Sigmaintell published a report projecting 2026 global gimbal camera shipments of 14.8 million units.

Q2 2026：: Global gimbal camera shipments jumped 87% year-on-year to nearly 2.8 million units; average selling price fell 6% year-on-year to 2,968 yuan ($442). DJI overtook Insta360 as global thumb camera leader (55% vs. 43% market share). Insta360 maintained 73% market share in panoramic cameras; overall shipments grew 4% to over 530,000 units. DJI remained leader in handheld smart camera market (73% share), Insta360 second (20%). Insta360's Luna Ultra captured nearly 6% of global gimbal camera shipments as of end of the quarter.

June 2026：: Insta360 released its Luna series to compete with DJI's Pocket 4.

H1 2026：: Insta360 revenue was 5.5 billion yuan (up 50.3% year-on-year), net profit plunged 94.2% year-on-year to 30.4 million yuan; core business gross margin dropped 10.75 percentage points to 39.1%. Calculations show a net loss of about 54.2 million yuan in Q2.