Insta360's new magnetic selfie screen lets you shoot with your phone's rear cameras while seeing exactly what you're capturing.
Insta360 has launched the Snap, a magnetic selfie screen designed to smooth out the gap between front camera convenience and rear camera quality.
Launched initially last week in a few select Asian markets, the Snap is a 3.5-inch touchscreen that attaches magnetically to the back of your phone and connects via USB-C. That means you can use your phone's rear cameras for selfies and vlogs while getting a real-time 4K preview of exactly what you're shooting.
This is likely a bit of an evolutionary cul-de-sac Xiaomi's 17 Pro series has a built-in rear-facing display and this very much feels like the direction of travel, at least for premium Android phones. But for now...
The 550 nits screen runs at 800 x 480 resolution (267 ppi) and mirrors your phone's display fully, giving you access to camera controls, mode switching, and exposure adjustments from the Snap itself. Importantly, it draws power through the USB-C connection, so there's no separate charging or battery to manage. Insta360 estimates that the device draws around 6% of the phone's battery over ten minutes of continuous shooting.
There are two variants: the standard Snap and the Snap with Light, developed in collaboration with beauty-tech brand AMIRO. This adds a built-in ring light with three color temperatures (warm, natural, and cool) and five brightness levels. That version measures 103 x 67.5 x 8.2 mm (4.1 x 2.7 x 0.3 inches) and weighs 88.6 g (3.1 oz). The standard, meanwhile, is 100 × 60 × 7.3 mm (3.9 × 2.4 × 0.3 in) and comes in at 75.5 g (2.7 oz).
Both attach directly to MagSafe-compatible iPhones. An included magnetic ring extends compatibility to Android phones, provided they support DisplayPort Alt Mode for screen mirroring. Third-party camera apps and social media apps are also supported. Both also include a 2-in-1 protective leather cover that shields the screen and secures the USB-C cable when not in use.
The standard Snap and the Snap with Light are available now at the Insta360 store priced at $79.99 and $89.99 respectively.