Flow Pro is the First AI Tracking iPhone Stabilizer with Apple DockKit

Jul 09, 2024

Jaron Schneider

Photo of a white handheld smartphone stabilizer with an attached smartphone. The phone displays an image of two individuals smiling and waving. The device has a circular camera at the base, designed to aid in capturing steady video and photos.

Insta360’s new Flow Pro is a small smartphone stabilizer that is the first to be Apple DockKit-enabled, meaning that it can use Apple’s new subject-tracking technology.

DockKit, which is compatible with iOS17+ and iPadOS17+, interfaces with motorized stands (and gimbals) to allow the iPhone to track objects, including “improved” tracking when it can use combined body and face tracking for human subjects.

“This feature, known as system tracking, automatically starts as soon as a person docks iPhone onto a compatible motorized stand and launches the Camera app. For example, system tracking is useful for content creators who want the camera to follow them while they move around their space, or instructors on a video call who are walking around a classroom,” Apple explains.

A child and an adult are making a video call using a smartphone mounted on a small tripod. They are seated on a couch, and the phone displays two people on the screen. The child is making a peace sign. The setting is a cozy living room with natural light.

DockKit was first demonstrated earlier this year at WWDC 2024 and Insta360 wasted no time integrating it into a new handheld gimbal. Insta360 says that the main advantage of integrating with this platform is that the system is built into the native camera app and just works. There is no special calibration and no need to launch a separate app. Users just mount the phone onto the Flow Pro, fire up the camera app, and it’s ready to go.

“For an even smoother filming experience, Flow Pro recognizes your phone automatically with one-tap pairing. By utilizing the smartphone’s NFC function, simply place your phone near the gimbal and pair. After the first time, Flow Pro automatically reconnects when the phone is nearby,” Insta360 says.

Low-angle shot of a person standing outside a tall building under a blue sky with clouds. The person, dressed casually in a T-shirt and jeans, holds a white camera partly tucked into their pocket, gazing upwards.

Insta360 adds that the Flow Pro enables accurate tracking with the iPhone’s native camera app and over 200 third-party iOS apps “for a seamless shooting experience;” that includes FaceTime, Zoom, and TikTok.

Flow Pro also comes with its own AI tracking algorithm called Deep Track 3.0, which Insta360 says can follow a user or a desired subject even in complex environments with infinite pan tracking for a full 360-degree rotation and three-axis stabilization, which the company says cancels out shaking.

A smartphone mounted on a gimbal tripod focuses on recording a person riding a horse. The rider, wearing a helmet and plaid shirt, guides the brown horse near a wooden fence with dense green trees in the background. The setup is placed on a large rock.

The Flow Pro is meant to be an all-in-one solution, combining a retractable selfie stick, tripod, power back, and built-in cold shoe into a small, easy-to-use, system that lasts up to 10 hours.

A man, woman, and a young boy take a selfie using a smartphone mounted on a selfie stick. They are on a wooden boardwalk beside a large body of water, with a city skyline, including a tall tower, visible in the background. All three are smiling.