Handheld Smart Cameras Are Booming, and DJI and Insta360 Are Pulling Away

The handheld smart camera market is entering a new growth cycle, and the competition is becoming increasingly concentrated around a few hardware leaders.

According to IDC’s latest Q1 2026 Global Handheld Smart Camera Market Tracker, worldwide shipments of handheld smart cameras reached 4.14 million units in the first quarter of 2026, up 33% year over year. Market revenue exceeded about $1.45 billion, representing 20% annual growth.

IDC expects the global market to surpass 40 million units by 2030, with a five-year compound annual growth rate of nearly 18%. In other words, this is still a fast-expanding category, not a mature one.

The bigger story, however, is not just growth. It is the reshaping of the market around DJI, Insta360, and a weakening GoPro.

Action Cameras Are Growing, but Prices Are Falling

Action cameras remained the largest segment in Q1 2026, with global shipments approaching 2.01 million units, up 39% year over year. But the average selling price fell to about $300, down 11%.

That price drop reflects two forces: new hit products from DJI and Insta360, and aggressive discounting of previous-generation models.

IDC data shows that DJI and Insta360 together gained 13 percentage points in shipment share compared with the same period last year. GoPro, once the defining name in action cameras, continued to lose ground.

The fastest-growing product format was the detachable “thumb camera,” whose shipments surged by more than 350% year over year. Traditional non-detachable action cameras also grew, but at a much slower 16%.

Stay Hot

The gimbal camera segment also expanded in Q1, with shipments rising more than 18% year over year. The average selling price was about $390, down 12.5%.

DJI remains the clear leader in this category. Demand has stayed strong across both new and older products. The Pocket 4 reportedly saw stock shortages during pre-orders, while discounted third-generation models continued to sell well.

IDC expects the gimbal camera market to see major product upgrades and new competitors in 2026, suggesting that this category may become one of the next major battlegrounds for creator-focused imaging devices.

360 Cameras Are the Fastest-Rising Segment

The 360 camera market showed even stronger momentum. Global shipments exceeded 500,000 units in Q1 2026, up more than 50% year over year.

Insta360 remains the dominant player, holding close to 70% shipment share. Its strength comes not only from hardware, but also from software advantages in stitching, stabilization, subject tracking, and AI-powered editing.

DJI is also moving quickly. Its Osmo 360 delivered strong performance and captured more than 20% market share in the quarter, turning the 360 camera space into a more direct fight between Insta360 and DJI.

DJI Leads the Overall Market

Across the entire handheld smart camera market, DJI ranked first in Q1 2026 with 65% shipment share and 38% year-over-year growth.

Its advantages now span multiple categories. DJI held more than half of the gimbal camera market, increased its share in non-detachable action cameras to 54%, and took more than half of the detachable thumb camera segment with the Osmo Nano. In 360 cameras, Osmo 360 helped DJI reach 22% shipment share.

DJI’s position shows how far the company has moved beyond drones. It is now one of the most powerful consumer imaging brands in the world.

Insta360 Is Becoming the Strongest Challenger

Insta360 ranked second globally with 22% shipment share. Its shipments grew 66% year over year, reaching nearly 900,000 units in Q1 2026.

The company continues to benefit from heavy R&D investment and a clear software moat. In 360 cameras, it still holds nearly 70% of the market. In non-detachable action cameras, the Ace Pro 2 street-shooting bundle helped lift its share above 17%, up 7 percentage points year over year.

In the detachable camera segment, Insta360 doubled its shipments, with Go Ultra performing particularly well. Its upcoming gimbal camera products are also expected to contribute further growth in Q2.

GoPro Is Under Pressure

GoPro remains an iconic name, but its market position is under serious pressure.

IDC data shows GoPro shipments continued to decline as Chinese competitors gained ground and costs increased. The company saw weakness in both action cameras and 360 cameras. A higher share of lower-priced products also pulled its average selling price down by 17%.

Although GoPro has introduced the M1 action camera series and Max 2 360 camera, their market performance remains uncertain.

From Cameras to AI Imaging Companions

IDC believes the handheld smart camera industry is shifting from single-product hardware upgrades toward full product ecosystems. Use cases are expanding from extreme sports to vlogging, travel, street shooting, family recording, and everyday content creation.

The core hardware race is still active. Larger sensors, variable aperture, 8K resolution, and better low-light performance remain key selling points.

But AI is becoming just as important. Scene recognition, noise reduction, multi-frame synthesis, low-light enhancement, subject tracking, and automatic editing are quickly becoming standard features.

IDC expects AI to push handheld imaging devices toward “intelligent imaging robot terminals.” That means cameras will no longer be passive recording tools. They will increasingly become active content-generation devices that can recognize scenes, follow subjects, edit footage, and produce shareable content with minimal user input.

For consumers, this means more choices, faster product cycles, and smarter creator tools. For the industry, it means the handheld camera market is no longer just about action sports. It is becoming one of the next major frontiers in AI-powered consumer imaging.