As smartphone cameras get better and better (seriously, they’re pretty amazing), the selfie camera in the front of your phone is still not very good.
To give you a bit of an upgrade, Insta360 has come out with a magnetic screen so you can use your superior rear-facing cameras for actual selfies.
Behind the Lens
Since J.K. Liu founded Insta360 in 2015 out of Shenzhen, the brand has gone from building 360-degree smartphone add-ons to shipping action cameras that compete with GoPro, collaborating with Leica, and landing cameras on NASA missions. Ten years in, and their parent company Arashi Vision just went public on the Shanghai STAR Market. Safe to say, these guys have some credibility in the imaging space.
The Snap is a bit of a pivot for them, but it’s a logical one. Rather than creating a new camera entirely, they looked at the one you already have and asked a simple question: Why are you using the worst lens on your phone for photos of yourself?
What’s Actually Going On Here
The rear camera on your iPhone 17 or Galaxy S25 Ultra isn’t just marginally better than your front-facing camera, but dramatically so. We’re talking about a sensor that’s significantly larger, an aperture that pulls in more light, better dynamic range, and a focal length that actually flatters your face. The selfie cam, by comparison, is a compromise baked into phone design that nobody’s really fixed.
The Snap’s solution is a 3.5-inch LCD touchscreen that attaches magnetically to the back of your phone via MagSafe and connects through USB-C. There’s no Wi-Fi or Bluetooth pairing, and you don’t have to charge it separately. You plug it in, and it mirrors your phone’s display in real time with roughly 30ms of latency, which is nominal. And because it’s a full touchscreen, you can operate your camera app entirely from the back. You can adjust exposure, switch between lenses, tap to focus, and even launch the camera from the lock screen.
The cover that protects the screen doubles as a shield for your phone’s front display when you flip it around, which prevents accidental taps while you’re holding it backwards.
For creators who need on-camera lighting, Insta360 co-developed a Light Edition with AMIRO, a beauty-tech brand. You get three color temperatures and five brightness levels built into the frame.
The Trade-Off
The USB-C connection is also the Snap’s one real constraint: while you’re using it, your charging port is occupied. If you’re vlogging and want a wired microphone receiver, you’ll need to plan around that. It’s not a dealbreaker, but it’s worth knowing upfront.
Spec Sheet
Model: Insta360 Snap Selfie Screen (Standard & Light Edition)
Display: 3.5-inch LCD touchscreen
Resolution: 800 x 480 px (267 ppi)
Brightness: 550 nits
Refresh Rate: 60 Hz
Connection: Wired USB-C
Attachment: Magnetic (MagSafe-compatible; magnetic ring included for Android)
Dimensions: 3.94″ x 2.36″ x 0.29″ (Standard); 0.32″ thick (Light Edition)
Weight: 2.66oz
Fill Light: 3 color temps, 5 brightness levels (Light Edition only, co-developed with AMIRO)
Compatibility: MagSafe iPhones (15 and later); Android via USB-C DisplayPort Alt Mode
Pricing & Availability
The Insta360 Snap is available now through Insta360’s online store. The standard version runs $80, while the Light Edition with AMIRO’s fill light is $90.
Recap
Insta360 Snap Selfie Screen
Insta360 just dropped the Snap, a magnetic USB-C selfie screen that lets you use your phone’s far superior rear cameras for selfies and vlogs — no wireless pairing, no separate charging, just plug in and shoot.
