In an ocean of boring microphones, Insta360 adds a (customizable) pop of color.

James Trew for Engadget

RATING : 8.2 / 10

Pros Customizable display

Flexible storage

Stellar battery life

Class-leading range

Cons Chunky transmitters

Less budget-friendly than rivals

It's been a transformative year for Insta360. The Luna Ultra and Luna Pro cameras, both released over the summer, cemented its reputation as a capable camera-maker that isn't limited to 360 video. When it unveiled the Mic Pro , with its quirky e-ink display, the portfolio of creator products was almost complete. Well, almost, because there was a small gap between the $330 Mic Pro and the affordable Mic Air.

Insta360 plugs that gap today with the $250 Mic. Yep, capital M as that's the full name of the product (let's just accept right now this review might get confusing). The Mic is a pared-down version of the Mic Pro, with a cost-saving feature that might actually make it more appealing to many creators.…