Zhiyun just walked into the pocket gimbal camera fight with a price the category has not seen. Finally, we have an affordable pocket gimbal camera option, and it’s already been tested by a closed group of users and influencers; it’s set to go public soon in the under-$200 price range.
It’s not a rumour anymore. It’s confirmed news: the company announced the Lark Pocket camera on 20th September 2026, and, as we mentioned, opened it to closed beta testers in China before a global reveal.
On 20 September 2026 the company revealed the Lark Pocket (写趣 Lark Pocket / 灵雀) and opened a closed tester program in China. The pitch is a daily-driver pocket gimbal camera in the ¥1,000 class — which lands in under $200 territory for the US, not Osmo Pocket 4 money.
That is the story. Not “it beats Pocket 4.” Not a confirmed $159 Amazon tag. A Pocket-shaped camera from a brand that already sells gimbals in the States, aimed at people who will not spend $499.
What Zhiyun actually announced
Official, as of 21 September 2026:
- Name: Zhiyun / Cinepeer Lark Pocket
- Type: standalone 3-axis pocket gimbal camera (not a phone gimbal)
- Flip screen for landscape and vertical
- Physical joystick + dedicated record button
- Marketed as a “thousand-yuan dessert machine”
- Closed beta through 30 September 2026 (NDA, 2–3 firmware rounds)
Price of Lark Pocket Camera
Zhiyun did not publish a dollar MSRP. It published a China price class.
- ¥999–¥1,099 ≈ $149–$164 at current rates
- $159 sits in that band as a guess, not a list price
- US kits usually add channel margin and combo bits
- A $169 or $189 kit still reads as under $200
Osmo Pocket 4 started around $499. Pocket 4P is higher. That gap is the product.
Unofficial specs (China coverage — not a Zhiyun PDF)
Circulating after the tease. Label these unofficial until a product page goes live.
| Item | Lark Pocket (unofficial) |
| Size | 160 × 50 × 32 mm |
| Weight | 170 g |
| Screen | 1.9-inch flip touch, 170×320, ~550 nits |
| Sensor | 1/2-inch CMOS |
| Lens | 29mm equiv, f/1.79, 0.2 m close focus |
| Photo | 16:9 3840×2160 / 1:1 2880×2880 / 9:16 1728×3072 |
| 16:9 video | 4K 25/30, 2.7K 25/30, 1080p 25/30; 1080p 60/120 |
| Square | 2.9K / 2160p / 1080p at 25/30 |
| Vertical | 1080p 25/30 and 60/120 |
| Storage | microSD only (no internal SSD mentioned) |
| Battery | 2350 mAh, claimed 180 minutes |
If those numbers hold, this is a first-gen budget Pocket: 4K capped at 30, no 4K 120/240, no 107 GB onboard storage, small sensor versus a current flagship phone. The sell is gimbal + dedicated body + flip screen + price, not dynamic range.
How it looks
Promo shots follow the category template: motorized head on top, flip screen on the handle, joystick and rec button below. Same silhouette as Osmo Pocket, Feiyu Pocket, and Hohem Eyepic. Zhiyun is not inventing a new shape. It is undercutting the price.
USA availability
| Window | US expectation |
| Now–October 2026 | China testers only. Skip random marketplace “preorders.” |
| Late Q4 2026 | Possible China retail. First English product page. FCC ID worth watching. |
| Q1 2027 | Most likely first official US stock |
Black Friday 2026 US inventory is possible only if firmware finishes early. Do not promise it.
US price guess: standard kit $149–$179; combo can still stay under $200 or land at $199. Under $200 remains the correct headline band.
FCC: Lark Pocket will need an ID for Wi-Fi/Bluetooth. That filing is the clean “it’s coming to America” signal – watch it before you trust any $159 listing.
Bottom line
Zhiyun Lark Pocket is the first serious attempt to sell a Pocket-style gimbal camera under $200.
US shoppers cannot order one today. They also are not locked out the way some DJI Pocket buyers are. Expect China to finish the beta, then an official US kit through Zhiyun’s existing store and Amazon path — most likely Q1 2027, still aimed at the under $200 slot.
We’ll update this when an FCC ID, a store.zhiyun-tech.com page, or a real USD tag appears.
The article “Under $200 Pocket Gimbal Camera Incoming: Zhiyun Lark Pocket” was written by thenewcamera.com team at 7:46 pm, Monday, 21 September 2026, Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) | You can also follow us on Our Official Social Media Handles FACEBOOK | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM to get live news — > get live get live Camera News + Insta360 Drone Rumors 24X7.
