Drone leader DJI has moved on from drones to developing a host of new products for handheld filming. First we had the Osmo Pocket, the world’s smallest 4K vlogging camera on a 3-axis mechanical gimbal. Next came the Osmo Action camera designed to bite into GoPro’s market share.
But once DJI launches a new product, the task for the engineers is to figure out how to make it smaller, smarter and better.
This is exactly how the Osmo Mobile 3 came to be today. Yup. DJI has just released their third version of the wildly popular Osmo Mobile smartphone gimbal and this newsest version puts a checkmark in all three boxes.
Smaller
This was a no-brainer. If you’ve used the previous versions of the Osmo Mobile (as we have) you’ll remember our biggest complaint about the original (Osmo Mobile 1) was the awkward design of the gimbal arms that just didn’t nest together for storage. Just too big, clunky and awkward. We still put it to work, but our use was fairly limited.
We leaked news in February 2018 that the Osmo Mobile 2 was coming and that DJI have finally solved our biggest issue: the gimbal arms properly nested and it was infinitely more stowable in a camera bag. But it was still just too big.
With the advent of the Osmo Pocket we assumed that the Mobile 2 was the last iteration of the smartphone gimbal and it would eventually be phased out.
Imagine our surprised when we shared news last month that the Osmo Mobile 3 was coming and it now folded in half for even more portablility.
We were interested, but did the world really need to keep making smartphone gimbals when the Osmo Pocket is so great?
Smarter
Apparently we do need more smartphone gimbals if they’re this good.
The new features in the DJI Mimo App for the Osmo Mobile 3 make it so much smarter and capable than the previous Osmo Mobile software – the DJI GO app.
Osmo Mobile 2 worked with the DJI GO app and your smartphone to offer controls like hyperlapse, panorama, active tracking and zoom. Unfortunately you needed an assistant to selection you on the smartphone screen if you were going to have it track you while vlogging. If you didn’t have an assistant then you needed to be Stretch Armstrong.
The DJI GO app for the Osmo Mobile was a bit slow, too. It was better than no app, but it wasn’t perfect.
With the Osmo Mobile 3, DJI has transitioned the smartphone gimbal to the more recent Mimo App that was designed for the Osmo Pocket and Osmo Action.
We find the Mimo app to be much smarter and faster than the old DJI GO, and it really shines when paired with an Osmo Mobile 3.
Mimo’s latest update for the Osmo Mobile 3 now adds gesture control so vloggers and self-filming Youtubers need only raise their hand to activate the new ActiveTrack 3.0 which incorporates deep learning and advanced computer vision algorithms for the smoothest and most reliable tracking experience.
The new ActiveTrack 3.0 on it’s own will likely drive a lot of vloggers to upgrade to Osmo Mobile 3 even though they may have already binned their Osmo Mobile 2 or Osmo Mobile.
If there’s one thing that’s consistent about DJI, it’s that they know how to build products for creators that creators actually want.
By transitioning the Osmo Mobile 3 over to Mimo DJI has also opened a range of sharing options, creative templates and story-modes that help to simplify and automate the creative process. There are a wealth of features that more advanced creators will love about the new folding Osmo Mobile 3 as well, but building a device that’s simple to understand and easy to use means soccer moms and dads will be putting Osmo Mobile 3 through it’s paces chasing life around.
Better
We didn’t expect this. Honestly. Like we said above, we thought the smartphone gimbal was going to become a thing of the past.
Instead, DJI has taken a product that they had made the best in it’s category and they didn’t just make it better–they improved it so much that they made it relevant again.
Yesterday I had no plans to order the Osmo Mobile 3. This morning I watched the release video (below) and ordered one immedately.
Osmo Mobile 3 retails for $99 for just the gimbal, or you can bundle it with a ‘Grip Tripod’ and carrying case for $119.
We ordered the ‘combo’ because we know just how frequently we use the Osmo Mobile on a tripod….so having one built into the handgrip just makes it so much easier.
Key Features:
- Ultra compact to be your “Everyday Stabilizer”
- 15 hour battery life!
- Slow Motion 4x or 8x (currently with iOS devices only)
- Panorama
- Hyperlapse, MotionLapse, Timelapse
- Sport Mode
- ActiveTrack 3.0
- Osmo Mobile 3 charges your smartphone while in use
Trade-Up to Save
Last year DJI introduced it’s “trade up” program to help you get into a new DJI product for less money. If you have a cellphone, tablet, drone or camera that you no longer use (or want to upgrade) you can trade it in with DJI when making your purchase.
Full details on the DJI Trade Up program here.
Hint: if you order one too, make sure you also add Osmo Shield. We had issues with both of our prevous Osmo Mobile’s and because we had Osmo Shield we had instant replacements for a very tiny fee. Osmo Shield is only $10 and gives you 2 years of accidental hardware damage coverage, including water! (It’s kinda like Apple Care).
You can read more about Osmo Shield here.
Will you be buying the new Osmo Mobile 3? Let us know why (or why not) in the comments below!
We’d love to get your feedback on this much improved (and perfectly priced) smartphone gimbal from DJI.
