In my free time, I like to film vlogs using my iPhone, but having done this for so long, I wanted something that can help me be more stable and film with ease.
Then came in, the DJI Osmo Mobile 6. I purchased it at Best Buy for $140.
The DJI Osmo Mobile 6 contains the Osmo Mobile 6, a magnetic phone clamp, a grip tripod, a power cable, a storage pouch, and instructions and paperwork.
When I took it home to unbox it, I was impressed. DJI had one of the best unboxing experiences I’ve ever seen. Everything was wrapped in a nice recyclable plastic and cardboard boxes. Upon opening the arm up, it instantly turned on, and I was able to connect it to the DJI Mimo app and learn how to use it.
Unboxing Experience: 4/5
When I was packing to leave my house, I realized that the gimbal never really fit in any of my bags. I ended up having to bring a separate bag, which was inconvenient.
When it was time to use it, I realized how more inconvenient it got. I had to take out the gimbal, screw on the tripod legs (the gimbal won’t fit in its provided bag if the tripod legs are on), place the clamp onto my phone, turn on the gimbal, place my phone onto the gimbal, and start recording, which took way too much time. I could leave the clamp on my iPhone, but it felt bulky and often got stuck when taking my phone in and out of my pocket. Without using the gimbal, I would just whip my phone out and start recording in a second. When I did get it ready to use, it was fine. It worked like it needed to, and the video was very steady. But after using it for a few minutes, it did get heavy and hard to hold. I also found it hard to remove my iPhone off of the gimbal. The magnet is very strong and it felt like I could potentially break the gimbal arm if I pulled too hard. Also, if I grabbed the gimbal with my phone, the gimbal arm would shake aggressively and eventually shut off.
Within the DJI Mimo app, there is a feature that allows the gimbal and your camera to follow objects. I thought it was very cool, but I had to use the app to record, which meant I couldn’t use my iPhone’s native camera app.
This has some downsides. I noticed the footage looked very dark, noisy, and pixelated in the app, even when filming in 4K 60fps and all camera settings are on auto. I was pretty disappointed. I shouldn’t have to pay more for worse footage.
Features: 4/5
The gimbal’s battery life lasts as much as I need it to. It charges with USB-C, so I just use any charger I have on me.
But the gimbal drains my iPhone’s battery horribly. When I tested it out using the object tracking features within the DJI app, my phone’s battery went from 100% to 20% in an hour! This is horrible for my phone’s battery long term. The iPhone camera already drains my battery, and the fact that the gimbal drains my battery even more is an extreme downside for me.
Another big thing I noticed is that my iPhone was extremely hot after filming indoors. I also got notifications in the photos app stating that my photos could not upload to iCloud because my phone was too hot. It got so hot to the point where I had my friend put her car’s AC on blast while I held my iPhone to the vent. This was my biggest turn off for this product. Nothing should make a device overheat that much.
Usability: 1/5
Value: 2/5
After trying it out for a day, I did not know how to feel. I was disappointed but tried to stay positive, considering I spent over $100 on it. I used the device for a few months until I ultimately decided to ditch it and just use my phone, and I’ve never looked back.
The DJI Osmo Mobile 6 is now sitting in my drawer, never to be used again.
Overall: 2/5
