When it comes to turning your phone into a high-quality video maker, DJI’s Osmo Mobile 3 was pretty much as good as it gets. But that hasn’t stopped DJI from trying to improve on an already great device with the OM4.
For DJI’s fourth smartphone gimbal, the company claims it’s switched up its naming scheme to reflect the more abbreviated name its customers were already using, as OM4 simply stands for Osmo Mobile 4. And building off the strengths of the previous model, the OM4 has retained a very similar folding design along with the typical assortment of buttons and a joystick to help you give precise controls over the gimbal while filming.
However, where the OM4 differs from DJI’s past gimbals is that by featuring a new quick snap magnetic clamp system that allows you to get your setup up and running faster than before. With the OM4, DJI provides two different attachment solutions — an adhesive option that’s sort like a fancy Popsocket with a built-in magnet, or a more traditional spring-based clamp — that should give you the ability to attach your phone to the OM4 in seconds.
And when combined with the DJI’s new stronger 3-axis stabilizer motors, this allows the OM4 to accommodate an even greater range of phones (including heavier phones that are still in their cases) with much less hassle. This means the OM4 4 should be “compatible with the vast majority of smartphones,” though you still might run into some issues if you try to hook up something as big and heavy as the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2.
Furthermore, alongside all of the various features available in the OM4’s free Mimo 4 companion app including gesture controls, panorama mode, timelapse mode, sport mode, and others, DJI has three more new cameras modes. With the new DynamicZoom mode, the OM4 gets the ability to recreate the dolly zoom shot used in so many classic films like Jaws and others, while the new Spin Shot mode allows you to fully rotate your phone to create eye-catching tunnel-like perspective.
There’s also the new “CloneMe” panorama effect that allows users to place multiple versions of the same subject in a single wide-angle shot. And with the upgraded ActiveTrack 3.0 feature, the OM4 should now be better able to automatically lock onto and track various subjects such as children, adults, and pets.
Meanwhile, with a battery life that DJI claims lasts up to 15 hours on a single charge, your phone will probably need to be recharged before the OM4 runs out of juice. Thankfully, because the OM4 can also be used as a portable wired battery charger, it should be easy to transfer spare juice from the gimbal to your phone.
So for anyone looking to get more out of the increasingly proficient cameras found on the back of today’s high-end smartphones, the OM4 is almost certainly one of the most powerful and affordable ways of upping your mobile video game.
The DJI OM4 is available today for $239 as a kit including the gimbal, both the magnetic ring hold and magnetic ring clamp, mini tripod, wrist strap, and carrying case.