Ahead of CES 2018, DJI has just unveiled the Osmo Mobile 2, its latest smartphone stabiliser. It’s lighter than the original, offers triple the battery life and it costs less than half of original Osmo Mobile.
Like the original, the Osmo Mobile 2 offers 3-axis stabilisation that has advanced tracking features with ActiveTrack. This is perfect for live streaming and for those who want to record professional looking videos. Using the DJI GoApp, you can shoot panorama, timelapse, motionlapse, hyperlapse, and slow-mo videos.
Instead of using a combination of nylon and magnesium alloy, the new Osmo Mobile 2 is lighter at 485 grams with the use of high-strength nylon. The buttons are now simpler with a joystick, power/mode button, a record button and a zoom slider. Unfortunately, it lacks a trigger button at the front which came with the previous model. You can still centre your device and switch between front and rear angles using the power/mode button.
Osmo Mobile 2 now has a two-way mobile clamp which allows you to pivot between portrait and landscape mode. To hold your smartphone in place, the new model replaces the dial locking mechanism for a spring loaded one. In terms of device compatibility, it can support most smartphones (up to 85mm width) including the iPhone 8 Plus.
The Osmo Mobile 2 also gets a larger 2,600mAh built-in battery which is rated to last up to 15 hours on a single charge but it isn’t user-replaceable. As a comparison, the original removable intelligent battery has a 980mAh capacity and is rated to last 4.5 hours on a single charge.
For ease of charging, it has a microUSB charging port on the sides. The Osmo Mobile 2 can also double up as a powerbank for your smartphone as it comes with a full-sized USB port for charging. Obviously, you can only charge your smartphone if it’s in portrait mode as the phone’s charging port is not accessible when you’re using it in landscape mode.
If you plan on using this on a tripod, you’ll be happy to know that it uses 1/4″ universal screw mount at the bottom instead of DJI’s proprietary Rosette mount that’s placed on the sides. There’s also a new base stand but we are not sure if it’s compatible with the current version for the Osmo Mobile.
The new Osmo Mobile 2 will be priced from US$129 (about RM514) which is far cheaper than the original model which used to start from US$299 (about RM1,192). Pre-orders will be available exclusively on Apple.com and it wil be available at DJI stores and authorised retailers in early February 2018. Overall, it looks quite similar to Zhiyun’s affordable Smooth Q which is now going for less than RM500. What do you think? Is this better than the original? Let us know your thoughts below.
