DJI is known for two things: drones and gimbals. And with no new drone releases in the past year, gimbals have definitely dominated. In December 2018 we saw the incredibly popular Osmo Pocket make its debut. Then just last month DJI modernized its Ronin lineup with Ronin-SC.

Now, with their most recent release, DJI is updating its most inexpensive gimbal: the Osmo Mobile.

A brief history of the Osmo Mobile…

The original Osmo Mobile was first released in September 2016. It had active track, panorama mode, and a 4.5hr battery, but with an initial price of $299 it was really only for serious smartphone videographers (about as common as a nuanced comment on Twitter).

Jump forward to January 2018 and DJI released the Osmo Mobile 2 — cheaper, smarter, able to hold a phone in portrait mode, and with a way longer battery life of 15 hours. However, it still was far from perfect with frequent complaints of the DJI App not offering certain resolutions/framerate combos, Panorama mode being slow and inaccurate and switching to portrait mode requiring the user take their phone out before rotating the gimbal.

Say hello to the DJI Osmo Mobile 3

With the release of the new Osmo Mobile 3, DJI has brought the advancements we saw with the Osmo Pocket and Ronin-SC (most notably Story Mode, Active Track 3.0 and Hyperlapse mode) to the masses of smartphone video shooters. The Osmo Mobile 3 also brings with it an incredible folding design for more portability and a price of $119 — $10 less than the previous version.

Updated Design

Obviously, the biggest change is the new folding design. Not only does it protect the gimbal more when traveling, but it also makes the Osmo Mobile 3 far more portable. This is key because portability is one of the main reasons someone would shoot on a smartphone in the first place.

Design changes are rounded out with a slightly updated layout of the control buttons, a more ergonomic grip, and the ability to change from landscape to portrait mode with the tap of a button (and not having to remove the phone).

Smart features

The Osmo Mobile 3 — or more specifically its companion app — comes packed with intelligent modes to enhance your mobile filmmaking. These include ones carried-over from the previous generation like Timelapse and Slowmotion as well as new modes like Story and Sport Mode. Subject tracking also gets a boost from the new Active Track 3.0 technology and users can now even trigger their camera to start and stop recording using gesture controls similar to those on DJI’s Mavic Air & Spark drones.

Connectivity & Power

Battery life isn’t improved from the Osmo Mobile 2, though 15 hours should be plenty enough for most users. Luckily, DJI did update the charging port to USB-C so charging on the go should be faster. Last but not least, the Osmo Mobile 3 comes with Bluetooth 5.0 enabling quick and reliable connectivity with new smartphones.

Price & Availability

For those looking to purchase the DJI Osmo Mobile 3, there is no need to wait or preorder — it’s available to purchase today for $119. You can also get it with an Osmo branded carrying case and mini tripod for $139.