DJI Osmo Mobile 7P review: cheaper, better, but an ultimately overshadowed smartphone gimbal
The insta360 Flow 2 Pro and DJI’s own cheaper $90 OM 7 overshadow this fantastic gimbal upgrade
🏆 Review score: 4 out of 5
Pros:
✅ 🔧 Smaller design and added built-in tripod
✅ 🎯 ActiveTrack 7.0 follows well and reacquires quickly
✅ 📲 Multifunction module adds tracking to every single app
✅ 🔋 More than triple-sized battery
✅ 🎙️ Added DJI mic support
✅ 💸 $10 cheaper than the previous Osmo Mobile 6
Cons
❌ 😵💫 Still can’t move in a full 360°
❌ 👎 ActiveTrack 7.0 still works best within the DJI Mimo app
❌ Multifunction Module is required for all of ActiveTrack 7.0’s improvements
Shortcut Review
Don’t buy the $149 DJI Osmo Mobile 7P, buy the $89 DJI Osmo Mobile 7 instead. As much as I want to laud DJI for tripling the battery life of its smartphone gimbal, giving it a built-in tripod, and improving its ActiveTrack 7.0 technology, the OP 7 offers most of the same improvements for a much lower price. For $90, the DJI Osmo Mobile 7 becomes a smartphone accessory you should just get if you shoot any home movies or social content.
The Osmo Mobile 7P and Osmo Mobile 7 tragically still don’t support full 360° movement. It can finally track you outside of DJI’s Mimo app thanks to the new Multifunction Module basically adds an AI tracking camera to the side of the smartphone clip. However, it’s not nearly as smart as the insta360 Flow 2 Pro with its ability to zoom, keep framing, and follow you in a full circle. The $149 DJI OP 7P might seem more attractively priced than the $159 insta360 Flow 2 Pro, but the latter is a much smarter gimbal, especially for iPhone users.
Full Review
📐 Feature-packed design. DJI has overhauled the design of the DJI Osmo Mobile 7P with a simpler folding design and built-in tripod. Previously, the Osmo Mobile 6 required you to twist and then unfold its gimbal arm like a Bop-it, but now you can just fold the arm, and it’ll turn itself on, too. Better yet, this gimbal has a new built-in tripod you can pull out of the handle. This has been a long-requested feature since both the Insta360 Flow Pro and Flow 2 Pro were released. There’s also a hidden extension rod that pulls out when you tug on the gimbals head, it’s amazing how much DJI packed into the Osmo Mobile 7P.
🎒 Compact enough. While the DJI Osmo Mobile 7P is smaller, it still isn’t exactly what I would call pocket size. It’s too big to comfortably fit in your pants pocket, so your best bet is to pack this gimbal into your jacket, sling bag, or backpack. At least, it’s smaller than the insta360 Flow 2 Pro.
🙂↔️ Limited range of movement. Unfortunately, this new design hasn’t given the Osmo Mobile 7P or 7 the ability to turn a full 360° like the insta360 Flow Pro and Flow 2 Pro. It seems like a big miss when DJI’s competitor has since introduced two gimbals that users can go full circles around. It also limits what you can do with DJI’s new ActiveTrack 7.0.
🎯 Stay on target. Object and face tracking is much better with the Osmo Mobile 7P’s ActiveTrack 7.0. The gimbal could track my face while I repeatedly popped my face in and out of frame or moved past an obstacle – something Active Track 6.0 struggled to do on the Osmo Mobile 6.
📡 Tracking module. DJI’s subject tracking has mainly improved thanks to a new Multifunctional Module that comes with the Osmo Mobile 7P. It’s a little clip-on device that attaches to the phone grip’s side, and it features a small camera and a surprisingly bright programmable light. DJI’s previous gimbals could already effectively subjects just using the power of its app and algorithms, but this module adds tracking to third-party apps like the default camera app, TikTok, Instagram, Zoom, even the home screen!
🎠 One trick pony. As good as the constant tracking is with DJI Active Track 7.0 is, it’s not nearly as smart as insta360 Flow 2 Pro Apple DockKit integration. Switching lenses in the default camera app can doesn’t jive perfectly with the Multifunction Module’s tracking. The Osmo Mobile 7P also can’t zoom in or maintain framing like the insta360 Flow 2 Pro can. The OP 7P however is the gimbal to buy for Android users, as the Flow 2 Pro’s tracking only works within insta360’s Android app unless you buy its additional $39 AI Tracker.
🎤 DJI Mic compatible. That Multifunction Module also acts as a DJI microphone receiver. You have to hardwire the module to your phone with a USB-C cord, but you can connect either a DJI Mic 2 or DJI Mic Mini transmitter for pristine audio quality.
🔋 Triple-sized battery. DJI has more than tripled the size of the OM 7P’s battery to 3350 mAh – significantly more than the OP 6’s 1,000mAh battery. I can get through a full day of run and gun shooting with this gimbal and still have over two-thirds of the battery left. You can also use all that extra battery capacity in the OM 7P to recharge your phone.
😌 Shake it out. DJI continues to provide class-leading stabilization. I can whip my phone back and forth with reckless abandon, and it still somehow looks smooth when I look at my playback. When I’m not trying to shake my phone loose from this gimbal – which is impossible – I can confidently walk around, record my girlfriend’s dog running around, and shoot other action footage, confident it won’t have any stutter I would get by handholding my phone.
💸 Even lower price. The insta360 Flow 2 Pro has beaten the Osmo Mobile 7P at almost every turn, but DJI wins with lower prices. The $149 DJI Osmo Mobile 7P is $10 lower than the new $159 insta360 Flow 2 Pro and the previous Osmo Mobile 6. That price even gets better if you get the entry-level $89 DJI Osmo Mobile 7. DJI’s lower-tier gimbal is a bit smaller than the Osmo Mobile 7P, doesn’t come with the Multifunction Module or a built-in extension rod, and only features a simple slider instead of a multi-function side wheel. However, the Osmo 7 still has a built-in tripod, same size battery, and the new folding design. You can also buy the Multifunction Module for $49 and what bumps up the total price to $138.
Should you buy the DJI Osmo Mobile 7P?
Yes, if…
✅ 🛤️ You want a gimbal that can track you no matter which app you’re using
✅ 📹 You’ve been on the fence about a smartphone gimbal
✅ 🤳 You’ve been eyeing the Osmo Pocket 3, but couldn’t justify the $600~ price
No, if…
❌ 💵 You’re looking for a more affordable smartphone gimbal (get the DJI Osmo Mobile 7 instead)
❌ 🛹 You want to record your skateboard trick, bike wheelies, or other movement around a gimbal (get the insta360 Flow 2 Pro instead)
💫 You want to record yourself with a full 360° freedom of movement (get the insta360 Flow 2 Pro instead)
❌ 🧑🤝🧑 You already have a DJI Osmo Pocket 3
