CrystalSky vs. iPad Mini 4

[msinger]

Here's a comparison showing what a pre-production 1000 nit CrystalSky displays looks like next to an iPad Mini 4:

 

[kneeL]

Glad to see I'm not the only one who can't find a right-angle cable for the iPad

So looks like we should buy CrystalSky then


Is that a Cendence on the left? And Phantom or Inspire controller on right? Do you use Cendence for the Mavic?

 

[msinger]

It's not my video -- but, yes, that's the DJI Cendence.

 

[silverdragon]

I have 0 issues with the ipad Mini 4, all sorts of issues with the 7.85 1000 nit CS. The ipad never disconnects. The CS disconnects at least once with 1 battery flight. The GPS does not work most of the time using the CS. It works all the time with the Mini 4. The RTH does not function 40% of the time using the CS. RTH works all the time with the Mini 4. I know people get the CS (any one of them) and it works flawlessly. Now the Big one, the CS screen goes haywire 35% of the time. The screen distorts Big time. It's hard to explain in words. I guess I got a lemon. That's all..

 

[treyg]

Forgive my ignorance, I'm completely new to the drone world. Why would I go Crystalsky over an iPad mini given the price difference between the two? What am I missing?

 

[supergimp]

Forgive my ignorance, I'm completely new to the drone world. Why would I go Crystalsky over an iPad mini given the price difference between the two? What am I missing?

I use a High Brightness 7.8 in CS with my Mavics (Air and 2 Pro). I was using an iPad Mini. Personally I would never go back, but there are some thing to consider. In no particular order off the top of my head:

1. I like having a dedicated device for my drone. No extra apps, no alerts, texts or notifications. As long as I decided to get a dedicated device, I included the CS in my list of potential devices and ended up being the best choice for me.
2. The CS, HANDS DOWN, obliterates the viewability in bright sun (I live in Southern California) of the iPad. Not only is it brighter, it has optimized contrast modes for different conditions. It's made to be viewed outdoors in bright sunlight.
3. Interchangeable batteries. The CS comes with two interchangeable batteries (the 7.8" one does, the 5.5 only comes with one). I never worry about battery capacity on my display.
4. The CS has a lot of features that are useful (arguably necessary) in professional filming environments. HDMI out for feeding a Director of Photography, two MicroSD cards for storage. Two USB ports for connectivity. It's really handy when I'm on the road and need to dump SD cards to a portable HDD. Plug in a drive to the USB port, and use the File Explorer to copy files to the HDD for backup. No computer necessary.
5. I have issues occasionally with CS responsiveness to touch, especially in the extreme corners. Not really an issue, but not nearly as "refined" as the touch response on an iPad or other Apple and mainstream Android products.
6. CS is a one-trick pony. In my case it makes sense as I don't want to use it for anything else (convenience, but also safety - no interfering apps) but if you need it for other things, other devices may be more appropriate.
7. CS doesn't have LTE or other cellular connectivity. If you are in a remote location, you have to remember to cache maps ahead of time (works but limited number of maps you can cache and not the greatest implementation). Otherwise you have to tether if you want to load maps remotely. That's fine if you have that feature on your phone. I don't so it's kind of a drag for me.
8. CS is heavy compared to iPad. The tablet itself is ok, but the interchangeable battery adds a bit of weight. I made a custom mount for my Mavic controllers (similar to Mav Mount) and they work fine once you get the balance, but for some it could be unwieldy.
9. CS was designed for use with "Pro" DJI products. Thus it comes with a charging dock, but no power supply for the dock as they expect you to use the power supply from your Phantom or Inspire. So if you are like me, a Mavic user, you need to buy a compatible power supply (at least another 30 buck or so) or do what I did and use an inexpensive laptop supply and make sure the connector is rewired to match the dock input (I'm handy with a soldering iron and 3D printed a power supply case for the guts of a PSU I already had and ended up with a more compact solution than any of the DJI PSU's).
10. CS updates always trail Go4 updates for iOS and Android. Usually by a couple of weeks. Kinda sucks when you are waiting on new features (I had my M2P for about a month before CS would support it).
11. CS version of Android the Google Play store so you have to side load other apps or jump through even bigger hoops to add apps. Again, I don't want to pollute my drone controller device too much, but I do like having relative apps like Litchi, PolarPro ND calculator, etc., on the CS.

I wouldn't belittle anyone using an iPad Mini 4 (I tried a Mini 2 at one point and it worked but with constant CPU warnings from Go4) but I personally prefer the CrystalSky over the iPad Mini 4 I was using. That said, occasionally I'll just throw my M2P or Air in a bag with the controller and use my iPhone XS when I don't feel like breaking out the whole kit.

Steve

 

[treyg]

Wow. I appreciate the thorough response. I will have to think through the decision, but I greatly appreciate this information!

 

[straitup]

Wow. I appreciate the thorough response. I will have to think through the decision, but I greatly appreciate this information!

you might also try a Galaxy S9 with Auto brightness turned on which will give you 1130 nits on the screen which is greater then the csky (not the ultra) and you can make calls as a bonus

 

[caspian]

Forgive my ignorance, I'm completely new to the drone world. Why would I go Crystalsky over an iPad mini given the price difference between the two? What am I missing?

for me, one single reason - the HDMI output allows signal to a set of VR goggles.

 

[Duke56]

Glad to see I'm not the only one who can't find a right-angle cable for the iPad

So looks like we should buy CrystalSky then


Is that a Cendence on the left? And Phantom or Inspire controller on right? Do you use Cendence for the Mavic?

Right angle cable for IPad are widely available:

Monoprice 90-degree Apple MFi Certified Lightning to USB Charge & Sync Cable, 1.5ft White - Monoprice.com