And that’s exactly the point, for a fraction of the price, you can just get the remote and use your own iPad for a top of the line performance.
It’s sad that a company that advertises and admits that iOS is the best platform to use and experience their drones, makes a so-called “
smart controller” based on a locked down android os with all its shortcomings for a ridiculous price. No one has so far explained what’s smart about the controller.
They have made and are making enough money, there was no need to leave a bitter taste in their customers mouth.
But I guess just like Apple’s foray now into films after they realized that Android has beaten them to 5G, and that’s pretty much the end, when the competition starts to heat up or the consumer drone market starts to shrivel down, you push out products like these.
The experience in the Go4 app is the same on a $2000 iPad Pro or the
SC. The
SC is brighter, the iPad is bigger. It doesn't have to be an iPad either, there are lots of excellent Android tablets of various sizes that work beautifully. The point of the
SC is convenience and compactness. There is no performance advantage with an iPad that you can realize in the GO4 app and it very much depends on exactly which iPad you're using (many are too slow). Again, your complaints have nothing really to do with Android vs iOS. What people try to do all the time, (not saying you are) especially on these forums, is compare an $80 Android tablet to a $500 iPad - if they compare similarly priced devices, the difference disappears. Obviously if you attach a giant iPad to the normal controller the screen is bigger - that isn't automatically better. Personally I would never want to carry that around.
DJI does not advertise that iOS is the best platform to my knowledge - do you have a link to an objective, non-speculative source for that? If you're talking about the symbol on the box it doesn't mean what you think it means. Anecdotally speaking, the only issues I have ever had with the DJI app have been on an iPhone 8. I have had no problems with my Android devices and battery life is better.
The
SC price is actually a bargain. A Mavic 1 remote is $300 USD, I assume a
Mavic 2 remote will be slightly more when it becomes available through DJI direct. A 5.5"
Crystal Sky display is $469. Not only is the
SC cheaper (especially if bought as a bundle with the
Mavic 2), but it is integrated beautifully with better battery life, better brightness, and better temperature resistance than any currently available controller/iPad combination. One thing DJI could have done is offered a trade-in program for existing remotes, but if they are selling every one they make there is no incentive to do that from a marketing perspective.
DJI can barely keep up to
SC sales if how hard they are to get is any indication - that suggests if anything they are priced below what the market would bear. I would have paid more for it personally, but I can only speak for myself - I much prefer it to any smartphone or tablet combination with the standard remote.
Most importantly though, I'm very sorry that you are unhappy with the SC. I too am accustomed to having an iPad as a display so I've been reluctant to jump on the SC band wagon. However, I keep seeing GLOWING reviews from folks so your post was quite a surprise. Based on forum posts I've read, it would seem there are many more people who love the thing than not.
