A Great Cheap Android Screen For The Mini 2 And The DJI Fly app....

[DJayI]

I don't use expensive Android phones. Never needed more until I started looking at drones. Many of the better toy grade or entry-level hobby grade camera drones require AC WiFi. In anticipation of getting a new drone, I got a new phone that has the AC WiFi. My other new phone had the 5G WiFi band, but no AC.
Enter the Moto G Power(2020 edition). For the curious, some specs for the phone, 4GB RAM and 64GB Storage(expandable via SD card to add up to 512GB), Snapdragon 665, 1080P display(399PPI), USB-C, 5000mAH battery, good GPS and Dual-Band WiFi with the AC. Other nice features are dual mics, dual speakers, headphone jack and fingerprint reader.

Well, instead of getting one of the nicer cheapo drones, like the F11 Pro 4K, I jumped up to the Mini 2. As the phone connects directly with the remote controller, turns out I did not need the AC WiFi after all...

Makes no difference however, as the Moto G Power is making a great screen for the DJI Fly app. I have to wonder if a better option even exists for $120(US). It is a "Prepaid" phone with a sim card. I remove the sim card, as I do not use cellular service with it. It's sole duty is screen for the Mini2.
I have had zero app crashes, zero loss of connection to the drone or remote. Today while flying and recording video, I wanted to make a picture of the Mini 2. I had no other phone or camera with me. So I took a chance and backed out of the DJI Fly app(Version 1.2.4), opened the phone's camera app and took the photos. Backed out of the camera app and popped the Fly app open, video was still recording, appears nothing bad or unexpected happened and the drone remained under control.

I make this post based on my philosophy that the phone should cost less than the drone.

If you share my frugal philosophy, give the Moto G Power a look. I have been totally impressed with how this budget phone handles its drone duties.

I was flying in to the barn when the Mini entered the shade, yet the sun illuminated the orange ring on the props, was the first I had seen the orange on the propeller tips while rotating. That made me want to take a photo of the Mini 2.

 

[netfolks2000]

Very nice assessment. Do you by chance know the nits, brightness, of that phone. That would be the other main consideration.

 

[anotherlab]

Very nice assessment. Do you by chance know the nits, brightness, of that phone. That would be the other main consideration.

Tom's Guide measured it at 500 nits for the 2020 version.

While the colors on the Moto G Power screen didn't impress me, the display's brightness was more than satisfactory. We measured brightness at 500 nits for the Moto G Power, just ahead of the average for smartphones. Both the Pixel 4a and iPhone SE are brighter, at 681 nits and 653 nits respectively, but when using the Moto G Power outside, I never had to crank up the display to maximum brightness just to see the screen.

 

[DJayI]

Very nice assessment. Do you by chance know the nits, brightness, of that phone. That would be the other main consideration.

anotherlab points to the reference I would have used, it is not the brightest, I may make a hood for it, but it has yet to be an issue.
Other than the AC WiFi, 4GB RAM, and 64bit CPU and OS, the $120 price influenced my purchase decision.

 

[RobotBee]

I don't use expensive Android phones. Never needed more until I started looking at drones. Many of the better toy grade or entry-level hobby grade camera drones require AC WiFi. In anticipation of getting a new drone, I got a new phone that has the AC WiFi. My other new phone had the 5G WiFi band, but no AC.
Enter the Moto G Power(2020 edition). For the curious, some specs for the phone, 4GB RAM and 64GB Storage(expandable via SD card to add up to 512GB), Snapdragon 665, 1080P display(399PPI), USB-C, 5000mAH battery, good GPS and Dual-Band WiFi with the AC. Other nice features are dual mics, dual speakers, headphone jack and fingerprint reader.

Well, instead of getting one of the nicer cheapo drones, like the F11 Pro 4K, I jumped up to the Mini 2. As the phone connects directly with the remote controller, turns out I did not need the AC WiFi after all...

Makes no difference however, as the Moto G Power is making a great screen for the DJI Fly app. I have to wonder if a better option even exists for $120(US). It is a "Prepaid" phone with a sim card. I remove the sim card, as I do not use cellular service with it. It's sole duty is screen for the Mini2.
I have had zero app crashes, zero loss of connection to the drone or remote. Today while flying and recording video, I wanted to make a picture of the Mini 2. I had no other phone or camera with me. So I took a chance and backed out of the DJI Fly app(Version 1.2.4), opened the phone's camera app and took the photos. Backed out of the camera app and popped the Fly app open, video was still recording, appears nothing bad or unexpected happened and the drone remained under control.

I make this post based on my philosophy that the phone should cost less than the drone.

If you share my frugal philosophy, give the Moto G Power a look. I have been totally impressed with how this budget phone handles its drone duties.

I was flying in to the barn when the Mini entered the shade, yet the sun illuminated the orange ring on the props, was the first I had seen the orange on the propeller tips while rotating. That made me want to take a photo of the Mini 2.

Thanks for that.

Does the camera hole in the corner of the screen interfere with the interface?

 

[Peshoa]

Does this phone have compass chip installed?

 

[Tomk_]

It has a Magnetometer (e-compass).

 

[DJayI]

Thanks for that.

Does the camera hole in the corner of the screen interfere with the interface?

It has not been an issue for me.

 

[African wildlife]

I'm also not someone who has been lured into the expensive range of smartphones. I use a Honor 10 Lite and it's been more than adequate for the Mini 2. My wife also has an Honor 10 Lite. And - guess what - the other wonderful woman in our "unusual" family also has an Honor 10 Lite. Why pay more? A lot more! Too many people get sucked in by marketing hype, Perhaps some think they'll be more socially accepted if they have the "right" phone? The Honor 10 Lite does everything we need a smart phone to do. £129. And the tech experts rated it as one of the two best smartphones in the "inexpensive" range,

 

[RobotBee]

I'm also not someone who has been lured into the expensive range of smartphones. I use a Honor 10 Lite and it's been more than adequate for the Mini 2. My wife also has an Honor 10 Lite. And - guess what - the other wonderful woman in our "unusual" family also has an Honor 10 Lite. Why pay more? A lot more! Too many people get sucked in by marketing hype, Perhaps some think they'll be more socially accepted if they have the "right" phone? The Honor 10 Lite does everything we need a smart phone to do. £129. And the tech experts rated it as one of the two best smartphones in the "inexpensive" range,

How is the screen brightness?

 

[Tomk_]

Honor 10 Lite review

The Honor 10 Lite features a rather generic IPS LCD panel with a small minimalist notch on the top, which isn't obtrusive at all and you can still hide it...

www.gsmarena.com

Looks like 441 nits.

 

[DJayI]

Since posting this I have observed a few app crashes. Not more than four all told, but in the interest of full disclosure I thought I had better mention it.
Restarting app returned function and overall did not worry me that much because of VLOS.

 

[Alan Mac]

A similarly priced phone that's been working well for me so far (about a dozen full batteries in a mini2) is the Samsung Galaxy A 12.

Don't know the screen brightness, but it's been adequate so far. Quite a big screen too.

 

[netfolks2000]

I don't use expensive Android phones. Never needed more until I started looking at drones. Many of the better toy grade or entry-level hobby grade camera drones require AC WiFi. In anticipation of getting a new drone, I got a new phone that has the AC WiFi. My other new phone had the 5G WiFi band, but no AC.
Enter the Moto G Power(2020 edition). For the curious, some specs for the phone, 4GB RAM and 64GB Storage(expandable via SD card to add up to 512GB), Snapdragon 665, 1080P display(399PPI), USB-C, 5000mAH battery, good GPS and Dual-Band WiFi with the AC. Other nice features are dual mics, dual speakers, headphone jack and fingerprint reader.

Well, instead of getting one of the nicer cheapo drones, like the F11 Pro 4K, I jumped up to the Mini 2. As the phone connects directly with the remote controller, turns out I did not need the AC WiFi after all...

Makes no difference however, as the Moto G Power is making a great screen for the DJI Fly app. I have to wonder if a better option even exists for $120(US). It is a "Prepaid" phone with a sim card. I remove the sim card, as I do not use cellular service with it. It's sole duty is screen for the Mini2.
I have had zero app crashes, zero loss of connection to the drone or remote. Today while flying and recording video, I wanted to make a picture of the Mini 2. I had no other phone or camera with me. So I took a chance and backed out of the DJI Fly app(Version 1.2.4), opened the phone's camera app and took the photos. Backed out of the camera app and popped the Fly app open, video was still recording, appears nothing bad or unexpected happened and the drone remained under control.

I make this post based on my philosophy that the phone should cost less than the drone.

If you share my frugal philosophy, give the Moto G Power a look. I have been totally impressed with how this budget phone handles its drone duties.

I was flying in to the barn when the Mini entered the shade, yet the sun illuminated the orange ring on the props, was the first I had seen the orange on the propeller tips while rotating. That made me want to take a photo of the Mini 2.

I see that phone on sale at Sam's. But I wonder what its NIT rating is, how bright the screen is. Is it bright enough for you?

 

[DJayI]

I see that phone on sale at Sam's. But I wonder what its NIT rating is, how bright the screen is. Is it bright enough for you?

Keep in mind, I speak of the 2020 Moto G Power, not the 2021 model. The 2021 model is said to have a different display(720p).

It has been no issue for me. According to one review, it is 500 nits, "We measured brightness at 500 nits for the Moto G Power(2020), just ahead of the average for smartphones".
As a prepaid phone, I picked up this phone for $120. For that price, I struggled to find another phone with a FHD display of its size as well as the other decent features, like 4GB RAM, 64GB storage, 64 bit CPU and OS, dual band AC WiFi and expandable storage. I have been satisfied with it as a display for the Mini 2.
It has offered to update to Android 11 but I have not done it, as there is some indication the DJI Fly app and A11 have issues. I asked on the DJI forum, they said they are working on it.

 

[Frankthetank$$]

I don't use expensive Android phones. Never needed more until I started looking at drones. Many of the better toy grade or entry-level hobby grade camera drones require AC WiFi. In anticipation of getting a new drone, I got a new phone that has the AC WiFi. My other new phone had the 5G WiFi band, but no AC.
Enter the Moto G Power(2020 edition). For the curious, some specs for the phone, 4GB RAM and 64GB Storage(expandable via SD card to add up to 512GB), Snapdragon 665, 1080P display(399PPI), USB-C, 5000mAH battery, good GPS and Dual-Band WiFi with the AC. Other nice features are dual mics, dual speakers, headphone jack and fingerprint reader.

Well, instead of getting one of the nicer cheapo drones, like the F11 Pro 4K, I jumped up to the Mini 2. As the phone connects directly with the remote controller, turns out I did not need the AC WiFi after all...

Makes no difference however, as the Moto G Power is making a great screen for the DJI Fly app. I have to wonder if a better option even exists for $120(US). It is a "Prepaid" phone with a sim card. I remove the sim card, as I do not use cellular service with it. It's sole duty is screen for the Mini2.
I have had zero app crashes, zero loss of connection to the drone or remote. Today while flying and recording video, I wanted to make a picture of the Mini 2. I had no other phone or camera with me. So I took a chance and backed out of the DJI Fly app(Version 1.2.4), opened the phone's camera app and took the photos. Backed out of the camera app and popped the Fly app open, video was still recording, appears nothing bad or unexpected happened and the drone remained under control.

I make this post based on my philosophy that the phone should cost less than the drone.

If you share my frugal philosophy, give the Moto G Power a look. I have been totally impressed with how this budget phone handles its drone duties.

I was flying in to the barn when the Mini entered the shade, yet the sun illuminated the orange ring on the props, was the first I had seen the orange on the propeller tips while rotating. That made me want to take a photo of the Mini 2.

Yes also use a similar phone the g stylus working good

 

[netfolks2000]

How about the main characteristic, the brightness of the screen. How many nits? 600 to 1200 would be a good range, the more the better.

 

[DJayI]

According to one review, it is 500 nits, "We measured brightness at 500 nits for the Moto G Power(2020), just ahead of the average for smartphones".

 

[samiam]

I don't want to use a connected phone at all. After I finish selecting a drone to buy, I will be in the market for an unconnected Android tablet to use. However, screen visibility will remain a critical issue. So I ask, is the nits value the sole determinant of the visibility of this kind of display in bright sunlight, or are there other factors?

 

[netfolks2000]

Two notes: First, nits measures brightness, however someone more knowledgeable will have to elaborate on why OLED screens are not favored. Second, don't avoid all connectivity. Updates are important & useful, even provide new features. So at least let your tablet WiFi into your phone's hotspot.