DJI GO4 4.1.0 (android)

[Mauri59]

Just forgotten to switch off wifi, and then, couldn't go ahead until upgrading from 4.0.7 to 4.1.0.
Same Android device and same OS, same settings, same firmware, same GO4 settings, but DJI GO4 4.1.0 now freezes in less than one minute, making things impossible (to me).
Went back to 4.0.7 (apk download) and got back the chance to use my Mavic (I payed for).
I know android OS versions are a number and manufacturers device/firmwares skyrocket the possibilities of bugs, but in my humble opinion, DJI should be more conservative before releasing new android versions, or at least, implement to their app, the chance to disable automatic upgrades.
Apple IOS are fine (less and easier to manage for DJI), but until the price of Apple devices is double the HW value inside, I don't think I'll ever buy one.
Sad to say, but DJI GO4 app reliability for android, appears to be less than mediocre.
Moreover, it's a joke saying the app upgrade is mandatory, to fly safely, when the upgrade makes things more dangerous.

 

[Pablo]

Same thing happened to me on my S7 Edge. Crashed every time I opened it (something about the screen resolution not being supported). Deleted the app and re-installed it and it worked again (with the same screen resolution).

It's been extra buggy on Android recently.

 

[harryb]

No love for Android.

 

[rverkoey]

iPad Mini 4 all the way. My wife got one when she bought her car recently and now I have a purpose for it.

 

[Mauri59]

"Apple IOS are fine (less and easier to manage for DJI), but until the price of Apple devices is double the HW value inside, I don't think I'll ever buy one."

iPad Mini 4 all the way. My wife got one when she bought her car recently and now I have a purpose for it.

 

[dwallersv]

We expel a lot of hot, moist air jabbering about the issue. The bottom line is DJI simply isn't will to invest the necessary resources to do even the most minimal, decent job implementing an Android app.

I'm not going to say much and contribute to the humidity in the room. I'll just say this: This has nothing to do with Android. There's nothing tricky about the GO4 and what it's trying to do on Android.

Bazillions of other developers seems quite capable of making complex applications work reliably, efficiently (think battery / power consumption), etc. And these apps run without issue across a broad range of devices, OS versions, and hardware configurations.

This is because these apps were written from the ground up to run on Android. They make good use of the Android run-time model; they follow guidelines for managing different resolutions; I could go on and on.

I've developed for both Android and iOS. GO4 has every indication that primary development takes place on iOS, and then a short-staffed (probably one guy, actually) team ports it to Android.

I hate iOS. I am an Apple antifanboy. I'm getting an iPad 4 mini just as soon as I can afford it.

 

[flyNfrank]

Has anyone tried enabling the hardware device debugging option?

 

[Mauri59]

Although beeing an electronic RF engineer, I've not the knowdlege or background with OS, to judge how and why it happens.
Simply, if DJI say's android OS is supported, then it's questionable to see (their) answers, vaguely suggesting (who has problems) to switch iOS.
The HW in (most) recent android devices, is much more powerful than the older iOS devices which seem to work (more) flawlessy, and newer iOS devices, are still expensive, bringing nothing more than medium high android ones, at twice the price.
Commercially, this doesn't appear a wise policy for the DJI company image, who gives the idea to be technically unable to manage android, or (worse), doing the "dirty work" (creating a specialized need for iOS devices), in favour of iOS phone/tablets and their diffusion.
Definitely, if finally I've to dedicate an iOS device to Mavic, it will be an obsolete and used one (which has to be a 3G-4G verison, since the Cupertino guys, in 2017, doesn't install GPS in wifi models).
I repeat, it's a joke saying the app upgrade is mandatory, to fly safely, when the upgrade makes things more dangerous.

I've developed for both Android and iOS. GO4 has every indication that primary development takes place on iOS, and then a short-staffed (probably one guy, actually) team ports it to Android.
I hate iOS. I am an Apple antifanboy. I'm getting an iPad 4 mini just as soon as I can afford it.

 

[flyNfrank]

We expel a lot of hot, moist air jabbering about the issue. The bottom line is DJI simply isn't will to invest the necessary resources to do even the most minimal, decent job implementing an Android app.

I'm not going to say much and contribute to the humidity in the room. I'll just say this: This has nothing to do with Android. There's nothing tricky about the GO4 and what it's trying to do on Android.

Bazillions of other developers seems quite capable of making complex applications work reliably, efficiently (think battery / power consumption), etc. And these apps run without issue across a broad range of devices, OS versions, and hardware configurations.

This is because these apps were written from the ground up to run on Android. They make good use of the Android run-time model; they follow guidelines for managing different resolutions; I could go on and on.

I've developed for both Android and iOS. GO4 has every indication that primary development takes place on iOS, and then a short-staffed (probably one guy, actually) team ports it to Android.

I hate iOS. I am an Apple antifanboy. I'm getting an iPad 4 mini just as soon as I can afford it.

I had always been a hardcore android person, and still am. However. when I bit by the android 7 issue and had to spent a great deal of time jail breaking my nVidia Shield k1 to be able to roll back to android 6, it opened the door so to speak. I also had a new never used ios mini 2 I had bought only to use for the app's without both OS versions. After setting up the mini 2 GO4 app settings to match how I had the nVidia k1 setup it was time for my 1st ios flight with the Mavic. After reaching the altitude I want to begin with i was off and flying. You could tell right away many parts of the flight were an improvement over the android version I was use to flying. I felt so good about how the overall flight was going I wanted right away to see how what kind range difference there was, and away I went. I ended up having to turn around early because I had used too much battery before hand.

When comparing the two OS versions just based on this 1st ios flight was...the key point which stuck out more then anything else to me was, how it felt so much more secure throughout all areas. I did not at one time feel like it might suddenly drop connection. If the signal bars dropped, they recovered just as fast. And the list goes on....

I have been around this forum since it 1st started, and the phantompilots.com website since 2013. I've never been one to make up stories or exaggerate on something that just is not true. The ios version really is that much better then android.

The fact is, dji has always catered to the ios OS version. It is the easiest to maintain. They created their android GO4 app based on android 5.5. The GO4 Beta Admin told me that because of new completely different android 7, the only was the GO4 app will ever function properly with android, is if GO4 was completely rebuilt. He said...that will never happen. In the meantime, we see additional hardware being added to GO4 such as the Spark, and more, which makes for more reason why the android will have to continue suffering. The SDK app's will likely be the only option for android.

 

[Mauri59]

I repeat my points: it's a joke saying the (android) app upgrade is mandatory, to fly safely, when the "upgrade" makes things more dangerous.
When the android OS version installed in the device (tablet, smartphone) and GO4 app version have been tested working in a decently stable way, the android upgrade of the GO4 app is "often" a jump into unknown field, with the risk of potentially "fatal" issues.
I don't think is wise, pushing android users to fly in fears, as "beta testers".

After setting up the mini 2 GO4 app settings to match how I had the nVidia k1 setup it was time for my 1st ios flight with the Mavic. After reaching the altitude I want to begin with i was off and flying. You could tell right away many parts of the flight were an improvement over the android version I was use to flying. I felt so good about how the overall flight was going I wanted right away to see how what kind range difference there was, and away I went. I ended up having to turn around early because I had used too much battery before hand.

 

[Mellios]

Just forgotten to switch off wifi, and then, couldn't go ahead until upgrading from 4.0.7 to 4.1.0.
Same Android device and same OS, same settings, same firmware, same GO4 settings, but DJI GO4 4.1.0 now freezes in less than one minute, making things impossible (to me).
Went back to 4.0.7 (apk download) and got back the chance to use my Mavic (I payed for).
I know android OS versions are a number and manufacturers device/firmwares skyrocket the possibilities of bugs, but in my humble opinion, DJI should be more conservative before releasing new android versions, or at least, implement to their app, the chance to disable automatic upgrades.
Apple IOS are fine (less and easier to manage for DJI), but until the price of Apple devices is double the HW value inside, I don't think I'll ever buy one.
Sad to say, but DJI GO4 app reliability for android, appears to be less than mediocre.
Moreover, it's a joke saying the app upgrade is mandatory, to fly safely, when the upgrade makes things more dangerous.

The worse is when you have an android device working just fine and an update come along and makes the app not even working at all. The android hardware diversity being the reason for the instability and poor performance simply doesn't hold.

 

[4wd]

It shouldn't update if you have auto-updates unchecked on play store.
You will simply see a message on top bar saying update available when you have opened it.
Swipe it away.

 

[Robert Mitchell]

Not so sure it is as much about safety as it is about "encouraging" you to convert to an IOS device.

I too am now a IOS convert. I held out as long as I could. I've always resisted apple products and the decision wasn't an easy one.

But is it a mystery to anyone why DJI would put the resources into supporting the product they are in bed with?

I'm not sure exactly what the business relationship is, but don't the apple stores carry the DJI products?

Does anyone think that it doesn't go deeper than that? If someone has information to the contrary, enlighten me. But even if not, that is in bed enough for my theory.

So based on that assumption, why wouldn't they support IOS over Android, essentially "forcing" users like myself to eventually make the switch?

Bottom line, the software works flawlessly with my new IPhone 7, and I almost choke when I have to admit this.

 

[Mauri59]

If phone/tablet is a dedicated device, then yes, but if you're using your mobile phone, then it's a pain (I don't say where) to enable/disable the auto updates, only to prevent the DJI GO4 does "upgrade" to a risky new version. (incidentally, my phone is among the "DJI officially supported" androids)
My humble opinion: when a company releases his app new version, an app which controls a flying machine, it should be factory carefully tested.
A lot of apps, consider the "new version", as a "beta" one. Only weeks/months later, I mean after hundreds feedbacks and after hundred bug fixes, a new "stable version" is distributed... as "stable".
The new 4.1.0, which basically added the new Spark mini drone, gave me serious troubles, no advantages at all, no more safety.
If I were DJI, I'd seriously worried by my app (poor) ranking in play store.

It shouldn't update if you have auto-updates unchecked on play store.
You will simply see a message on top bar saying update available when you have opened it.
Swipe it away.

 

[dwallersv]

But is it a mystery to anyone why DJI would put the resources into supporting the product they are in bed with?

I'm not sure exactly what the business relationship is, but don't the apple stores carry the DJI products?

Does anyone think that it doesn't go deeper than that? If someone has information to the contrary, enlighten me. But even if not, that is in bed enough for my theory..

Apple own about 30% of DJI.

 

[Robert Mitchell]

Apple own about 30% of DJI.

There you go then.

 

[4wd]

If phone/tablet is a dedicated device, then yes, but if you're using your mobile phone, then it's a pain .

You can change the setting for each app, just go to its page on Play.

DJI can't over-ride that but have in the past made a pop-up banner over older version (DJIGo) which made it unusable until you switched to Go4 on Mavic.

 

[GerdS]

The relations between DJI and Apple are not that tight as assumed here, otherwise Apple would have licenced iOS to DJI to be used for their CrystalSky monitors instead of Android.
DJI just has a serious code problem, maybe located in a C++ code base commonly used for both the iOS and Android version. I hope they have understood that it is essential to their future to fix this, especially as their customer base is now growing further with Spark customers.
In contrast, I never heard of such app problems from DJI competitors such as Yuneec or ZeroTech. So it's not an Android problem, it's a DJI problem.

 

[PaoloOne]

I don't know if I'm lucky but until now on my two android devices I did not find a problem in running DJI Go and Litchi. I have a Samsung Galaxy tab S2 and a Xiaomi Redmi Pro, the first is on Nougat and is the one that I use more frequently.

 

[GerdS]

I don't know if I'm lucky but until now on my two android devices I did not find a problem in running DJI Go and Litchi. I have a Samsung Galaxy tab S2 and a Xiaomi Redmi Pro, the first is on Nougat and is the one that I use more frequently.

Be happy for that. I have three devices, a Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 9.7" (SM-T810) which works same as yours without any problems, a Nexus 6 and a Sony Xperia XZ which both tend to slow down after few minutes and either GO4 will crash then or freeze the phone. And this happens just with GO4, not with Litchi.