Smart controller vs. Ipad Mini 5

Sheppie · Sep 22, 2020

Witch one has the advantage. Is one more powerful than the other.

THE CYBORG · Sep 22, 2020

Take a look at THIS thread

Sheppie · Sep 23, 2020

Ok, so if I fly now with a Ipad Mini 5 should I even consider a SC.

zeusfl · Sep 23, 2020

Sheppie said:
Ok, so if I fly now with a Ipad Mini 5 should I even consider a SC.

Smart Controller is all about convenience and simplicity with a great bright screen.
If you have not rush and you dont mind connecting cables, need a bigger screen and you can deal with the sun dimming your screen, the iPad is the way to go.

I personally use both but i will say 80% of the time i use the smart controller and more now that is compatible with the Mavic Air 2.

Romulus Archibald · Sep 23, 2020

I was having the same concern as Apple had released the 5th gen ipad. Seems to me the iPad is slightly more useful for the price range of the SC i.e. download Kitty Hawk or send/receive photos to clients but I'm not sure if the SC can already do that.

zeusfl · Sep 23, 2020

Romulus Archibald said:
I was having the same concern as Apple had released the 5th gen ipad. Seems to me the iPad is slightly more useful for the price range of the SC i.e. download Kitty Hawk or send/receive photos to clients but I'm not sure if the SC can already do that.

Yes you can.

Alexander Of Oz · Sep 23, 2020

I did momentarily consider the SC for my MA2, but really dislike the screen being lower than the controls. That is a huge oversight on DJI's regard!

rcourtney671 · Sep 27, 2020

iPad Mini 5 is the preferred choice for me. I prefer the larger screen and only have a Mavic Air 2 with no plans on buying a second or third drone anytime soon so it's hard for me to justify the expense of buying a SC, game changer or not.

Gadgetdude · Sep 27, 2020

I am going to speak to my experience from this past week. I have flown for a long time(7 years). I have had every gadget imaginable to fly drones. I have used iPads of every size and even goggles to help with my ocean shots. I purchased the SC about a month ago. I use it now with my M2Z and my MA2.

I just spent a week in Sanya China flying both with the SC. All I will say is I am in absolute love with my SC!!!! It is not only convenient carrying around one remote, but it is seriously a joy to fly with it. The screen is amazing bright and detailed even sitting on a beach in direct sunlight I can see every detail I want to. To just pick it up and go is great. I don’t have to worry about wires and iPhones and if they are charged etc. I am in love with flying again. Or should I say I am addicted!!

RussDrone · Sep 27, 2020

I too have used iPhone's, iPad's, Goggles, and glasses. I like the battery life, extra customizable buttons, bright screen, ease of use with a neck strap, and not having to deal with cables. Goggles and glasses were nice, but, in my opinion, they made LOS of the drone very difficult. To use them, I felt you should have a spotter with you.

RicGPDX · Sep 27, 2020

I have a 4th Gen iPad mini that was a wonderful addition to my first Mavic Air and initially with the Air 2. However, the latest update to DJI Fly brought it to its knees. Even though the iPad is dedicated to the Air 2 and there are no extra applications running in the background, I still get OS warnings that I'm running out of RAM while I'm flying.

I'm not sure if DJI will clean this up with another update or if the iPad (and all the nice Hoodman hoods I have for it) will go up on eBay, but it's rather disappointing.

It seems to be a bit much to spend nearly as much on the controller as on the drone, but with what I've read about its screen and the fact that I use the drone pretty much exclusively for photography and video, it may be worth considering.

-Ric
(Mavic Air 2, Mavic Air, Tello)

Thomas B · Sep 27, 2020

Love my SC for convenience, but my 7.85 CS is my “go to” due to larger screen.

JMcD · Sep 28, 2020

Alexander Of Oz said:
I did momentarily consider the SC for my MA2, but really dislike the screen being lower than the controls. That is a huge oversight on DJI's regard!

Correct you got that right. And the screen is too small.

aokusman · Sep 28, 2020

JMcD said:
Correct you got that right. And the screen is too small.

This. The screen is too **** small.

RicGPDX · Sep 28, 2020

JMcD said:
Correct you got that right. And the screen is too small.

Very good point. I didn't notice that at first but I'm not sure that would be a factor with the way it's laid out. I'm also realizing that the screen size and brightness isn't a whole lot more than my plus-size iPhone 11 Pro. I'm still interested in people's experience with he two.

Romulus Archibald · Oct 1, 2020

At the time I first posted in this thread, I only had the ipad mini 4. Last Saturday I ordered my SC and just got it updated a few moments ago. Im going to check in later once I take the mavics out for a bit

commsz344 · Oct 1, 2020

Gadgetdude said:
I am going to speak to my experience from this past week. I have flown for a long time(7 years). I have had every gadget imaginable to fly drones. I have used iPads of every size and even goggles to help with my ocean shots. I purchased the SC about a month ago. I use it now with my M2Z and my MA2.

I just spent a week in Sanya China flying both with the SC. All I will say is I am in absolute love with my SC!!!! It is not only convenient carrying around one remote, but it is seriously a joy to fly with it. The screen is amazing bright and detailed even sitting on a beach in direct sunlight I can see every detail I want to. To just pick it up and go is great. I don’t have to worry about wires and iPhones and if they are charged etc. I am in love with flying again. Or should I say I am addicted!!

I agree with all of the above - The SC is a joy to use and is far more convenient than the iPad 5 and has more functionality than the stock controller - The bright screen is a treat too - I only just bought mine too post MA2 compatibility