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Tablet Or Cellphone

Randy the locator

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New pilot here will be flying the mini and the Pro and soo on the fence weather to get a dedicated cell phone ( Samsaung Note 8) or a tablet . So if I get a tablet looks to me like it covers up or hinders the view of the RC , and you need to purchase another device to attach your tablet to your RC
Cell phone looks like it will fit right in the controller , but I like the idea of a larger screen (getting older eyes) or will the 1000 nits of the note 8 make it easier to see that the larger tablet wont benefit you that much

Ugh I dont know what to do , has anybody used both ?

Thanks
Randy
 
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I use both a tablet (ipad air - 2013) and a iphone 7. The tablet is on a mount above the controller blocking my view of it but I don't need to see the controls, my fingers are on the sticks and know where then camera knob and switches are. Much like you don't need to see the steering wheel, horn etc. when driving. The tablet display is hard to see (about 450 nits?) so I some times use a homemade screen shield for reflections along with positioning the display in the shade of my body but I do like the larger display.
 
Be careful about what you choose. The go4 app and the fly app may not run on the same device. IOS is probably your best bet tablet or phone. Androids are more tricky, do a search you may find someone using a certain android to run both.
 
Ugh I dont know what to do , has anybody used both ?
I've used both and I prefer a phone just because it's always in my pocket.

The size and brightness of the screen are really two completely different features that need to be considered. You should choose a size that works best for your eyes (it sounds like a tablet). A brighter screen will help if you're going to be flying outside in sunny conditions. If you can fly in the shade, then a 1000 nit screen is probably not going to be a must-have feature for you.
 
This is going to come down to personal preference and which size you like and what inconvenience you'll put up with. I started with a 6.44in phone (Sony Z Ultra) then when moved to a newer drone I went with a newer 5.7in phone (Samsung Galaxy Note 4) and missed the larger screen. I was concerned about the larger size of a tablet since I'm usually walking or cycling with the Mavic and didn't want a complex set up routine but figured I need to try it and went with a 10in tablet (Samsung Galaxy Tab S3) which I've been pleased with.

Initially it felt a bit too heavy and cumbersome on the controller but I've become quickly used to it and I really like the larger screen as it means there's plenty space for all the options round the screen while showing a good clear view of the drone's camera. I don't find I need to watch the remote controller data constantly and if I do need to check the display I just glance over the tablet. I do have my phone (Samsung Galaxy Note 9) as a backup but only ended up using it when I've forgotten the tablet.

That said it is my choice and preference for a Mavic Pro 2 and I can easily see why people would prefer a phone.
 
ipad Mini for the win. You will use the screen a lot to see what the camera sees, plus there is a ton of info presented on the screen. The bigger the screen the better. An iPad mini fits in the arms perfectly.

IMG_7851.jpgIMG_7852.jpg
 
From my short experience, the 8 series Samsung phones, though supposedly capable of 1000 nits for a few minutes, dim after that and are no longer close to 1000 nits. I think smartphone nits are grossly exaggerated. I have an S8 and didn't find it anywhere near enough bright on sunny days so I bought a Crystalsky and an Evolution3d mount. Won't work on the Mini but fine for the MP.

The Crystalsky mount has an accessory that lets you use it behind the controller if having it over the controller bothers you.
 
it depends on YOUR specifications, let me tell you mine......
age: 63
eyes condition: prescription glasses since always
I prefer using tablet iPad Air because easy reading, only in a hurry use iPhone 6s Plus.
Reflections big concern, reducer bright filter screen recommended.
 
Didn't need glasses until I got the "short arm" disease when I hit mid forties. :) Initially used iPhone 6s with MM, and it still works fine, but opted for iPad mini 5 (cellular) for my old eyes. The iPad mini works fine with the controller, after I got the extended lightning cable from RC Geek. You'll find many opinions here, and are probably aware of what opinions are like, so it's really up to you.
 
I have always used a IPad. Never was a fan of looking at the cell phone for a screen As far as not being able to see the RC no need to see that anyway everything I need to look at is on the iPad. 0FD3BE6F-B200-4BB0-89E7-BA17062C8E8B.jpeg
 
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Well you can drink the Kool Aid or:

The 8" Samsung Galaxy Tab (SM-T290), works great with DJI FLy, Go4 & Litchi. It is 64 bit Android 9 and only costs $177 at Costco (Canada). I gave my 10" Tab A, (64 bit architecture but 32 bit Android), to my wife.

Lekufee DJI Tablet Holder Works with the mini & pro for sure. Likely all the rest.

New pilot here will be flying the mini and the Pro and soo on the fence weather to get a dedicated cell phone ( Samsaung Note 8) or a tablet . So if I get a tablet looks to me like it covers up or hinders the view of the RC , and you need to purchase another device to attach your tablet to your RC
Cell phone looks like it will fit right in the controller , but I like the idea of a larger screen (getting older eyes) or will the 1000 nits of the note 8 make it easier to see that the larger tablet wont benefit you that much

Ugh I dont know what to do , has anybody used both ?

Thanks
Randy
 
Maybe dragging this thing from the dead instead of starting a whole new thread is a good idea...maybe not.

I've kinda go the same questions.

I recently bought a MA2 and immediately started using my Samsung S20 Ultra as my monitor. The brightness is great, but I had two issues, I wanted a larger screen and I didn't want to keep pulling my $1500(god these things are stupid now) cell phone out of its case every time I want to go fly. I ordered a Samsung T290 8" tablet and I kinda like the screen size. It's not obnoxious, but it isn't tiny either. The brightness is a big rough, but a sun shade has helped. Well, my problem comes to be that a couple times now the video feed has lagged a bit which has given me great concern. Obviously that was never a problem with the S20 and I've tweaked all the settings I can on the tablet short of rooting it and overclocking it(do people still even do that?).

Long story short, I'm kinda thinking about sending the Samsung tablet back and getting an Ipad mini. Spec wise its a pretty good upgrade, but from all your real world experiences do you see it being a worthy upgrade? Does the video ever lag on the Ipad mini's? I just don't want to crash my new toy because I didn't spend a few hundred bucks more on the better tablet, but at the same point I don't want to waste that money if the user experience will be the same. FYI, I don't own anything Apple, nor have I, so that's a bit of a draw back just for the "I don't know how it works" standpoint.

TIA
 
I've flown with a note 8, a samsung tab S2 10" tablet as well as the iPad mini. I use the go 4 app for the phantom 4 and the dji fly app for the mini and air2. Don't listen to IOS fan persons who say stay clear of android. As long as the android device is high end you're golden. I've never had an issue with any of these devices but the ipad is the least bright amongst the three. The problem with android is there are a lot of cheap devices running android. If you try to run with a $200 android phone you'll be disappointed but any samsung ( or other) flagship device with work great. The note 8 is my favorite. Its bright, responsive and a nice size. I've actually ordered a note 10 ( half price from ebay) to be a dedicated drone device so I dont get notifications during flight when I (constantly) forget to turn them off. The larger screen of the tablet is nice but sometimes the extra hassle just isn't worth it.
Fly safe!
 
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Maybe dragging this thing from the dead instead of starting a whole new thread is a good idea...maybe not.

I've kinda go the same questions.

I recently bought a MA2 and immediately started using my Samsung S20 Ultra as my monitor. The brightness is great, but I had two issues, I wanted a larger screen and I didn't want to keep pulling my $1500(god these things are stupid now) cell phone out of its case every time I want to go fly. I ordered a Samsung T290 8" tablet and I kinda like the screen size. It's not obnoxious, but it isn't tiny either. The brightness is a big rough, but a sun shade has helped. Well, my problem comes to be that a couple times now the video feed has lagged a bit which has given me great concern. Obviously that was never a problem with the S20 and I've tweaked all the settings I can on the tablet short of rooting it and overclocking it(do people still even do that?).

Long story short, I'm kinda thinking about sending the Samsung tablet back and getting an Ipad mini. Spec wise its a pretty good upgrade, but from all your real world experiences do you see it being a worthy upgrade? Does the video ever lag on the Ipad mini's? I just don't want to crash my new toy because I didn't spend a few hundred bucks more on the better tablet, but at the same point I don't want to waste that money if the user experience will be the same. FYI, I don't own anything Apple, nor have I, so that's a bit of a draw back just for the "I don't know how it works" standpoint.

TIA
I have used the T290 extensively with Go4 & Fly. Never had a lag problem. I do use "Airplane Mode."
 
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