How To Update Phantom 4 Pro Controller

DJI Phantom 4 Pro

MSRP $1,799.00

"With incredible obstacle abstention and a kickass new photographic camera, the Phantom iv Pro sets a new standard for quadcopters."

Pros

• 5-management obstruction avoidance
• First-class camera
• Plentiful flight modes
• Long flight time
• Outstanding range

Cons

• Optional touchscreen controller is a $300 add-on

DJI'due south Phantoms are frequently called "the iPhones of drones" — and that's a fair description. They're one of the most popular drones on the planet, packed with high-end features and functionality, and the latest models are always at the height of their grade. On top of that, DJI also releases new models at a steady rate, packing fifty-fifty meliorate features into a nearly identical form cistron. Case in point? The stellar new DJI Phantom 4 Pro.

Features & Specs

Every bit an evolution of the original Phantom four, the Pro boasts a number of pocket-sized merely significant improvements. Many of the original Phantom 4's design attributes, electronic components, and features have been ported over to the pro model, while others have been upgraded, and a few new features accept been added.

The first and most obvious improver is the Pro's new five-management obstacle abstention system. Whereas the P4 only featured forward facing sense and avoid, the new and improved version has sensors on its front back, left, right, and underside. These sensors actively scan the surroundings around the drone and permit information technology to apart avoid things like trees, buildings, and anything else y'all might encounter during flight.

The Pro looks nearly identical to the original Phantom 4.

The other standout improvement is the Pro'south camera. The Pro uses all-new hardware with a 1-inch image sensor — which is iv times the size equally what's used in the original Phantom 4. On top of that, the camera can shoot 4K video at upward to 60 frames per second, and notwithstanding images at up to 20 megapixels. DJI also tossed in discontinuity control and a mechanical shutter. No thing how you lot look at it, the P4's new photographic camera is bigger, better, and more customizable than ever.

DJI has likewise added an even more deluxe, optional version, called the Phantom 4 Pro Plus. It's the exact aforementioned drone, just with a controller that has a built-in touchscreen display. It'll toll y'all an actress 300 bucks, but you won't have to connect your phone to the controller with a cable, worry about your smartphone's bombardment life, or have your flights rudely interrupted by incoming text messages and calls.

Build Quality & Design

The P4 Pro is about identical to the original P4 in terms of both design and build quality. It retains the same hull shape as its predecessor, salvage for a few pocket-sized differences where the new sensors are placed. As such, information technology's every bit equally potent and sturdy as the P4, which remains amongst the virtually attractive and drones available.

It'southward impressive that DJI has managed to outfit the drone with so many new features, while yet maintaining an identical form factor. The boosted sensors accept been tucked into the drone'south legs, while infrared and optical sensors are fitted into the drone's left and right sides. Fifty-fifty the camera, which is drastically better than the one found on the original P4, is just a bit larger than it was before. Unless you familiar with DJI'south drones, the P4 and P4 Pro are equally expert as identical, despite Phantom's numerous enhancement.

The merely downside to the P4 Pro is that, unfortunately, the Phantom line even so isn't nearly as portable as DJI's Mavic Pro. The artillery and props aren't designed to fold down, and the landing gear tin can neither retract, nor be collapsed. Information technology's not designed with portability in mind — though it's still small-scale plenty to be blimp within a backpack if the need arises.

Bombardment life and recharge fourth dimension

Nether optimal conditions, DJI says the Phantom 4 Pro can stay airborne for up to 30 minutes — just of class, real-world conditions aren't ever optimal.

To put these claims to the test, we ran the P4 Pro through our usual series of endurance tests. First up was a hover exam, where we let the drone hover in place until the battery life became "critically low," and the drone automatically landed. Our hover test lasted for 28 minutes and 8 seconds — which isn't very far off from DJI's claimed 30-minute flight time.

Adjacent, to go a sense of how long P4 Pro will last nether more demanding conditions, we recorded the flight times from every other flight test we conducted and averaged everything out. Over the course of 10 different flights that spanned from 100 percent battery charge to the emergency low-battery automated landing, the Phantom 4 Pro averaged a flight fourth dimension of 26 minutes and 50 seconds.

While you shouldn't expect a total 30 minutes of airtime, the endurance is splendid – the best we've seen so far. A DJI Mavic Pro lasted 23 minutes and nineteen seconds in our hover examination, and the Yuneec Typhoon H lasted 23 minutes, 20 seconds. A smaller, more affordable, simpler drone will terminal far less than whatever of these. The Hover Photographic camera Passport, for instance, lasted less than 10 minutes.

Equally for battery recharge times, we institute that a almost-empty bombardment (effectually x per centum remaining) takes about ane.v hours to juice upwardly to 100 percent. That said, most of the fourth dimension you'll be compelled to land before you lot accomplish critically low battery levels, so most of our recharges took near an hr and 15 minutes or less. That's nifty for a prison cell that offers nearly 27 minutes of airtime. The Yuneec Typhoon H needed over two hours to fill up its tank.

Flight Functioning

The flying performance of the Phantom four hasn't changed in this new version. The P4 Pro boasts nearly identical flight specs to the original P4, when it comes to things like speed and agility. Luckily, this isn't much of a letdown, since the P4 is nevertheless amid the nigh nimble quad-bract drones sold.

Speed and agility are basically unchanged in the P4 Pro. Both the P4 and P4 Pro top out at 45 miles per hr (72 kph) — though y'all can easily reach higher speeds with a good tailwind backside you. It's not the fastest drone on the marketplace (some can get 55 or even sixty mph), but information technology'due south quick enough for most uses.

Notwithstanding, different its predecessor, the P4 can fly up to 31 mph with full multi-directional obstacle avoidance. That'due south important. Loftier-speed maneuvers are when you demand obstacle abstention the about. This new model can fly at respectable speeds while likewise dodging and weaving on its ain.

Autonomy

Some of the biggest improvements in the P4 Pro are related to DJI'southward new autopilot features. In addition to porting over virtually of the "standard" autonomous flying modes from the original P4, DJI as well borrowed a few of the Pro's features from the recently-released Mavic, and even added a few extras that we haven't seen before.

You tin prepare the P4 Pro to orbit a point in space with Betoken of Interest Mode, repeat flights forth a preset path with Waypoints, follow your movements via Follow Me mode, or fifty-fifty adjust the style it responds to joystick control with Course Lock and Home Lock. These modes are included in the Phantom 4, simply the Pro version has a couple new tricks up its sleeve: Terrain Follow, Tripod Mode, and a range of new Active Track abilities.

It's not crash-proof, but it'southward close.

In Terrain Follow (which was previously only available in the Mavic Pro), the drone uses its Downward Vision System to maintain a sure distance from the ground, which is fantastic for filming over terrain that varies in elevation.

For static shots, the Pro'due south new Tripod mode allows you lot choose a point in space, then keep the drone locked in that position while you shoot – sort of similar a flying tripod. In this mode, joystick controls are dampened so that panning/yawing movements are less drastic, and the drone uses a combination of GPS and sensors to hold its position without drifting.

DJI has besides added a few updates to its Active Track system. Portrait mode, for example, allows you lot to track a subject while the drone flies horizontally and matches pace. Spotlight, on the other hand, allows you to lock onto a subject, but allows you lot to fly the drone in any management effectually it. There'southward even a 360 manner that will actively orbit any subject you choose, regardless of where that subject might motion.

Bill Roberson/Digital Trends

Bill Roberson/Digital Trends

And of course, there'southward the new omnidirectional sense-and-avoid system. Using its new sensors, the P4 Pro continually scans the environs around information technology, and either alerts you when you wing too shut to an obstacle, or avoids it autonomously. The best part is that this function tin be turned on or off, so it's there when you need it, but doesn't arrive the style when yous want to walk on the wild side and fly shut to something.

Our favorite feature, even so, is DJI'due south new dynamic return to dwelling function. In by generations of the Phantom, when you hit the "render to domicile'" push button, the drone would wing to a predetermined elevation, and then make a beeline directly dorsum to where information technology took off from. God forbid there were any obstacles in the manner — if there were, the drone would smack into them like a blind bird.

When you use the return to dwelling house button on the new P4 Pro, the drone volition basically retrace its steps and attempt to "contrary" along the same path it used to go where it is — dynamically avoiding any obstacles that might appear forth the way, of form. It's non crash-proof, simply it'southward shut.

Range

Range is also quite a bit amend than the original P4. Merely like the Mavic Pro, the P4 Pro is equipped with DJI's new OcuSync video manual technology, which stretches the drone'south maximum range and provides a live Hard disk drive video feed from the camera from upwardly to 4.3 miles abroad. That, however, is only possible in the most optimal conditions.

This is arguably the best way to spend $1,500.

We took it out to the one mile mark on a handful of different occasions without and so much as a jitter in the video feed — only transmission distance varies widely depending on the environment you're flying in. If in that location's a lot of interference, the feed tin cut out at or before the half-mile mark. It all depends on where you lot're flying, but even with the occasional feed cutout, the Phantom four Pro still boasts some of the all-time range we've ever seen in a drone.

Virtually competitors we've tried can barely brand it iii quarters of a mile with their stock configurations, and many require aftermarket range extenders to accomplish the ranges that the P4 Pro can.

Camera and Accessories

If there's whatever single reason to buy the P4 Pro instead of the standard P4, it's the photographic camera. DJI put some serious work into the Pro's image capture system, and the result is 1 of the best cameras we've e'er seen on a quad.

The biggest comeback is the size of the camera'southward sensor. The Pro boasts a 1-inch CMOS sensor — which is roughly 4 times the size of the more than typical 1/ii.3-inch form used by nigh drones (including the Phantom 3 series and the Phantom four), flagship smartphones, and signal-and-shoot cameras. This extra area allows it to capture far more detail, and maintain image/video quality at college ISOs.

In addition to a larger sensor, DJI besides equipped the Pro with a mechanical shutter and discontinuity control. In other words, you're not stuck shooting in f/2.eight all the time (yous can get all the way to f/xi), and no longer need to worry most the dreaded "rolling shutter effect' screwing up your images.

When it comes to shooting video, the P4 Pro offers a litany of options. Y'all can shoot in cinematic 4K DCI at 24, 25, or 30 frames per 2d, or 4K UHD at 24, 25, 30, or sixty frames per second. If that's besides much for your eyeballs (or SD menu) to handle, you can also scale down to 2.7K, 1080p, and 720p — the latter of which can exist captured at 120 frames per second and used to create irksome-mo footage.

If y'all spring for the Phantom four Pro Plus (an extra $300), DJI volition throw in a controller that comes with its own congenital-in touchscreen display. It'southward a bit on the spendy side for sure, but that actress scratch means you won't take to connect your phone to the controller with a cablevision, which is something that's required for nearly every other drone that DJI makes.

Bill Roberson/Digital Trends

Pecker Roberson/Digital Trends

We're not sure if information technology'due south worth $300, but it's pretty squeamish to fly without worrying about your smartphone's battery life, or having your flights rudely interrupted by incoming text letters or calls.

Nevertheless, we think DJI should've included this pick years ago, or at least thrown this into the $1,500 bundle. Yuneec offers a touchscreen Typhoon H controller for no actress charge, and that makes paying extra for it from DJI a bitter pill to swallow.

Our Accept

Without a doubtfulness, DJI'due south Phantom 4 Pro is i of the best drones in beingness today — if not the best. It's the only drone with omnidirectional obstacle avoidance, and the camera outdoes every other drone in this class. Eventually it'll be overshadowed, but it'due south the all-time high-end consumer drone we've tested so far.

Are there meliorate options available?

In this price range, no. If y'all're in the market place for a drone and $1,500 is within your budget, there's no amend way to spend your coin.

The closest competitor to the P4 Pro is probably the DJI Mavic Pro, or newer Mavic Air. Both are smaller, far more portable, and boast many of the aforementioned flight modes and features — except, of course, omnidirectional obstacle avoidance, and a camera with a 1-inch image sensor. Plus, at $999 and $799 respectively, the Mavic Air and Mavic Pro are also considerably cheaper, so if you lot're looking for something a bit more affordable just nevertheless highly capable, yous'd be wise to get for the Mavic.

If y'all don't care and then much nearly portability, Yuneec's Typhoon H is also a worthy contender, and is more affordable at $999. It boasts many of the same features, and has a 4K photographic camera that swivels a full 360 degrees. This, along with dual-pilot capabilities, make it a decent contender. However, the Typhoon H'due south camera is not as avant-garde, the battery doesn't concluding quite as long, and it needs more than time to charge.

How long will information technology last?

Probably a few years or more. DJI constantly rolls out updates to near of its products, and nosotros take no reason to recall the P4 Pro will exist any different. Firmware updates come through on a regular footing, and DJI already has a suite of upgrades, attachments, and accessories in the works. So, assuming you don't fly it into a lake, the P4 Pro should terminal you for quite some fourth dimension.

Should you buy it?

Yes. This is arguably one of the best ways to spend $one,500.

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Source: https://www.digitaltrends.com/drone-reviews/dji-phantom-4-pro-review/

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