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It’s been nearly two and a half years since DJI last updated its compact motorized camera. During this time, the Osmo Pocket 3 has dominated the market, setting a high bar for its successor. By introducing a 1-inch sensor and a rotating screen, the previous generation quickly became an essential tool for many content creators, vloggers, and tourists who demand the best gear.
In recent months, snippets of information about DJI’s new camera have surfaced online, leading to inevitable comparisons with Insta360’s offerings, which pose a serious threat in this segment. Starting early in 2026, persistent leaks about the “Luna,” a direct competitor with a stabilized gimbal, could disrupt DJI’s dominance. Moreover, there are rumors of a “Pro” version of the DJI Pocket 4 slated for 2026. Amidst this competitive atmosphere, DJI launches the eagerly awaited Osmo Pocket 4 in late April 2026.
While the brand doesn’t seem to be reinventing the wheel, it addresses some of the minor frustrations from the previous generation. DJI retains the 1-inch sensor but improves dynamic range and resolves storage issues with 107 GB of internal memory. The addition of two new physical buttons and an updated version of the intelligent tracking system are also noteworthy.
Are these improvements in the Pocket 4 sufficient to justify the investment? We’ve been testing it for several weeks, and it’s time to delve into the details.
DJI Osmo Pocket 4Technical Specifications
This review was conducted with a DJI Osmo Pocket 4 provided by DJI.
DJI Osmo Pocket 4Just Two New Buttons?
Is it a case of the same wine in a new bottle? At first glance, the Osmo Pocket 4 looks exactly like the Osmo Pocket 3. It is just a bit taller and a bit thicker: 144.2 x 44.4 x 33.5 mm compared to 139.7 x 42.2 x 33.5 mm. It’s also slightly heavier, weighing 11 grams more—190.5 g compared to 179 g.
This means the camera offers the same handling, and, if the weight is well distributed, I still find the placement of the buttons a bit awkward. I don’t have particularly large hands, but quickly switching buttons requires some care not to press the wrong area or to ensure you press the correct number of times to initiate a particular action.
In this regard, the only notable difference between the Osmo Pocket 4 and the Osmo Pocket 3 is the introduction of two new physical buttons, revealed when you switch the screen to landscape mode. Thus, there are four distinct physical controls to minimize touchscreen interaction during use:
- The recording button (bottom right): recognizable by its red ring, this is the trigger for starting/stopping videos or capturing photos;
- The multidirectional joystick (bottom left): allows for physical control over the gimbal’s orientation on its various axes, and its sensitivity can be adjusted;
- The new function button (top right): a Swiss Army knife of the device, which can be assigned three options depending on the number of presses you make (for example, one press to recenter the gimbal, two presses to flip the camera towards you, three presses to switch to a particular video mode you’ve preset);
- The new zoom control (top left): an ergonomic innovation in this model that allows for zooming without touching the screen, risking a shaky shot (a single press switches to 2x, a double press to 4x).
The brand specifies that the Osmo Pocket 4’s joystick allows for smoother and more responsive control. Personally, it works well once you get used to it after a few uses and adjusting the gimbal’s sensitivity settings.
DJI also seems to have listened to its users by revising how the camera is protected when not in use. The Osmo Pocket 3 had to be meticulously stored in its protective case to avoid damaging the motors, which significantly slowed down spontaneous use.
The Osmo Pocket 4 now benefits from a sort of clamp that locks the gimbal once the camera is turned off. Much smaller than the case, it allows for quickly storing the camera in a pocket or bag without worrying too much about damaging it—at least that’s what I did during my test. I’m not sure if this clamp is faster to install than the full case, but the gesture is quick to learn.
However, the inherent fragility of this type of product demands constant caution. For instance, I couldn’t place the camera on a wooden barrier because of very slight grooves on its surface. I was alone helping a friend during a trail race, and I would have liked to place the Osmo Pocket 4 at chest height and activate automatic tracking to film the refueling station. I was able to place it later on a plastic barrier, but there was a slight breeze that made the whole setup tremble, so I didn’t leave it there long. To say, even on a perfectly smooth table, placing the camera is not reassuring since it sways a bit at the start.
In these cases, you must connect the small plastic extension under the camera to take advantage of a screw thread. Then, you must screw this extension into the small tripod… which isn’t even included in the basic box. Even with this setup, it’s not really possible to place the camera anywhere securely. The DJI Osmo Pocket 4 is not an action camera, indeed, but it will even require preparation and thought in some use cases. It’s a shame that there’s no threaded screw hole directly on the Pocket 4.
These small accessories are therefore often essential: bare, the camera is too fragile and light to be placed directly on the ground. On asphalt that is not perfectly smooth, it will simply be impossible to place it. Similarly, a battery extension is offered by DJI and connects under the camera—and offers, it too, a screw thread. All this is obviously designed to maintain the same elongated format and, by extension, the best possible handling.
Some may have noticed the four small connection pins on the back of one of the gimbal’s motors. Indeed, DJI seems to have logically noticed the many third-party accessories that were created for the Osmo Pocket 3… and especially the auxiliary lights. For this Pocket 4, the brand had the good idea to integrate a proprietary magnetic connector directly on the arm of the stabilizer and create an auxiliary light. No more unsightly plastic clips and mini-LEDs that had to be charged separately before each shoot.
Two small buttons allow switching between three brightness levels (12 lux, 25 lux, and 40 lux measured at 0.6 m) and three temperature levels (2800 K, 4000 K, and 5500 K). The camera directly powers the accessory, which is activated via the control panel from the camera’s screen. This setup can illuminate a face during a nighttime vlog or in a poorly lit area. It was predictable: this clever little accessory is unsurprisingly sold separately or reserved for the famous Creator Combo pack.
DJI Osmo Pocket 4Interface Software
Let’s keep this brief since there’s nothing particularly new to report here. We naturally find the usual DJI interface. To put it simply, a gesture from each side of the screen accesses a particular menu: control panel offering shortcuts to certain options, recorded videos, image definition/frame rate settings, and more advanced video settings.
As mentioned earlier, flipping the screen with a swipe turns on the camera, but know that it’s even possible to start recording a video with this gesture. In this case, the camera takes 2 to 3 seconds to turn on and begin recording. This feature certainly facilitates spontaneous use. Remember, you’ll also need to have removed the gimbal’s protection before turning on the camera.
The opposite gesture turns off the camera, but you have 2-3 seconds to cancel the shutdown if you just wanted to switch to portrait mode, for example.
Returning to the microSD topic, DJI promises compatibility with cards up to 1 TB. Additionally, the brand indicates it has upgraded from USB 2.0 to USB 3.1, highlighting “transfer speeds 5 to 10 times faster.”
In practice, I just had to wait 1 minute and 09 seconds for 25 gigabytes of videos to transfer between the DJI Osmo Pocket 4 and my MacBook Air M4. And yet, I’m sure I didn’t use the best cable.
DJI Osmo Pocket 4Dynamic and Detailed Imaging
On paper, DJI doesn’t change its winning formula. We retain a 1-inch type sensor, although the brand specifies that it is a new iteration compared to the Osmo Pocket 3.
No 8K, no secondary sensor.
No 8K, no secondary sensor. Instead, DJI emphasizes an evolution in dynamic range, which now reportedly extends to 14 stops. In practice, this should offer better management of high-contrast scenes—understanding not to lose (too many) details of clouds during a sunset, not to completely darken a subject placed in front of a bright window, or not to blow out the sky when exiting a tunnel.
Image purists will also be pleased to learn that DJI replaces its classic D-Log M profile with a genuine “D-Log Pro” in 10 bits.
Yes, a quick look at the spec sheet immediately reveals the absence of 8K resolution. But let’s be honest: filming in 8K for vlogging or travel videos currently has no interest for the general public, other than to saturate memory in record time and drain the battery. However, given the persistent rumors of an upcoming competitor from Insta360, this absence remains a risk for DJI—however marketing it may be.
The manufacturer made a pragmatic choice: stick with 4K but refine it. Remember that the brand’s recent action camera (the DJI Osmo Action 6) was launched without 8K before unlocking it a few months later via a software update.
Especially, if rumors about a future Pocket 4 Pro (equipped with two lenses, including an optical zoom) are confirmed, DJI is likely keeping 8K in reserve to justify the segmentation of its range.
Some may also grumble about the absence of a 1:1 sensor format to film in full resolution and then crop in post-production—either vertically for TikTok/Reels or horizontally for YouTube. For my part, I simply rotate the screen physically to switch orientation.
While DJI skips 8K, the manufacturer unleashes on frame rate. The Osmo Pocket 4 is now capable of handling 4K slow motion at 240 frames per second. This is quite impressive for such a slim chassis, considering that the Pocket 3 was limited to 120p. The industry is under pressure: currently, conventional action cameras require dropping to 2.7K or 1080p to reach 240p. It should be noted that GoPro announced just a few days ago the arrival of this feature on its upcoming Mission 1 Pro.
The Osmo Pocket 4 also allows for a 2x zoom in 4K without visible loss of quality, according to the brand, and up to 4x digitally. This is where the new physical zoom button really makes sense. It’s a shame that the zoom lacks smoothness, at least currently. Accustomed to the smooth transition of my iPhone’s lenses, I had the misfortune to use it instinctively during a live shot. The resulting jerk somewhat spoiled my sequence—my friend crossing a finish line first, oops.
As with the Osmo Pocket 3, a wide-angle lens (sold separately) allows for expanding the field of view to 108°. Below is an example with and without. The usual note applies: don’t forget to stretch out a bit if you want a reasonable vlog output and not take up the entire space.
In its presentation documents, DJI boldly compares its camera to smartphones. Not having a DJI Osmo Pocket 3 on hand for this test, I therefore pitted the Pocket 4 against my iPhone 17 Pro. After all, what would push me to buy this camera (knowing that I reserve my action cameras for sports) would be a significant gain in video quality compared to the phone that never leaves my side. The verdict hinges on two major advantages of the Pocket: the physical size of its sensor and its mechanical stabilization—not to mention the ergonomics of the Pocket 4, designed for filming.
See for yourself. The iPhone doesn’t perform poorly, but it offers less detail in the grass or on pants, for example. In the conditions of my tests (good light, fixed shots), the difference honestly isn’t striking, and the iPhone 17 Pro even takes the lead during zooms thanks to its x4 optical zoom.
And what about at night? Check out the video comparison at 01:48 of the DJI Osmo Pocket 4’s SuperNight video mode and the iPhone 17 Pro’s video mode. The result is quite clear: the Pocket 4’s gimbal physically absorbs shocks without creating sloppy digital distortions, urban neon signs are better managed, and cherry blossoms are sharper. Also note the better handling of flares, those small light points clearly visible on the iPhone 17 Pro’s video and absent from the DJI Osmo Pocket 4’s video.
A quick word about the intelligent autofocus, which has been improved. Although it’s hard to compare it with the previous generation without having them side by side, it proved reliable during our test. No major hesitations, no undue hunting: none
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Maya Singh is a senior editor covering tablets and hybrid devices. Her work explores how these tools reshape digital productivity and learning. She also contributes to feature editorials on emerging tech.