Following Insta360's launch, are we seeing a new tech battleground that no one predicted?
(Image credit: DJI)
When I tested the DJI Osmo Mobile 6 – aka the DJI OM 6 – I was already impressed, but a fresh firmware upgrade has given Apple Watch owners the power to remotely control their gimbals.
This week has already seen a massive move in this sector from Insta360 with the launch of the Insta360 Flow Pro, which also took advantage of extra Apple developer features announced at this year's WWDC. It seems as if features for iPhone creators – and indeed premium gimbals in general – is a battleground which is hotting up!
(Image credit: Adam Juniper / Digital Camera World)
Users can even view the camera feed remotely on the Apple Watch, as well as adjusting the gimbal's angle, enable ActiveTrack, and even switch from portrait to landscape modes.
As well as the addition of Apple Watch controls, there have been improvements to the ActiveTrack 6.0 system – which is able to follow subjects and keep them in frame even if they briefly disappear behind other objects.
DJI notes that the upgrade requires:
• Compatible Apple Watch models: Apple Watch Series 7/8/9 (which means I miss out by one generation), Apple Watch SE 2, or Apple Watch Ultra 1/2.
• You'll need an operating system of watchOS 9 or later, but this is free from Apple.
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There are no restrictions on which iPhone generation you are using, but the operating system must be iOS 16 or later, and you'll need Osmo Mobile 6 and (some features on the Osmo Mobile SE), and to ensure you update to DJI Mimo version 2.0.4 or higher which will handle the updating process.
The DJI OM 6 currently sits at the top of our best smartphone gimbals guide, so we're fans already, and this cool feature definitely won't do anything to damage that!
With over 20 years of expertise as a tech journalist, Adam brings a wealth of knowledge across a vast number of product categories, including timelapse cameras, home security cameras, NVR cameras, photography books, webcams, 3D printers and 3D scanners, borescopes, radar detectors… and, above all, drones.
Adam is our resident expert on all aspects of camera drones and drone photography, from buying guides on the best choices for aerial photographers of all ability levels to the latest rules and regulations on piloting drones.
