DJI Osmo Mobile 7P Review: A Useful Third Eye for DJI’s Smartphone Gimbal

Smartphone gimbals are old hat by now but they’ve always had room to get better, and that’s how DJI approaches the Osmo Mobile 7P. The big jump? Being able to use it to track subjects using third-party apps.

It’s about time. With others, like Insta360 and Hohem, pursuing this very objective, DJI’s latest mobile gimbal isn’t a one-trick pony, either. The company makes the Osmo Mobile 7P feel like a versatile tool by including an extendable rod and retractable tripod. The bigger star is undoubtedly the Multifunction Module that handles subject tracking, but the sum of these parts makes for a fun device.

DJI Osmo Mobile 7P Review: Design and Build

At $149, the 7P is the “Pro” variant. There’s also a regular Osmo Mobile 7 for $89, though it doesn’t come with the Multifunction Module or include an extendable rod. It’s also missing the variable side controls as well. The price difference between them is substantial, so these additions have to stand out to justify the cost. Having those things is partly why the 7P is slightly bigger and heavier than the standard model. They’re also different colors to make them distinct from each other as well.

The Osmo Mobile 7P weighs about 368 grams (13 ounces) without a phone attached. That’s heftier than the previous Osmo Mobile 6, which is fine considering all the extras thrown into the body here. DJI had to find ways to retain what had worked well before without handicapping newer features. Hence, the analog joystick and button layout largely stand pat, while the grip doesn’t change much, either.

The extendable rod feels a lot like a selfie stick when pulled out, but an extra 21.5-centimeter (8.46-inch) length can change a fair bit when it comes to angles and perspectives. Fortunately, the magnetic phone clamp is as strong as ever, ensuring the phone doesn’t fall out. The only catch is that DJI hasn’t changed the clamp’s overall design, which means thicker or heavier phone cases can make it a little less stable, especially when doing a lot of panning or articulation with larger phones.

Stability is part of the value proposition in the new Multifunction Module. It magnetically attaches to the clamp and is light enough to work without impacting how the gimbal moves. This is the gizmo that enables subject tracking on third-party apps. It also includes a small LED fill light and a built-in microphone, though you’re not obligated to use them to make the tracking function work.

However, since the module draws power from the 7P’s battery, it cuts down expected usage by more than half to roughly 4-5 hours. Keep the fill light on at all times, and you’re lucky to get north of two or three. And if you plan on keeping your phone charged through the battery as well via the included USB-C-to-USB-C cable, you’re whittling that down even further. If you connect the cable from the phone directly to the module, it will take the audio recorded from the latter.

DJI Osmo Mobile 7P Review: Setup and Controls

It’s easy enough to get the Osmo Mobile 7P started by simply unfolding it open. You just still need the DJI Mimo app to actually set it up. If you already have it, you’re good to go, but if not, the point of entry depends on your device. The app is readily available on the iOS App Store but not on Google Play. Other than vague references to “compatibility,” you can download the latest APK version through the QR code included in the box. It’s a big file, so it can take a while to download, but once done, it should work fine. The only downside is app updates require re-downloading the entire APK — an annoyance you won’t deal with on an iPhone.

Still, the broader third-party app support is a boon for Android users. Plus, you don’t get special features on the iOS version relative to the Android one. They are the same app.

Wisely, DJI includes a helpful video tutorial to cover everything from basic setup to more elaborate modes and execution. If you’re coming from the Osmo Mobile 6, a lot of this will feel familiar, save for the Multifunction Module. Once you place a phone on the clamp and attach it, the 7P calibrates and centers the orientation. Hold the switch button, and it will rotate between the two. One key thing here is the 7P doesn’t do full 360-degree rotations, so there’s no way to shoot footage that way.

Officially, DJI says the clamp can fit phones ranging from 0.27 to 0.39 inches in thickness and 2.64 to 3.3 inches in width. The gimbal can also handle phones weighing up to 300 grams. That covers most phones and your average case, but there are other elements to take into account. One is where the power and volume buttons fall along the edges to avoid clamping on either one. iPhones are less exposed that way because they’re further away from the middle, but that’s not always the case with every Android device. Moreover, larger rear camera modules, like those from Xiaomi and Vivo, can also affect placement.

The Osmo Mobile 7P’s motors rely on good positioning to ensure everything runs smoothly, and that’s why an imbalance can throw off its calibration. I found some variation here based on orientation. For instance, moving it slightly lower (away from the phone’s buttons) when shooting upright didn’t really affect anything negatively. Switching to landscape mode under that setup was a bit more hit or miss, depending on what I was doing.

The control scheme doesn’t deviate much here. As before, the small display indicates Bluetooth is on (when green), battery life, and gimbal mode. Apart from manually controlling movement with the joystick or focus and zoom with the silver dial, the rest is supposed to feel pretty automated. Start or stop recording with the red button, or switch between rear and front cameras (on your phone) with a single press of the rotation button. Double-click it and alternate between portrait and landscape modes. Three times and switch between photo and video mode.

The trigger on the back is actually the most multifaceted, though I found it hard to remember it all. A simple press starts or stops ActiveTrack, which is important because that’s how the DJI Mimo app knows to stay on a subject. Indeed, if you press once and then hold it, you can speed up the gimbal’s ability to stay focused on a moving subject. Double-press to re-center the gimbal or three times to rotate the phone 180 degrees horizontally.

DJI Osmo Mobile 7P Review: Multifunction Module

This little gizmo is the wild card in the whole arrangement. The Multifunction Module has its own firmware, which may need updating from time to time via the Mimo app. That’s easy enough to do, but there is a learning curve associated with knowing how to maximize its utility in the field.

A big reason is that despite its ability to track subjects in third-party apps, the overall experience remains superior within the Mimo app. It’s a double-edged sword for a few reasons. For one, the DJI’s latest ActiveTrack 7 tech only works in that app, including the ability to designate a zone for a subject rather than only keeping them centered at all times. It’s also faster to pick up on a subject and know what to do, including reacquiring them if they leave and come back into the frame.

As you can guess, DJI designed the module to track people, so it’s always going to be responsive to faces above anything else. You can set a zone in the Mimo app to keep the camera focused on what you want, but I noticed it would veer off. With third-party apps, which is where this thing is meant to shine, the best results are typically focused on one person on camera (sometimes two). It does a nice job tracking, though it can also lead to mixed results. For instance, you may find Apple’s camera app a little more responsive than, say, Google’s Pixel Camera app. Not to mention the likes of Blackmagic Camera, Filmic, and even Instagram or TikTok.

Filmic Pro already integrated the previous Osmo Mobile 6, so the 7P is next, whereas Blackmagic doesn’t offer something similar. There are universal gesture controls the module is supposed to recognize, like a palm to start or stop tracking, along with a two-finger “V” symbol to take a photo. One key difference with third-party apps is the module doesn’t always do well with groups. Once you get three people in the frame, it will fixate on the person it originally focused on first.

The module’s LED fill light is an interesting touch, particularly when it packs some power inside its diminutive frame. It can hit 40 lux at a distance of about 0.6 meters (just under two feet), with four color temperature settings between 2500-6000K. Four brightness levels give it some extra versatility and one that may feel somewhat reliable in a pinch because it’s hard to mount a separate light on the gimbal anyway. It’s easy enough to unlatch the module and flip it the other way for selfie purposes if need be.

On the other hand, the module is compatible with the DJI Mic Mini and Mic 2, offering a nifty way to capture good-quality audio without hindering the gimbal itself. The key here is the mic is pairing with the module, specifically, so it adds an additional feature to the 7P not seen in DJI’s previous gimbals.

DJI Osmo Mobile 7P Review: Stabilization

If you’re new to the Osmo Mobile series, or it’s been a few generations since you’ve used one, it’s vital to understand the different gimbal modes. Pan Tilt Follow is the default out of the box and follows both horizontal pan and tilt. Pan Follow leaves tilt and roll locked and solely allows horizontal panning instead. FPV is more free-flowing in that it tracks motion across all three axes. SpinSpot rotates all the way for a spinning effect — though not a full 360 degrees since the 7P’s mechanics don’t allow it.

In hand, the 7P feels sturdy and secure when moving around. However, I would caution anyone thinking this is the ideal accessory for fast-moving content, especially handheld. The motors, while excellent, aren’t quite speedy enough to keep up every time. Mind you, if it’s a child running, that’s different than a sports car roaring past at close range. Not to mention the speed at which you want to move with your own hands. Distance is also a factor, as is lighting and how “busy” a scene is. The module does a nice job sticking with the tracked subject in varying conditions, but any shift in stability can mess with that if you’re not careful.

That’s also true of the built-in tripod. It’s a nice-to-have, but it didn’t earn my trust throughout. Indoors, it stands up well enough but is pretty susceptible to wind and vibrations that can affect how smooth footage turns out to be. It’s a good thing it keeps the standard mounting thread underneath to put it on a sturdier tripod under such circumstances. Plus, the sturdier the tripod, the more flexibility available to add some additional height with the extension rod.

Are There Alternatives?

Including the Multifunction Module puts DJI more in line with three key competitors in this space. The Insta360 Flow 2 Pro stands out as one option, though its compatible AI Tracker module sells separately, giving the Osmo Mobile 7P an edge out of the box. However, Insta360 has also proven to be a serious player in active tracking, so it’s a comparison worth exploring.

The Hohem iSteady M7 is also right up there, particularly through its various modes and subject tracking that can work with any app. What’s key is the module has its own live feed that you can see on the mounted phone, thereby making it possible to record footage of yourself without touching the phone’s front camera.

Zhiyun is also getting into AI tracking through a tracking module released in February 2025 that works with its Smooth 5S AI and Cinepeer CQ5 gimbals.

Since all these — including DJI’s — gimbals originate from Chinese brands, it’s unclear how tariffs will affect them in the long term since current rates are subject to change.

DJI Osmo Mobile 7P Review: Should You Buy It?

Yes, the Osmo Mobile 7P retains so much of what makes DJI’s gimbals fun to use, only now adding extra functionality through third-party app tracking and microphone integration. Despite its challenges, it’s easy to like what this thing can do.