DJI didn’t unveil any new drones at CES, but it’s Osmo stabilizer is pretty cool

By Ed Oswald January 10, 2018

While most of us associate DJI more with their line of popular and best-selling drones, the company actually has other products, including first-person-view (FPV) goggles and a selfie-stick-like product called the Osmo.

The Osmo Mobile 2, a stabilizer intended for use with smartphones, and the Ronin S stabilizer are the two biggest announcements at CES 2018 for DJI. Michael Perry, the company’s managing director for the North American market, stopped by the Digital Trends booth at CES in Las Vegas on Wednesday afternoon to talk about these products.

With the Osmo Mobile 2, battery life is increased to 15 hours, a dramatic increase over the 4.5 hours of the first-generation stabilizer. With so many video creators turning to their smartphones to create content, the better battery power makes it possible to use the Osmo Mobile 2 for an entire day’s worth of filming without having to stop for a recharge.

Other notable features include the capability to use the stabilizer in portrait mode, and a dramatically lower price point of $129, $70 cheaper than the first-generation model. Perry told us that DJI expects the much cheaper price point to allow a broader range of consumers to take advantage of the cinematic-like qualities of stabilizers to make stunning videos.

While you may have come here hoping for a bit of drone news from DJI, you’ll be disappointed. The company instead seems to be focusing on more than just physical products. For example, since CES 2017, DJI has spent a considerable amount of time focusing on getting over what Perry calls the “intuitiveness barrier” when it comes to drones, as well as working on better camera technology.

Perry told us that DJI and the drone industry will likely make improving camera technology a priority over the next few years, versus producing drones to which you attach a GoPro or other camera.

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For fifteen years, Ed has written about the latest and greatest in gadgets and technology trends. At Digital Trends, he's…

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