DJI Osmo Pocket review: Pocket 4's creator upgrades
In this DJI Osmo Pocket review, the Pocket 4 earns a strong upgrade nod for creators who want better image quality, 107GB of internal storage, a smoother gimbal, and easier on-the-fly controls. Mashable rated it 4.7/5. Pocket 3 owners may skip; U.S. buyers face sourcing hurdles.
DJI's Osmo Pocket line has become a go-to for creators who want smooth handheld footage without hauling a full camera kit. The Pocket 3 cemented that reputation. The Pocket 4 is the then-and-now sequel: same familiar idea, sharper execution. For more nostalgia-tinged tech and culture stories, browse our Nostalgia: Then & Now hub.
Key Takeaways
- Mashable scored the Osmo Pocket 4 4.7/5, praising image quality, usability, and bang for the buck.
- Headline upgrades include 107GB of internal storage, a brighter screen, new zoom and custom buttons, and a magnetic fill-light mount.
- Low-light performance and gimbal responsiveness are noticeably better than the Pocket 3, though HDR video is gone.
- New buyers should lean Pocket 4; Pocket 3 owners may not need to upgrade—and U.S. shoppers must use unofficial sellers.
According to Mashable's hands-on DJI Osmo Pocket 4 review, the redesign is less about reinventing the Pocket and more about removing friction. That is exactly why this release matters for everyday creators.
What changed from the Osmo Pocket 3 to the Pocket 4?
At a glance, the Pocket 4 still looks like its predecessor: a single-lens gimbal camera with a rotatable two-inch touchscreen and a USB-C port on the bottom. Side by side, Mashable notes it is only slightly larger—and a little over 10 grams heavier.
The biggest "then vs. now" shift is protection and portability. The Pocket 3's bulky hard cover cradled almost the whole camera and made the kit awkward to pack. The Pocket 4 swaps that for a small gimbal clamp plus a soft fabric pouch. The clamp slides between the gimbal's moving parts when stored and slips into a jacket pocket when you shoot.
Controls also matured. Two new buttons appear under the screen in landscape mode: a dedicated zoom control (one press for 2x, two for 4x) and a customisable button that defaults to toggling the joystick between zoom and gimbal. That reduces the Pocket 3's reliance on fiddly touchscreen taps mid-shot.
A magnetic accessory mount supports DJI's pocket-sized fill light, with three brightness and temperature settings. It draws power from the camera battery, so you never charge the light separately. Mashable saw clearer subject separation and better detail in dim tests when using it, even though the light is too small to illuminate a whole scene.
On paper, many specs still match: same sensor size, identical gimbal range of motion, and a shared 4K60 video ceiling. The Pocket 4 can shoot 8K photos versus the Pocket 3's 4K stills, but most owners care about video. Trade-offs include dropping 2.7K recording and 1:1 aspect ratio filming.
Storage and battery are clearer wins. The Pocket 3 relied entirely on microSD cards; the Pocket 4 adds 107GB of built-in memory while still accepting cards. DJI claims up to 240 minutes at the lowest video settings versus 166 minutes on the Pocket 3. The screen is brighter too—1000 nits versus 700.
How much better is the DJI Osmo Pocket 4's image quality?
This is where the upgrade stops feeling incremental. Mashable says the Pocket 4 doubles the Pocket 3's ISO range across photo, video, and slow motion, yielding more detail and less noise in dim scenes.
Dark environments look richer and more dynamic. Automatic exposure transitions between bright and dark areas are smoother and less obvious. Skin tones land more accurately out of the box, and low-light colour looks richer than the Pocket 3's comparatively washed-out footage.
There are caveats. In scenes with strong lighting variation, the Pocket 4 can lose some shadow detail. It also drops HDR video support that the Pocket 3 offered via 10-bit HLG. Even so, Mashable calls the overall image quality a definite upgrade and more true-to-life.
The gimbal itself feels snappier. Movement is faster and smoother—enough that the Pocket 3 can feel sluggish beside it. Subject tracking also improved, especially in low light, where the older model was more likely to lose a subject.
Should you buy the Osmo Pocket 4 or stick with the Pocket 3?
Mashable's verdict is conditional. If you already own a Pocket 3, the jump may not be essential. The older camera remains easy to operate and still covers many creator needs, with basic bundles starting at $AU679 in Australia.
If you are choosing between the two for the first time, the Pocket 4's physical controls, tracking, gimbal feel, storage, and low-light gains make the newer model the smarter buy. Mashable's scorecard backs that up: Wow Factor 4.7, User Friendliness 4.8, Performance 4.8, and Bang for the Buck 4.5.
Pricing is clearer in Australia than in the United States. The Standard Combo is $AU769 and includes a USB-C cable, gimbal clamp, wrist strap, carrying pouch, and a handle with a 1/4-inch thread. The Creator Combo at $AU959 adds the fill light, magnetic charging cable, wide-angle lens, mini tripod, bag, and a DJI Mic 3 transmitter. The Creator Combo Plus at $AU1058 adds a Battery Handle that DJI says can extend runtime by 150 minutes—up to about 390 minutes total.
U.S. buyers face a practical problem: Mashable reports DJI's hostile U.S. business climate means the Pocket 4 is not available through the company's U.S. site, so shoppers must use unofficial third parties. Availability and warranty risk are real drawbacks listed alongside the camera's high price.
Serious filmmakers may also wait for the Osmo Pocket 4P, announced in May for more cinematic work and HDR video. For everyday creators who can source a Pocket 4, though, Mashable frames it as an elegant refinement of a camera many already loved—less clunky to carry, easier to operate, and clearly sharper when the lights go down.
That then-and-now arc is the story: the Pocket 3 made pocket gimbals mainstream for creators; the Pocket 4 polishes the formula without abandoning it. In a crowded creator-camera market, that continuity—with meaningful quality-of-life upgrades—is why this release still cuts through the noise.