A top smartphone gimbal, but is it the very best?

Tired of having a case of shaky videos? A smartphone gimbal will help stabilize your content and create smooth clips. Today we’re testing the Zhiyun Smooth 4, which is possibly the best smartphone stabilizer out there. At least it’s one of the most popular, but does it live up to our expectations?

In the world of photography and videography, DJI and Zhiyun are the biggest names. The former has more brand power, but can also be expensive. Zhiyun is known for undercutting the price of the competition while delivering a high-end experience. Let’s see if that is the case in this Zhiyun Smooth 4 review.

See also: The 5 best smartphone gimbals you can spend your money on

What you need to know about the Zhiyun Smooth 4

• Zhiyun Smooth 4 (SMA04): $ 99 / £ 89 / € 99

The Zhiyun Smooth 4 costs just under $ 100 and is available in black. It’s known as a high-end smartphone stabilizer that few competitors can get really close to: the DJI Osmo Mobile 3 (OM3) and the Osmo Mobile 4 (OM4). The OM3 is only $ 99, while the OM4 is $ 149. This makes the third iteration of DJI the most direct competitor of the Smooth 4. The OM4 is in an entirely different field, particularly due to its unique magnetic mounting mechanism.

Zhiyun’s triaxial stabilizer has motors that can keep yaw, pitch, and roll movements in check. The device measures 123 x 105 x 328 mm and weighs 547 g (without phone). It supports devices weighing up to 210g. The 2,000 mAh battery is said to last 10 hours on a single charge. The device has a connection for charging your smartphone during operation. If you need to refill, it can be done via USB Type C in around 3.5 hours.

The box also comes with a USB-C cable and a small tripod that is screwed to the bottom of the gimbal using the standard 3/8 thread. There is also a foam sleeve for storage and transport.

What is good?

Spoiler alert: The Zhiyun Smooth 4 and the company’s entire range have a lot to offer. Few brands have established themselves in the smartphone stabilizer market. Zhiyun is one of them. The Zhiyun Smooth 4 is proof that the Chinese manufacturer has what it takes to hold its own against the giant DJI.

The Zhiyun Smooth 4 offers one of the best build quality we’ve seen in smartphone stabilizers. The handle is made of plastic, but nothing feels loose or cheap. The arms in the smartphone holder are robust. The included tripod has longer legs with a size of about 5 cm, which provide more stability. Most of the other stabilizer tripods we tested have legs that are half the length.

Spoiler alert: The Zhiyun Smooth 4 has a lot to offer.

I like the number of buttons and shortcuts on the Zhiyun Smooth 4. There is rarely a smartphone stabilizer with almost as many buttons for quick access. In addition, a wheel acts as four keyboard shortcuts for quick actions, and there is a huge wheel on the side that you can use to either focus or manually zoom. Use the trigger buttons on the back to switch between tracking modes if necessary. Some keys feel less sturdy, but that hasn’t hurt performance yet. The wheels offer good resistance and also circulate smoothly.

The battery life is also amazing at around 10 hours per charge, even if it’s a little less than that of the DJI gimbals. The device survived a few hours of testing per day during our four-day test window. It will easily go through a one day video shoot.

Gone are the days when we had to deal with weights. The process has become much more user-friendly as the balancing has been automated on this device.

In terms of stabilization, it went surprisingly well. The video was crazy fluid when recording while walking. Even when running, the shake was reduced to a very respectable minimum. Not to mention, you can take advantage of panorama, filters, and other cool features.

See also: These photography tips will help you take your photos to the next level

What’s not so good?

Nothing is perfect and the Zhiyun Smooth 4 is no exception. I wish it had every single feature that the competition has, but that’s just not reasonable to expect.

A very important feature that is missing in the Zhiyun Smooth 4 is object tracking. The DJI OM3 and OM4 as well as the lower Zhiyun gimbals such as Smooth X and Smooth XS have this function. Why is this lacking in the high-end model? It also lacks the ability to control movement with a joystick or buttons, which is also available from Zhiyun’s own alternatives.

With so many buttons, the experience is confusing and has a learning curve.

I’m not a big fan of the Companion Mobile App either. The same goes for almost every other gimbal app, however. The Zhiyun Play app can be a bit confusing and the connection to the gimbal is not automatic either. This means you have to manually plug in the gimbal (and choose which model you have) every time you want to use it.

Once you’ve completed the connection process, the UI for recording is pretty thorough. Even so, there is a certain learning curve due to all of the options and features. Understanding what each of the many buttons in the stabilizer is doing is another hurdle.

While this is not a problem for most users, large smartphone owners should be aware of the 210g payload limit. Testing the gimbal with a Google Pixel 4a and a Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus did not reveal any problems. However, I ran into complications with the larger Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra (229g), which exceeds the payload limit. The Zhiyun Smooth 4 would work a bit, but the motors would just give up after a few minutes of use. This weight limit isn’t inappropriate, but remember that it’s not that hard to think of. Any significantly large smartphone like the Galaxy S21 Ultra and the iPhone 12 Pro Max weighs more than 210 g.

Zhiyun Smooth 4 Review: Should I Buy It?

The Zhiyun Smooth 4 is a complete stabilizer with numerous features that keep mobile developers happy. It has the highest build quality of all gimbal smartphones and comes with the best gimbal mini tripod. The choice of buttons and manual controls is also unmatched. It’s definitely worth the $ 99 and a lot more.

The Zhiyun Smooth 4 is a complete stabilizer with numerous features that keep mobile developers happy.

The only problem is that it’s hard to beat a brand name like DJI. The DJI OM3 is available for the same price of $ 99. The OM3 also has active tracking, gesture control and a more portable form factor. If you are looking to spend some money, the OM4 also has a magnetic mounting mechanism which is very convenient.

The final purchase decision depends on what you value. If tracking, gestures, and portability are a priority, the DJI OM3 or OM4 might be a better choice. However, the Zhiyun Smooth 4 wins in every other category.