DJI Osmo Mobile 8P review: the best folding smartphone gimbal just got better | Tech Radar

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I tested the DJI Osmo Mobile 8P — and DJI has fixed the one thing holding its smartphone gimbal back

Excellent tracking and a smart remote make the OM 8P the new standard for smartphone stabilizers

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The Osmo Mobile 8P addresses the Osmo Mobile 8's only real weakness — the lack of a remote control — and adds a meaningful tracking upgrade in the process. The Frame Tap remote is a useful tool, and the Module 2 tracks brilliantly. A few control trade-offs hold it back from perfection, but this is arguably the best folding smartphone gimbal available right now.

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When I reviewed the DJI Osmo Mobile 8 in November 2025, the only real criticism I had for it was its lack of a remote control. With the Osmo Mobile 8P, DJI has gone and fixed that issue — and in doing so has produced what I'd call the most capable lightweight smartphone stabilizer on the market right now.

The headline addition is the Osmo Frame Tap, a detachable remote that snaps magnetically onto the gimbal handle for close-up work and slides off for remote shooting (with a range of up to 25m). Its 1.4-inch touchscreen can mirror your phone's camera view — directly on Android, via the Mimo app on i OS — so you can frame shots, trigger tracking, and adjust the gimbal's pan and tilt without having to peer at your phone's screen. It's a feature that the Osmo Mobile 8 was crying out for, and a match for the touchscreen remote that made the Hohem i Steady V3 Ultra one of my favorite gimbals of 2025.

The Frame Tap touchscreen remote spends most of its time fixed to the gimbal's handle, but pops out when needed. (Image credit: Future | Sam Kieldsen)

In most other respects, the 8P is virtually identical to the Osmo Mobile 8: it has the same foldable form factor, built-in extension rod and mini tripod, magnetic phone clamp, 360° pan rotation, and up to 10 hours of battery life. DJI claims the OM 8P's 8th-generation three-axis stabilization delivers 20% more torque than the OM 8's, and while I don't doubt that on paper, I'd be surprised if most users noticed any difference in everyday shooting. The stabilization is smooth and dependable, as you'd expect from any modern DJI gimbal.

Where the 8P is more meaningfully upgraded is in its tracking skills. The Advanced Tracking Combo bundle I reviewed pairs the gimbal with the 2nd-Generation AI Tracking Module (officially the Multifunctional Module 2), which can now follow virtually any object — not just people and pets, but vehicles and more — using your phone's native camera or any third-party app. It also features a highly customizable LED fill light.

In testing, Active Track 8.0 (only available through the Mimo app) and the Module 2's own tracking were both excellent, reliably re-acquiring me even when I ducked behind objects and re-emerged in a different spot. You can also set your position within the frame rather than being locked to the center, which is a useful tool for more compositionally minded creators. Apple Dock Kit tracking is also present, but with Module 2 available, it feels largely redundant. I suppose it's useful if you want the simplicity of NFC pairing, but it offers far fewer options than either of the other two modes.

Beyond tracking, the 8P's general feature set will feel familiar to anyone who has used its predecessor. You get the same four gimbal motion modes — PTF (pan and tilt follow), PF (pan follow), FPV, and Spin Shot — cycled through via the Frame Tap's on-screen mode button, plus a trigger on the front for re-centering, locking the gimbal axes, and flipping the phone between front and rear-facing cameras. Buttons for toggling between portrait and landscape orientation are also available (again, via the Frame Tap's touchscreen), and the mini joystick handles manual pan and tilt when you want direct control over the gimbal arm.

There are some trade-offs here, though. By shifting much of the control scheme to the Frame Tap's touchscreen, the 8P feels less immediately hands-on than the OM8 — the joystick is smaller, and functions like mode switching and camera toggling now live behind a touchscreen rather than dedicated physical buttons. The zoom/focus wheel present on the Osmo Mobile 8 is gone entirely, which feels like a regression. And if you're stepping up from a gimbal that used the original Multifunctional Module 1, note that the Module 2 has apparently dropped support for connecting a DJI wireless microphone directly to the module itself — you'll need to connect your mic to the phone instead.

All things considered, the Osmo Mobile 8P represents a small but meaningful step forward for DJI's gimbal lineup. Its tracking is class-leading, its remote control fills the one gap that held the OM 8 back, and its pricing remains competitive against rivals like the Insta 360 Flow 2 Pro and Hohem i Steady V3 Ultra. The reduced physical controls and the Module 2's dropped mic receiver support are real niggles, but they're unlikely to be dealbreakers for most users. If you're in the market for a folding smartphone gimbal, the OM 8P is now the one to beat.

At £135 / AU$219 for the Standard Combo (which, importantly, includes the Frame Tap), the Osmo Mobile 8P is priced at the same level as its predecessor.

The Advanced Tracking Combo (which is the configuration I tested) comes in at £169 / AU$269. It includes the same contents as the Standard Combo, plus the new Multifunctional Module 2 tracker and fill light.

Finally, there's the Creator Combo at £195 / AU$329, which features all of the above plus a DJI Mic Mini 2 transmitter and mobile receiver. Like all recent DJI products, there's no US pricing or availability at launch.

4 hours (using tracking and fill light) / 10 hours (balanced and stationary)

4 hours (using tracking and fill light) / 10 hours (balanced and stationary)

You want the best gimbal for tracking Offering three distinct ways to track diverse subjects, the OM 8P is great at keeping you in the frame.

You want an affordable, compact gimbal Compact and competively priced, the OM 8P starts at the same price as its predecessor did upon release. Note you'll need to pay more for the tracking bundle, however.

You own a heavy phone If your smartphone weighs over 300g or is more than 11mm thick, the Osmo Mobile 8P won't be able to grip it.

You like hardware controls By shifting most of its buttons to the Frame Tap's touchscreen, the OM 8P ditches the immediacy of its predecessor's physical controls.

Insta 360 Flow 2 Pro The Flow 2 Pro was once the best all-round gimbal for tracking, but since its release it has been surpassed by Hohem and DJI. It's still a capable stabilizer, however – particularly if you can pick it up at a discount price.

Hohem i Steady V3 Ultra Hohem's stabilizer offers excellent module-based tracking plus a touchscreen-equipped remote control unit – a feature now "borrowed" by DJI. It doesn't have a quick-release mount option, but it can grip heavier, larger handsets than the Osmo Mobile 8P.

I reviewed the DJI Osmo Mobile 8P for around a week, testing it both handheld and set up on its built-in mini tripod. It was used with my Apple i Phone 13's front-facing and rear cameras, both indoors and outdoors, and I recorded video using a range of apps (but mostly the i Phone camera and DJI Mimo). I made sure to test its tracking capabilities with all three of the available tracking methods: Active Track 8.0 (via the Mimo app only); the Module 2; and Apple Dock Kit.

Sam has been writing about tech and digital culture for over 20 years, starting off in video games journalism before branching out into the wonderful worlds of consumer electronics, streaming entertainment and photography. Over the years he has written for Wired, Stuff, GQ, T3, Trusted Reviews and PC Zone, and now lives on the Kent coast in the UK – the ideal place for a camera reviewer to ply their trade.

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Key Takeaways

• News, deals, reviews, guides and more on the newest computing gadgets

• Start exploring exclusive deals, expert advice and more

• Unlock and manage exclusive Techradar member rewards

• I tested the DJI Osmo Mobile 8P — and DJI has fixed the one thing holding its smartphone gimbal back

• Excellent tracking and a smart remote make the OM 8P the new standard for smartphone stabilizers