Whenever we complain about our tablets not working with DJI Go,  including but not limited to video freeze or crash when we switch from  passive FPV to video FPV (actually using the slider to turn on video  view, or setting FPV in the settings) the standard answer we get from  DJI staff is that our tablets don't have enough processing power and we  should use -

iOS Version v2.4.2. Requires iOS 8.0 or later. Compatible with  iPhone  5s, iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPad Air, iPad Air Wi-Fi +  Cellular, iPad  mini 2, iPad mini 2 Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad Air 2, iPad  Air 2 Wi-Fi +  Cellular, iPad mini 3, and iPad mini 3 Wi-Fi + Cellular.  This app is  optimized for iPhone 5s, iPhone 6, and iPhone 6 Plus.
  Android Version v2.4.3. Requires Android 4.1.2 or later. Compatible  with  Samsung tabs 705c, Samsung S6, Samsung S5, Samsung NOTE4,  Samsung  NOTE3, Google Nexus 9, Google Nexus 7 II, Ascend Mate7, Huawei  P8 Max,  Nubia Z7 mini, Sony Xperia Z3, MI 3, MI PAD, Smartisan T1.
  *Support for additional Android devices available as testing and development continues.

So lets just take a look at that list.

First off, I suspect it is more than just processing power that is  the issue - iPads have some of the weakest CPU's in the list and use RAM  shared from the storage capacity (Apple do not publish info on how much RAM is dedicated to system operation),  so something else must be in play here ... personally I suspect it  might be that iPads and iPhones have what Apple call a "motion  processor" in addition to the core CPU.  However Android tablets also  have a GPU as well as the CPU and that might be the equivalent of  Apple's motion processor.  I also suspect screen pixel dimensions have  some influence on the ability to run DJI Go as well, and a lot of  cheaper android devices have fairly low screen resolution (800 pixels high is not uncommon, but that is still more than some of the iPhones).

Secondly, Apple do not offer USB or Mini-USB on their hardware - they  offer a "Lightning" port (which is essentially Mini-USB) but might be  USB 3.0 instead of the more common USB 2.0 on Android devices ... does  anyone have any firm info on this?  If this is true, the higher transfer  rate between the drone R/C & Lightbridge might require USB  3.0 to stream at an "operational" rate to the phone or tablet, therefore  a USB 2.0 device might not be able to cope unless it has heaps of  "transfer RAM" ... such as in the 3GB RAM Android devices.

Raw specs for the Approved devices are as follows (a list for other popular choices is below that) -

iOS Version v2.4.2. Requires iOS 8.0 or later.

iPhone  5s ... CPU(s) - Apple A7 1300 MHz (2 cores) 64 bit + M7 motion co-pro, Screen - 1136-by-640-pixel resolution at 326 ppi, Video recording - 1080p HD video recording
  at 30 fps
iPhone 6 ... CPU(s) - Apple A9 1849 MHz (2 cores)  64 bit + M9 motion co-pro, Screen - 1334-by-750-pixel resolution at 326 ppi, Video recording - 1080p HD video recording
  at 30 fps or 60 fps
iPhone 6 Plus ... CPU(s) - Apple A9 1849 MHz (2 cores)  64 bit + M9 motion co-pro, Screen - 1920-by-1080-pixel resolution at 401 ppi, Video recording - 1080p HD video recording
  at 30 fps or 60 fps

iPad Air & iPad Air Wi-Fi + Cellular ... CPU(s) - Apple A7 1400 MHz (2 cores)  64 bit + M7 motion co-pro, Screen - 2048‑by‑1536 resolution at 264 ppi, Video recording - 1080p HD video recording
iPad  mini 2 & iPad mini 2 Wi-Fi + Cellular ... CPU(s) - Apple A7 1400 MHz (2 cores)  64 bit + M7 motion co-pro, Screen - 2048‑by‑1536 resolution at 326 ppi, Video recording - 1080p HD video recording
iPad Air 2 & iPad Air 2 Wi-Fi +  Cellular ... CPU(s) - Apple A8X 1500 MHz (3 cores)  64 bit + M8 motion co-pro, Screen - 2048‑by‑1536 resolution at 264 ppi, Video recording - 1080p HD video recording
iPad mini 3 & iPad mini 3 Wi-Fi + Cellular ... CPU(s) - Apple A7 1300 MHz (2 cores)  64 bit + M7 motion co-pro, Screen - , Video recording -

  Android Version v2.4.3. Requires Android 4.1.2 or later.

PHONES
Samsung S6 ... CPU(s) - 2xQuad-core (Octa-core) 2.1GHz & 1.5GHz, Screen - 2560 x 1440, Video recording - UHD 4K (3840 x 2160) @30fps, RAM 3GB ROM 32GB
Samsung S5 ... CPU(s) - Quad-core 2.5GHz, Screen - 1920 x 1080 (FHD), Video recording - UHD 4K (3840 x 2160) @30fps, RAM 2GB ROM 16GB or 32GB
Samsung Galaxy NOTE4 ... CPU(s) - Quad-core 2.7GHz, Screen - 2560 x 1440 (Quad HD), Video recording - UHD 4K (3840 x 2160) @30fps, RAM 3GB ROM 32GB
Samsung  Galaxy NOTE3 ... CPU(s) - 2.3 GHz, Screen - 1920 x 1080 (FHD), Video recording - UHD 4K (3840 x 2160)@30fps, RAM 3GB ROM MicroSD
Huawei Ascend Mate7 ... CPU(s) -Hisilicon Kirin 925 4x1.8GHz + 4x1.3GHz + 1x230MH, Screen - 1080p (1920 x 1080), 368ppi, Video recording - 1080p, RAM 2GB ROM 16GB
Huawei P8 Max ... CPU(s) - Hisilicon Kirin 930, 8-core 64bit, 2.0GHz, Screen - 1080p (1920 x 1080), 424ppi, Video recording - 1080p, RAM 3GB ROM 16GB
Nubia Z7 mini ... CPU(s) - Quad-core 2.0 GHz, GPU - Adreno 330 Quad-core 578MHz, Screen - 1080 x 1920 pixels@445 ppi, Video recording - 1080p@30fps, RAM 2GB ROM 16GB
Sony Xperia Z3 ... CPU(s) - Quad-core 2.5 GHz, GPU - Adreno 330 Quad-core 578MHz, Screen - FHD 1080p (1920x1080), Video recording - 4K, RAM 3GB ROM 16GB
Smartisan T1 ... CPU(s) - Quad-core 2.5GHz, GPU - Adreno 330 Quad-core 578MHz, Screen - 1080x1920, Video recording - 4160x3120@30fps, RAM 2GB ROM 16GB

TABLETS
Samsung tabs 705c Correct designation = Samsung Galaxy Tab SM-T705C S TD-LTE or
Galaxy Tab S (8.4, 4G)) ... CPU(s) - 2xQuad-core (Octa-core) 1.9GHz & 1.3GHz, Screen - 2560 x 1600 (WQXGA), Video recording - WQHD (2560 x 1440) @30fps, RAM 3GB ROM 16GB
Google Nexus 9 ... CPU(s) - 64-bit NVIDIA Tegra K1 Dual Denver @ 2.3 GHz, GPU - 192-core Kepler GPU, Screen - QXGA (2048x1536), Video recording - ?, RAM 2GB ROM 16GB or 32GB
Google Nexus 7 II ... no information found
Xiaomi MI 3, MI PAD ... CPU(s) - Quad-core 2.2-GHz, GPU - 192-core Kepler GPU, Screen - 2048x1536@326ppi, Video recording - 1080p (1920x1080) HD 30fps, RAM 2GB ROM 16GB

OTHER TABLETS (non-approved)
Samsung Galaxy Note (8.0, 4G) ... CPU(s) - Quad-core 1.6GHz, Screen - 1280 x 800, Video recording - Full HD (1080p)@30fps, RAM shared with storage ROM MicroSD

Galaxy TabPRO (8.4, Wi-Fi) ... CPU(s) - Quad-core 2.3GHz, Screen - 2560 X 1600 (WQXGA), Video recording - Full HD (1080p)@30fps, RAM shared with storage ROM MicroSD

Galaxy Tab S2 (8.0, 4G) ... CPU(s) - 2xQuad-core (Octa-core) 1.9GHz & 1.3GHz, Screen - 2048 x 1536 (QXGA), Video recording - QHD (2560 x 1440)@30fps, RAM 3GB ROM 32GB

NVidia Shield K1 (8.0, WiFi) ... CPU(s) - Quad-core 2.2GHz, GPU - NVIDIA® Tegra® K1 192 core Kepler 2.2 GHz Screen - HD 1920x1200, Video recording - 4K Ultra-HD Ready, RAM 2GB ROM 162GB ... DJI-Ken reports he has seen this tablet "working very well" with DJI Go


CONCLUSIONS
Both the Android phones and tablets have far more powerful processing  hardware than their Apple equivalents.  They also have far higher screen  resolutions and video recording specs.  Whilst the Apple devices are  running on DUAL core one-point-something GHz processors, the Android devices (approved and non-approved) are running on QUAD or OCTA core two-point-something  GHz processors.  It therefore does not ring true when DJI support's  copy and paste answer to all Android device problems seems to push Apple  products.

In particular, I am baffled as to why the Samsung Galaxy S2 tablet is  having problems running DJI Go when it's predecessor model (Galaxy Tab  S), which is a lower specification, is listed in the approved list.

Personally, I think it is time for DJI to throw some resources at  sorting this mess out and issuing a "minimum specifications" sheet  rather than a list of approved devices.


Old Geezer

Note - you may notice the "Last edited" date of the above post changing as I maintain and update the list.

21/2/2016 ... added the NVidia Shield K1 (under Other Tablets) as I spotted a post in another thread where DJI-Ken said it worked well with DJI Go

Another update and clarification today ...

The often quoted supported devices list includes the  "Samsung tabs 705c".  
As my list above states (with info obtained from Samsung) the full designation is Samsung Galaxy Tab SM-T705C S TD-LTE or Galaxy Tab S (8.4, 4G)

Be careful when buying this tablet - there are several versions (ignoring the memory installed) -
SM-T700NZWABTU 8.4" White
SM-T705NTSABTU 8.4" White
SM-T705NZWABTU 8.4" Bronze
SM-T800NZWABTU 10.5" White
SM-T800NTSABTU 10.5" Bronze

DJI's supported list is only for the 705 models, not the 700 or 800 !!!
Anyway, the 10.5" won't fit in a P3 device holder clamp on the controller - it's approx 10mm wider than the maximum clamp opening.

As to the listed differences between the (same size (8") & memory) Galaxy Tab S and the Galaxy Tab S2 ... there are two differences that may be the key to why some people report the S2 not working with DJI Go 2.6.0

Screen size - the S has a 2560 x 1600 (WQXGA) screen, the S2 has a 2048 x 1536 (QXGA) - the earlier S therefore has more pixels per inch (ppi), which has been noticed as an edge-case factor for some tablets failing to maintain FPV and video view - low ppi screens SEEM to make DJI Go fall over since 2.5.0 - much more so than processor speed and RAM.

Video recording ability - the S offers WQHD (2560 x 1440) @30fps, the S2 offers QHD (2560 x 1440)@30fps - on the surface these seem to be the same with the S offering wide format and the S2 not offering it.  The only time I can think of this being an issue is when taking panorama format photos, but I point it out as a difference between the two devices.

Android version - the S was originally listed with Android 4.4, the S2 with Android 5.0 - is there a difference within Android that DJI developers have not caught up with yet?  I know that in web programming the differences between PHP 4.x, 5.x, and the due soon 7.x are vast and do make websites fall over as web servers have their PHP upgraded.  I've also seen the same effect between flash and flashplayer versions.  Perhaps the same is happening in Android now?  Maybe the Go developers should list Android requirements as 4.1.2+ but less than 5.0 ?

All I know for sure is that I wish DJI and their devs would come up with an official answer soon - I have to buy a new tablet before I can fly my one month old P3A - I DO NOT want a fruit machine (Apple device) and had my heart set on the S2 - but will not shell out £300+ for that while there is a risk it will not play with DJI Go.  I am drawing closer to returning the P3A for refund due to the lack of response from DJI.

Edit and Update -
I took the risk of an unsupported device and this afternoon bought a 32GB Galaxy Tab S2 (this is an SM-T710 model) with the spec as per my list above.
So far so good - being a brand new device, there was a merry-go-round of updates (including TWO update sets for Android leaving it on version 5.0.2 with version 3.10.9 kernel).  
I then first downloaded DJI Go 2.6.0 from Google Play, then in-app went to - About - go to DJI - download (from the P3A downloads page) - and re-installed/updated (to) DJI Go 2.6.0 from there. Then switched the aircraft, R/C, and tablet off - completely powered off - then restarted with tablet first, then R/C, then aircraft.

It now seems the app works - I don't get black screen when I switch from still camera to video, or from follow to FPV in main settings.  With no rotors attached, "flying" in follow mode indoors, the gimbal tilts the way you'd expect when yawing the aircraft to either side and the picture on screen tilts accordingly.  Camera pitch up and down displays correct picture movement on screen.  

Tomorrow I'll run some test flights outdoors; to check if transmission is cutting off at around 100 metres distance as it was doing on the old tablet.  If that all works fine, then roll on payday so I can get Litchi on the new tablet too - we got some BIG castles here in Northumberland that I want to orbit and video using pre-planned waypoints.  

Further update about the Samsung Galaxy S2 tablet - works perfectly for DJI Go - not one issue with app performance or connection to the R/C and drone since I got the tablet.

The only performance issue seems to be tethering to my 3G phone does not provide fast enough map download, and trying to zoom into the map makes it go blurry at the point where roughly a half mile of map is on screen ... but that's nothing to do with DJI and maybe I should upgrade my phone   (more expense).

Old Geezer Posted at 2016-5-28 14:43
Further update about the Samsung Galaxy S2 tablet - works perfectly for DJI Go - not one issue with  ...

Hi,
How does the Samsung Tab S2 perform in sunlight? I have an ipad mini and if the suns out you can't see a thing on it - even with brightness on max!
I have just connected my Black Pearl 7" monitor to the controller via hdmi and it is much better, but I am now going to have to mount that on a tripod...
Any ideas please?
Ken

Hi Ken,

It does "OK" but certainly benefits from a sun hood ... the best option still remains to find a shady spot to stand in while flying.

Cheers
Geezer

Hi,  I have just purchased a P4 and although I am a Mac user, I am looking for an Android tablet to worms the with P4.   I know nothing about the Android system.   I am assuming that I need a tablet that not only has WiFi but also 3G/4G - is this correct?    There seem to be so many models and variations I am slightly worried that I will buy the wrong model.

alex@hammerstei Posted at 2016-6-19 05:55
Hi,  I have just purchased a P4 and although I am a Mac user, I am looking for an Android tablet to  ...

The Phantom does not need 3G/4G or for that matter, any cellular capability to work correctly. It does not use a cellular connection in any way.

alex@hammerstei Posted at 2016-6-18 20:55
Hi,  I have just purchased a P4 and although I am a Mac user, I am looking for an Android tablet to  ...

The only "need" for cellular is the option of live downloading maps and satellite imagery (Google Earth style) for the DJI Go app.  However you can create a wifi hotspot with your phone and tether the tablet to that - it can be a little slow sometimes depending on the service type of your phone, but it's a good backup method if you can't get the Go app to cache the maps (I can't, so I tether to my phone when flying).

Hi
So I am a little confused because I was able to install the DJI Go app on my  Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro 10.1. It worked at first but then I found my tablet was getting a little slow.  Now I did a factory reset to clear a lot of the app I had. Now I am unable to install the DJI Go app on this nice table?

What has changed? Why do I have a feeling that DJI is heavly in favor of the Apple product? I will never ever by Apple and this I found unfair that Androud seems to getting scewed? The pro tablet has enough hardware to do this..

Pete

northwesten Posted at 2016-8-17 12:13
Hi
So I am a little confused because I was able to install the DJI Go app on my  Samsung Galaxy Ta ...

Not sure why you're having problems installing the app again ... but maybe you could try first updating the Google Play app to make sure that's current, then try to download DJI Go from Google Play?

Like you, I'd never buy Apple.  I have my reasons but no need to go into them here.

Old Geezer Posted at 2016-8-18 07:28
Not sure why you're having problems installing the app again ... but maybe you could try first upd ...

'Like you, I'd never buy Apple.  I have my reasons but no need to go into them here.'

Normally, neither would I, but the iPad Air 2 is one of the most reliable display devices that you can pair up with the Phantom, hence I bit my tongue and bought one. It has never given me any trouble at all.

northwesten Posted at 2016-8-17 21:13
Hi
So I am a little confused because I was able to install the DJI Go app on my  Samsung Galaxy Ta ...

It's not a case of DJI favouring Apple and Android users getting a raw deal.
The Go app is very demanding and won't run properly on just any old tablet you have lying around.
Your tablet is 2.5 years old.
If you have an Android tablet with enough performance it will run perfectly (and without the overheating problems some Apple users have).

Geebax Posted at 2016-8-17 23:49
'Like you, I'd never buy Apple.  I have my reasons but no need to go into them here.'

Normally, n ...

iPad Air 2 & iPad Air 2 Wi-Fi +  Cellular ... CPU(s) - Apple A8X 1500 MHz (3 cores)  64 bit + M8 motion co-pro, Screen - 2048‑by‑1536 resolution at 264 ppi, Video recording - 1080p HD video recording

Galaxy Tab S2 (8.0, 4G) ... CPU(s) - 2xQuad-core (Octa-core) 1.9GHz & 1.3GHz, Screen - 2048 x 1536 (QXGA), Video recording - QHD (2560 x 1440)@30fps, RAM 3GB ROM 32GB

The tech spec on the Samsung appears to have more future proofing for operating the DJI Go app than the iPad Air 2's.

[url]http://forum.dji.com/thread-43127-1-1.html[/url]

Old Geezer Posted at 2016-6-19 12:29
The only "need" for cellular is the option of live downloading maps and satellite imagery (Google  ...

Dynamic Home point.

Old Geezer Posted at 2016-8-24 08:28
iPad Air 2 & iPad Air 2 Wi-Fi +  Cellular ... CPU(s) - Apple A8X 1500 MHz (3 cores)  64 bit + M8 m ...

I'd argue that point. The iPad Air 2, the iPad Mini 4, and the iPad Pro are the only devices in the list that are equipped with a barometer. Autopilot has already made use of that functionality in follow mode in that it's the only application that can follow terrain. It makes very much sense if it can be done for our devices to be able to terrain follow. That takes your "recommended" right off the list. It's an inexact science, but a point you've also left out. And hardware numbers in and of themselves are not benchmarks. I'm a IT guy that is the SME in our organization for mobile devices, and your shootout based on simple ghz and memory are not an apples to apples comparison in making that statement. There's also a question of which platform is more optimized and it seems that IOS is.

I'm far from an Apple fanboy, more an agnostic, but hands down the iPad Air 2 and Mini 4 which is essentially a jenny craig'ed version will outperform the Samsung's of the same size and vintage. Perusing the various DJI sites you will rarely see complaints on the IOS devices (for me the iPad Air 2 is simply awkward) while there are numerous complaints about brand new Samsung's

roger.crawford Posted at 2016-8-24 11:13
I'd argue that point. The iPad Air 2, the iPad Mini 4, and the iPad Pro are the only devices in th ...

Although in fairness the complaints about Samsungs (and the only complaints about them that I have seen) is the confusion around the Galaxy Note name ...

There are several older tablets with that name ( I have a Galaxy Note 3 tablet which is way underpowered to run live video during flight, but does run the Go app in map mode with minimised live view image), however there are also the Galaxy Note phones which are on the approved list.

Since I switched to the Samsung S2 (the updated and increased spec version of the Galaxy S on the approved list) I have never had an issue running DJI Go (which is the only app you can run as a flight controller and maintain your DJI warranty).  I have no need of a barometer in the tablet for the usage I have from the aircraft, therefore it is irrelevant.

I have been in IT since 1979, therefore statements about job titles and roles do not impress me in discussions like this.  Would you like to discuss the different merits of punch cards and magnetic tape reels for data storage?

labroides@yahoo Posted at 2016-8-18 07:10
It's not a case of DJI favouring Apple and Android users getting a raw deal.
The Go app is very de ...

False, my S6 overheated and my brand new S7 reboots.

DJI needs to sort this mess out.

bigglyguy Posted at 2016-10-5 16:39
False, my S6 overheated and my brand new S7 reboots.

DJI needs to sort this mess out.

There are many Android tablets that work without any problem.
There are lots of possible causes for your problems.
What makes you so sure it's a DJI issue that DJI need to sort out?

I don't want a tablet, and the new Mavic controller won't work with one anyway.

I already have a phone, the flagship phone of the world's most popular phone maker, using the world's most popular operating system, but along with many other people reporting the same thing, find my phone reboots when running this company's app and operating this company's hardware.

"Here's a list of old, outdated Androids that nobody is buying anymore" is not a solution to my problem. My S7 is on a 2 year contract; downgrading to yesteryear's old phones isn't really an option, especially when I only just UPgraded because the app caused my S6 to overheat and go dark.

I was hoping it was an issues with Samsung's USB connector and not affecting me, as I use a Standard, connected with WiFi - but nope, my phone rebooted while operating the drone today.

I cannot trust it anymore, not if it's going to reboot my phone mid-flight.

Samsung and DJI should be getting together to resolve this issue, not just shrugging and blaming the other company, and then ignoring it.

As well as demolishing my use of my 2 month old Phantom it is preventing me from ordering a Mavic.

My drone is now an expensive door-stopper.

Hi to you Old Geezer
Hope this is something you can help with. I have a Mavic Pro ordered (not shipped yet)
Went ahead and did as much research as I can and got a ASUS Zenpad 8 Z380M-AZ-GR
Can't afford most of the tablets out there. The Z380M looked pretty good on specs.
For only $130 it was my choice. Here are some of the specs.
Size: 8.23x4.84x.33 in. It will fit in the Mavic controller , Display: 8" 1280x800 189ppi,
76.5% screen-to-body ratio. android 6.0 (Marshmallow), CPU: 1.3Ghz Quad-core,
Ram: 2GB LPDDR3, Memory: 16GB I upgraded to 64GB, This tablet has a neet fetur, When you are in bright light it automatecly britens the sceen, and when in low light it dems the sceen
If you can give you thoughts on this tablet, That would be great.

Old Geezer Posted at 2016-5-28 13:43
Further update about the Samsung Galaxy S2 tablet - works perfectly for DJI Go - not one issue with  ...

OG,
Thanks for the useful info, was pondering over the latest ipad or an S2 and you've convinced me to go with the latter.
Roll on Black Friday for a good deal

Cheers

Neon

Old Geezer Posted at 2016-8-25 02:08
Although in fairness the complaints about Samsungs (and the only complaints about them that I have ...

The weakness in your comparison of processor speeds, memory and such is that there is another, more important factor in the whole mess, the programming environment available to the DJI developers.

The DJI developers have to work with two different OSs and in that regard, Apple have always had an advantage, because they tightly control both the hardware and software, whereas the Android platform has a single set of programming functions that have to cater to a huge selection of different manufacturers, each one with very different hardware in terms of processors, displays and such.

DJI cannot write code to address a specific make and model of phone or tablet, they are constrained within either Apple or Android development packages, and when some makers, Samsung being a good example, decide to play fast and loose with the program execution, it is often to make a Samsung app work better, and to hell with everyone else.

It is therefore clearly the case that Apple with their tightly buttoned-down iOS interface can often outperformed bloated Android code when performing similar functions.

Geebax Posted at 2016-11-18 03:13
The weakness in your comparison of processor speeds, memory and such is that there is another, mor ...

Now you see, I look at it the other way (having been in IT since 1979) ...

Closed source led to software houses diverging from standards ... cough ... MS SQL, Visual Basic etc.

Open source led to far larger community-led bug fixing and function additions ... PHP, Android, Linux, etc.

In the IT channels I worked in, we always said that anything Apple was for people with more money than brains, usually fashionistas and blonde bimbo's.

Old Geezer Posted at 2016-11-18 16:44
Now you see, I look at it the other way (having been in IT since 1979) ...

Closed source led to s ...

Having been in TV and Film since 1962, and in the IT side of those industriies since 1978, I would broadly agree with your view. The film and TV industry became very fond of Apple products in their early days because 'creatives' hated computers, so my view was that people who like Apple did so because they did not like computers.

But that aside, the issue of writing for two different operating systems is still there and there are far fewer problems writing for a single family of devices that only have minor variations in hardware.

Hi guys, I have just purchased a P3 Professional and my phone is not compatible with the app. I want to purchase an Android tablet but none of the recommended devices. Can you guys tell me what my best options are based on your experiences? I would appreciate if you can provide the exact specs. Cheers

nice comment, i run my app also on a non listed phone huawei p8 lite and it works really fine