... instead of the Wi-Fi version, if I intend to dedicate it to flying various DJI drones?

Thank you.

I have been using a mini 4 wifi only for over a year now. Love it. In fact, I fly with the mini in airplane mode, no cell, wifi or BT active. I personally have no need for cellular, but there are a few GPS related features that will be handicapped without it. You can always tether to your phone...

As long as you have a phone with a hotspot it works great.  The only reason you really need WiFi is for firmware updates. I use the iPad mini 4 WiFi 128 gig. Works great.

HyLenz Posted at 2018-2-22 10:30
I have been using a mini 4 wifi only for over a year now. Love it. In fact, I fly with the mini in airplane mode, no cell, wifi or BT active. I personally have no need for cellular, but there are a few GPS related features that will be handicapped without it. You can always tether to your phone...

"there are a few GPS related features that will be handicapped without it."

Please remind me what those are.

Thank you.

daisy-girl Posted at 2018-2-22 10:55
"there are a few GPS related features that will be handicapped without it."

Please remind me what those are.

Yes, I was about to ask the same.
I guess the features that rely on the location of YOU. (or your device that is)
Maybe the dynamic RTH

I have IPad mini 4 128g with cell, its great for having map data on the go. Beyond that I don’t know what benefit would be.

Yeah...i would say get the Mini with Wifi. Save money on the tablet and save money on the cell service charges.  It is usually only $10 dollars or so...but it adds up.  Use you phone as a hotspot and save on the cell charges for the tablet.

Are use an iPad mini 2 wi-Fi and cellular would be without it.

I wonder how long the ipad mini will be suitable for the mavic. Since dji is developing the dji go app and firmware, its only a matter of time the ipad mini 4 will show issues , like vide transmission lag due to a8 chip in it. As the newest devices hav a10 or even a11 chips . I was using the ipad mini 4 for the phantom 4 pro . No issues untill dji go app updat 4.1.16. Now using ipad pro 10.5 and iphone x. So far no problem.
With the latest 4.2.5 and 4.2.6 i already noticed the difference on the ipad mini 4 videofeed compared to dji go app versions before, when using it with the mavic. Still ok to use , but for howlong?

Hi Daisy, both iPad mini 4 and iPad mini 4 Wi-Fi + Cellular work with DJI GO 4. The quantities of the drone won't be the issue. But please note that WiFi version has no GPS module, Follow Me and refresh current position might not work, but other function can work well with this tablet. Cellular version might not have this limit, so if there is a need, you can choose the Cellular version. Hope it provides some info.

dronybaloney Posted at 2018-2-22 11:56
I wonder how long the ipad mini will be suitable for the mavic. Since dji is developing the dji go app and firmware, its only a matter of time the ipad mini 4 will show issues , like vide transmission lag due to a8 chip in it. As the newest devices hav a10 or even a11 chips . I was using the ipad mini 4 for the phantom 4 pro . No issues untill dji go app updat 4.1.16. Now using ipad pro 10.5 and iphone x. So far no problem.
With the latest 4.2.5 and 4.2.6 i already noticed the difference on the ipad mini 4 videofeed compared to dji go app versions before, when using it with the mavic. Still ok to use , but for howlong?

yes I worry about that too!!! shell out that kind of money then have problems with it in a few months

DJI Thor Posted at 2018-2-22 21:18
Hi Daisy, both iPad mini 4 and iPad mini 4 Wi-Fi + Cellular work with DJI GO 4. The quantities of the drone won't be the issue. But please note that WiFi version has no GPS module, Follow Me and refresh current position might not work, but other function can work well with this tablet. Cellular version might not have this limit, so if there is a need, you can choose the Cellular version. Hope it provides some info.

"But please note that WiFi version has no GPS module."

Hmmm.

Re a different topic -- updating the NFZ database -- the advice I got was to do it via my iPad in the presence of a "strong Wi-Fi" signal as "the device needs to know where it is" during the update.

Can the device know where it is, if it has no GPS module?

Thank you.

HyLenz Posted at 2018-2-22 10:30
I have been using a mini 4 wifi only for over a year now. Love it. In fact, I fly with the mini in airplane mode, no cell, wifi or BT active. I personally have no need for cellular, but there are a few GPS related features that will be handicapped without it. You can always tether to your phone...

Hmmm.

With my iPad Mini 4, when I turned off Wi-Fi, I got a message that location services work better with both Wi-Fi and BT turned on, so I left them on, my assumption being that this would be better for real-time mapping and notifications restricted zones.  

The next time I fly, I will turn both off, note the changes if any, and report back.

Thank you.

daisy-girl Posted at 2018-2-22 23:04
Hmmm.

With my iPad Mini 4, when I turned off Wi-Fi, I got a message that location services work better with both Wi-Fi and BT turned on, so I left them on, my assumption being that this would be better for real-time mapping and notifications restricted zones.  

That’s because the WiFi only Mini 4 doesn’t have its own gps and uses WiFi to locate itself. An irrelevant message as you’re not using it to locate the Air

DJI Thor Posted at 2018-2-22 21:18
Hi Daisy, both iPad mini 4 and iPad mini 4 Wi-Fi + Cellular work with DJI GO 4. The quantities of the drone won't be the issue. But please note that WiFi version has no GPS module, Follow Me and refresh current position might not work, but other function can work well with this tablet. Cellular version might not have this limit, so if there is a need, you can choose the Cellular version. Hope it provides some info.

Yes the great Thor is right, I wish I had known it at the start.  I had to change my iPad mini 4 wi-fi for the cellular version as the wi-fi version couldn't indeed do 'follow me' or 'refresh current position' of the transmitter.

Am hoping to fly it from a boat and retrieve back to it, and if the boat has moved, then return to home might be a patch of water a fair distance away.  Splash one Mavic.  

I have tested both iPad mini 4 versions and the wi-fi version will not do this but the cellular version will.   The cellular version will do these functions without a sim card.

John

With cellular you can download maps, and firmware updates on the go, check the weathers, etc... sometimes it can be useful if you are away from a wifi location... and sometimes the app ask you to log in ....  

daisy-girl Posted at 2018-2-22 22:54
"But please note that WiFi version has no GPS module."

Hmmm.

In this case, if there is no WiFi connection, the mobile device might not know where it is. But the drone has GPS module, thus, if the drone in a NFZ, the map on the app will tell you, and the drone will not be able to take off. If there is WiFi connection, the network positioning might provide the location info of the device, but the precision is not that accuracy like GPS does.

ro_flyer Posted at 2018-2-23 02:42
With cellular you can download maps, and firmware updates on the go, check the weathers, etc... sometimes it can be useful if you are away from a wifi location... and sometimes the app ask you to log in ....

Some will  reply that one can do most of that with one's phone, but they are assuming that their phone will never fail them.

But according to the famous prepper, Steven Harris: "one is none, two is one, three is two," etc.

In other words, to have a backup access to the internet is well worth paying an extra $10/month for the extra line with one's carrier.

DJI Thor Posted at 2018-2-23 02:54
In this case, if there is no WiFi connection, the mobile device might not know where it is. But the drone has GPS module, thus, if the drone in a NFZ, the map on the app will tell you, and the drone will not be able to take off. If there is WiFi connection, the network positioning might provide the location info of the device, but the precision is not that accuracy like GPS does.

Whoa!

Thanks for clarifying that the source of the maps on one's device is the GPS on the aircraft, not GPS on the RC or the device itself. That makes perfect sense as one's RC/device could be miles outside the NFZ while the aircraft is within it.

BTW, is it correct to say that there are two different types of Dynamic Home Point -- one that is aircraft dependent and the other RC/device dependent -- and provided one has the cellular version of the device, one can change back and forth between the two from within the app?

So are you people using the iPad mini with a tablet holder or not? I plan on purchasing an iPad next week, sounds like the cellular version is the way to go, but I can always use my iPhone to upgrade the controller and quad.

Brendan1 Posted at 2018-2-23 13:47
So are you people using the iPad mini with a tablet holder or not? I plan on purchasing an iPad next week, sounds like the cellular version is the way to go, but I can always use my iPhone to upgrade the controller and quad.

"So are you people using the iPad mini with a tablet holder or not?"

Not.

The iPad Mini 4 fits so perfectly into the loving arms of the RC that it seems obvious DJI is subtly encouraging use of same.

Re phones between the arms, the fact that of the three supplied cables, it is the lightning for Apple products that is pre-installed into the left arm is confirmation that DJI is encouraging use of Apple products, whether iPhone or tablet.

I got my iPad Mini 4 from AT&T for two reasons: 1) no money down and no interest ($26.50/month for 20 months, then I own it)  2) I want cellular service so that, if ever my Smartphone goes down, I still have access to the internet ("one is none, two is one, three is two," etc.).

P.S. If you get a tablet with cellular service, then you won't need to use your phone for anything.

I have the Mini 4 128gb without wifi and it works just fine .
If you really need GPS for what ever, I recommend getting the  Dual XGPS160 SkyPro Bluetooth GPS Receiver for Mobile Devices or Dual GPS150.  This way you can use it for your GPS location and if the MP flies away you use it to track it down.
I have seen videos of guys doing just that. Using it for follow me and finding a lost Drone.
I am planning to get one unless someone post a reply who has tried one and says it doesn't work.

I use a Mavmount and love it. It is very well-made and very well-balanced.

daisy-girl Posted at 2018-2-23 06:12
Whoa!

Thanks for clarifying that the source of the maps on one's device is the GPS on the aircraft, not GPS on the RC or the device itself. That makes perfect sense as one's RC/device could be miles outside the NFZ while the aircraft is within it.

If you mean the Home Point Setting (screenshot below), yes. BTW, there is a "Dynamic Home Point" function on the app for Mavic Pro and it is only refreshing the drone's current position as the home point.

DJI Thor Posted at 2018-2-24 03:34
If you mean the Home Point Setting (screenshot below), yes. BTW, there is a "Dynamic Home Point" function on the app for Mavic Pro and it is only refreshing the drone's current position as the home point.[view_image]

"BTW, there is a "Dynamic Home Point" function on the app for Mavic Pro and it is only refreshing the drone's current position as the home point. "

I'm aware of that, but I can't imagine any use besides Active Track of oneself.

To use it with another person seems to be to be inviting loss of VLOS -- and when the charge is low enough it will land in proximity to the subject rather than the pilot.

B1houdini Posted at 2018-2-23 15:25
I have the Mini 4 128gb without wifi and it works just fine .
If you really need GPS for what ever, I recommend getting the  Dual XGPS160 SkyPro Bluetooth GPS Receiver for Mobile Devices or Dual GPS150.  This way you can use it for your GPS location and if the MP flies away you use it to track it down.
I have seen videos of guys doing just that. Using it for follow me and finding a lost Drone.

But for the price of one of those units, you might just as well get the cellular version mini4

No wifi is all you need. If you want color maping you can use you phone's hot spot to connect the Mini 4 via wifi.  

To answer Wingmantiger. You are right about only needing  wifi . Except I am probably one of the very very few who does not have a cell phone. Never had a need for one until I got the Mavic.
If I would of been on the DJI forum when I got the Mavic, I probably would of gotten a Mini4 with cellular. At the time I was unfamiliar with what the Mavic needed for GPS.  So for me I have to settle for an external GPS Receiver/transmitter.