Good day all. I'm considering getting a replacement for my 3rd gen kindle fire hdx. I mainly use this at the gym or wherever for streaming video. The reason i'm asking here, is because I also have a MM.

I dont want to spend a lot, and am not against used or refurbished items most of the time. The current Galaxy Tab A 8" is $150 at Best Buy, and a refurb ipad mini 4 is around $200-$250 online. You may as well toss the ipad mini 2 on there for 100-150, but that seems like its gettin pretty old by now... I would like at least some performance upgrade over my kindle.

The DJI Fly ap for iOS lists the mini as being compatible from the ap store. I also know that DJI does not list the galaxy tab A on their own site, but also they dont list the ipad mini either... for whatever that's worth..

So for flying around, screen visibility in light, hardware performance, etc... What is best for the MM?


The TLDR is that i'm looking for a tablet for the DJI Fly ap and debating between the titled models. Galaxy tab A and Ipad Mini 4. Interested in the community opinions.

Uniquely Ipad mini 4!

iPad mini 4 would be my choice, but be aware its not supported (no tablets are) and that it will run the iPhone app in screen stretch mode.

Hi, thank you for reaching out. Hope that you could get the best recommendation from our fellow DJI pilot here in Forum. Thank you for your support!

DAFlys Posted at 2-6 07:17
iPad mini 4 would be my choice, but be aware its not supported (no tablets are) and that it will run the iPhone app in screen stretch mode.

Thats the strange part. The itunes ap store lists the ipad mini, and many other ipad tablets as compatible with the ap. I think the best way to say it would be that it isn't optimized for tablet? Screem capture from the DJI Fly app in app store.

I just purchased a ASUS Zenpad Z8s on Amazon (NOTE it's for Verizon) for $125 and it had no problems loading the app.  The specs appear to meet/exceed the requirements for running the DJIFly app.  I have not made a test flight yet using the tablet, but it could be a good choice if you are on a budget.  I added it to my current cellular plan from Verizon and it's costing me $10 per month for data usage.

I rarely use my tablet(s) for much, but I am impressed with the video quality on this one as well as the speed of it.  I'll hopefully be able to make a test flight this weekend using it and will report back here my assessment.

at2marty Posted at 2-6 13:22
I just purchased a ASUS Zenpad Z8s on Amazon (NOTE it's for Verizon) for $125 and it had no problems loading the app.  The specs appear to meet/exceed the requirements for running the DJIFly app.  I have not made a test flight yet using the tablet, but it could be a good choice if you are on a budget.  I added it to my current cellular plan from Verizon and it's costing me $10 per month for data usage.

I rarely use my tablet(s) for much, but I am impressed with the video quality on this one as well as the speed of it.  I'll hopefully be able to make a test flight this weekend using it and will report back here my assessment.

I"ll check it out. I have a zen book flip from Asus and like it quite a bit. thanks for the suggestion. Although i dont have verizon and wouldn't plan on attaching it, it'd probably still work without lte service, as a wifi tab.

I don't think your going to get the DJI Fly app to work on a Galaxy Tab A.

hankhill11 Posted at 2-6 09:18
Thats the strange part. The itunes ap store lists the ipad mini, and many other ipad tablets as compatible with the ap. I think the best way to say it would be that it isn't optimized for tablet? Screem capture from the DJI Fly app in app store.

[view_image]

Thats not the right place to check,  on the DJI site this is the list of supported devices.

What about an Asus Zenpad Z8s based on comment#8 from member Dirty Bird in link below. He has some pictures showing how the screen looks like with Fly and also good fit without extra accessories.  Its really inexpensive.
https://forum.dji.com/forum.php?mod=viewthread&tid=207440&mobile=2

Tab A 8" seems to work pretty good....
https://forum.dji.com/thread-206799-1-1.html

hankhill11 Posted at 2-6 09:18
Thats the strange part. The itunes ap store lists the ipad mini, and many other ipad tablets as compatible with the ap. I think the best way to say it would be that it isn't optimized for tablet? Screem capture from the DJI Fly app in app store.

[view_image][Image]

Looks like the complaints on the Apple app store users are that the Fly on iPad is not optimized to use full screen.  Would definately like to know if someone on this foum can post a screenshot from the iPad to see if DJI has done any more to fix that.

I may be wrong, but it looks like Fly is able to run full screen only on Android tablets at this point.

Axotopia Posted at 2-7 11:21
Looks like the complaints on the Apple app store users are that the Fly on iPad is not optimized to use full screen.  Would definately like to know if someone on this foum can post a screenshot from the iPad to see if DJI has done any more to fix that.

I may be wrong, but it looks like Fly is able to run full screen only on Android tablets at this point.

yeah, it's pretty sucky on the iPad, it just has the default 2x iOS offers for apps without iPad UI

Ice_2k Posted at 2-7 11:53
yeah, it's pretty sucky on the iPad, it just has the default 2x iOS offers for apps without iPad UI

Thanks for posting the screenshot.  I hope DJI would retool the Fly app for better UI on the iPad in the next releases.  The compatibility with mobile devices out there is abysmal right now.
Also, maybe add more features/control to the overly dumb-down Fly app as well.

People keep saying the Fly app is not optimized for the iPad but that is not correct.  The problem is the iPad is not optimized for the Mini OR any modern screen display for that matter.   The Fly app and Mini record at the same ratio as today's TVs - 16:9.    Android tablets, phones and iPhones are 16:9.   For some odd reason, Apple built iPads with screens that are more rectangular at 4:3, same as TVs from 20 years ago.  So to get all the wider view on iPads there has to be a black band at the top and bottom. Same if you watch a movie on an iPad and don't zoom cutting off the sides or squeezing it in and distorting the image.

I have an iPad Mini 4 - my only "I" anything - and am pleased with how it works in the MM. But I am an android guy and hate it as a tablet. IOS is an operating system with training wheels that can't be removed. Drives me nuts!

Previously, I made a post about the need to optimize DJI Fly for iPad, using the example of DJI Go4, in which the screen resolution works fine.
Post

And yet the iPad mini 4 + Cellular +JB is currently the best tablet for DJI drone control programs!

Raymacke Posted at 2-7 20:52
People keep saying the Fly app is not optimized for the iPad but that is not correct.  The problem is the iPad is not optimized for the Mini OR any modern screen display for that matter.   The Fly app and Mini record at the same ratio as today's TVs - 16:9.    Android tablets, phones and iPhones are 16:9.   For some odd reason, Apple built iPads with screens that are more rectangular at 4:3, same as TVs from 20 years ago.  So to get all the wider view on iPads there has to be a black band at the top and bottom. Same if you watch a movie on an iPad and don't zoom cutting off the sides or squeezing it in and distorting the image.

I have an iPad Mini 4 - my only "I" anything - and am pleased with how it works in the MM. But I am an android guy and hate it as a tablet. IOS is an operating system with training wheels that can't be removed. Drives me nuts!

I’m sorry but you’re wrong. The fact that the video feed from the drone has a different aspect ratio than the tablet is not a problem, there’s tons of data you can add above/below the image. Instead we just get a blown-up iPhone app with huge text everywhere and not really using the bigger screen as it should. I’m sure the problem is not that big on the iPad Mini because of its size but on the iPad it’s quite ridiculous, everything is simply zoomed in with huge text everwhere.
By your logic, no video streaming apps should work ok on iPad because most movies are 16:9, which is clearly not the case.

I bought a second hand iPhone 6s Plus. Good size and works well

Raymacke Posted at 2-7 20:52
People keep saying the Fly app is not optimized for the iPad but that is not correct.  The problem is the iPad is not optimized for the Mini OR any modern screen display for that matter.   The Fly app and Mini record at the same ratio as today's TVs - 16:9.    Android tablets, phones and iPhones are 16:9.   For some odd reason, Apple built iPads with screens that are more rectangular at 4:3, same as TVs from 20 years ago.  So to get all the wider view on iPads there has to be a black band at the top and bottom. Same if you watch a movie on an iPad and don't zoom cutting off the sides or squeezing it in and distorting the image.

I have an iPad Mini 4 - my only "I" anything - and am pleased with how it works in the MM. But I am an android guy and hate it as a tablet. IOS is an operating system with training wheels that can't be removed. Drives me nuts!

Great info on the 4:3 aspect on iPads thats the issue and not the Fly app.  Looks like the both the Mini and Pro version may be stuck with this 4:3 mismatch with 16:9 on Fly.

Just an observation, I do notice that the iPad UI may be compounding the problem as well.  There appears to be an unusable band on the bottom of the screen with what looks like a minimize button (screenshot by  Ice_2k-comment#15).  I assumed in 4:3 Photo mode it should occupy the entire to match the iPad, but the UI seems to be taking up some screen real estate as well.

I am posting screenshot from my Huawei MatePad Pro (16:10) of both the Photo (4:3) and Video (16:9) mode just for comparison.  It does confirm what you are saying about screen ratio impacting how Fly looks like on a tablet.

Guys, that is not an iPad interface. It’s just the iPhone interface which iOS zoomed to 2x, you can see the zoom button in the lower right corner. I’m an iOS developer, please trust me on this

Ice_2k Posted at 2-8 02:40
Guys, that is not an iPad interface. It’s just the iPhone interface which iOS zoomed to 2x, you can see the zoom button in the lower right corner. I’m an iOS developer, please trust me on this

Well said.... One day people will get this I hope

I stand corrected  - at least partly. I feel on the Mini iPad the screen display is very acceptable as seen below. I did not realize in the iPad it was that much different. But I agree, on the larger I pads it appears to suck!

infinigrove Posted at 2-6 14:39
I don't think your going to get the DJI Fly app to work on a Galaxy Tab A.

Yes he will, just have to get the right A Tab version. The SM-T290 is tested working
They make many versions of the A Tab

I ordered and received an Asus z8s the other day, and my extended OTG cable today. As a tablet, I felt like getting an all aluminum asus would have felt a little more solid, but its ok over all, and for the price it was a great bargain. I'll likely keep it as my daily use tablet, and will need to think hard about flying on an unsupported platform(per dji)

As for flying with the MM... The Fly app is a little glitchy giving me 'not connected to device' messages here and there, which stops the live feed. It also gives me 'device not supported' messages if the screen tries to rotate. I'm not sure i'd feel comfortable flying a longer distance mission on this tablet with the experience I've had so far (about 5 minutes in the house worth of flight)

When i was messing with it yesterday, the FLy app gave the same error messages with the stock OTG cable as well. so not a cable issue. and no issues with my galaxy s9 phone at all.

Ice_2k Posted at 2-8 00:07
I’m sorry but you’re wrong. The fact that the video feed from the drone has a different aspect ratio than the tablet is not a problem, there’s tons of data you can add above/below the image. Instead we just get a blown-up iPhone app with huge text everywhere and not really using the bigger screen as it should. I’m sure the problem is not that big on the iPad Mini because of its size but on the iPad it’s quite ridiculous, everything is simply zoomed in with huge text everwhere.
By your logic, no video streaming apps should work ok on iPad because most movies are 16:9, which is clearly not the case.

No, I have changed my mind on this and still believe I am correct about the non-standard screen ratio of iPads being the problem. After looking closer at you photo of the iPad it is almost exactly the same as the Mini iPad.  So you are complaining about the text being larger on a 10" screen as opposed to a cell phone's 5" screen?  Perhaps you don't realize many (if not most) pilots that go to a bigger screen WANT the text to be larger. In my opinion, that's a plus, not a minus.

From what I can see it appears on android tablets the text size is smaller but does that make it better. I believe this is a matter of personal preference.  In this case to some people what is a problem to others is a feature.
As to streaming apps there HAS to be a compromise made somewhere. I know things are changing but I have yet to see anyone put a retcantagle inside a square without voids. You want the sides of the image cropped off so you aren't seeing all of it then fine but I don't.  Or do you want to squeeze the image in and distort the view to get it all on the non-standard iPad screen? Then fine but I don't.  If there is another way to get the entire 16:9 image on a 4:3 screen please explain it to me.  
But the bottom line is I don't believe DJI Fly officially supports a single tablet - iPad or Android. So we are complaining about a poor design when running it on a NON supported device. As a developer, I think you would have a problem with that.

Apple makes it easy for developers to set up their apps for multi sized iOS screens.  It is a pity that DJI has not taken advantage of this.  I would love to see the biggest possible 16x9 camera view on the iPad Mini and then have all the TLM and informational data shown in black strips above and below the 16x9 camera view instead of being superimposed on the camera view..  This is the difference in designing an iOS universal app vs an iPhone screen only app.

Raymacke Posted at 2-9 20:40
No, I have changed my mind on this and still believe I am correct about the non-standard screen ratio of iPads being the problem. After looking closer at you photo of the iPad it is almost exactly the same as the Mini iPad.  So you are complaining about the text being larger on a 10" screen as opposed to a cell phone's 5" screen?  Perhaps you don't realize many (if not most) pilots that go to a bigger screen WANT the text to be larger. In my opinion, that's a plus, not a minus.

From what I can see it appears on android tablets the text size is smaller but does that make it better. I believe this is a matter of personal preference.  In this case to some people what is a problem to others is a feature.

Sorry to disagree on the point on having larger text is better for pilots.

On the bigger 10"-11" screen tablets, the advantage is to be able to see more of the drone camera image stream.  Having large text and icons may still be acceptable on an 8" tablet, but on 10"~11" is actually quite distracting and cluttering up screen.

Text sizes and icons need to be  proportioned accordingly to the screen size.

Also, proportioned text on the larger tablets helps in the Settings menu to see more so that the pilot is not constantly scrolling

See attached image of 10.8" tablet in (2) different modes for comparison between larger text vs proportioned text
（1）Dual Display Mode - Phone connect to RC with live mirror on Tablet
（2）Standlone Display - Table connect to RC

Bigplumbs Posted at 2-8 00:17
I bought a second hand iPhone 6s Plus. Good size and works well

I use Iphone 6s+ with Mini and Air, too. And Ipad with Phantom.
Ipad with small RCs have bad balance, IMO.