Curious if you guys have more success flying with the SIM in or out of the phone.  Have an iphone6 Plus and a Note 8, should I use the Note with the SIM or will it function just as well with the 6 Plus without the SIM. The note is my daily phone, 6 plus is an oldie I never traded in thats in great shape. Could swap 6 plus to daily if note is better too. Thanks in advance for any advice on the matter.

Hi. Thank you for the inquiry. You do not need a SIM card to fly your DJI Mavic Air. Upon checking the Samsung Note 8 I found out that it is not a compatible device for the DJI Mavic Air. Using a non recommended device can affect the performance of the Drone while on a flight. For reference, I will be posting the list of recommended mobile devices for the DJI Mavic Pro.

DJI Stephen Posted at 2018-7-3 10:58
Hi. Thank you for the inquiry. You do not need a SIM card to fly your DJI Mavic Air. Upon checking the Samsung Note 8 I found out that it is not a compatible device for the DJI Mavic Air. Using a non recommended device can affect the performance of the Drone while on a flight. For reference, I will be posting the list of recommended mobile devices for the DJI Mavic Pro.

[view_image]

Thanks for the response, I saw the same specs, I also found on several sites the note 8 is amazing for overall performance due to the processors and memory being superior than just about any other high performance consumer phone currently available. The android version is up to date, so, like, it looks like DJI has a lot of older phones listed for the Android OS and maybe should update the list, IDK? I personally have already used the note 8 with SIM and seems super responsive. Probably will designate the 6 plus without SIM since its recommended on their list and its a spare phone, we will see which seems better. I'll let you guys know.

Phoenix Fly-By Posted at 2018-7-3 14:32
Thanks for the response, I saw the same specs, I also found on several sites the note 8 is amazing for overall performance due to the processors and memory being superior than just about any other high performance consumer phone currently available. The android version is up to date, so, like, it looks like DJI has a lot of older phones listed for the Android OS and maybe should update the list, IDK? I personally have already used the note 8 with SIM and seems super responsive. Probably will designate the 6 plus without SIM since its recommended on their list and its a spare phone, we will see which seems better. I'll let you guys know.

SIM or no SIM the only real difference that I am aware of you will want to cache the maps of where you will fly before hand and follow mode will not work as it uses GPS on the phone.  Other than that with my iPhone 6 plus I always just put it in airplane mode so same thing and it works perfect.  

I use my 6 Plus without a SIM card all the time.  (I bought a used one specifically for this purpose)

So I’m new to this so just to confirm flying without a sim on a 6plus will work but cache the maps, turn on airplane mode, and follow mode will not work. How do you cache maps?

Phoenix Fly-By Posted at 2018-7-3 17:18
So I’m new to this so just to confirm flying without a sim on a 6plus will work but cache the maps, turn on airplane mode, and follow mode will not work. How do you cache maps?

To cache the maps start the Go app in a place where you have wi-fi.  In the Go app open the map page full screen and move it such that the place you want to fly at is in the center of the screen, zoom in to that spot, wait till the map becomes crisp and its now loaded into cache.  Then go to the flying site and fly.
If you have another phone with data you can create a hot spot, connect the 6+ and load the map at the flying site.

Phoenix Fly-By Posted at 2018-7-3 14:32
Thanks for the response, I saw the same specs, I also found on several sites the note 8 is amazing for overall performance due to the processors and memory being superior than just about any other high performance consumer phone currently available. The android version is up to date, so, like, it looks like DJI has a lot of older phones listed for the Android OS and maybe should update the list, IDK? I personally have already used the note 8 with SIM and seems super responsive. Probably will designate the 6 plus without SIM since its recommended on their list and its a spare phone, we will see which seems better. I'll let you guys know.

To be honest, while the Note 8 has 6GB RAM, I use a Samsung S7 that has 4GB RAM because it has a physical home button unlike the Note 8, which has a virtual home button. This is due to in fact that the DJI GO 4 App sometimes can become unresponsive and freeze up, where having a physical home button in the event is preferable so that you can press it.

Using a SIM card enables you to stream live to Facebook and YouTube, whereas a WiFi only enabled device does not provide this capability.

DJI Stephen Posted at 2018-7-3 10:58
Hi. Thank you for the inquiry. You do not need a SIM card to fly your DJI Mavic Air. Upon checking the Samsung Note 8 I found out that it is not a compatible device for the DJI Mavic Air. Using a non recommended device can affect the performance of the Drone while on a flight. For reference, I will be posting the list of recommended mobile devices for the DJI Mavic Pro.

[view_image]

Hi, I would like to add to this discussion.

I fly a MP with an iPad mini 4 and a SIM card BUT without the sim mobile data turned on. I read somewhere that the SIM card helped with better location accuracy due to the use of mobile telephone towers but not sure if this needs the data turned on The iPad mini 4 doesn’t have a phone option but is sold as a cellular model - this seems a bit weird to me but it is what it is.

So my question is should I have mobile data on the SIM card turned on or is the sim working in some way without data being on? I don’t really understand how all this works together with gps. I suspect that I have been operating my drone incorrectly - I have never used the maps so far as I fly very close to my position. Basically in beginner mode.

Thanks bit confused.

Hummingbird.UAV Posted at 7-3 17:04
I use my 6 Plus without a SIM card all the time.  (I bought a used one specifically for this purpose)

Sorry I am new does the iPhone 6 work with no SIM card? GPS as well? Thanks

fans3eeca0c5 Posted at 12-29 20:46
Sorry I am new does the iPhone 6 work with no SIM card? GPS as well? Thanks

Yes the iPhone can be used without a SIM card.  The phone's GPS still works without a SIM card.  To use the maps your flying area map should be preloaded where you have wi-fi.

Hummingbird.UAV Posted at 12-30 08:21
Yes the iPhone can be used without a SIM card.  The phone's GPS still works without a SIM card.  To use the maps your flying area map should be preloaded where you have wi-fi.

From IPad Pilot News:  The best explanation I have found for iPhone and IPad Assisted GPS and why a cellular IPad or iPhone is needed, but not a SIM card:

Google the phrase “does the iPad have a GPS” and prepare to be overwhelmed. More than five years after the iPad was introduced, lots of people are still confused about whether the tablet actually has a GPS in it. And if it does have a GPS, is it a “real” one? Let’s bust some myths and settle the issue once and for all.

iPad with built-in GPS
Is it a “real” GPS?
First, some simple facts. Every iPad ever made has both WiFi and Bluetooth, two wireless technologies for connecting to nearby devices (in the case of Bluetooth) and the internet (in the case of WiFi). The only additional option is to add cellular service, originally called 3G and now called LTE for the latest models. This cellular option allows the iPad to connect to the internet anywhere your cell phone works, so if you want to check your email while driving down the interstate, you can do that (but it won’t work in flight).

There’s more to the story, though. In addition to the cellular radio, the 3G/LTE models of the iPad also have a built-in GPS receiver. Apple calls this “assisted GPS,” which is probably where the confusion comes in. By assisted GPS, Apple means that the GPS receiver in the iPad can use nearby cell towers to provide a faster position lock (what engineers call “time to first fix”). Instead of starting up cold and searching for satellites, which can take up to a few minutes in some cases, the iPad knows right where to look. With a hot start like this, your iPad can find its position in just seconds.

This is a handy feature if you’re trying to find your location on a map, especially if you’re in a big city where buildings can block GPS reception. But it’s important to note that the iPad does not require the cellular connection. In fact, you can purchase a 3G/LTE iPad, never sign up for service with Verizon or AT&T and still get very good GPS performance. If you want to test this, go to the Settings app and turn off Cellular Data, Bluetooth and WiFi. Even with all of its wireless radios off, the iPad will still show your position on ForeFlight or Garmin Pilot (again, assuming it’s a 3G/LTE model). And once you’re flying, your iPad will have an excellent view of the sky and should maintain good GPS accuracy.

So “assisted GPS,” far from being a cheap version of GPS or an Apple marketing line, is actually a good thing. By using all the other sensors on the iPad, the GPS performance is improved. Make no mistake: the 3G/LTE iPad has a real GPS built-in.

i don't have any experience with the note 8 but i use the iphone 6s and it works perfectly

Got a question im flying a p4p and new to this ....was using a Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 and it was real pixelated and laggy plus the connection problem had to go into developer mode and change the USB so I decided to buy the iPad Air 2 with cellular service but it has no SIM card do I need to have a SIM card to have GPS on that I thought the cellular ones have a chip in it I'm not sure any answers would be appreciated thanks

Phoenix Fly-By Posted at 2018-7-3 14:32
Thanks for the response, I saw the same specs, I also found on several sites the note 8 is amazing for overall performance due to the processors and memory being superior than just about any other high performance consumer phone currently available. The android version is up to date, so, like, it looks like DJI has a lot of older phones listed for the Android OS and maybe should update the list, IDK? I personally have already used the note 8 with SIM and seems super responsive. Probably will designate the 6 plus without SIM since its recommended on their list and its a spare phone, we will see which seems better. I'll let you guys know.

Likewise I see no reference to anything higher than the iPhone X on the list posted by DJI in this thread such as XS, XS Max and XR which obviously have higher specs/performance than older models.

I suspect you are right and that it is an old list...is there a newer updated list available by any chance?

Thanks & kind regards,
-=Glyn=-

Hello, I have just bought a Blu Vivo x5 smartphone to run DJI fly for my Mavic mini. however, when I connect the phone to the controller and aircraft, I get all the features except live stream. all the firmware is up to date including the phone. I can even take off and fly. there is no SIM card in the phone but I don't think that is the problem. The phone runs Android 9. please help I am desperate. Thanks!

Ok so I’m in a similar situation. I bought an iPhone 6 so I wouldn’t have to use my iPhone 11 to fly my drone. My question is can I use the iPhone 6 without a Sim card to fly my Mavic mini ? And would turning on the hotspot on my iPhone 11 and connecting my iPhone 6 wifi to it be beneficial?

Thx for the help