I've been testing the DJI Osmo Mobile 8, and it's made my phone videos look like they were shot by Martin Scorsese

What’s the point of a smartphone gimbal? Well, a gimbal can help you capture smooth and stabilized footage, keep your subject in focus with AI tracking features, and they’re often ergonomically-designed so you can continue shooting for long periods of time. DJI’s Osmo Mobile lineup does just that, and the latest addition to it, the DJI Osmo Mobile 8, is the brand’s best gimbal yet.

The Osmo Mobile 8 is a joy to handle, thanks to great weight distribution as well as a sturdy, premium build. It’s easy to use and when you use it in conjunction with the DJI Mimo app, you can record uber cool content effortlessly. AI tracking features ensure your subject is always the star of the show, and really, this gimbal is all you need for refined mobile content creation.

For the complete breakdown, read my full DJI Osmo Mobile 8 review.

DJI Osmo Mobile 8 review: Cheat sheet

• What is it? A mobile gimbal that succeeds the DJI Osmo Mobile 7P
• Who is it for? For content creators, vloggers and anyone else looking to elevate their content
• How much does it cost? The DJI Osmo Mobile 8 is available for £135, but the gimbal won't be available in the U.S. on its global launch
• What do we like? The sturdy build, great handling, easy setup, fantastic AI tracking features, and fill light for low-light shooting
• What don’t we like? It’s very app-reliant… but that isn’t a major flaw

DJI Osmo Mobile 8 review: Specs

DJI Osmo Mobile 8 review: The ups

From its premium, sturdy build and handling to its AI tracking features and companion app, the DJI Osmo Mobile 8 is a straight-up winner.

Sturdy, premium build

I’ve tested many of DJI’s products, such as the best drones, and one thing I think the brand has consistently nailed is its gear’s build quality — and it’s no different in the case of the DJI Osmo Mobile 8. This mobile gimbal is built extremely well with a teflon-coated grip and phone mount, just like the DJI RS 4 Mini ($369).

The hard rubber edges on either side of the phone mount provide a fantastic, reliable grip around your smartphone, so you don’t need to worry about it accidentally falling out. The mount’s hinges require a bit of force to pull apart so that you can slot your device, but I find that reassuring as I, like a lot of people, freak out if my phone is on the verge of falling to the ground.

Easy-as-pie setup

You’ll need to check your phone’s dimensions before buying the DJI Osmo Mobile 8. The extendable mount is ideal for phones whose width is between 2.63 and 3.3 inches, thickness between 0.27 and 0.39 inches, and the gimbal can withstand weigh up to 10.5oz. It worked great with my Google Pixel 7 Pro and my partner’s Google Pixel 9. I tried it with an iPhone 15 Pro Max too and faced zero issues.

Mounting your phone is easy and straightforward, and there are two ways of using the Osmo Mobile 8: you can plug one end of the (included) short USB-C cable into your phone and the other into the rotating mount, or you can connect wirelessly via Bluetooth 5.3. In my testing, both connection modes worked flawlessly with zero lag or latency issues.

Similar to its predecessor, the DJI Osmo Mobile 7P ($149), the Osmo Mobile 8 features a tripod built directly into the handle. The tripod’s legs are a little on the thin side and I wouldn’t expect it to withstand strong gusts of wind, but it’s still handy for on-the-go vlogging. I’d recommend carrying a trusty tripod which you can screw into the tripod thread located on the handle’s bottom if you plan on shooting in extremely windy conditions.

Great handling

One of the key selling points of any gimbal lies in its comfort and handling, and the DJI Osmo Mobile 8 checks both boxes. I’ve found it extremely comfortable to hold for long periods of time. The area your fingers curl around has a slightly textured grip which helps with handling by providing a sturdy hold on the gimbal.

Weight distribution is great too, and I never felt weighed down and the gimbal never felt unstable when my phone was mounted. Speaking of, when the Osmo Mobile 8 is fully assembled (gimbal + built-in tripod + magnetic phone clamp + multifunctional module) without a smartphone mounted, it weighs 13.05oz, which means it’s easy to carry around in a backpack or small bag. It also folds down to just 7.48 x 3.74 x 1.81 inches so it doesn’t take up too much space, and you can store it safely in the included pouch.

DJI Osmo Mobile 8 — Gimbal movement - YouTube

Watch On

The Osmo Mobile 8 has a built-in extension rod too, and even at its longest, it doesn’t feel awkward or unstable to handle.

Built-in lighting

I mentioned a multifunctional module in the previous section, but what do I mean by that? First introduced on the DJI Osmo Mobile 7P, the DJI Osmo Mobile 8 features a thumb-sized module attached to the phone mount, and it houses a tracking sensor as well as a tiny light. It uses magnets and a press-button release to stay securely locked in place.

The multifunctional module doubles as a receiver for DJI Mics, including the DJI Mic Mini and the DJI Mic 2 and 3, so you don’t need to use a separate receiver. Aside from this and powering AI tracking features, the module features a tiny LED light which comes in handy if you’re shooting in dimly lit environments. It has a maximum illumination of 40 lux (which pales in comparison to the best ring lights but hey, it’s not a ring light) and it has a variable color temperature of 2500-6000K, which can be controlled via the buttons on the side.

Image 1 of 2

To test out the fill light’s effectiveness, I took a few photos with the brightness and color temperature set to different levels in a dark room, as you can see above. The first photo was taken at 2500K color temperature and 100% brightness, while the second was taken at 6000K color temperature. Both photos look great, with plenty of detail in my tattoos and face discernible.

Excellent companion app

The DJI Osmo Mobile 8 is accompanied by the DJI Mimo smartphone app — the same app used for its best action cameras — and it’s very user-friendly and easy to use. You’ll need it if you want to use the Osmo Mobile 8’s AI tracking features, edit footage, update its firmware, and so on, all of which is easy to do.

DJI Osmo Mobile 8 — Dyna Zoom - YouTube

Watch On

One thing I appreciate about the app is that it gives you plenty of tutorials so you can make the most of the gimbal. One of these features is the “Dyna-Zoom” shooting mode, which is basically like dolly zoom, where you move either in or out to create a dynamic effect. You can see how this works in the video above, which I think looks great, and it’s an easy way of adding flavor to your video work.

Fantastic stabilization and AI tracking

DJI Osmo Mobile 8 — Stabilization - YouTube

Watch On

Most smartphones have some degree of stabilization built into them, but it’s not always the best. If you want stabilized footage, then the DJI Osmo Mobile 8 is a must. It captures smooth footage regardless of whether you’re walking, panning, tilting or rolling. It features 360° unlimited rotation while panning so you can capture sweeping vistas with ease. You can see examples of stabilization and panning in the video above.

DJI Osmo Mobile 8 — Subject tracking - YouTube

Watch On

The Osmo Mobile 8 utilizes Tracking 7.0 and ActiveTrack 360° to, well, track humans, animals, birds and objects. This is something I’m familiar with as DJI’s drones feature ActiveTrack 360° too. All you have to do is draw a box on your phone’s screen around the subject you want to track, and the gimbal will keep tracking it within its pan, roll and tilt limits.

I tested this out by tracking a pigeon, a swan and myself in three separate scenarios, and you can see the result in the video above. All three subjects remain in focus regardless of how I move the Osmo Mobile 8 — or don’t, as the gimbal automatically rotates as needed to continue tracking.

DJI Osmo Mobile 8 review: The downs

The DJI Osmo Mobile 8 doesn’t have any noteworthy flaws, but it’s worth mentioning that it relies heavily on the DJI Mimo app.

App-reliant

This isn’t a massive con, but the DJI Osmo Mobile 8 is very app-reliant. While you can use it with your phone’s stock camera app, you’ll need to download the DJI Mimo app to utilize the gimbal’s AI tracking features. I haven’t found the app to be a drain on system resources so it isn’t a burden on your phone. Again, not a dealbreaker, but something to keep in mind if you’re wondering why you can’t track a subject when using your camera app.

DJI Osmo Mobile 8 review: Verdict

If you want a mobile gimbal to elevate your content creation, I can’t recommend the DJI Osmo Mobile 8 enough. It’s great to handle and it’s built extremely well. It’s easy to carry around too, and it has fantastic stabilization, panning, tilting and rolling capabilities.

Although the Osmo Mobile 8 relies heavily on its app, the companion app is user-friendly and easy to use, enabling you to capture dynamic footage. The Osmo Mobile 8 is compatible with a wide array of smartphones, and it helps even amateur videographers create beautiful content.