Introducing Crystalsky, the new DJI tablet and best friend for your Phantom

[Mr. Salty]

What are people using iPad pros mounting them on for viewing while flying?

I use the Inspire 1 mount.

 

[GadgetGuy]

What are people using iPad pros mounting them on for viewing while flying?

The 9.7" iPad Pro fits in the P4P and P4 and P3P stock tablet mount, and adapters are readily available for the Mavic Pro.

 

[DefiantChild]

The Mini 4 and iPadPro are significantly brighter than their predecessors, approaching 700-800 nits.

IPad 4 Pro Mini weighs in at 450 nits which is currently the brightest iPad display currently available. I get about 6ish hours of uninterrupted use before it requires a charge.

Until Apple starts building smart devices using OLED and adding extra battery capacity; we're either stuck with lackluster brightness in direct sunlight to preserve battery life, or, we will have to live with severely short battery life from displays amped up to 1000 or so nits. Can't have it both ways.

OLED is an improvement (as of now) but only reduces power consumption by 25%.

 

[GadgetGuy]

IPad 4 Pro Mini weighs in at 450 nits which is currently the brightest iPad display currently available. I get about 6ish hours of uninterrupted use before it requires a charge.

Until Apple starts building smart devices using OLED and adding extra battery capacity; we're either stuck with lackluster brightness in direct sunlight to preserve battery life, or, we will have to live with severely short battery life from displays amped up to 1000 or so nits. Can't have it both ways.

OLED is an improvement (as of now) but only reduces power consumption by 25%.

You are correct about the Mini 4. However, the iPadPro is, in fact, brighter at 511 nits peak brightness. Still, I can't stress enough all the other compromises required to get the 1000 or 2000 nit brightness of the CrystalSky tablets. Screen size is everything, and iOS is King in the DJI world. Using a hood or throwing a dark cloth over your head, or just flying from the shade of a golf umbrella will let you use any iPad in direct sunlight and the 9.7" ones are larger and lighter than any CrystalSky tablet, and FPV goggles are another option. Android will always be DJI's step-child, relegated to inferior programmers, and inadequate resources. DJI has built their business around iOS and Apple, and devotes the bulk of their programming resources to the iOS platform. Android copies eventually follow the Apple iOS innovation. Witness the cram down mandatory Android update which stripped out all the Google Maps, and was caused by a bug in the Android programming that was causing crashes. iOS users had no such issues.

 

[GVDD scout]

Personally, after using iphones, ipads, android phones and android tablets, I've settled on an LG V 700 10.1" 4G LTE tablet as it is big, low cost and since I fly mostly with Pix4D, android is fine. only complaint is that it needs to be hooded on bright days.

 

[AyeYo]

Everyone is forgetting that in order to use this CrytalSky tablet, you must use a dedicated version of Android DJI GO 4 created for the CrystalSky monitor. DJI has proven that their Android programmers are not up to the task, with the P4P+. It has been a disaster since Day 1. Even now, the finally updated P4P+ version of the app still crashes, while I have never had a crash on the P4P on iOS. Think twice before you leap into this Android pit, just for a slightly brighter screen that will never be as large as a 9.7" iPadPro. Largest size is still 7.85". Extra weight from an internal battery, and a thick screen to support the HDMI port, and no ability to run any third party SDK! Beware!

This x9000.

I honestly don't even understand what the appeal is. After the P4P+ disaster and DJI's repeatedly proving it cannot handle Android app development correctly, why would anyone buy this?

 

[dwallersv]

Kind of a side-point, but one I thought I'd raise just in case there was anyone else here that had some knowlege and could speak to it.

I own a box full of GPS receivers from days past. Back when they first came out, I was a big fan of the Garmin Vista units. I also have several of the RINO 2-way radio GPS units, which are absolutely awesome for family outings to things like amusement parks, etc. but I digress.

All of these devices have a full-color, LCD display that succeeds in what nothing on the market today can: Clear, bright, great color, high resolution display in dark places, with amazing reflective ability in bright light. The brighter the light reflecting from the display (the sun being the ultimate), the clearer and brighter the display. The backlight can be turned off in sunlight. I'll take some pictures and post them later today.

So, I wonder why every smart phone, tablet, smartwatch, etc. isn't using this display technology. Perhaps it's limited in size manufacturability (I doubt it)? Uses too much power (I'm skeptical it uses any more than any other backlit LCD)?

It's the PERFECT display technology for this application. What happened to it?

 

[AyeYo]

the clearer and brighter the display. The backlight can be turned off in sunlight. I'll take some pictures and post them later today.

This is the same technology used in Garmin (and most other) handheld GPS units. I have no idea why it hasn't made its way to tablets.

 

[dwallersv]

Do you trust that dji is capable of making a tablet more powerful than an Apple product?

In what sense?

Since it is a dedicated application, it only needs to be "powerful" enough to run the DJI app(s), which in my expert opinion is not much "power" at all.

Nothing going on in DJI GO is very compute-intensive by today's multicore processors. The reason many Android platforms struggle has nothing to do with being underpowered -- it has everything to do with a multitasking environment with multiple apps and services competing for the same hardware resources. This is not a problem on iPads, as they are not multitasking.

An "open" platform like Android has pros and cons because of that openness. Many apps are poorly written, do not follow established practices for playing nicely in a multitasking environment. Unfortunately, far too often some of the bloatware that manufacturers and vendors put on Android devices are just these sorts of poorly written apps.

As I've said in other threads, if you have to technical know-how to clean up an Android installation, it can run circles around an iOS equivalent device. That's not practical for most people, however, so most should go with Apple products for use with DJI.

If you do have the technical sophistication to root an Android device, remove the offending bloatware, and tune system settings appropriately, you can get a great display solution for a fraction of the price of an iPad that will work just as well.

 

[dwallersv]

What does this offer that the (almost) ubiquitous iPad doesn't have? Can it run myriad other apps?

Outdoor visibility.

To many of us, that's an enormous, extremely valuable feature that we are willing to part with some serious $$$ to have. Being able to see what's going on while flying is important to many of us.

Don't know if it is to you, but the nature of your questions here suggests that it is not.

 

[dwallersv]

This is the same technology used in Garmin (and most other) handheld GPS units. I have no idea why it hasn't made its way to tablets.

Imagine a display that, the brighter the sunlight, the sharper and clearer the display, contrast, color saturation, etc.

Garmin did. 15 years ago.

 

[dwallersv]

Nothing is brighter than the Sun. Most of the time it is still necessary to use a sun hood even with brightest screen on the market (P4P+ screen). Thus, brightness is not the only parameter and a working tablet + a good sun hood are currently the best option for me.

Incorrect. There is at least one LCD display technology that, the brighter the sun, the brighter, clearer, and higher contrast the display. See the Garmin eTrex Vista.

 

[Fester]

I remain interested, and according to "DJIleaks.com" the 5.5" Crystalsky dedicated display has gotten its FCC approval and should be released for sale soon. Pricing still not available.

 

[jakobe75]

In what sense?

Since it is a dedicated application, it only needs to be "powerful" enough to run the DJI app(s), which in my expert opinion is not much "power" at all.

Nothing going on in DJI GO is very compute-intensive by today's multicore processors. The reason many Android platforms struggle has nothing to do with being underpowered -- it has everything to do with a multitasking environment with multiple apps and services competing for the same hardware resources. This is not a problem on iPads, as they are not multitasking.

An "open" platform like Android has pros and cons because of that openness. Many apps are poorly written, do not follow established practices for playing nicely in a multitasking environment. Unfortunately, far too often some of the bloatware that manufacturers and vendors put on Android devices are just these sorts of poorly written apps.

As I've said in other threads, if you have to technical know-how to clean up an Android installation, it can run circles around an iOS equivalent device. That's not practical for most people, however, so most should go with Apple products for use with DJI.

If you do have the technical sophistication to root an Android device, remove the offending bloatware, and tune system settings appropriately, you can get a great display solution for a fraction of the price of an iPad that will work just as well.

I agree somehwat, I know the power of clean Android install. I have in my hand a rooted galaxy S5 that is amazingly crisp and snappy running with only 500mb of ram to spare.

but this will not be a clean install, there are vendors lined up to give DJI their money to include their app as native, it will run a modified version of android and the update schedule will be on DJI's terms, who at this point has little or no experience rolling out android updates and they do such a great job on their own bird's firmware.

You will get a bright screen, an already outdated processor and a doubled walled system that will take a forum of techs to root, brick and void. It will have bloatware...they all have bloatware. but it wont be called bloatware, it will be called "DJI's suite of essential tools".

Then iphone 8 or ipad pro2 comes out and double stomps it flat in processing and rendering and is a device that last 10 times as long and is 50x more capable. With an army of apps to assist you in flying, editing and media management....and if you are a mac user, then will tie into your ecosystem without a workflow hiccup.

Among our development devices, we have an ipad 2 for app testing and it still has a 30 hour battery and acceptable operation speed for casual use. The device is at least 5+ years old. Nothing DJI tries to build will last that long and perform that well. So you will have to upgrade, ie: spend more money in the same timeframe.

The writing is on the wall, the coupled Mavic controller (and goggles of somesort) is the future, it is reported that the Spark will use a Mavic controller as well.
This will eventually be adopted and adapted to larger quads and to larger devices, that is a more clear path for dji to follow.

Sure that screen will work fine, but it is already outdated and underpowered the day it launches.

but yeah you got that bright screen and still need your ipad or other high end android to do anything substancial other than fly on that device.

It's your money though, do you spend it on a device that can do more or do you spend it on a device that is a one trick pony?

 

[jakobe75]

you have to think of this as a monitor not a tablet

I think iof it as extra money that you dont need to spend and extra equipment that you dont need to manage.

 

[dwallersv]

@jakobe75 , I agree for the most part with your analysis (where I differ isn't important enough to debate).

What I keep coming back to is, where's my tablet (Android, iOS, Windows Mobile, I don't really care for this application) with the Garmin eTrex Vista display technology?

This would solve ALL visibility problems. And I really mean SOLVE.

 

[jakobe75]

@jakobe75 , I agree for the most part with your analysis (where I differ isn't important enough to debate).

What I keep coming back to is, where's my tablet (Android, iOS, Windows Mobile, I don't really care for this application) with the Garmin eTrex Vista display technology?

This would solve ALL visibility problems. And I really mean SOLVE.

I still use my garmin in the jeep for off road trails. It is top notch navigation and postioining and easy to load poi coordinates. Its maybe 5+ years old and works flawlessly. The display is bright and crisp and it auto switches to a flat basic display at night. This is better than googlemaps. (Although gmaps is fastrrband smarter). I thought about adding a topo 3rd party firmware but never got around to it. The main reason I keep this device is because of the display. Battery is still going strong after all these years too!

 

[dwallersv]

I still use my garmin in the jeep for off road trails. It is top notch navigation and postioining and easy to load poi coordinates. Its maybe 5+ years old and works flawlessly. The display is bright and crisp and it auto switches to a flat basic display at night. This is better than googlemaps. (Although gmaps is fastrrband smarter). I thought about adding a topo 3rd party firmware but never got around to it. The main reason I keep this device is because of the display. Battery is still going strong after all these years too!

Yeah, I was a big fan of these devices before GPS became ubiquitous in, well, everything. I think my toothbrush has GPS now

I have 3 eTrex units, and 3 RINOs -- the GPRS + [basically an eTrex] integrated together. Never use the eTrex's anymore for anything, as my Android phone does a better job, but the Rino's are still very useful in many family situations.

 

[DefiantChild]

There is nothing wrong with running DJI and other drone related apps on the Android platform other than smart device hardware manufacturers' inability to write decent drivers that fully exploit USB connectivity.

Samsung is one such vendor. While their tablet screens are credibly bright, their USB implementation is so poor that running (for example) Go 4 is nearly impossible without rooting the device and updating the drivers (an exercise not designed for the inexperienced and/or feint of heart. [I still have yet to unbrick my Tab S2 8.0].)

So while there are some android smart devices that will work well with DJI controllers, many will not perform reliably.

If DJI have written solid drivers for their Crystalsky units it should be a winner when running DJI sanctioned apps.

 

[AlanTheBeast]

How about the goggles??

Not sure about the US but to use goggles in Canada you have to have an observer who has the drone in view at all times. For commercial operations that requires a trained operator (some schools here offer training for observers ($) as the operator has to be able to initiate emergency procedures).