Most people like to use their smartphone to fly their drones; it’s the most convenient option after all since it’s quite literally a portable screen we carry in our pockets all the time. If you’re asking yourself why you’d want to get another device, like a tablet, to fly your drone with, the reason is quite obvious:

Even though smartphones have gotten very large in recent years, they still cannot compete with tablets when it comes to screen real estate.

Making sure that you get things such as the exposure right can be difficult on a small screen, but with a tablet, especially if it’s bigger than 10”, you can better approximate something like a laptop or your PC’s monitor. Another nice benefit is that you can use sunshades, so you can really make sure that the light is just right.

Since most DJI drones have almost the same, compact remote controller, you’ll need to get a Mount Holder to ensure you get the best and most optimal tablet position.

Navigation Best Tablets for DJI Drones

When you choose a tablet for drone flying, there are two main things you need to consider:

The first is the System-on-Chip (SoC) because you don’t want it to be laggy. In case you’re looking at an Android tablet, make sure that the processor is equal to or more powerful than the Snapdragon 600 series. And for Apple devices, any relatively recent iPad model should do just fine.

The second thing is the operating system; make sure that it comes with iOS 9.0 or Android 5 “Lollipop” and above since that is the minimum version supported by the DJI Go or for the Mavic Mini Pilots the DJI Fly app.

Whether the tablet is a “cellular” or “Wi-Fi” model shouldn’t really matter.

Next up I’ll be showing you a few tablets that I personally recommend, for a variety of budgets and preferences!

All tablets that I’m going to mention here are powerful enough to make sure that the DJI Go 4 app won’t freeze, lag, nor crash during flight.

NOTE: If you wish to learn what a Histogram is and how to use it to expose correctly, check our Histogram Guide. And also consider subscribing to our newsletter. We send out one new and useful article to our subscribers each Sunday! No spamming.

Top 5 Tablets For Your Phantom, Mavic and Spark

Crystalsky from DJI

This gadget was created by DJI specifically for the outdoor aerial photography needs of drone pilots. It’s not a multipurpose tablet like an iPad, but instead a functional display meant to be used to take the very best shots you can get.

So what makes it so special?

Well, the CrystalSky comes with an ultra-bright LCD that can go up to 2000cd/m2, or in other words, it can get 4 times brighter than a common smartphone screen.

Images will look very sharp and clear on the display as well, thanks to its high resolution, 1920x1080p on the 5.5” display and 2048x1536p on the 7.85” display.

The CrystalSky can encode video more efficiently than most smartphones, and thus will give you lower latency. Battery-wise it can last for about 3-4 hours. Dual Micro SD Card slots will provide you with room for extra storage. It has many ports and it is compatible with almost all DJI imaging devices.

Note: Cristalsky is not compatible with the Mavic Mini

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The best general-purpose Tablet: iPad Air

Apple is probably the best tablet maker out there, and it shows in their hardware.

With this iPad you’ll be getting a 10.5” screen with a 2224x1668p resolution that even supports the DCI-P3 color space. The A12 Bionic chip inside it is amongst the most powerful mobile processors, so you really don’t have to worry about it lagging at all.

And the battery life? Rated for up to 10 hours; you won’t have to plug it in until nighttime.

This tablet will definitely not disappoint you, and as one of the newest models it comes with iPadOS, an enhanced version of iOS that will let you do much more than ever before. If you have a laptop for light web usage, you might find this tablet capable of replacing it!

If you ask for the best Tablet to use for the DJI App you will hear a lot of people saying iPad Air. Because DJI does not include a cable for Apple products that´s why you need following cable: Anbee FPV 33cm Lightning

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The cheaper option: iPad

Despite the name, the iPad (no last name) is the iPad Air’s little brother, though not necessarily due to a smaller size.

The iPad is just as capable as the Air, with a speedy A10 processor and a very similarly sized 10.2” screen that comes with a 2160x1620p resolution. The battery life is the same as the Air’s, rated at up to 10 hours.

If you’re tight on a budget you may consider this model instead, as you can often find it for about 150$ less than the iPad Air.

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Best Android Tablet for DJI Drones: Samsung Galaxy Tab S6

Some people prefer the Android ecosystem over Apple’s, and if you’re one of those, the best Android tablet you can get is the Samsung Galaxy Tab S6.

This offering from Samsung is just as capable as the iPad Air can be; it comes with the Snapdragon 855, the latest and greatest mobile processor right now. It’s AMOLED 2560x1600p 10.5” display will ensure you get deep blacks and sharp, colorful images.

It’s battery life is amazing, rated at 15 hours of video playback.

This device is a little more expensive than the iPad Air, but it is some of the best the Android world has to offer.

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The cheaper Android option: Samsung Galaxy Tab A

If you don’t want to break the bank for the Tab S6, then we can recommend a much cheaper offering from Samsung as well: the Galaxy Tab A.

The screen size is practically the same, at 10.1” with a resolution of 1920x1200p. The battery life is the same as the Tab S6, and it features an Octa-core Exynos 7870 processor, which is more than capable of running the DJI Go app.

This model can often be found for less than half the price of the Tab S6, and as such is perfect for those looking for a cheap yet capable tablet.

That’ll be it for this one. I hope this article helped you find the perfect tablet, and remember, if you have any opinions or suggestions, leave a comment down below!

And if you would like to be notified when we publish useful articles like these, please join our Newsletter!

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We recommend the following accessories to buy with your tablet:

Tablet Holder

SKYREAT DJI Mavic Pro Aluminum-Alloy Foldable Extender 4-12 Inches

Drone Fans Upgraded Phantom 3 and Phantom 4 5.5 – 9.7 inch Tablet Holder

Sunshades

8inch Sunshade ( Asus Zenpad S8, Apple Ipad mini 4, Nvidia Shield K1)

9inch Sunshade (Google Nexus 9, Samsung Galaxy Tab S 8.4

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