I see a lot of people arguing that the controller with a built-in screen is the only way to fly a drone. It’s confusing to me. Can anyone with the smart controller explain why it’s worth spending the extra $200? Should I even bother upgrading?
Some people say notifications get in the way, but that’s easy to fix with ‘do not disturb’ mode. Others don’t like waiting for their phone to connect, but for me, that time is negligible since I’m waiting for GPS to connect anyway. Connecting the phone to the controller has never been an issue for me.
The top reason? If it’s hot out and you’re using an iPhone, the screen dims after just a few minutes. This makes it really hard to see and can ruin your flying experience.
Rey said:
The top reason? If it’s hot out and you’re using an iPhone, the screen dims after just a few minutes. This makes it really hard to see and can ruin your flying experience.
My S23 never overheats. Does anyone else have issues without using an iPhone? It doesn’t get hotter than 95°F here, though.
Max said: @Finley
I didn’t have screen dimming, but my Pixel 6A did overheat once. I didn’t remove the case, but it was working fine with the N1 controller.
I have a Defender case on my S23. I remember my Pixel getting really hot while flying my Phantom 4.
@Finley
The Pixel is a good phone, but its smaller size probably makes it heat up faster. It never crashed or shut down while flying, though. I switched to the RC controller pretty quickly, and I feel like a dedicated unit is less likely to run into problems compared to using a phone.
Rey said:
The top reason? If it’s hot out and you’re using an iPhone, the screen dims after just a few minutes. This makes it really hard to see and can ruin your flying experience.
I live in Florida, and I’ve definitely had my phone overheat during flights. Once, it shut off completely, and I had to bring the drone back without the screen. Does the built-in screen really solve this issue? I feel like it could overheat too, and maybe it’s even more fragile.
@Ellis
It can overheat like anything else, but it has passive cooling in the back. In extreme heat, you can blow on it or find shade to cool it down quickly.
I bought the controller with the screen mainly to save my phone battery and avoid some of the problems others have mentioned. Plus, it’s much faster to start flying. You just power on the controller and the drone, and you’re ready. Sometimes, that can be the difference between catching a great shot or missing it completely.
@Dorian
Man, come on. The effect is so minor that you’ll never notice it, even after years. It’s not something worth worrying about with today’s phones.
Ellis said: @Dorian
Man, come on. The effect is so minor that you’ll never notice it, even after years. It’s not something worth worrying about with today’s phones.
That’s not entirely true. If you want your phone battery to last all day after a few years, you should care about charging cycles. If not, you’ll be stuck looking for a charger halfway through the day in two years.
@Ellis
I live in Arizona and have never had an issue with the built-in screen overheating. My phone, on the other hand, constantly overheats (and it’s a newer iPhone). Phones just aren’t designed as well for this kind of thing. The controller only runs your drone, so there’s less going on in the background, and it has more surface area to dissipate heat.
Rey said:
The top reason? If it’s hot out and you’re using an iPhone, the screen dims after just a few minutes. This makes it really hard to see and can ruin your flying experience.
Pro tip: Don’t buy iPhones.
My S20 Note Ultra stays at max brightness all the time without overheating.
Rey said:
The top reason? If it’s hot out and you’re using an iPhone, the screen dims after just a few minutes. This makes it really hard to see and can ruin your flying experience.
The iPhone screen brightness goes up to 900 nits, but it overheats during flights, which can cause the phone to shut down. The controller with the built-in screen only goes up to 700 nits, but in direct sunlight, it can still be hard to see.
I don’t have one yet, but my next DJI drone will definitely have the screen. My iPhone gets too hot and dims, which makes it hard to see the screen in bright light.
It’s also quicker to set up, and I value that convenience. If you can get it for a decent price, I’d say it’s worth it.
@Ray
The RC is faster to start, and you don’t get interruptions from phone calls or notifications. The only downside is the lack of internet if you need to unlock a restricted area, but you can always use a hotspot for that.