Review: DJI Phantom 4

Review: DJI Phantom4

 

 

 

If there’s a drone that can claim ownership of consumer airspace, it’s DJI’s Phantom. The company’s white, 4K-camera-toting quadcopter is the Prius of the skies; hip, accessible, and ubiquitous.

Chat with a drone pilot at your local park, there’s a good chance they’re flying a Phantom. But if you chat with a pilot who’s flying DJI’s latest offering, the Phantom 4 ($1,399), he might even be able to have an entire conversation with you while the drone flies itself. 

This latest iteration of the Phantom drone contains enhancements in two key areas: the automated flight control, and the collision avoidance system. It’s not yet a fully autonomous drone that you can command to do your bidding with a flick of a finger, but it seems things are headed there, because this bird is remarkably easy to fly, and the on-board sensors keep it from zipping head-on into a tree.

The Phantom 4 looks similar to the Phantom 3, though the props have changed. Each of the four motors now sit outside the fairings over the propeller arms, which makes the Phantom 4 look a bit sleeker and less bulky. Also, there are no prop guards. The new object avoidance system gets messed up if you snap the guards on (you also have to buy the guards, $19 for a 4-pack). I occasionally missed having the guards there, especially when flying indoors around people. But you shouldn’t do that anyway, right?

You’ll Miss Me

The most important enhancement in the Phantom 4, however, is the new object detection and avoidance feature. The pitch is that the Phantom 4 will stop you from flying your drone into trees, and will somehow miraculously make it possible for anyone to fly no matter what their skill level. The truth is more prosaic. The obstacle detection features only work when you’re flying forward. It relies on forward-facing cameras that can recognize large objects. Those cameras cannot warn you about obstacles when you’re flying in any other direction. Want to hit a tree? Just back up. Or go left. Or right. Or slightly off center.

I flew it directly toward a volunteer subject. It stopped about four feet in front of him and refused to get closer. 

That’s not to say the collision avoidance system isn’t useful. It is, but it isn’t enough for you stop worrying about flying into things. It works best on large dark objects. I flew it directly toward a volunteer subject. It stopped about four feet in front of him and refused to get closer. It was however happy to fly straight into his raised arms, which where not sufficiently big enough to detect. It was also happy to fly into bushes—again, the bushes were likely not dense enough to trigger an override. 

The Phantom 4 will also not detect what might be a drone’s greatest enemy: power lines. 

Still this is the first iteration of DJI’s object detection system, and it’s not hard to imagine future releases adding more cameras around the body of the Phantom to make detection possible on all sides. It will also be interesting to see what sort of software upgrades DJI might offer to make the system stronger.

Automatic for the People

The collision detection is at its best when combined with what might be the best new feature in the Phantom 4, TapFly. This feature allows you to use your touchscreen device to simply tap any point in the drone camera’s field of view and have the Phantom fly toward it. There’s a horizon line you can use to control the altitude of your automated flight, and the collision avoidance system will keep the copter away from most solid objects.

I used TapFly to navigate gaps between trees that I would never have attempted on my own. That alone makes the Phantom 4 worth the upgrade. Again, it’s also not hard to see how this capability might improve in future releases. For example, DJI could add a way to slow down and speed up the drone at specific points in the flight path.

The other new automated flight control system is an object tracker, which works well for tracking people in relatively open settings. The idea here is that you can train the drone’s camera on a subject like a cyclist or a runner, then have the drone follow them, flying above and behind them as it captures a smooth, gliding shot. It’s not perfect. The software sometimes gets confused if someone of similar appearance crosses paths with your subject. But barring shooting in crowds, this works well—well enough to be moderately creepy and stalkerish, especially if the Phantom is at shooting an unknowing subject from max range, one half mile straight up. (I didn’t test this because it would be against FAA regulations.)

Luckily for the paranoid, while the Phantom’s camera has been improved, it still probably couldn’t pick out individuals from that altitude. (And don’t worry, the police have a drone for that.) The Phantom 4’s camera improvements are subtle, but when looking at footage from a Phantom 3 next to footage from the 4, you’ll notice the latter has considerably less chromatic aberration, less noise, and slightly less distortion.

Fire in the Sky

The new sport mode is one of the highlights of the Phantom 4. The Phantom line was already the nimblest of the half dozen drones I’ve tested, but the sport mode puts it in a class all its own. With a top speed of 45 miles an hour, an ascent rate of 20 feet per second, and the ability to turn so fast the craft nearly flips over, sport mode is not necessarily the best way to shoot incredible video. In fact, at top speed the props will be in your shot, and there will be some vibration in the video you shoot. But it sure is fun to fly that fast. Shooting forward while flying backward looks good well above normal mode speeds (though again, not at 45 mph), which will enable professional filmmakers to better track high speed sequences like chase scenes or races.

With a top speed of 45 miles an hour, an ascent rate of 20 feet per second, and the ability to turn so fast the craft nearly flips over, sport mode is not necessarily the best way to shoot incredible video.

Sport mode does come with a price: the battery drains much more quickly. Also, you can’t use any of the automated flight controls or collision avoidance features. Sport mode is very clearly aimed at experienced pilots. If you happen to be one, it’s a lot of fun. 

DJI claims the Phantom 4 is five times more stable than previous models, and while I have not empirical way to test this, it sounds correct based on my time with it. When watching footage where the Phantom 4 was just hovering, I frequently found myself thinking I had accidentally paused playback because the video shot did not change or shake at all. Even in moderate wind, the Phantom 4 managed to hold its position with hardly a waver.

Much of that stability comes from the Phantom 4 expanded array of downward cameras and sonar sensors. The Phantom 4 has double the number of downward facing cameras compared to the Phantom 3. This comes in handy indoors, which is one place the Phantom 4 is nothing short of incredible. Flying a drone indoors is a nerve-racking experience, even with the relatively stable Phantom 3. The Phantom 4, however, maintained its increased stability even inside when I flew it around an unused ice hockey rink. It was actually enjoyable to fly inside, though the lack of prop guards made me reluctant to get it too close to the walls.

The Phantom 4 is DJI’s best Phantom offering yet. While the automated flight features might not entirely live up to the hype, they do make possible things that would have previously been very difficult or even impossible. They also pave the way for even better automation in future releases.

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Philips OneBlade review

Philips OneBlade review

 

What is the Philips OneBlade?

Not quite a beard trimmer, not quite a shaver, the OneBlade is an electric groomer designed for men who wear facial styles and beards. According to Philips, the device has been “specially designed to suit the modern man’s needs”. It can trim, edge, and shave any length of hair to a precision stubble length using one of the three combs that are included. Or, you can use it without a comb for a closer shave.

It’s in this latter use that the OneBlade actually excels. Although Philips says the device is aimed at those who maintain facial hair, I believe the OneBlade will be most appreciated by those who have long-suffered with razor-burn and ingrown hairs when using traditional shavers. The close shave achieved with the OneBlade is very good, and since it isn’t as close as you'd get with a wet razor blade, it means you’ll achieve a clean look with far less skin irritation, if any at all.

So although it doesn’t quite live up to the claim that its blade will cut through any length of hair, for only £34.99, the OneBlade might just become the new regular shaver for those who want an irritation-free close shave.

Philips OneBlade – Design

The green and blue colour scheme doesn’t make for the slickest finish you’ll see on a shaver this year, but it’s not too off-putting when considered alongside the well-designed contoured casing.

The OneBlade is nice and slender, making for an easily manoeuvrable device that makes all the difference when it comes to precision trimming. At 324g, it isn't the lightest shaver you’ll ever hold – the chunkier Panasonic ES-LV95 weighs only 200g – but it certainly didn’t feel heavy in the hand.

Despite that gaudy green on its rubber edges then, the OneBlade actually manages to retain a certain sleekness. It’s lack of a digital display or adjustable head actually plays to the shaver’s strengths in this regard. The OneBlade has a power button and eject slider to remove the head, and a charging port on the bottom of the handle.

If you're after a more refined shaver then there are also two "Pro" versions in the OneBlade range. Both sport a more sophisticated black design. One of the Pro shavers comes with an adjustable precision comb that has 10 length settings from 0.5-9mm, while the other comes with a digital display and a 14-length precision comb. Note that the standard OneBlade is also available with an extra 2mm comb attachment for £39.99. The one on review here is the £34.99 model.

Although Philips says the OneBlade uses a combination of rotary technology and a trimmer, this is neither a foil or rotary shaver. Basically, the head uses a single blade, which is a refreshing move in an industry that seems to think adding as many blades as possible is the definition of innovation.

This single blade moves incredibly quickly – 200x per second, in fact. It's surrounded by a "dual protection system", meaning it’s guarded by a shield with rounded plastic tips to protect your skin. Quite where the rotary part comes in I remain unsure, but it’s certainly a nice and simple design. Also helpful is the fact the head pivots, offering greater control when tackling the more difficult areas of your face.

Changing the head takes only seconds using the aforementioned "eject" button to remove the old one. An extra head was provided with my review model; Philips recommends changing heads every four months.

On the whole, the OneBlade is well designed and therefore a pleasure to use. The lack of unnecessary extras is also a benefit; if only Philips had opted for a colour other than that luminous green along the OneBlade's edges.

Philips OneBlade – Performance

Those who have been using cheaper electric shavers to trim facial hair will know that the OneBlade will offer a better trim even before using it. On the press of the power button, that fast-cutting blade makes a satisfying hum, unlike the disappointing churn of lesser shavers. It becomes a little noisier when you attach one of the trimming combs, but it’s generally quite nice to know this little device is packing enough of a punch to cut through your facial hair.

Of course, as any seasoned facial hair sculptor will know, what matters most is how the OneBlade performs. Here, Philips has managed to create a lightweight yet robust device that can certainly cut through all lengths of hair – it’s just that if that hair is even remotely thick, as is my magisterial fuzz, it’s going to get jammed more frequently.

The small but powerful head makes easy work of shorter hair, and – thanks to a dual-sided design – since the blade protrudes from both the bottom and top edge of the head, it can be used to shave and create straight edges from any angle. The trouble comes when you try to use it to shave off a fully formed beard.

I attached the 5mm comb to remove my several months of growth – and the OneBlade simply couldn’t handle it. Every 10 or 20 seconds the blade would stop working as the hair jammed the mechanism.

Be warned: if you don’t go slowly with Philips’ latest trimmer, you could end up pulling chunks of hair out of your face, making for a rather more painful experience than the "efficient, comfortable shave on longer hairs" that Philips promises. I can safely say that in my experience, Philips' "any length hair" claim simply doesn’t stand up.

On the plus side, the OneBlade can be used both wet and dry. If you prefer to have your morning shave in the shower, or using shaving gel, the OneBlade will happily oblige. Plus, cleaning the device is simply a matter of running it under the tap.

The device is also small and streamlined enough that it feels like using a slightly larger version of a traditional razor blade. Unlike bulkier electric razors then, Philips’ device not only feels easier to use but it won’t block too much of your face when you’re trying to edge up your sideburns either.

So what about that close shave? Well, as I mentioned earlier, it’s this that may be the OneBlade's best feature.

Since the OneBlade doesn’t slice your hair too closely, thanks to its polymer shield, it means you can avoid skin irritation while still achieving an impressively close shave. Using the OneBlade regularly to trim shorter hair, the blade didn’t catch even once, making for a far more pleasant experience than my beard-hacking ordeal.

It's also possible to shave against the hair without worrying about razor burn. Since the OneBlade’s 

form factor is similar to a traditional razor, it feels more easy and natural to shave against the hair, especially on your neck, than it does with a bulkier electric shaver. On occasion, I used it simply to clean up the hair on my neck, and it was the quickest, closest, and easiest neck shave I’ve ever had – at least without using a traditional razor.

In my opinion, Philips would benefit greatly from making a bigger deal of how good it is at achieving a close shave without razor burn.

Philips OneBlade – Battery

To keep the blades moving at such a rapid pace, the OneBlade will run through its charge at a ridiculous rate. It requires charging for eight hours just to get 45 minutes of use. Those using it for their morning shave may manage to squeeze five day’s use from it. But for anyone using the OneBlade for its intended purpose of trimming and styling facial hair, it is likely to manage only two shaves before you have to plug it in.

As a result, battery life is the OneBlade’s one big drawback. The Philips Series 9000 rotary shaver, for example, lasts 50 minutes after an hour of charging, and the top-of-the-range, laser-guided beard trimmer 9000 series will give you an hour’s use after an hour’s charge.

Note that you’ll need a shaver socket, or an adapter to turn a regular mains socket into a shaver outlet, in order to charge the device. The charging cable provided will then just plug into the bottom of the OneBlade and be ready to go... in eight hours.

Should I buy the Philips OneBlade?

In addition to its decent trimming abilities, the OneBlade could become your new go-to shaver if you favour a close shave. It’s great for sensitive skin, since it doesn’t shave too near the skin, and although you may notice the 5 o’clock shadow creeping in a tad earlier than if you’d gone with a traditional shave, it’s a small price to pay to keep your skin free from irritation.

The OneBlade’s fast-moving blade also means you’ll achieve an even trim when using the shaver for its intended purpose of styling facial hair. If you regularly wear stubble, or need a device to trim up your goatee then the OneBlade is a great, affordable way to keep your fuzz in check. Just don’t use it if you’re going from full beard to close trim.

Philips OneBlade will launch in the UK on 11 May, exclusively at Boots. Price start from £34.99.

Verdict

At £34.99, Philips’ hybrid styler is a reasonably priced and adaptable shaver that will give you a decent close shave as well as an even facial hair trim. Shame about the battery life, though.



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