DJI GO App - First Impressions

[Moleyb]

So I guess we should start calling it the DJI Go App, instead of the DJI Pilot App. Either way, I just wanted to voice my first impressions of the 'new' app and see what everyone else is thinking. I don't particularly want to write an essay so have just summarized my key points.

• UI is getting even more confusing/distracted. The main focus for the App now seems to be about 'share your photos/videos with the world' rather than about the aircraft/flights etc, this comes in the form of the 'Library' and 'Explore' tabs. Personally I don't know anyone who would use this? Surely most people would take their footage into post production first and upload photos/videos straight from the RC camera to the App? (I guess this is designed for P3 owners and not Inspire guys?).
  
• Flight logs: Once you've found where they've moved to (tiny button in top left on Equipment tab). You can scroll (top left) between yourself, the aircraft and recovered data? For me, each of these displays different stats (see photos attached), profile shows 36 flights, Aircraft shows 22 flights and Recovered Data shows 14 flights. Any idea what this means?
• 'Me' tab. This tab is pretty much useless. Has link to your 'profile' where you can edit 4 fields of info. Experience level is also moved to here for s ome reason. Can't find where the list of aircraft has gone, aircraft serials etc. Maybe they removed it because the info seems to always be wrong any it wouldn't let you edit any of the aircraft info anyway!
• 'Equipment' seems to be pretty much the same in terms of camera/map view. Few additions like activation of HDR shots.

Not sure if I have missed any other significant changes but interested to hear people's thoughts. Maybe I've missed some awesome new features?! As I mentioned before, my main disappointment comes from the fact that the App is now focused on upload and sharing and 'connecting' with other pilots, rather than aircraft and flight management. I really wonder what DJI are thinking sometimes.

 

[lake_flyer]

Not sure if I have missed any other significant changes but interested to hear people's thoughts. Maybe I've missed some awesome new features?! As I mentioned before, my main disappointment comes from the fact that the App is now focused on upload and sharing and 'connecting' with other pilots, rather than aircraft and flight management. I really wonder what DJI are thinking sometimes.

Exactly what I was thinking.
The App is getting completely focussed on consumer use. DJI wants the world to see their crafts as flying cameras, that even your grandma can fly, instead of aircraft capable of carrying a payload in the form of a camera. As far as dji is concerned, they ultimately want to take the human flying skills factor out of the equation entirely. I wished they kept the Inspire1 out of this social media (look Ma I'm on YouTube with my drone clip that 'I' shot only 3 minutes ago!) circus. I hate to have to rely on consumer oriented strategies.

How long before a true pro app for commercial pilots with HUD, full camera control and maintenance/log features, waypoint and POI, focus and follow modes, all combined in one serious interface, specifically for the I1, will hit the street? I pay for that in a heartbeat.

Ultimate Flight looks promising, so does Autopilot. There are a lot more to come, for sure.

DJI GO, the name change indicates they initially want the public to feel no association with actual flying of an aircraft!!!!! That's their strategy, Wongs dream, to have a drone that flies like a mobile phone and doesn't require any skill.

 

[Moleyb]

I wished they kept the Inspire1 out of this social media (look Ma I'm on YouTube with my drone clip that 'I' shot only 3 minutes ago!) circus. I hate to have to rely on consumer oriented strategies.

How long before a true pro app for commercial pilots with HUD, full camera control and maintenance/log features, waypoint and POI, focus and follow modes, all combined in one serious interface, specifically for the I1, will hit the street? I pay for that in a heartbeat.

Can't agree more. The fact is that the Inspire is meant to be for the professional user, and in the case of the Matrice 100, using payloads other than just a camera. For some reason they have now made the DJI GO App as one-and-all solution for all these platforms. What the hell is a Matrice 100 user going to be doing with this social sharing crap?!

Personally I think they should have made a separate App for the P3 etc (that includes all this social crap), and a more technical app for Inspire and Matrice pilots.

 

[Florida Drone LLC]

DJI Go Question: I began following directions for the upgrade and all is fine, until I run into upgrade for the remote. It says I need the DJI Go App, but they only have the iOS version. Holy crap. I'm using android and no app for that yet! Now what??? The aircraft is updated with the newer
Firmware v1.3.0.00, but the remote is not! Should I try to get the aircraft firmware back to the earlier version or upgrade the remote to the iOS version, or am I looking at two different things here???

 

[Florida Drone LLC]

Okay, I figured it out. Just skip the whole DJI Go App stuff and update the remote(s) with the Inspire 1 firmware in the same way you did before. The update instructions say to use the traditional method IF the DJO GO APP doesn't work. Well, in this case, there IS no DJI Go App to even try the firmware upgrade.

 

[Florida Drone LLC]

How long before a true pro app for commercial pilots with HUD, full camera control and maintenance/log features, waypoint and POI, focus and follow modes, all combined in one serious interface, specifically for the I1, will hit the street? I pay for that in a heartbeat.

I joined the developer https://dev.dji.com/en and the developer app includes these things. I have not downloaded or experimented with it yet, because they say you cannot return to original firmware. Does that mean I am stuck with developer firmware and app forever??? I need to read up on it more and may have that wrong. I will let you know what I find out.

 

[FangsCPO]

For me it makes no sense to update the firmware if the App for Android has not been updated. Will the old App understand the new firmware changes? For now, I just keep what I've got because it works. I feel for all you IOS guys that are discovering this Apps and Firmware isn't all that is was promised to be and now some of you can't even get off the ground.....from what I'm reading.

 

[Loaderbull]

Can't agree more. The fact is that the Inspire is meant to be for the professional user, and in the case of the Matrice 100, using payloads other than just a camera. For some reason they have now made the DJI GO App as one-and-all solution for all these platforms. What the hell is a Matrice 100 user going to be doing with this social sharing crap?!

Personally I think they should have made a separate App for the P3 etc (that includes all this social crap), and a more technical app for Inspire and Matrice pilots.

You can see why they have made an all in one App for the three platforms mentioned, with one team or whatever working on the whole project/App rather than many different versions of the same 'type' of App. Microsoft is an example, making the Windows 10 OS for phones and Xbox One, not just Computers.

However, they should incorporate the features as have been mentioned for the pro user base, or have a Beginner mode and a Professional mode within the App to make it more focussed for your particular needs. I agree, the social sharing side of the DJi Go App are useless to me. I film, then produce at home. Not piss about in the field while out. However, some may want to do this but I feel the Inspire is an expensive platform for this.

I get they need to cater for everyone, and they aren't going to win all votes. But options and choices can be made available...

 

[Florida Drone LLC]

After upgrading, I have not yet used the app yet. I am having major issues with updating the second remote. I have had to re-link the main remote to the aircraft, but the second remote won't even link back or even update. Been working on it for over an hour.

I agree with you all... the upgrades to the app are NOT something that I will use much at all. Now, if they would upgrade the livestreaming issues, I would happier.

We have a Phantom 3 Pro also and I am VERY worried about running into the same issues.

I highly recommend that if you are using android, DO NOT UPGRADE until the DJI GO App for Android is published.

 

[lake_flyer]

You can see why they have made an all in one App for the three platforms mentioned, with one team or whatever working on the whole project/App rather than many different versions of the same 'type' of App. Microsoft is an example, making the Windows 10 OS for phones and Xbox One, not just Computers.

However, they should incorporate the features as have been mentioned for the pro user base, or have a Beginner mode and a Professional mode within the App to make it more focussed for your particular needs. I agree, the social sharing side of the DJi Go App are useless to me. I film, then produce at home. Not piss about in the field while out. However, some may want to do this but I feel the Inspire is an expensive platform for this.

I get they need to cater for everyone, and they aren't going to win all votes. But options and choices can be made available...

It is understandable from their business respective. But my business respective is a different one. I'm afraid DJI doesn't see the Inspire1 users as professionals, at max prosumers.

Unfortunately my experience with dji software updates for the phantom2 series is repeating, at least it feels that way. The phantom 2 was great in a lot of respects, until dji decided that the base line for the software limitations should be the vast growing numbers of truly ignorant mobile phone user YouTube pilots, they attracted with their flying camera (look grandma, press the button and even You can fly), the phantom 2 vision plus. Regular Phantom 2's were crippled with the same crap, because of the incidents the many ignorant (never thought they would ever fly in the first place, flying? This is a camera dude....) p2v+ users.

I don't want to have (already) spent thousands of bucks to be a commercial RPAS pilot and to have to rely on the behavior of consumers that ultimately will make dji take away the features that made the inspire1 what it was initially, like they did with the P2.

I do worry about that. Do you hear DJI?
Nah, wasted words. But it's good to ventilate, specially with the hot weather and all..
[any smiley that suits you here, go pick one]

 

[lake_flyer]

You can see why they have made an all in one App for the three platforms mentioned, with one team or whatever working on the whole project/App rather than many different versions of the same 'type' of App. Microsoft is an example, making the Windows 10 OS for phones and Xbox One, not just Computers.

Well, after spending over 2 decennial at Dell, dealing internationally with Microsoft, VMware and the likes I can tell you they do separate the pro's from the consumer big time. A pro admin has a totally different windows than my old mother in law's 32bits home version.

I don't mind they base it on the same code or architecture. But they should opt out stuff for consumers and give us the whole package, just like Microsoft does.

 

[Loaderbull]

Has anyone else lost the ability to change the Image Transmission Channel to Manual? I cannot select Manual in iOS on my iPad Mini 2...

 

[PeterofAVL]

Thanks lake_flyer for hitting the nail on the head:
"How long before a true pro app for commercial pilots with HUD, full camera control and maintenance/log features, waypoint and POI, focus and follow modes, all combined in one serious interface, specifically for the I1, will hit the street? I pay for that in a heartbeat."


Exactly. Where are the features, advertised as functional, pre-sale back in February, that still have not been implemented.

It's this kind of BS that's really making me look hard at products from other manufacturers like Turbo Ace and 3dr.

Don't get me wrong, I've been impressed by the Inspire 1 platform, but because they have neglected the pro-class operator in favor of "Follow me" phone flight 'toy' class operators (obviously where the market share must be for them) It's really making me wonder what their plans are for the I1. It fits in a nice niche between the $10k octo copters and the phantoms, where you don't need to lift a red epic, but you need 4k that doesn't look like the world according to Carp.

Well, it's disappointing. And when there are better products out there for better prices, and longer flight times, why exactly stick with DJI?

Are you listening? Bring back the Pilot App. Get rid of the consumer class "share you vid, edit your vid" BS and put in the pro features that were promised.

Focus on App stability for the love of [insert deity here] Make the interface clear, easy to navigate, and STABLE with clear use stats collection, maintenance schedule reminders, and did I mention STABILITY?

It's unacceptable for an app to crash while you're in flight, or for video to freeze, or for there to be a monumental delay in touch screen controls, requiring a restart of the device.

And for crying out loud, No more preferential treatment for one flavor of app over the other. Develop iOS and Android concurrently, get them both working, keep testing and troubleshooting until they are both ready and release them at the same time.

 

[Kilrah]

It's this kind of BS that's really making me look hard at products from other manufacturers like Turbo Ace and 3dr.

The only problem, and result from current marketing techniques (worldwide and in all fields) always being "in advance" with regards to what is currently technically possible, is that those manufacturers don't actually have things that will work better or as easily.

I hate marketing precisely because I understand how twisted it is. Sigh.

That said, for me the Go app didn't lose anything the Pilot app had. OK it didn't bring much extra to it, but it works like before behind the UI change (that IMO looks cool and gives relevant info).

 

[CaptainBadge]

I am going to go out on a limb and put my ignorance on full display regarding the issue but is it possible to legally develop 3rd party firmware for the aircraft? If DJI cannot get it done, why not have a 3rd party develop what the consumer wants from start to finish? Given the turn around time for repairs, updates and the like, I would gladly give up my warranty for the functionality I was originally promised at this point.

 

[Florida Drone LLC]

It's unacceptable for an app to crash while you're in flight, or for video to freeze, or for there to be a monumental delay in touch screen controls, requiring a restart of the device.

Yep, I have had all that happen many times. We are going to a film shoot in South Florida in under 2 weeks for a large film company and I am worried about those issues coming up, because they WILL come up. At least one happens every flight!

 

[Aviator]

Has anyone else lost the ability to change the Image Transmission Channel to Manual? I cannot select Manual in iOS on my iPad Mini 2...

Yes you can, just go into your ipad settings, in general settings find location/language and select USA as your location.

 

[David Pelly]

On the new Go app, it seems to have lost the ability to set up master and slave controllers in the RC settings page. Anybody else noticed this ?

 

[Florida Drone LLC]

It took a while, but I did get the main remote to upgrade the firmware. For the second remote, I cannot link to the aircraft and there IS no "linking remote controller" button on the app now for the second controller. Also, I have no options to request master or slave on the app for the second controller. The purple light just stares at me and the remote is completely useless now. This all happened while updating the firmware to 1.3.0. I believe the second remote did actually update the firmware because when plugged into the android device, it says that I have the latest firmware. The second remote seems stuck in a permanent lock. Got any advice???

 

[David Pelly]

I r

It took a while, but I did get the main remote to upgrade the firmware. For the second remote, I cannot link to the aircraft and there IS no "linking remote controller" button on the app now for the second controller. Also, I have no options to request master or slave on the app for the second controller. The purple light just stares at me and the remote is completely useless now. This all happened while updating the firmware to 1.3.0. I believe the second remote did actually update the firmware because when plugged into the android device, it says that I have the latest firmware. The second remote seems stuck in a permanent lock. Got any advice???

I rolled back to the Pilot app by using the backup facility on my ipad