The DJI Osmo Pocket 4 is a pocket-sized gimbal camera made by DJI, launched around April 16, 2025, with pricing starting at £429 for the Essential Combo and £549 for the Creator Combo, available in UK and Australia markets. Two years after the Pocket 3 landed, DJI has polished the formula with meaningful upgrades—4K video at 240fps for 8x slow-motion, 107GB of built-in storage, and a battery that stretches to 4 hours. Yet the question lingers: are these refinements enough to justify an upgrade, or is DJI simply iterating on an already excellent design?
Key Takeaways
- 4K/240fps slow-motion is new for pocket vlogging cameras at this resolution, up from Pocket 3’s 120fps at 1080p
- 107GB internal storage eliminates constant file transfers; Pocket 3 had no built-in storage
- Battery runtime reaches 4 hours on 1080p/24fps recording, a significant jump from the previous generation
- Subject tracking now locks onto faces, objects, and pets via double-tap, holding through temporary obstructions
- 1-inch CMOS sensor with 14-stop dynamic range in low-light mode, expanded by 2 stops over standard mode
Slow-Motion Capabilities Set the DJI Osmo Pocket 4 Apart
The DJI Osmo Pocket 4’s most headline-grabbing upgrade is 4K recording at 240fps, delivering 8x slow-motion without dropping resolution. This is genuinely new for pocket vlogging cameras at this tier. The Pocket 3 maxed out at 120fps, and only at 1080p—forcing creators to choose between slow-motion or clarity. Now you can have both, though DJI limits the 240fps mode to 4K without the 2x zoom function. It’s a smart constraint that prevents gimbal overload while keeping the feature practical for most vlogging scenarios.
For travel vlogging, where you’re capturing candid moments and action sequences, this matters. Slow-motion adds production value without requiring external stabilization rigs. The Pocket 3 owners who’ve invested in the ecosystem may feel the upgrade is incremental—and they’re not entirely wrong. But for newcomers and creators serious about video quality, this capability alone justifies consideration.
Battery Life and Storage Transform Workflow
The DJI Osmo Pocket 4 promises up to 4 hours of runtime when recording 1080p at 24fps with the new battery unit. This is a substantial improvement that changes how you travel with the camera. No longer are you tethered to outlets or forced to carry spare batteries constantly. For a vlogging camera, runtime directly translates to usable footage, and 4 hours covers most shooting days without anxiety.
Equally important: 107GB of internal storage. The Pocket 3 shipped with zero built-in storage, forcing you to rely on microSD cards and manage file transfers obsessively. The Pocket 4’s storage eliminates that friction. You can shoot, review, and backup without fumbling for cards or worrying about compatibility. This is less flashy than 4K/240fps, but it’s arguably more valuable in daily use.
Tracking and Stabilization Remain Class-Leading
Subject tracking on the DJI Osmo Pocket 4 works by double-tapping any face, object, or pet on screen. Once locked, the gimbal tracks the subject through temporary obstructions—a person walking behind a tree, a dog darting behind furniture—until gimbal limits force it to drop the lock. Tap the screen again to manually release tracking. This is intuitive and reliable, especially for vlogging where you’re often the subject and can’t adjust settings mid-shot.
The 1-inch CMOS sensor is identical in size to the Pocket 3 but newly optimized. DJI has expanded dynamic range by 2 stops in low-light mode, pushing the camera to 14-stop dynamic range. In practice, this means better detail recovery in shadows and highlights—crucial for indoor travel footage or sunset scenes. The camera also supports 10-bit D-Log recording, giving color graders flexibility in post-production. A 2x zoom function rounds out the optical toolkit, an improvement over the Pocket 3 that adds framing options without quality loss.
Design Refinements, Not Overhauls
The DJI Osmo Pocket 4 features a brighter screen and design tweaks like extra console buttons. In vertical mode—essential for TikTok and Instagram Reels—the tight field of view is optimized for selfies, though the extra buttons become hidden, which some users may find frustrating. The Creator Combo includes a battery handle, wireless microphone, and magnetic fill light, addressing the most common accessories vlogging creators need.
The upgrades don’t reinvent the vlogging camera formula; they refine it. That’s both the strength and the limitation. If you own a Pocket 3, the gains are meaningful but not revolutionary. Battery life and storage alone justify a look, but slow-motion improvements matter most if you actively shoot high-frame-rate sequences. For Pocket 3 owners, DJI’s own advice applies: don’t rush.
DJI Osmo Pocket 4 vs. Pocket 3: Is the Upgrade Worth It?
The Pocket 3 launched at $519 / £489 / AU$849 in 2023. The Pocket 4’s Essential Combo starts at £429 / AU$749, slightly underpricing its predecessor in some markets. That pricing advantage, combined with 4 hours of battery versus the Pocket 3’s shorter runtime, 107GB storage versus none, and 4K/240fps versus 1080p/120fps slow-motion, makes the case for new buyers straightforward. Serious creators will find it hard to ignore.
Pocket 3 owners face a different calculus. Your gimbal still tracks subjects reliably. Your 1-inch sensor still captures excellent color and detail. The missing pieces—battery anxiety, storage management, slow-motion flexibility—are real pain points, but they’re not showstoppers. Upgrade if you’re shooting daily and battery life or slow-motion are bottlenecks. Otherwise, your Pocket 3 remains a capable tool.
Should You Buy the DJI Osmo Pocket 4?
If you’re a travel vlogger without a gimbal camera, yes. The Pocket 4 is one of the most capable pocket cameras available today. The combination of 4K/240fps slow-motion, 4-hour battery, built-in storage, and smart subject tracking covers nearly every vlogging scenario. The Creator Combo’s wireless mic and fill light add production value out of the box.
If you own a Pocket 3, evaluate your pain points. Long battery life and internal storage matter more than slow-motion specs for most creators. Upgrade if these features will meaningfully change your workflow. Otherwise, your current gimbal remains excellent.
Does the DJI Osmo Pocket 4 have better low-light performance than the Pocket 3?
Yes. The Pocket 4’s 1-inch sensor is optimized with an expanded dynamic range of 14 stops in low-light mode, a 2-stop improvement over standard mode. The Pocket 3 lacked this expanded range in shadows, making the Pocket 4 noticeably more capable in dim environments like indoor venues or sunset shots.
What’s included in the Creator Combo for the DJI Osmo Pocket 4?
The Creator Combo costs £549 / AU$949 and includes the camera, an extra battery handle, a wireless microphone, and a magnetic fill light. These accessories address the most common vlogging needs—longer runtime, wireless audio, and supplemental lighting—making the bundle a better value than the Essential Combo for serious creators.
Can you use the DJI Osmo Pocket 4 in vertical mode for social media?
Yes, the camera is optimized for vertical mode with a tight field of view suited to selfies. However, the extra console buttons become hidden in vertical orientation, which may frustrate users who want quick access to controls while filming vertically for TikTok or Instagram Reels.
The DJI Osmo Pocket 4 is a confident refinement of a winning formula. It doesn’t reshape pocket vlogging—it improves the fundamentals that matter most: battery life, storage, slow-motion range, and tracking reliability. For new creators, it’s an easy recommendation. For Pocket 3 owners, the upgrade is tempting but not urgent unless your current workflow is constrained by battery or storage limitations. DJI has made the best pocket vlogging camera even better, but the previous generation remains more than capable.
Where to Buy
This article was written with AI assistance and editorially reviewed.
Source: TechRadar
