Osmo Pocket 4 Review: Should You Upgrade from the Pocket 3?

After two years of waiting, the DJI Osmo Pocket 4 has finally arrived. On paper, a higher number in the model name usually signals a meaningful upgrade — but is the Pocket 4 actually worth it over the Pocket 3? Let's break it down.

Osmo Pocket 3 vs. Osmo Pocket 4: Design

At first glance, you'd be forgiven for doing a double-take — the Pocket 4 looks almost identical to its predecessor. But look closer and you'll spot two differences. When held in landscape orientation, the Pocket 4 features two new buttons below the screen: a dedicated zoom button and a customizable function button that can be mapped to a variety of actions. The Pocket 3 has neither.

The second change is on the gimbal itself, which now supports a new magnetic LED fill light included in the Creator Combo bundle. The light draws power directly from the camera, and while it won't replace a proper studio light, it's a handy addition for dimly lit environments or night shooting.

Osmo Pocket 3 vs. Osmo Pocket 4: Camera

Both cameras use a 1-inch CMOS sensor, but DJI says the Pocket 4's sensor is brand new and optimized for 4K output. The upgrade delivers 14 stops of dynamic range — with an additional 2 stops in low-light mode — making it significantly better at handling high-contrast scenes and challenging lighting conditions.

The resolution jump is where things get dramatic: the Pocket 3 shoots stills at 9.4MP, while the Pocket 4 leaps to 37MP. That's a massive difference for anyone who shoots photos alongside video. Video bitrate also gets a boost, climbing from 130Mbps to 180Mbps for richer, more detail-packed footage.

Osmo Pocket 3 vs. Osmo Pocket 4: Features

Active Track

The Pocket 4 introduces Active Track 7.0, which brings more precise subject locking and the ability to prioritize specific faces in a crowd. Notably, subject tracking now works in photo mode, 2x lossless zoom, and D-Log color profiles — none of which were supported by the Pocket 3's Active Track 6.0.

Slow Motion

Slow-mo gets a major upgrade. The Pocket 4 can shoot 4K at up to 240fps, delivering cinematic slow-motion without sacrificing resolution. The Pocket 3 maxed out at 4K/120fps, and you'd have to drop down to 1080p to push higher frame rates.

Gesture Control

The Pocket 4 adds gesture-based shooting controls: open your palm toward the lens to start or stop subject tracking, or flash a peace sign to trigger photo or video capture. These are genuinely useful for solo creators. The camera also gains new cinematic color presets and enhanced audio features, including audio zoom that follows your subject.

Osmo Pocket 3 vs. Osmo Pocket 4: Battery & Storage

Battery

DJI bumped the battery capacity from 1,300mAh (Pocket 3) to 1,545mAh (Pocket 4) — a 20% increase. That extra headroom means using the magnetic fill light accessory won't drain your battery noticeably faster than shooting with the Pocket 3 alone.

Storage

This is one of the biggest quality-of-life upgrades: the Pocket 4 now includes 107GB of built-in storage, enough for several hours of 4K footage right out of the box. The Pocket 3 had no internal storage whatsoever. Both cameras support microSD cards, but the Pocket 4 also adds a protective cover over the card slot — a small but appreciated detail that the Pocket 3 lacks.

Should You Upgrade?

The Pocket 4 is a well-rounded upgrade across the board — better image quality, improved video performance, smarter tracking, enhanced audio, and a more polished workflow. If you're a content creator who regularly pushes your gear to its limits, it's a compelling step forward.

That said, if budget is a concern, the Pocket 3 is now available at a significant discount on Amazon and still delivers excellent performance. And if you want to save even more while keeping the core shooting experience intact, a Pre-Owned Osmo Pocket 3 is absolutely worth considering.