DJI's New Mavic 2 Controller with Built-In Display is Neat but Expensive

DJI is finally making a remote controller with a built-in screen for the Mavic 2 Zoom and Pro drones, but it’s going to cost you a pretty penny.

The DJI Smart Controller will come with a 5.5-inch 1080p display that runs Android and will help you see everything the drone sees. It’ll feature a bright 1,000 cd/m2 screen, making it much easier to see the display in direct sunlight.

Besides the display, the controller will pack plenty of tech inside to help you keep track of your drone. The Smart Controller comes with ubiquitous double antennas DJI controllers are known for, support for Bluetooth 4.2, Wi-Fi and OcuSync 2.0, which shuffles between frequencies to always maintain a connection to the drone for up to 4.97 miles.

The look of the controller also retains the striking look of past DJI controllers. The top part will be outfitted with five buttons and two joysticks. The shoulders will have two buttons as well as toggle wheels.

It will support microSD cards up to 128GB and has a beefy 5,000mAh battery with 2.5 hours battery life. Unfortunately, DJI says it’ll take two hours to charge, so basically it takes as long to charge as the battery lasts.

So, how much will this sucker set you back? A hefty $650. That may not be worth it for casual drone users, though some may find it useful. We’ll give DJI credit for giving consumers more options, because that’s always a good thing.