During a Q&A session for the launch of the Oppo Find X9 Ultra, Schofield Lu, Product Manager for the Oppo Find Series, confirmed that the company is exploring its own dedicated handheld gimbal camera that could rival DJI’s pocket-sized video powerhouse.
Oppo isn't sharing design, specifications, or even potential launch window yet, but even this early confirmation is enough to make the category a lot more interesting.
Right now, DJI more or less owns this space – and has just launched the new Osmo Pocket 4. The Osmo Pocket line has carved out a strong niche among vloggers, travel shooters, and content creators who want stabilized video in a device small enough to slip into a pocket. But that dominance may not go unchallenged for much longer, and Oppo is not the only brand circling the idea.
Smartphone makers are definitely taking an interest, and Oppo isn’t the only manufacturer starting to see handheld creator cameras as a natural extension of their phone camera tech.
We have already heard rumors that Vivo is exploring something similar, and Honor is also in the mix, having shown off its Robot gimbal concept device at MWC this year, which takes a slightly different tack, combining a gimbal camera directly into a phone, but the company has suggested it could eventually make it to market.
Although the most immediate competition is coming from DJI's chief rival, Insta360, which has already confirmed that it is working on at least one, or possibly two, dual-camera handheld gimbal cameras of its own, called the Luna and potentially Luna Pro, the former of which is already in the hands of some influencers.
Meanwhile, DJI is unlikely to give up ground without a fight. Almost as soon as the Pocket 4 was out of the door, rumors popped up around more advanced Osmo Pocket 4 Pro, with talk of a dual-camera setup that could push the format further.
For years, this has felt like a product category with plenty of promise but only one real major player. If Oppo follows through, and the other rumored devices also materialize, the next 12 months could see the handheld gimbal camera market suddenly becoming the next major camera battleground.
Check out our guide to the best pocket gimbal cameras you can buy today
