Phantom 4 Pro Version 2.0 vs Phantom 4 Pro+ Version 2.0

JohnnyG77083 · May 21, 2018

I'm looking to buy the Phantom 4 Pro Version 2.0 OR the Phantom 4 Pro+ Version 2.0. Basic differences: 4 pro requires a tablet of some kind and the Pro+ comes with a 5.5" screen. The included screen on the Pro+ is a high-resolution screen that can be seen in full sunlight. There are some other differences but this is the main one. The price difference is $300.

I would like to read your comments or advice if you especially have experience with either one and recommendations on which one I should buy. I've had problems in the past reading my cell phone in bright sun so that is an issue.

This would be my first professional level drone. I've experimented with small cheaper drones. I'm also studying for the commercial license.

Any comments would be much appreciated. Thanks. If you would like to know anything else about me, please feel free to ask.

WWK888 · May 21, 2018

Lots of posts about this subject. To me the Pro + screen is too small. I prefer a bigger screen such as the iPad mini 4 or larger and just purchase a shade. Still some issues using 3rd party apps I think with the Pro + which is a deal breaker for me as I use Litchi almost exclusively.

msinger · May 21, 2018

I have a P4P+ remote controller and I found the size is just fine. I often fly with an iPhone 7 though, so I'm used to flying with smaller screens.

Here's a good video that covers the pros/cons of the + remote controller:

If you're planning on flying with something other than DJI GO, make sure you do some research to make sure your app of choice runs well on the + remote controller. If you're only going to use DJI GO, then this is a non-issue.

Paul2660 · May 21, 2018

The Pro+ monitor is your only choice as I understand it if you get the Pro+. So if something goes wrong with that monitor, you have to replace it, you can't just pick up another device, iPad, iPhone S8 etc.

It seems that you can load different apps on the Pro + monitor like a Crystalsky, but not sure I see any real advantage to that.

Not sure you can you use third part apps like Litchi. (can now on the Crystalsky but seems to have limitations).

The Crystalsky uses a unique version of djigo4, which is at least 1 possibly 2 versions behind the norma android version of djigo4. And currently the Crystalsky doesn't support the P4 Vr 2.0 (hard to process that at least for me)

I would rather have the option to pick different monitors. Pick up a Samsung S8 used they are also 1000 nits same brightness as the monitor on the Pro +.

Paul Caldwell

Yenrab · May 22, 2018

I have P4+ advance with monitor. Love it and have had no issues. My Mavic I had to get a 9.7 Ipad. It was usless on the beach when we went to the Southwestern Carribean. Even shading the screen didn't really help. I would opt for the controller with screen. I have had no issues to date.

Yenrab · May 22, 2018

Yenrab said:
I have P4+ advance with monitor. Love it and have had no issues. My Mavic I had to get a 9.7 Ipad. It was usless on the beach when we went to the Southwestern Carribean. Even shading the screen didn't really help. I would opt for the controller with screen. I have had no issues to date.

BTW I hate so called smart phones, so didn't even try that route. I've seen where people have had issues.

$gambino$ · May 23, 2018

Yenrab said:
BTW I hate so called smart phones, so didn't even try that route. I've seen where people have had issues.

My s9+ is great in the sun....1130 nits of pure brightness....quite nice....so any of the newer samsungs work great...my old s8 worked great also.... you just have to pick a fast device something that's newer

Yenrab · May 23, 2018

I have yet to find a reason to justify for my wife or me the cost of a "smart" phone. I am able to do what I need without a smart phone. Having worked in engineering (electronic) for over 50 years both military and civilian on govenment contracts, if we could not make an improvement in form fit or function no changes were approved. True I am now retired and am only paying $50 a month for my wife's and my service with verizon so my connectivity needs are not the same as you young folks. I am able to do what I want to do, in and out of country.

$gambino$ · May 24, 2018

Yenrab said:
I have yet to find a reason to justify for my wife or me the cost of a "smart" phone. I am able to do what I need without a smart phone. Having worked in engineering (electronic) for over 50 years both military and civilian on govenment contracts, if we could not make an improvement in form fit or function no changes were approved. True I am now retired and am only paying $50 a month for my wife's and my service with verizon so my connectivity needs are not the same as you young folks. I am able to do what I want to do, in and out of country.

So u can buy a 1500$ drone...( and there are cheaper versions) and are talking about being able to justify buying a smart device?

Edit... not trying to be a smart As@ just saying maybe one day try it it will double as your phone and the device you can use for your drone and in everyday life

skiptv · May 26, 2018

First if you don't have both, you should not even comment, parroting what you read about the differences or what you heard about the differences really isn't giving the guy an answer he cant't just google. So I have both, I actually have three, I use a iPad Mini 4 for my Inspire 1pro, I use an iPhone 7 for my Mavic and I have a Phantom Pro Plus. 1st The Tablet and the Phone are just useless in anything that resembles a sunny day. Also they over heat and shot down. If you fly in temps over 82 degrees for anything over 15 minutes there is a good chance your iPad or iPhone will get a big red circle on it that says it has shut down because of over heating. Brightness, the Phantom 4 plus screen is Hi Rez image that is incredibly bright, if you you are filming pics or vids outside like real estate, weddings, or events, than hands down without any comparisons to a tablet or phone, then this is the way to go. Now as stated, you can't use Litchi and other 3rd party apps, but if your thing is doing "mapping" then you don't need a Phantom 4 anyway, save $800 bucks and get a Mavic. But I do have a friend who does mapping and needs those 3rd party apps like Drone Deploy and Litchi, But he is also a photographer and actually needs to see what he is filming, So he got his Phantom 4 Plus, and then he got a second controller for his Phantom without the monitor so he could fly that with his tablet and 3rd pay apps.

$gambino$ · May 26, 2018

I definitely have both and have now realized that if you buy a nice Android device and stray away from IOS you won't have any overheating issues or battery issues in the cold and the screens are super bright.... actually brighter than the plus model remote. So I think the best option to get is a phantom 4 Pro non + and an s9+ or s8+ ....not saying go out and buy one of these phones because that would be ridiculous but I already have one it does make the perfect combination. So if you already have one of the Galaxy phones you definitely do not need the plus model for sure

Paul2660 · May 26, 2018

My only issue with the Pro+ is the dedicated monitor and thus if it fails, you have to send in the controller and have a new monitor installed. As previously mentioned the Pro + version of djigo4 is not the same as the standard version of djigo4, similar situation to Crystalsky. So adding new apps can be done, but not as easily.

I agree that Android phones, S8+ S9+ both have better screens, than any current Apple device for brightness. The other issue with Apple devices, both tablet and phone is the inability of djigo4 to handle the full resolution of the screens, so it creates a less than stellar view of the image, both for stills or video. This is called in Apple terminology "respect for retina".
The problem is you can view the djigo4 app at the full resolution of the Apple device,, thus you are viewing a down res version. This is fine to fly with, but for checking critical focus, not so good.

So far I have used, iPhone 6+, 7+ (both have same screen) 450 nits, iPhone X 500 nits, and iPad Pro 10.5 (not sure of the total brightness, but it's a tad brighter than my iPhone x outdoors). Crystalsky 7.5 high bright 1000 nit.

Crystalsky is by far the best for outdoor viewing, however it has problems with the Phantom/djig04 with both app lockup and video lockups, thus I no longer use it. My iPad pro, with a light shield is OK outdoors even in bright sunlight, enough that I can see to fly and setup stills. I flew in 95 degree heat a few times this past week, and the iPad did get warm, but for the 2 20 minute flights was OK. However I fully agree working with it for extended periods of time, outdoors, in 90 degree heat and high humidity, would be an issue as the iPad will probably over heat. Still use the Crystalsky with the Mavic as I don't have the same issue with lockups.

I flew last week with a friend who just purchased the S9 and the screen is impressive outdoors, plenty of light and screen is big enough to view and navigate. iPhone X is a bit small for my hands.

Paul Caldwell

AerialZ · May 28, 2018

Plus screen size is fine for composing shots. I have both and pretty much exclusively fly the P4P+ R/C now. Why? Two major reasons...
1. Setup and deployment times are reduced, which adds up greatly when you're a busy commercial flyer. Having the integrated screen is much more convenient than adding steps of an additional device, cable, etc.
2. 1080 HDMI clean feed output on Plus controller. I fly regularly for our NBC affiliate including live broadcasts and having this output is excellent. The available HDMI module outputs at 720p and I've found it to be very buggy with both my P4P and P3P. It worked but there were often video glitches that became a pain.
3rd party apps will now work with the Plus R/C (do a search of this is relevant.)
I agree that most of the negative commentary I've seen regarding the Plus R/C has come from people with no experience in actually using the hardware. I highly recommend it. I've flown in conditions from -50°F wind chills to over 100°F heat index (this weekend) and the Plus R/C has performed beyond expectation.

msinger · May 29, 2018

Paul2660 said:
My only issue with the Pro+ is the dedicated monitor and thus if it fails, you have to send in the controller and have a new monitor installed.

This is a good point. I don't often see people talking about returning + remote controllers though, so it's probably safe to assume it's not a common occurrence.

PhantomWetSuits · May 30, 2018

The number 1 Reason to get the Pro Plus is how fast you can get up and running without preparations.
In the entire time we have had the Plus Controller going on 2 years now we have not has a single software Crash.
We have abused the Pro Plus controller in every possible weather condition , from extreme rain to extreme cold - 30 below and it has never failed yet

For us weather is always a factor, sun wind , rain, sand, snow, hail, and relying on a phone and I pad is just not an option.
Nothing makes a new Phantom flyer panic more than when the software crashes when you are in flight , and many will tell you its something that you have to worry about after any phone update, software update, firmware update ect. More so than on the Plus controller.

As others have stated being a pro means being able to get the Job done when the client needs it done, So weather is always a factor when you go commercial.

This is just one of 40 videos that we made this year showing how capable the Plus Controller is and its still working perfectly as well as the drone.
The bells and whistle that you can get with the Phone and tablet are just that . What becomes much more important is Simplicity.

Obviously we do not advise anyone to do this, but its what we use it for.

Simplicity and Reliability. Nothing beats the Plus Controller for that.

Below is a video Where we were attempting to fly off Concrete and Steel Pier but could not get past the magnetic resistance and compass error. Obvious reasons. The Audio failed on the G5 camera from the storm.

When you look at all the videos we have taken of the Phantom in the Pouring Rain using the Pro Plus controller its easy to see how confident we are with it.

Falun · May 30, 2018

JohnnyG77083 said:
I'm looking to buy the Phantom 4 Pro Version 2.0 OR the Phantom 4 Pro+ Version 2.0. Basic differences: 4 pro requires a tablet of some kind and the Pro+ comes with a 5.5" screen. The included screen on the Pro+ is a high-resolution screen that can be seen in full sunlight. There are some other differences but this is the main one. The price difference is $300.

I would like to read your comments or advice if you especially have experience with either one and recommendations on which one I should buy. I've had problems in the past readingP+ f my cell phone in bright sun so that is an issue.

This would be my first professional level drone. I've experimented with small cheaper drones. I'm also studying for the commercial license.

Any comments would be much appreciated. Thanks. If you would like to know anything else about me, please feel free to ask.

I have owned the P4 P+ for nearly a year. I have found firmware updates as frustrating. Bizarre flight behaviors are the only indicators that a firmware update is available - no notices on the screen. Strange messages appear, e.g., frequency mismatch when there is no mismatch. Lastly, it seems that the P4P receives more attention from Dji. For what it is worth; that is my experience.