Hohem iSteady V3 Ultra Review – Smartphone Gimbal with App-Free Multimodal Tracking and Remote

The Hohem iSteady V3 Extremely is a brand new smartphone gimbal that we determined to check throughout real-world solo capturing situations. The foldable design, removable 1.22-inch touchscreen distant with dwell AI preview, and true 360° pan make it some of the succesful compact telephone gimbals we’ve got used. It isn’t flawless: tilt clearance and payload geometry nonetheless restrict heavy lens add-ons, and battery life shortens as soon as the tracker and fill gentle are in play. However let’s dive proper in – right here is our balanced take.Let me get this out of the way in which: I don’t wish to be tethered to proprietary apps when utilizing a smartphone gimbal. The excellent news is that Hohem is leaning right into a “no-app-required” workflow for monitoring, and that selection pays off. With the ability to lock topic monitoring from the gimbal’s personal module whereas working our most popular digicam apps saved shoots easy and versatile. The V3 Extremely is a travel-friendly stabilizer geared toward creators who need to transfer quick with out giving up management.The iSteady V3 Extremely gimbal reveals how far smartphone gimbals have come. Picture credit score: CineDWhy are we testing a smartphone gimbal?At CineD, we often cowl filmmaking instruments constructed for skilled workflows, starting from mirrorless cameras to cinema rigs. Smartphone gimbals just like the iSteady V3 Extremely should not our typical focus, as a result of a lot of our readers don’t depend on telephones for his or her important productions. That stated, occasions are altering: smartphones preserve gaining critical video options, and a rising variety of professionals additionally use them for behind-the-scenes content material, fast social posts, and even complete initiatives when discretion and portability matter. Taking a look at gimbals like this subsequently is smart in 2025, each to know the place the know-how is heading and to acknowledge how phone-based filmmaking is evolving. So count on extra opinions like this one within the close to future.Very compact footprint when folded down for transport. Picture credit score: CineDHohem iSteady V3 Extremely design concerns and setupThe iSteady V3 Extremely folds small and weighs round 430 g, so it slips right into a aspect pocket or small pouch. Constructed-in tripod legs slide out of the deal with, which implies no separate mini-tripod to lose. It is a very good concept – I can’t inform you how usually I’ve misplaced the removable legs of assorted DJI gimbals through the years. Sure, as a result of these legs want house throughout the grip, this probably prices battery capability, however I don’t see this as a giant downside in a smartphone gimbal whose brushless motors are undoubtedly beneath much less pressure than your typical mirrorless gimbal motors (and subsequently they want a higher-capacity battery).Constructed-in toes show very helpful, nothing to lose. Credit score: CineDThe gimbal has an extension rod constructed during which will be prolonged from the highest of the grip, and it reaches roughly 205 mm for greater vantage factors, overheads, or fast “crane” reveals. Whereas I like to have this additionally constructed into the gimbal, I want the rod may very well be prolonged even additional for numerous utilization situations, but it surely’s actually very helpful as it’s. I’m a specific fan of the hinge on prime of the rod, which lets you angle / tilt the gimbal, which implies you don’t have to show right into a pretzel when you’re going for some uncommon high-vantage level angles.Extension rod inbuilt, with a really helpful hinge on prime. Credit score: CineDAt occasions, a good longer rod extension may very well be helpful, but it surely’s so nice to have built-in. Picture credit score: CineDThe grip is unquestionably not too lengthy, and I generally felt like for my fingers (that are on the bigger aspect) it may very well be one or two centimeters longer on the backside. Nonetheless after utilizing the iSteady for some time I bought used to it and it didn’t hassle me anymore, this once more was a desire based mostly on my common utilization of bigger gimbals like a DJI RS4 Professional with mirrorless cameras, which has a significantly longer grip because of the bigger battery that grip homes.As you’ll be able to see on the underside proper, the grip may very well be a bit bigger when you have massive fingers. Picture credit score: CineDHohem charges iSteady V3 Extremely’s payload as much as 400 g with assist for typical flagship telephones; in our use, steadiness issues greater than uncooked motor power when you add equipment. I largely shot with an iPhone 16 Professional Max with and with out the case and it labored like a attraction.Setup is actually drop-in. There isn’t a prolonged balancing ritual. A hinge on the roll aspect provides somewhat additional clearance if you want steeper tilt. This makes taking the telephone out for a fast name a no brainer, since it is going to take you nearly no time to get it again in afterwards. As somebody who’s used to largely mirrorless gimbals, it is a good revelation and time-saver.The necessity for balancing is virtually non-existent for smartphones. Picture credit score: CineDOrientation switches in-place through a button, so panorama to portrait takes a faucet quite than remounting the clamp. Extraordinarily helpful and useful when switching between capturing situations for conventional and social content material.Orientation switching by the faucet of a (touchscreen) button on the distant. Credit score: CineDMultimodal AI tracker and removable remoteOne headline characteristic of the iSteady V3 Extremely is the AI monitoring module that clips to the top. It combines a small digicam and a three-temperature fill gentle, and it streams a dwell view to the removable 1.22-inch touchscreen distant. From as much as roughly 10 meters (which is spectacular!) you’ll be able to see what the tracker sees, choose a topic with a double faucet, begin or cease monitoring, flip orientation, and nudge framing with the distant’s joystick. As a result of monitoring runs on the module, it really works throughout apps: native digicam, Blackmagic Digital camera, social apps, or dwell platforms.The principle management unit is a detachable distant that often lives within the grip. It provides you preview from the monitoring module digicam and entry to all settings. Very neat implementation. Picture credit score: CineDThis is likely one of the most releasing use circumstances for me as you’re not compelled to make use of a proprietary app for capturing. The little touchscreen distant shows a tiny picture which is comparatively wide-angle and reveals an analogous field-of view than the usual digicam on a smartphone. It’s actually only a tiny, tiny preview although, so tapping on objects or topics will be fiddly. I want the little distant monitor could be somewhat bigger, however truthfully when you get your head round it, it actually works effectively. The distant often “lives” contained in the gimbal deal with base. Picture credit score: CineDGesture management and monitoring performanceGesture management is supported and works very well. A easy “OK” hand signal begins monitoring, a palm stops it, and a framing gesture helps you to recompose off-center. We appreciated with the ability to disable gestures within the menu when working round individuals who had been by chance triggering them. I discovered the “OK” gesture to be acknowledged simply nearly each time, simply the palm gesture generally didn’t instantly get acknowledged, however having your hand nearer to your face appeared to assist. This “OK” gesture will begin monitoring Johnnie, as displayed through a inexperienced rectangle on the distant on the backside. Picture credit score: CineDThe palm gesture will cease monitoring. Picture credit score: CineDHohem calls its monitoring system “multimodal” as a result of it could observe extra than simply faces. In observe it dealt with individuals reliably open air, coped with pets and easy objects, and was adequate for crafting or cooking demos the place fingers transfer across the body. It’s additionally doing a very good job monitoring if you change the gap to the gimbal, for instance when placing it on a desk with the built-in tripod and have it observe you whilst you display one thing for the digicam. It does nevertheless not reconnect after dropping a face or object behind one thing else – that works with some AF-tracking modes on some digicam techniques, however not this gimbal monitoring. Stabilization and capturing modesThe V3 Extremely is a three-axis stabilizer with 5 core modes: Pan Observe, Pan-Tilt Observe, POV, Lock, and a sooner observe profile for sportier motion. Infinite pan rotation removes the standard onerous cease throughout wraps and orbits, and it helps monitoring proceed for those who circle behind the gimbal.I used to be very pleased with stabilization efficiency for a gimbal of this (small) dimension. Picture credit score: CineDFootage whereas strolling may be very clear for a compact foldable gimbal. Quick jogging or staircase sprints reveal the bounds of short-arm geometry, particularly on the lean axis, however that’s typical on this dimension class. The extension rod broadens transfer selection, from low-angle passes to overheads, with out additional rigging, and I didn’t see that the prolonged rod would adversely have an effect on stabilization efficiency.Battery life and chargingHohem quotes as much as about 9 hours in gentle use. With the AI tracker energetic, and particularly with the fill gentle on, I landed nearer to 4–5 hours relying on motion and ambient temperature. Charging is through USB-C on the deal with. The distant costs whereas docked, and each gadgets report their battery standing on the touchscreen. There isn’t a energy output to prime up your telephone, so lengthy days profit from an influence financial institution.Fill gentle and learn how to cope with audioThe built-in fill gentle is adjustable in three colour temperatures (so helpful and mandatory!) and tops out round 110 lux at very shut vary. It lifts faces in dim rooms or at nightfall however won’t exchange an actual key. Plus after all, I’m not a giant fan of on-camera lights generally anyway since they make your topic look “flat”, but as a small fill gentle it could actually assist for those who movie somebody or one thing transferring within the shade. The fill gentle additionally holds the AI monitoring module digicam, and the sunshine has bi-color adjustment. Picture credit score: CineDThe monitoring / gentle module can simply be rotated 180 levels for POV or ego capturing. Credit score: CineDSwapping instructions with the sunshine and tracker is completed in seconds. Picture credit score: CineDAs all the time with any digicam or telephone rigs, we advocate an exterior mic for important audio. Relying on handset placement and acquire, I’ve heard some individuals complain a few faint motor noise with inside mics, however I haven’t skilled that. A small on-phone digital receiver is essentially the most elegant pairing right here, as bigger cold-shoe receivers can tip the steadiness. If in case you have one thing just like the RØDE Wi-fi Micro, you’ll be able to even use the transmitter with out the receiver now after the most recent firmware replace, which is after all an important choice to document audio within the telephone with out including any additional bulk.App, controls and quality-of-lifeThe touchscreen distant is the rationale the V3 Extremely feels extra “camera-like” than LED-code rivals. It exposes mode modifications, observe speeds, motor power, fast calibrations, gentle controls, panoramas, movement timelapse, and automatic rotations with out digging right into a telephone UI. Outside, the show remained readable, which diminished guesswork throughout run-and-gun.I just like the clear standing bar: it reveals AI lock state, Bluetooth hyperlink, and separate battery ranges for gimbal and distant. The aspect button mirrors the set off features on the deal with, together with re-center and flip to selfie. Zoom buttons work inside Hohem’s app; third-party app assist varies.The standing bar on prime may be very helpful. Picture credit score: CineDWithout ever connecting the telephone through Bluetooth to the gimbal or distant, I used to be ready to make use of the beginning/cease set off button on the distant each time. Seems like wizardry and works very well, no pairing wanted.Payload, lenses and mountingWithin the 400 g telephone restrict, the motors really feel assured, which implies they completely tolerate a slight imbalance if you’re utilizing a big telephone like I do. The sensible constraint is tilt steadiness if you add mass far ahead of the clamp. Slim case plus telephone is okay, and a light-weight snap-on filter is often OK. Massive telephoto or anamorphic lens attachments, heavy cages, or cumbersome wi-fi receivers can push the system into “ping and give up” territory. There are not any growth ports on the arm itself, which retains the bundle clear however limits mounting choices. So I’d undoubtedly advocate utilizing a normal telephone setup on this gimbal, quite than a rig that feels pimped up like a correct mirrorless digicam. (In that case: go for the mirrorless and a bigger gimbal, clearly!)A regular smartphone setup is unquestionably supplying you with the most effective efficiency on the Hohem iSteady V3 Extremely gimbal. Picture credit score: CineDLimitationsTilt clearance is modest for excessive low-angle strikes except you prolong the hinge.Heavy front-weighted lens add-ons can exceed steadiness tolerance even when complete mass is beneath 400 g.Battery life drops meaningfully as soon as the AI tracker and light-weight are in common use.No telephone charging passthrough; plan energy for lengthy dwell streams.App-level document triggers differ by platform and OS; the distant is most seamless with Hohem’s app and can management primary features elsewhere. However as talked about above, I had nice expertise utilizing the usual Digital camera app on iPhone.Grip may very well be somewhat longer when you have massive fingers.How the Hohem iSteady V3 Extremely gimbal comparesThe Insta360 Movement 2 Professional integrates deeply with iPhone options and has a slick app, but it surely lacks a removable touchscreen distant with a dwell AI feed. DJI’s compact OM-series gimbals are polished and reasonably priced; once more, there is no such thing as a dockable display that allows you to handle monitoring whereas standing away from the rig. Hohem’s personal iSteady M7 affords extra headroom and comparable distant/AI advantages in a bigger chassis. The Hohem iSteady V3 Extremely appears the only option to me if portability and the remote-driven workflow are the precedence – it’s merely pretty having this little distant and I’ll miss it as soon as I’m going again to different gimbals.Who it’s forSolo creators, educators, health instructors, actual property shooters, dad and mom documenting household life, and anybody who wants dependable self-tracking with out being tethered to an app. If you happen to run heavy telephone lenses, cages, or large wi-fi kits, step as much as a bigger telephone gimbal or a camera-based system.ConclusionThe Hohem iSteady V3 Extremely will get the basics proper after which provides a removable touchscreen distant that meaningfully improves solo operation. Stabilization is robust for the scale, infinite pan expands inventive strikes, and app-agnostic monitoring matches actual workflows. Respect its steadiness limits and plan for sensible battery life, and it turns into a really succesful on a regular basis instrument. Whereas this isn’t the type of product most CineD readers would usually contemplate for skilled shoots, it’s a signal of the place phone-based content material creation is heading. As smartphones proceed to realize superior video options, instruments just like the iSteady V3 Extremely present how far assist gear has come to make them viable for greater than informal use. Pricing and availabilityThe Hohem iSteady V3 Extremely is obtainable in black or white (with similar options) for $169 from B&H, and €190 in Europe from Amazon. Would you combine a gimbal like this alongside your important equipment? Tell us within the feedback.