After the Successes of the Smooth 4, Weebill S and Crane 3 Lab, Gimbal and accessory maker Zhiyun Tech has just unveiled the Zhiyun SMOOTH-X: a foldable 2-axis smartphone gimbal that packs a lot of useful features for the price of $60.
The Smooth X is geared towards being a lightweight competitor to more expensive alternatives like the DJI Osmo Mobile 3, which offers 3 axes of stabilization, but costs more than twice as much.
With the Smooth X, you get a 2-axis gimbal (roll and pan) with native Bluetooth control of iOS and Android devices, a built in 260mm telescoping extension, and the ability to quickly switch between landscape and portrait shooting at the press of a button. If you use the new ZY Cami app, you also get intelligent gesture controls to trigger photo and video recording, intelligent subject tracking, video editing features, and more.
In addition to the one lost axis of stabilization, the Smooth X also comes with one other major trade-off: battery life. The Zhiyun Smooth 4 claims up to 12 hours of battery life while the Smooth X is rated for up to 5.5 hours max, and 4 hours of “standard” use. The gimbal is already available to order online, in either white or gray, at the aforementioned MSRP of $60.