The era of DJI ruling the handheld gimbal market unchallenged is ending. Smartphone titans Vivo and Oppo are reportedly building standalone cameras to rival the hit Osmo Pocket 3. This move signals a fierce new battleground in consumer electronics beyond just phones.
Vivo has confirmed a project designed to benchmark directly against DJI. Reports also suggest that top executives at Oppo are leading a similar team. These companies are looking for new profits as the smartphone market faces rising costs and stiff competition.
Why phone giants want a slice of the pie
The motivation for this shift is clear. Smartphone manufacturers are currently dealing with a massive squeeze on their profit margins. The cost of memory chips has skyrocketed recently due to high demand for AI technology.
Consumer electronics brands need a new cash cow.
DJI proved that the market for dedicated vlog cameras is massive. Their Osmo Pocket 3 was not just a camera. It became a cultural phenomenon.
Here is a snapshot of the Pocket 3 success story:
- Sales Volume: Over 10 million units sold globally within a year.
- Revenue: Generated approximately 2.8 billion USD.
- Status: Dubbed “electronic Maotai” in China due to its high value and scarcity.
- Resale Value: Scalpers sold it for 30% over retail price during shortages.
“Phone companies aim for big business,” a smartphone executive noted. “Now, a 20 billion RMB product looks like a juicy piece of meat.”
For years, companies like Vivo and Oppo ignored this niche. They focused on selling millions of phones. But seeing a single accessory generate billions changed their perspective. They now view filling these category gaps as a vital way to grow.
Tech barriers and the ghost of failures past
Entering this market is not easy. History is full of companies that tried to beat DJI and failed.
Brands like Snoppa, Moza, and Feiyu all launched gimbal cameras around 2020. Most of them struggled. Snoppa attempted to innovate with a rotating lens but faced severe quality control issues. They eventually exited the market due to chip shortages.
Building a gimbal requires more than just good optics.
It demands precise mechanical stabilization and complex software algorithms. The Pocket 3 succeeded because it combined a large one-inch sensor with flawless stabilization.
Smartphone makers do have a leg up on the old competitors. Oppo and Vivo have spent a decade perfecting mobile photography. Their image processing algorithms are top tier.
“When DJI released the first Pocket, there were many imitators. By the third generation, the barrier had risen. We barely see copycats anymore.”
The challenge for the phone giants will be miniaturization. Fitting high end sensors and heat dissipation systems into a tiny stick is an engineering nightmare. However, these companies have survived the brutal smartphone wars. They have the resources to solve these hard problems.
Retail power could change the game
The biggest advantage for Vivo and Oppo is not just technology. It is their massive physical presence.
DJI relies heavily on online sales and a network of thousands of authorized dealers. This model works well for tech enthusiasts. But it limits reach to the general public.
Vivo and Oppo play a different game entirely.
They operate huge offline retail networks. Vivo alone has more than 300,000 retail outlets globally.
If these companies place a gimbal camera on every counter next to their phones, the visibility is unmatched. Their sales agents are aggressive and motivated by profit sharing. They could push these cameras to millions of regular customers who might never visit a specialized camera store.
Consider the potential reach:
| Brand | Retail Strategy | Global Presence |
|---|---|---|
| DJI | Experience driven | Thousands of stores |
| Vivo/Oppo | Sales driven | Hundreds of thousands of outlets |
This distribution power is what insiders call a “dimensionality reduction attack.” It allows them to flood the market in a way specialized camera makers cannot.
What this rivalry means for consumers
This competition is excellent news for buyers. DJI has held a near monopoly for too long.
When one company dominates, prices stay high. The Pocket 3 remained expensive long after its release. Genuine competition forces companies to lower prices and innovate faster.
We might see new features emerge rapidly. Vivo could integrate the cameras deeply with their phones for seamless live streaming. Oppo might leverage their color science to attract artistic creators.
Consumers will likely get better gear for less money.
The battle lines are drawn. 2026 is shaping up to be the year the gimbal camera goes mainstream. It is no longer just a tool for YouTubers. It is becoming the next must have accessory for everyone.
Vivo and Oppo are not rivals that DJI can ignore. They have the capital, the technology, and the sheer scale to disrupt the status quo.
The Osmo Pocket series defined the category. Now it has to defend it.
For the average user, the choice is about to get much harder. Do you stick with the proven market leader? Or do you try the new contender from a brand you already keep in your pocket?
