by As a beginner, mobile videography is an excellent way to hone your skills without investing in any expensive gear. But the problem with mobile shooting and that too with bare hands is the shakes.
For static shots, you can place the gimbal on the tripod, and your job is done. But, as you advance in shooting skills, you might want to add camera movement in your videos. If done without any stabilization, then the footage will be blurry, to say the least.
To get smooth footage using your smartphone, you should have a smartphone gimbal. In this post, we have reviewed the best gimbal which you can use with your iPhone. Most people prefer iPhones because their cameras are of very good quality.
| DJI Osmo Mobile SE (Best Overall)
 
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| Insta360 Flow (Most High-end & Comes with Great Features)
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| Hohem iSteady XE (Budget Pick - Only for Beginners)
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| DJI Osmo Mobile 6
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| Hohem iSteady M6
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| Zhiyun Smooth 5S
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Best iPhone Gimbals
1. Hohem iSteady Mobile Plus Gimbal Stabilizer – Best for iPhone 12/12 mini/12 Pro/12 Pro Max
The Hohem iSteady Mobile Plus is the gimbal that offers everything that you can hope for in a smartphone gimbal; it is lightweight, portable, and it has an ergonomic and easy-to-hold design for extended use.
With the provision of a free-size mounting clap, it can accommodate most of the smartphones and iPhones, the ones which are bigger in size too. It is compatible with the iPhone 11,11 Pro, Pro Max, X, XS, XS MAX, XR, 8, 8 Plus, 7, 7 Plus, SE, 6, 6 Plus, 6S, and 6S Plus.
The control buttons are intuitively placed, and you can reach any of the buttons without a stretch of fingers. The control panel has the mode button, joystick, and power button.
The gimbal has four stabilization modes, which are indicated beside the mode button with the number of dots. The dots show how many times you will need to press the mode button to get into a certain mode.
Also, the mobile camera functions can be controlled by the gimbal itself. For that, you will need to install the Hohem gimbal app; the app is compatible with iOS and also with android. The stabilization of the mobile phone will be simple, just place it in the clamp and move it back and forth to adjust the position to have the balance.
When the gimbal and iPhone are in sync, you can get some of the best shots by introducing the effects like time-lapses, slow motions, hyper lapses, and more. When your subject is in motion or while capturing some sports, you want the movement of the gimbal to be more fluid and responsive.
In the sports mode, the motor works fast and effectively captures the moving footage without any blurs; you can’t do this with your iPhone without a gimbal.
Also, the gimbal has battery level indicators on the side of the handle and it lets you know when you need to recharge. And with the inclusion of a 4000 mAh battery in the unit, you won’t need to do it much often as it can last for up to 12 hours.
This is the great iPhone gimbal to have no matter which iPhone model you have; it will accommodate most of them.
Pros
- Lightweight.
- 12 hours battery life.
- Compatible with all the iPhone models.
- Comes with plenty of video modes.
- Sports mode.
Cons
- It doesn’t completely remove the shakes.
2. DJI Osmo Mobile 4 Handheld iPhone Gimbal – Best for iPhone 11/11 Pro/11 Pro Max
This is one of the most portable gimbals for iPhone users out there, and it has a foldable design that reduces its size to perfectly fit inside a small backpack. The gimbal can accommodate most smartphones, thanks to its free clamp design. Besides, the clamp is a magnetic one.
That is a good advantage as you won’t need to balance the phone every time, but for that, the mount shouldn’t be removed from the phone. The magnetic ring design will let you quickly capture the shot with a rapid mounting.
For someone who shoots for extended periods, this gimbal won’t give a hard time, and the handle has a comfortable feel. It won’t give you fatigue. Moreover, the control panel has the optimum placement of buttons with easy access. It consists of a joystick, mode button, and power button.
As like every other gimbal, to get the best out of your smartphone and to use all the features of your phone, the DJI has provided the ‘Mimo app,’ and for iPhone users, it is so good. The app is embedded with tons of features and video effects.
The popular one among them is Active Track 3.0. Just select the object that needs to be tracked, and it will follow it as it moves; it is useful when you are on your own.
You can add hyper-lapse effect, slow motion, timelapse, and a few more to your videos to enhance the effectiveness of your content and make it more engaging. When you want to capture the group photo, the gesture control feature will make it much more convenient, and you can control the gimbal with the gesture of your hands.
Also, don’t forget the dynamic zoom, which will let you create the Hitchcock effect as you see in many movies. With a runtime of up to 15 hours, this gimbal is the best choice for travelers to capture their adventures without worrying about the depletion of the battery.
This is a great gimbal; it offers many features and provides excellent stabilization. It will accommodate most smartphones, including most iPhone models.
Pros
- Very good battery life.
- Foldable design.
- Strong magnetic lock.
- Simple and easy use.
Cons
- Bit pricey.
- The mount doesn’t work well with glass back phones.
3. Hohem iSteady X 3-Axis Gimbal Stabilizer – Best for iPhone X/XS/XS Max/XR
Hohem is a brand known for their quality products, and this iStedy X model is one of them which supports the iPhone 6 Plus/6s, 7, 7plus, 8 plus/8/X/XR/Max, 11/11pro/11 Pro Max/XS/XS Max, and many other smartphones as long as they weigh below 280 gm.
This is one of those iPhone gimbals which you can easily fit into your pocket. It is very small and compact when folded; yes, it is foldable. The folding can be performed with the turn of a knob on the roll axis arm.
The build quality is good; it has been constructed out of good quality plastic and won’t give any problem on extended use. It is one of the lightest gimbals on the market, which weighs only 259 grams. Without the extra tripod attached at the bottom, the handle might feel short, which is uncomfortable for longer use.
The Hohem claims that the unit offers a runtime of 8 hours on a full charge, but in actual practice, you can expect 6 to 7 hours of runtime. The controls are minimal and easy to operate. On the control panel, there is a joystick, a power button, and the mode button.
The long-press of the power button will turn on the gimbal, but when pressed only one time, the gimbal will toggle from the portrait to landscape mode.
The gimbal offers the 4 stabilization mode. To change the modes, you will have to keep the mode button pressed, and at the same time, the press of the power button will change the modes. The balancing of the phone is simple, and the gimbal does quite a good job at eliminating the shakes.
Other than that, the interface of the Hohem app is elegant and minimalistic. Inside the app, you can choose the functions of the slider provided on the left side of the handle, and it can either change the zoom or the focus. From the app, you can introduce the effects like inception mode, dolly zoom, and a few other video effects. It also has a face tracking feature.
Pros
- Very compact and lightweight design.
- The battery reaches full in 2 hours.
- Easily foldable design.
- Face tracking and sports mode.
Cons
- Tilt on the upper side is limited.
- The handle feels short without a tripod extension.
4. DJI Osmo Mobile 3 Smartphone Gimbal Stabilizer – Best for iPhone 8/8 Plus
Same as the previous one, this is also one of those compact and foldable gimbals, but the design and build quality on this device is superb. It really feels comfortable in hand. Also, the placement of the button is great; thanks to that, it can be controlled with one hand only.
DJI is known for its best-in-class drones and gimbals, and this iPhone gimbal is no exception. It has a joystick, a power button, and a mode button on the control panel accompanied by the battery indicators. On the side of the handle, there is a slider that controls the zoom. That slider will let you capture the videos with the Hitchcock effects.
The double-tap of the mode button toggles your iPhone between the portrait and landscape mode. The free stretch clamp can accommodate most smartphones, provided their weight stays below 200 gm. If we talk about the iPhones, then it supports the iPhone 11 Pro Max, 11 Pro, 11, XS Max, XS, XR, X, 8 Plus, 8, 7 Plus, 7, 6s Plus, 6s, 6 Plus, 6, and SE, models.
The unit weighs about 405 gm. This weight won’t give you a hard time if you plan to use it for longer periods. Moreover, the 2450 integrated battery provides a runtime of 15 hours. So, you can charge it during the night and can expect it to run for a whole day. The gimbal takes roughly 2.5 hours to be fully charged.
This gimbal for iPhone supports the DJI Mimo app, and it comes with so many video effects that you will be able to bring your creativity to the next level. The app lets you have the Hyper lapses, static and dynamic motion lapses, slow motion, and many more in your videos.
Other than that, the sports mode will increase the response time of the motors to capture the subject in motion. When you hold down the trigger, the camera will enter into sports mode.
If you are on your own, then the Mimo app is really helpful with its face tracking and gesture control features. A “V” gesture of the first two fingers starts the recording and tracking simultaneously.
Pros
- Ergonomic design.
- Portable design increases portability.
- If efficiently eliminates the shakes.
- 15 hours of battery life.
Cons
- Some important features can only be used with the iPhone.
5. Zhiyun Smooth 4 3-Axis Handheld Gimbal Stabilizer – Best for iPhone 7/7 Plus
Zhiyun smooth 4 offers very good stabilization along with great battery life. The company has ascended to be one of the top manufacturers of gimbal thanks to the affordability and the quality of their products.
With a payload of 210 grams, this unit supports the iPhone XS MAX, iPhone 8 plus, iPhone X, iPhone SE, iPhone 8, iPhone 7 Plus, iPhone 7, iPhone 6s Plus, iPhone 6s, iPhone 6 Plus, and iPhone 6.
It can also balance the iPhone 12 Pro Max or iPhone 11 Pro Max, but to do that, you will require a counterweight. This gimbal is not one of those portable, small, and lightweight units. It is big and weighs 547 grams which may give you sore hands over long use.
Zhiyun smooth 4 offers a runtime of 12 hours on paper, but actually, you can get 11 hours of runtime, then it needs to recharge again. It will take 3 to 3.5 hours to fully charge the 4000 mAh battery.
Moving on, the unit is made out of high-grade plastic, which actually feels quite comfortable in hand, and the hamilton texture on the handle will aid in having a better grip. On the top of the handle, you will see the number of control buttons.
This is where things get interesting; there are so many buttons on the control panel, which will take some time to get used to. From here, you can control all the advanced functions of the camera. But the catch is it only works with the ZY play app.
There is a multifunctional joystick in the middle, a power button, a record button, a toggle switch to change the mode, and a few more. The remaining two stabilization modes can be accessed from the buttons behind the handle. On the side of the handle, there is a focus wheel that controls the zoom and the focus, and you can toggle the function from the app.
From the app, you can introduce 6 to 7 different types of effects in your videos like dolly zoom, time-lapse, hyper-lapse, slow motion, etc.
Pros
- Object tracking and Phone go mode.
- 12 hours of battery life.
- Motors are highly responsive.
- Full control of the camera from the gimbal itself.
Cons
- Overwhelming control panel.
- It is heavy and is larger.
6. VanTop Nimbal M3 3-Axis Gimbal Stabilizer for iPhone – Best for iPhone 6/6 Plus/6S/6S Plus
The last in our list of best gimbal for iPhones is the Van top Nimbal M3. It is as impressive as every other gimbal on the list. It has a minimalistic control panel which gives you easy control. The control panel consists of a power button, mode button, and joystick. There is also a side wheel on the left of the handle for easy control of the zoom and the focus.
The double-tap of the mode or power button easily changes the orientation of the phone by 90°. It toggles between the landscape and portrait mode. You can do this manually as well.
The gimbal has an ergonomic handle and feels good in the hand, suitable to shoot for extended periods. It is compatible with most of the iPhone models. The maximum payload for this gimbal is 250 grams.
The 2200 mAh battery incorporated inside the handle provides a runtime of 15 hours which is more than enough to keep shooting for a whole day. Moving on, when the gimbal and the Van top Gimo app are paired, you can achieve the very best shots with your iPhone.
The Gimo App offers many advanced camera options and pre-set modes to introduce in your captures. The side handle will let you have the cinematic Hitchcock effect in your videos. And it looks really good.
There is also a smart tracking feature. You can either select face tracking or object tracking from the menu. It is seen that face tracking works relatively well compared to object tracking. It is quite a handy feature for vloggers.
Moreover, you can get some impressive time-lapse, hyper-lapse, static and dynamic motion lapse, and slow-motion videos. Other than that, the response time of the gimbal motor increases to effectively follow the fast movement of the subject in Action mode.
Pros
- Lightweight and ergonomic design.
- Offered at a competitive price.
- Variety of modes to choose from.
- Battery life of 15 hours.
Cons
- Only 2 balancing modes.
What things to consider before buying an iPhone gimbal?
There are many options to choose from, but if you want to get the best gimbal for your iPhone, you can follow these few things to make a better choice.
Axis Stabilization
There are gimbals in the market which balance the shakes from one or two or all three axes. We suggest that you go with the 3-axis gimbals as they can eliminate shakes from all directions and provide very smooth footage.
Also, note that the price of the 3-axis gimbals will be higher than 2-axis gimbals.
Battery
The size of the battery is important if you are someone who shoots for extended periods. You will get more runtime as the size of the battery increases.
Keep in mind the weight will also increase with the size of the battery. So, make sure that you get the one that is not too heavy and provides decent runtime.
Ease of Use
A gimbal should be easy to use. You want your full attention on the scene and not on the completed controls of the gimbal. Avoid the gimbals with too many control buttons and which have unintuitive button placement.
Also, the balancing of the mobile should be a quick and easy process.
Compatibility
Another important thing is the compatibility of your iPhone with the particular model you are about to choose. It is better to first check whether the gimbal can handle your iPhone model or not.
If not, then choose another gimbal.
Software
The software from the gimbal brand should have all the necessary camera controls. It should unleash the full potential of the phone camera and should come with several video effects to give your videos a cinematic touch. The connection between the app and gimbal should be seamless.
Other than that, you can look for face tracking, hand gestures, or any other features depending on your needs.
