This is what you get when a selfie stick and a gimbal have a child. The company well-known for its drone and gimbal tech, DJI, has launched the Osmo Mobile 5 in its lineup of handheld gimbal devices. And this one definitely sports some unexpected improvements.

Osmo’s evolution

Realistically, the Osmo Mobile 4 didn’t need much improvement. It features some of the best consumer smartphone gimbal tech available, and the attachment mechanism works wonders. Now DJI’s taking the new version and expanding on it, quite literally. The 5 will morph into a selfie-stick (ahem… ‘extension rod’) when needed, and it… makes sense.

The extension rod is built right into the handle, making it possible to extend a stabilised smartphone outward or upward. It retains the foldable design from its predecessors but is slightly smaller and lighter according to reports. The extender measures in at 8.4in (around 21cm), which… isn’t particularly long. So you’ll get some length, but not much.

It does come with some added features, however, including improved gimbal motors and a new intelligent feature called Shotguides. This will scan the user’s surroundings and drop around 30 hints and tips on how to capture the best angles and footage. It’ll even auto-edit the clips for you, because technology has to make everything easier, right?

The main concern here, according to The Verge, is the battery life. Thanks to the addition of some new tech, the OM5 is only rated at holding around 6 hours on a charge, whereas the OM4 held 15 hours comfortably.

Like all DJI kit, however, we cannot wait to test this one. We’ll also update you once we have local pricing and availability, which shouldn’t be too far off.