Anyone Use an iPhone 12 Pro Max as a Remote Control Screen?

[GeekOnTheWing]

I presently use an iPhone 11 as my DD phone, and a OnePlus 7t for my remote control.

I find the screen brightness on the 7t much too low to be useful. I haven't been using adaptive brightness, however, and someone posted somewhere that it has some sort of limiting feature when in full manual brightness control. So I do plan to try that next.

I've been thinking about upgrading to the iPhone 12 Max anyway, however. Apple will give me (I think) $350.00 in trade, and I get a 10 percent veteran's discount; so it wouldn't be all that expensive.

Has anyone used the iPhone 12 Pro Max as a controller for their EVO II / EVO II Pro? If so, how's the brightness? Also, how's the app? I haven't tried it for the lack of a cable, which is easily enough solved.

Thank you.

 

[rvl]

Maximum brightness, nits (tested by GSM Arena team):
OnePlus 7t: 743
Apple iPhone 11 Pro: 805
iPhone 12 Pro Max: 822
Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra 5G (Max Auto): 894
Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G (Max Auto): 1024

New Autel Smart Controller (advertized): 2000

 

[GeekOnTheWing]

Maximum brightness, nits (tested by GSM Arena team):
OnePlus 7t: 743
Apple iPhone 11 Pro: 805
iPhone 12 Pro Max: 822
Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra 5G (Max Auto): 894
Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G (Max Auto): 1024

New Autel Smart Controller (advertized): 2000

Thanks.

The numbers seem inconsistent depending on who you ask. I was on the phone with Apple this morning and they said the brightness on the 12 Pro Max was 1200 nits. Other sources agree, but only when viewing HDR content. Yet others say it's all the time.

OnePlus advertises the 7t's screen brightness as "an astonishing 1,000 nits," but I'm not aware of any real-world reviewer that has ever achieved anything more than the low- to mid-700's. I did tear the screen protector off (I have extras somewhere if I need them) and enabled adaptive brightness, which seemed to help a bit; but it's OVC today so I really can't be sure. Removing the screen protector did help with the glare, though.

I'll probably wind up going with the Smart Controller. Early reviews have been good. It would be nice to be able to get double-duty out of one device, but I don't think another 120 nits will make a huge difference.

Unless I can find someone with an iPhone 12 Pro Max to test it outdoors. Or maybe the Apple Store will let me borrow one and take it outside if I leave my driver's license and car keys. I've never asked, but you never know.

Thanks again.

 

[Eagle's Eye Photo]

Yanno, a properly designed sunshade could provide an effective solution for $20.00.

 

[GeekOnTheWing]

Yanno, a properly designed sunshade could provide an effective solution for $20.00.

Thanks.

I thought about that and will think about it again after I try the phone on a sunny day, without the screen protector, and with the adaptive brightness on. My feeling is that it's more of a fundamental lack of brightness than a glare problem, but cumulative incremental improvements can often add up to something significant.

 

[Retired In FL]

Yea, I have (and used) my 12 Pro Max for 3 short flights of my new E2 and then immediately bought a Tripltek which will likely be sold when I see some Smart Controller reviews. The 12 Pro IMO wasn't THAT much better than the spare iPhone XR in my drawer or my iPad Pro which I wouldn't use because it's way too bulky. The Tripltek is REAL good but can still use a few more "nits" in the right places. Maybe Tripltek can sell an extra box or 2 of nits.

 

[GeekOnTheWing]

Yea, I have (and used) my 12 Pro Max for 3 short flights of my new E2 and then immediately bought a Tripltek which will likely be sold when I see some Smart Controller reviews. The 12 Pro IMO wasn't THAT much better than the spare iPhone XR in my drawer or my iPad Pro which I wouldn't use because it's way too bulky. The Tripltek is REAL good but can still use a few more "nits" in the right places. Maybe Tripltek can sell an extra box or 2 of nits.

Thanks, that's very helpful.

The Triptek does look a tad bulky... and indestructible. As for the nits... I never thought I'd be a nit-picker, but there you have it.

If I can get up to Albany or down to Nanuet at some point, I may actually ask the Apple Store if I can take the phone outside. Maybe leave a grandchild as security. I'd like the larger screen and the 5G anyway, but neither has been enough to get me to cough up the money so far. A third benefit / use might swing me toward that.

But first I'm going to re-test the 7t in the sun, which appears to be trying to burn through the OVC. Maybe it's at least good enough now, in which case I'll wait for you to test the Smart Controller for me. ?

Thanks again.

 

[Retired In FL]

Thanks, that's very helpful.

The Triptek does look a tad bulky... and indestructible. As for the nits... I never thought I'd be a nit-picker, but there you have it.

If I can get up to Albany or down to Nanuet at some point, I may actually ask the Apple Store if I can take the phone outside. Maybe leave a grandchild as security. I'd like the larger screen and the 5G anyway, but neither has been enough to get me to cough up the money so far. A third benefit / use might swing me toward that.

But first I'm going to re-test the 7t in the sun, which appears to be trying to burn through the OVC. Maybe it's at least good enough now, in which case I'll wait for you to test the Smart Controller for me. ?

Thanks again.

Also be aware these phones tend to overheat and shut down when it gets real hot. My Mini 5 did that with another brand drone after 15 minutes outside flying even with a sunshade. Of course here in Central FL it gets very hot. The screen of my 12 Pro Max gets VERY hot just using it under "normal" outside conditions. Sometimes I wonder if it was defective but Apple says no especially at full brightness for extended time which it will be outside even sitting in a shaded area.

 

[GeekOnTheWing]

Also be aware these phones tend to overheat and shut down when it gets real hot. My Mini 5 did that with another brand drone after 15 minutes outside flying even with a sunshade. Of course here in Central FL it gets very hot. The screen of my 12 Pro Max gets VERY hot just using it under "normal" outside conditions. Sometimes I wonder if it was defective but Apple says no especially at full brightness for extended time which it will be outside even sitting in a shaded area.

Okay, that's an argument in favor of the Smart Controller then. Thanks.

 

[Eagle's Eye Photo]

Yanno, a properly designed sunshade could provide an effective solution for $20.00.

Thanks.

I thought about that and will think about it again after I try the phone on a sunny day, without the screen protector, and with the adaptive brightness on. My feeling is that it's more of a fundamental lack of brightness than a glare problem, but cumulative incremental improvements can often add up to something significant.

Give me another week to wait for supplies to come in and I'll post what I have come up with... ?

 

[wmaldridge]

I presently use an iPhone 11 as my DD phone, and a OnePlus 7t for my remote control.

I find the screen brightness on the 7t much too low to be useful. I haven't been using adaptive brightness, however, and someone posted somewhere that it has some sort of limiting feature when in full manual brightness control. So I do plan to try that next.

I've been thinking about upgrading to the iPhone 12 Max anyway, however. Apple will give me (I think) $350.00 in trade, and I get a 10 percent veteran's discount; so it wouldn't be all that expensive.

Has anyone used the iPhone 12 Pro Max as a controller for their EVO II / EVO II Pro? If so, how's the brightness? Also, how's the app? I haven't tried it for the lack of a cable, which is easily enough solved.

Thank you.

Yes I have. Works ok. Use a sun shade with it

 

[wmaldridge]

I presently use an iPhone 11 as my DD phone, and a OnePlus 7t for my remote control.

I find the screen brightness on the 7t much too low to be useful. I haven't been using adaptive brightness, however, and someone posted somewhere that it has some sort of limiting feature when in full manual brightness control. So I do plan to try that next.

I've been thinking about upgrading to the iPhone 12 Max anyway, however. Apple will give me (I think) $350.00 in trade, and I get a 10 percent veteran's discount; so it wouldn't be all that expensive.

Has anyone used the iPhone 12 Pro Max as a controller for their EVO II / EVO II Pro? If so, how's the brightness? Also, how's the app? I haven't tried it for the lack of a cable, which is easily enough solved.

Thank you.

Yes. I have. I have iPhone 12 Pro Max. Works great but use a sun shade. Use your iPhone charging cable as your controller cable connection. App works great. I use an iPad occasionally also. Brightness is not much better than the phone you have. Sun shade helps but smart controller would be best but not ready for price.

 

[GeekOnTheWing]

Yes I have. Works ok. Use a sun shade with it

Thank you.

 

[GeekOnTheWing]

Yes. I have. I have iPhone 12 Pro Max. Works great but use a sun shade. Use your iPhone charging cable as your controller cable connection. App works great. I use an iPad occasionally also. Brightness is not much better than the phone you have. Sun shade helps but smart controller would be best but not ready for price.

Thanks.

I'll have to check again with the 7t in the sun to get a baseline. I missed the brief sunshine because I had a backup program that was trying to upload 150 GB of files to replace the identical files on an AWS backup. I had to put a stop to that action.

I'll also fabricate a temporary sun shade out of... something. If the 7t is almost good enough, then perhaps the Pro Max, although slightly better, would be good enough. Although I do have concerns about the heat now that @Retired In FL mentions it.

Fortunately, this is no kind of emergency. Thanks again.

 

[AirStreamPictures]

I use a 12 Max, and it works very well. It’s big enough to see, pretty well-balanced, and the app has worked well. I live in Maine, USA, where real hot weather is rare, so I can’t really speak to overheating—except to say I’ve had no issues with that.

 

[GeekOnTheWing]

I use a 12 Max, and it works very well. It’s big enough to see, pretty well-balanced, and the app has worked well. I live in Maine, USA, where real hot weather is rare, so I can’t really speak to overheating—except to say I’ve had no issues with that.

Thank you.

One odd thing I noticed was that when I used my iPhone 11 (non-Pro), the screen was much easier to read despite the display of the 7t being nominally much brighter. I think it was something like 625 nits for the iPhone 11 versus 1,000 nits (claimed) for the OnePlus 7t. That's a tough one to wrap my brain around.

It rarely gets really hot where I am, either. 90F+ days aren't what I'd call rare, but they're unusual.

 

[Retired In FL]

Just found this in a DJI group:

 

[GeekOnTheWing]

Just found this in a DJI group:

View attachment 10563

Thank you.

Nothing's ever easy...

 

[GeekOnTheWing]

I think I'll do nothing for now and wait for the Smart Controller. The iPhone 11 works passably well on sunny days as an interim solution. Either that or I'll root the 7t again and override whatever is limiting the brightness.

 

[Kruphen]

I presently use an iPhone 11 as my DD phone, and a OnePlus 7t for my remote control.

I find the screen brightness on the 7t much too low to be useful. I haven't been using adaptive brightness, however, and someone posted somewhere that it has some sort of limiting feature when in full manual brightness control. So I do plan to try that next.

I've been thinking about upgrading to the iPhone 12 Max anyway, however. Apple will give me (I think) $350.00 in trade, and I get a 10 percent veteran's discount; so it wouldn't be all that expensive.

Has anyone used the iPhone 12 Pro Max as a controller for their EVO II / EVO II Pro? If so, how's the brightness? Also, how's the app? I haven't tried it for the lack of a cable, which is easily enough solved.

Thank you.

I use a 12 max and it works pretty decent in sunny situations ( that is compared to other phones). Need to angle it a bit to reduce reflection.