Hohem iSteady V3 smartphone gimbal review: Smart and portable

I’ve been testing a wide variety of smartphone gimbals for some years now as a tech critic and pro photographer, and save for some small pros and cons, ultimately, they all offered about the same functionality. After all, these accessories are meant for one primary purpose: to reduce shake and smooth out videos. It was a bunch of the same, really… until recently. AI is entering the smartphone gimbal realm, and this was my first time trying these novel capabilities. Enter the Hohem iSteady V3, the first smartphone gimbal to get me excited in years.

Artificial intelligence aside, the Hohem iSteady V3 actually has much to offer. It’s a great gimbal in every other aspect, with plenty of modern features, a versatile design, awesome portability, and a focus on becoming “your personal videographer.” Not to mention, it is actually priced very competitively for what’s on offer. I’ve been putting the Hohem iSteady V3 through the paces for a couple of weeks now, and am ready to give you my two cents on it.

The Hohem iSteady V3 launched in July 2024 and is priced at $149 MSRP. While it is part of the manufacturer’s iSteady lineup, it is kind of in a new category of its own, borrowing aspects from other Hohem series. The Hohem iSteady V3 takes advantage of three-axis stabilization, which is the best around right now. This means that it can smooth out tilt, roll, and pan. The other option, two-axis, leaves panning stabilization out of the equation.

The box comes with a bunch of goodies, as this gimbal uses magnets for many of its design elements. Firstly, you’ll get the gimbal, which has an integrated selfie stick extension and tripod legs. There’s also a magnetic remote controller and a magnetic AI tracker that doubles as a fill light. A nice pouch is included, which is a nice touch, as well as a hex key tool and a USB-C charging cable.

Another important factor you should definitely consider is device compatibility. The Hohem iSteady V3 has a 300g payload capacity. This is excellent news, as even larger devices like the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra and the Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max weigh significantly less than this, at 232g and 227g, respectively. The device also needs to be 58–98mm wide and under 12.5mm thick. Again, this covers most phones in the market today, including the ones mentioned above.

Of course, any gimbal needs to get the basics right. So let’s talk about how the Hohem iSteady V3 works as a gimbal, AI and fancy features aside.

While I have definitely handled better-built gimbals in the past, I find the Hohem iSteady V3’s build and design quite nice. It’s mostly made of plastic, but it feels high quality and solid. All the buttons are very clicky, offering great feedback. The design is pretty ergonomic; it is very comfortable to hold.

When docked, the remote controller works as the on-gimbal controls, and the magnetic attraction is pretty strong. You never really feel like it is about to fly out. That said, I wasn’t a big fan of the magnets on the AI tracker/fill light. It seems Hohem wasn’t, either, so they added a locking mechanism to keep it in place.

The foldable design is quite convenient, too. When folded closed, I can actually fit it in my pants pocket, with only a bit of it sticking out. It doesn’t only become smaller for carrying around, but it also gets bigger when you need to extend it. The built-in “selfie stick” extends up to 205mm. This is a bit short compared to other gimbals with an extension rod, but it is good enough for recording yourself or shooting from lower (or higher) angles.

We can’t forget about the built-in tripod legs, which pull out of the bottom. They seemed way too thin at first, which made me think they might not be strong enough, but I was pleasantly surprised at how stable they were.

I have no complaints regarding stabilization performance. The three-axis stabilization works well, and the video comes out very smooth. As with any gimbal, learning the commands is a bit of a learning curve, but it becomes second nature once you learn everything.

I also wasn’t a big fan of the fill light. It helps in a pinch, but it is too harsh, which affects highlights and shadows too much. That said, this is an issue with all small light sources. And at least you can control the intensity and temperature to a degree.

Battery life is quite impressive, too, at up to 13 hours per charge. I actually can’t confirm this, but this is a good thing. I was never actually able to kill the battery in a single day.

Now, here comes the fun part. What makes the Hohem iSteady V3 special is its AI capabilities, and I was actually quite happy with them. The AI module actually works independently and requires no aid from the official Hohem Joy app. This may not seem like much at first thought, but it is kind of a game changer, as it means you can use automatic tracking and framing within any application. And since the remote control is removable, controlling the gimbal from a distance is very convenient. This is why Hohem calls it your “personal videographer.” The removable remote and AI tracking can make it easy to record clips on your own.

I loved using it to record myself using the stock camera app and during video chats with my friends. It works regardless of what you’re doing on your phone. In fact, you could even get creative. For example, you can use it while cooking so that the screen is always facing you while you are looking at a recipe or watching a YouTube video.

Tracking actually worked very well. The system managed to track me all across the room, even when I turned my back to it momentarily. It never really lost me when moving at a normal pace. I did run out of the frame to test it, though. It can definitely lose track of you, but it always recognizes you and starts tracking you again when you get back in its sight.

The gestures take a bit to learn, but just like the manual controls, they become second nature once you get a hang of how the AI tracker works. These gestures work very well. They aren’t perfect, and the tracker failed to capture my commands a few times, but I would say it got things right over 90% of the time.

I am actually not a fan of the Hohem Joy app. It is a bit too convoluted, full of ads, and overcrowded. This application is generally pretty confusing. It does have a Tutorial section, though, which helps learn the ins and outs of using your gimbal. And if you want to get creative, the editor has some fun video templates to make nicer video creations with your clips.

However, the app is the only way to access additional features. You can use it for panorama shots, time-lapses, slow motion, and more. You can also access what Hohem calls “Moments,” which are special effects that will make your clips more unique and cinematic. As it stands, though, the app is now more optional than necessary. You can use all the controls and main features without it, as long as you have a Bluetooth connection to your device.

Overall, it’s hard not to recommend the Hohem iSteady V3 smartphone gimbal. It seems to check all the boxes in the world of modern gimbals. It is nicely made, stabilizes video very well, is very portable, has a removable controller, features a fill light, extends like a selfie stick, and has built-in tripod legs — all for a $149 price, which is lower or equal to the competition. Not only that, but we often see it discounted to $129, which is the case at the time of publishing this review.

The biggest competitor is likely the Zhiyun Smooth 5S AI ($169 at Amazon), but that one costs $169. And while Zhiyun’s looks like a more refined gimbal, it lacks the removable controller, doesn’t extend, and the tripod isn’t built-in (it’s an added accessory). There’s also the Insta360 Flow Pro ($149 at Amazon) at $149, which does have the added 360-degree rotation feature, a selfie stick rod, and built-in tripod, but that one also has no removable controller. Overall, I believe the Hohem iSteady V3 to find a better balance between capabilities, a wide feature set, and price. It’s the best overall package in its price range.