Smartphone Brands Step Into the Gimbal Camera Market
OPPO and Vivo are developing compact handheld gimbal cameras with 200MP sensors and deep phone integration, signalling a strategic move by smartphone makers to extend flagship imaging technology into the dedicated vlogging hardware market and compete directly with established pocket gimbal cameras. According to leaks from tipster Digital Chat Station, both companies are working on portable devices that resemble DJI’s OSMO Pocket concept, but with smartphone-grade sensors and processing. Each handheld vlogging camera is tipped to feature a 1/1.12-inch 200MP camera sensor, likely matching Sony’s LYT-901 used in recent phones, and to run on high-end chips for AI-heavy photo and video processing. These projects are described as independent efforts, with OPPO’s carrying the internal codename “Fuyao” while Vivo’s plans surfaced earlier in the year, pointing to a broader push by phone makers into the gimbal camera market.
Hasselblad and Zeiss Add Pro Credibility to 200MP Sensors
A key part of OPPO and Vivo’s strategy is to bring their existing camera partnerships into this new hardware category. OPPO’s gimbal camera is expected to feature Hasselblad branding, while Vivo’s model is tipped to carry the Zeiss name on the lens and marketing. This mirrors the branding on their flagship smartphones and helps sell the idea that these are more than accessories; they are camera-first devices. Both handhelds are reported to share the same 200MP sensor on a 1/1.12-inch chip, giving them a strong hardware base for high-resolution stills and detailed video. Paired with high-end processors, they should support advanced computational photography and stable footage without the compromises often seen in small sensors. For creators who already trust Hasselblad- or Zeiss-tuned phone cameras, that shared branding could lower the barrier to trying a dedicated DJI OSMO competitor.
Direct Challenge to DJI’s Pocket Dominance
OPPO and Vivo are clearly aiming these devices at the same audience that buys DJI OSMO Pocket and Insta360 gimbal cameras: vloggers, influencers and mobile creators who want a small, stabilized system they can keep in a pocket. Reports describe the upcoming models as compact, lightweight gimbal cameras built for single-handed use, echoing the form factor of DJI’s OSMO Pocket line. They will enter a gimbal camera market already seeing innovation from DJI and Insta360, including dual-camera designs, but hope to stand out through phone-like imaging specs and existing user bases. According to Gizmochina, Vivo is preparing an initial production run of about one million units, which shows strong confidence in demand for a handheld vlogging camera that ties into its phone ecosystem and offers a 200MP camera sensor as a headline feature.
Deep Smartphone Integration and Ecosystem Play
Beyond optics and stabilization, OPPO and Vivo are betting on tight ecosystem integration as their main advantage over standalone rivals. The upcoming gimbal cameras are being designed to connect seamlessly with the companies’ smartphones, so users can move clips and photos to their phones, edit them with familiar apps and publish to social platforms in a single flow. This kind of friction-free handoff could appeal to creators who already shoot, edit and post almost everything from their phones but want better stabilization and low-light performance than a phone alone can offer. Because the devices will reportedly run on flagship-level chips, they can also handle on-device processing such as noise reduction, HDR, and AI video effects before handing content off to the phone. The goal is to turn the camera-plus-phone combo into a unified production pipeline rather than two separate devices.
Strategic Shift: Smartphone Maker Hardware Beyond Phones
The move into handheld gimbal cameras marks a significant shift in smartphone maker hardware strategy. Instead of limiting innovation to phone modules and software, OPPO and Vivo are building standalone imaging products that still rely on their phone ecosystems. Industry observers expect both gimbal cameras to launch before the end of 2026, giving the companies time to refine hardware, co-branded optics and cross-device features. If they deliver strong stabilization, a high-quality 200MP sensor and a smooth pairing experience, they could pressure DJI and Insta360 on both performance and price without needing to invent a new user base. For OPPO and Vivo, success would mean turning mobile imaging expertise into a broader platform of creator devices, blurring the line between smartphones and dedicated cameras and setting a template for future smartphone maker hardware beyond the handset.
