Is Litchi App Available for P4 Pro?

Manny1234 · Dec 14, 2016

I am a beginner looking to buy a drone. I've heard fantastic things about the Litchi App, most importantly that it is easy to use for beginners. I was ready to buy the P4 Pro then realized that the Lichi App may not be compatible with the P4 Pro. Does anyone know if Litchi is compatible with the P4 Pro? If not, do you know if Litchi will come up with an update for it?

With the Litchi App potentially not compatible with the P4 Pro, I may just get the P4 so I can use Litchi (but the camera on the Pro is so much better!). I've heard the DJI Go app is not as user friendly as the Litchi app. Looking for thoughts on this as well.

Thank you!

smiller · Dec 14, 2016

DJI has not released the SDK for the P4P series so no, no 3rd party apps are compatible yet.

Litchi has some great features but I don't know that I'd recommend it for a beginner. Also note that DJI will void your warranty in a heartbeat if your flight logs indicate use of a 3rd party control app.

Manny1234 · Dec 14, 2016

Can I pick a flight plan and put the drone in automation using the DJI Go App?

msinger · Dec 14, 2016

You can create waypoint missions in DJI GO. The difference is that you have to fly to each waypoint to mark it. With Litchi, you can setup the waypoints right in the app by marking them on the map.

Techcop50 · Dec 14, 2016

You are better off learning on the DJI Go app, in my opinion. By the time you get a feel for the quad, the Litchi app may be available. And the P4Pro is definitely a superior camera, worth the wait.

Seawolf · Dec 14, 2016

Yeah, DJI definitely needs to open up the P4P to litchi. I find the preplanning with litchi actually a safety feature as I know exactly where it should be. If not in litchi, then DJI needs to offer the pre-planning of waypoints.

Sent from my iPhone using PhantomPilots

With The Birds · Dec 14, 2016

smiller said:
DJI has not released the SDK for the P4P series so no, no 3rd party apps are compatible yet.

Litchi has some great features but I don't know that I'd recommend it for a beginner. Also note that DJI will void your warranty in a heartbeat if your flight logs indicate use of a 3rd party control app.

User experiences posted here and elsewhere demonstrate that what you are saying is simply not true.
DJI won't void warranty simply because of third party app use, if the issue is DJI hardware or software related they will cover the repair/replacement. Things get problematic when the AC is lost in the crash and therefore the flight log on the internal SD card isn't available for analysis.

smiller · Dec 14, 2016

Yes, it would have been more correct to say that DJI may void your warranty if 3rd party app use is detected, and examples abound. The problem is that DJI is judge, jury, and executioner when it comes to warranty coverage and if they deny it there's not much you can do, nor will they necessarily want to discuss any further. I've seen threads where customers tried that after a warranty denial and the answer was a curt 'our decision is final.'

So they may deny coverage, or if you are lucky ad the failure is clearly and unequivocally due to an unrelated hardware failure then they may not. But if a 3rd party app was in use during a crash and they decide in their sole judgment that it is pertinent, don't think that they're going to debate the issue with you.

Rom3oDelta7 · Dec 14, 2016

I rely on Litchi also, esp. for waypoints. I have some shoots planned that I am waiting on Litchi for (route already mapped out on my P3, just want to re-shoot with my P4P).
In addition to the pre-planning aspect, Litchi also givers you more gimbal control. One of the essential features for me is setting POIs for the drone to stay pointed at during the mission. This makes doing 2-axis scrapes almost foolproof - the yaw is much better controlled than most people without a lot of experience could do. It enables you to get video that used to take multiple people and a lot of expensive equipment to do. Litchi does Orbit better than DJI also.

DJI had some reason to delete the waypoint planning feature - they used to have it and discontinued it. I can't imagine DJI not releasing the API, so I am hoping it is just a matter of time.