The Coros Pace 4 is one of my favourite recent GPS sports watches; I think it’s one of the best-value wearables on the market. It’s one of those smartwatches that seem to deliver so much more than you would expect for its price tag. It’s super lightweight and slim, with a simple design that makes it functional without overcomplicating things.
But the initial Coros Pace 4 range only had two colour options: black or white. Since then, we have seen a few additions, including an aluminium version that comes in Cloud White or Black Crystal, as well as a black and gold version made as part of a partnership with long-distance runner Jakob Ingebrigtsen.
Now, the Coros Pace 4 comes in two new vibrant colours: Ultraviolet and Neon Yellow. Looking over these new colours, the thing I like most is the monochromatic approach they took. Coros hasn’t mixed a bunch of colour together or tried to be too clever with it. They have picked their colours and kept them consistent over the whole watch. I love this approach as sometimes colour combinations can be divisive.
Coros Pace 4 – Neon Yellow. Images: Coros.
The new look also pairs well with the Pace 4’s beautiful 1.2-inch AMOLED display. This display is one of the smartwatch’s highlights, bringing all of its functionality together on a bright and clear screen.
Coros Pace 4 – Ultraviolet. Images: Coros.
These new colour options are in fact the aluminium version of the Pace 4, meaning they have an aluminium alloy bezel. This is the more premium spec for this watch, so that’s another bonus. Coming in at $499 in Australia, these new colours are available now on the Coros website.
Screenless health trackers are taking off, and now Garmin is getting involved, having recently launched the Cirqa Smart Band, the brand’s first screenless wearable.
Conventional smartwatches are still extremely popular, with analytics firm IDC estimating nearly 160 million unit shipments throughout 2026. However, there’s a growing trend towards devices without displays, given that we spend so much time distracted by screens already. Alternatives include smart rings from brands like Oura and Samsung, while Whoop is well-known for its screenless health trackers.
Sharing more of an aesthetic with Whoop’s wearables, the $299 Garmin Cirqa Smart Band only has a single button. It’s used to select different activities to track, like walking and running, which the wearable can also detect automatically. Keeping the form factor thin means there is no built-in GPS, so it needs to be connected to a phone for precise location tracking.
Image: Garmin.
Within the Cirqa are sensors that track metrics like heart rate, steps, and sleep quality. Using a fabric band, it’s meant to be worn all day, with up to 10 days of battery life. Garmin says you can wear it on your wrist or higher up on your arm, depending on what’s more comfortable.
Without a screen, you can’t review activity data at a glance. Instead, the Cirqa syncs with the Garmin Connect app, where you can review your metrics more intentionally, without the distractions of a watch pinging with notifications throughout the day.
As part of the Australian launch of the Cirqa Smart Band, Garmin is hosting a mini wellness retreat dubbed the “Recharge Lounge”. Taking place at Sage Space in Sydney on 12 and 13 August, Aussies can book in to enjoy a relaxation session, have some healthy snacks, and try the Cirqa, with giveaways and discounts up for grabs.
Google’s Gemini AI technology has taken another step forward in Australia, with the local launch of ‘Ask Maps’, a feature that lets users interact with Google Maps conversationally.
Making interactions with technology feel more natural and conversational has been one of the main goals of tech companies’ generative AI explorations so far. Instead of using specific language, clicking or tapping in certain sequences, the aim is to make interacting feel like chatting with another person.
Ask Maps is Google’s latest attempt at this approach, infusing more of its Gemini platform with the widely used maps app. It’s also another string to the company’s ‘Personal Intelligence’ bow, which fetches information from multiple Google apps (like Gmail and Photos) to answer queries.
Image: Google.
Rolling out in Australia now in English to begin with, Ask Maps lets users type or speak questions within Google Maps. An example from Google involved asking for ferry timetables with views of the Sydney Opera House. The app then showed a list of ferry times, including recent delays and stop closures.
Tapping into Personal Intelligence, Ask Maps can also factor in details from other apps, like flight bookings in your calendar or Gmail inbox. Based on another example from Google, the feature suggests what time to leave, and any recommendations of what to see and do beforehand.
Akin to other chatbot-like interfaces, similar to Apple’s Siri AI update, Ask Maps also saves previous interactions for future reference.
Australia’s launch of the feature coincides with the US gaining a food-ordering feature in Google Maps. While that specific feature isn’t available locally yet, it’s an indication of what’s on the horizon.
As Ask Maps rolls out in Australia, it’ll be available to try as an option below the search bar.
Long a name synonymous with noise-cancelling headphones, Bose has launched the 2nd Gen version of its core QuietComfort range, tweaking the design, adding more listening modes, and improving ANC performance.
Bose described the new model as getting a “refreshed industrial design”, along with the brand’s ‘TrueSpatial’ technology. At $549.95 in Australia, the new QuietComfort is the same RRP as the previous model (some colours are currently discounted to $299.95 at the time of writing.
Wireless by design, the QuietComfort 2nd Gen also supports wired USB-C playback, enabling lossless quality 24-bit audio. Naturally, you’d need to find music in a lossless format to truly benefit, which is available through some streaming services, like Apple Music and Spotify.
Bose has also introduced three ‘Immersive Audio’ modes to the new headphones. ‘Still Mode’ keeps the audio in a fixed position, while ‘Motion Mode’ follows the wearer’s head movement. There’s also a ‘Cinema Mode’ designed for movies, TV shows, and podcasts, which is meant to produce a wider soundstage while retaining dialogue clarity.
Image: Bose.
True to the name of the headphones, there are also improvements to what Bose calls its ‘QuietControl’ noise cancellation technology. Using a six-microphone system, the QuietComfort 2nd Gen blocks out external noise, with tweaks to compensate for gaps in the ear cup seal caused by wearing glasses or hats. Bose also claims that the ANC better adjusts to loud noises when in Aware Mode, bringing down the sound more smoothly.
With the redesign, the Bose QuietComfort 2nd Gen has more oval-shaped ear cups compared to its predecessor, part of several subtle changes aimed at improving the headphones’ fit. It also uses a soft leatherette material in the headband. Importantly for physical control lovers, each earcup has buttons.
Bose puts the QuietComfort 2nd Gen’s battery life at around 24 hours in normal listening. That number drops to 18 hours when using the Immersive Audio features.
Bose QuietComfort 2nd Gen release date
Pre-orders for Bose’s new headphones open on 7 August for MyBose members, and 8 August everywhere else. They’ll launch on 13 August in a choice of five colours: Black or White Smoke, plus the limited-edition Eucalyptus Green, Dewdrop Mint, and Rosewood Mauve.
My wife’s iPhone 13 Pro recently travelled with us from home here in Canberra, to London, then Rome, then Assisi, then to Rome again, and then to… Algeria.
That last part of the journey was not with us.
In May, we returned from a few days in Assisi, Italy, to Rome. I’d never been to Italy before, so it was all new to me. I’d certainly recommend Assisi, especially in early May when the Spring Festival, Calendimaggio, is happening. We caught the train back to Rome, and then boarded the 64 bus to get to Campo de’ Fiori, the plaza normally populated by open-air markets, where Giordano Bruno was burned at the stake for heresy in 1600, and where our digs were for the next week or so.
My wife was navigating on her phone, trying to make sure we got off at the right stop on Corso Vittorio Emanuele II. The bus was incredibly crowded. It stopped. We got off. And her iPhone 13 Pro was gone.
Who did it? There was a suspicious-looking character with a full garbage bag on the bus. Or was it the charming pair of English and Australian men with whom we engaged in conversation, and who got off at the same stop, even helping us with our luggage, but who then disappeared very quickly indeed?
So there we were, somewhere near our destination. But all the details of our trip, and the tickets for tours we’d bought, were on her phone. Not mine. My wife remembered enough about where we were heading for me to find it on my phone. There we went, got greeted by the owner and received a briefing on the unit. All the while, I was jumping up and down internally to do something about the phone. My wife usually just lets the phone lock itself when she’s finished using it, so there was a good chance it was unlocked when it went into her pocket on the bus, distracted as she was by conversation and navigation. Which means, a good chance it was unlocked when it was lifted by whoever.
Which means, ready access to Apple Pay.
Tracking the lost device with Find My iPhone
Once we were free, we got to work. I whipped out the MacBook Air I had brought with me, and we went to Find My iPhone. I use Chrome on all my devices and sometimes access my wife’s accounts to do various things for her, so this worked! Chrome entered her logon details. We saw that her phone had gone back to somewhere near the train station on which we’d boarded the bus. I checked our bank accounts, and there had been no unexpected activity on them. After a while, it seemed clear that the phone had been locked, either by my wife or by the thief or by a simple time-out.
That was a relief!
We considered things briefly. The chances of recovering the phone? Less than one per cent. We weren’t going to chase criminals through a foreign city. So we decided to make sure things were secure. When you click on your device in iCloud’s ‘Find Devices’ and select one of them, in addition to it showing you a map with the location, it gives you three options: ‘Play Sound’, ‘Lost iPhone’ or ‘Erase’.
Image: Apple.
We mourned the phone for a few seconds, then clicked ‘Erase’. Damage limitation was now the objective. That popped up a two-factor authentication screen on the computer, asking us to enter the “verification code” which “has been sent to your devices”. By “your” it meant my wife’s. My wife’s only other Apple device was an ancient iPad Mini which was sitting in a drawer under our TV 16,000 kilometres away. Presumably the erase code had also been sent to the stolen iPhone.
Fortunately, there was a link under the authentication message: “Cannot access your devices?” We clicked on that and were delivered a message which cautioned us it might take a while to verify my wife’s identity if we proceeded. We clicked ‘Continue Anyway’, and the next step was for Apple to send an authentication code to my wife’s email address. We clicked ‘Send Code’, and then I went to Gmail on Chrome. I’ve accessed my wife’s email plenty of times. Hey, we’ve been married for more than forty years! We trust each other with this stuff!
But I’d never accessed her Gmail account using the MacBook Air. I normally used my Windows desktop computer. Gmail was suspicious. It wanted two-factor authentication … sending a code to my wife’s iPhone 13 Pro. Which of course was in the hands of some thief somewhere in Rome. It offered no other options.
I guess they call that a Catch-22.
The Italian job
We gave up on the ‘Erase’ strategy and selected ‘Lost iPhone’ instead. That did not require the same level of authentication. It simply made sure the phone was locked, and allowed us to place a message on the lock screen about who to contact should it be found. That we did. The next day, Find My iPhone had lost contact with it.
Reasonably confident that my wife’s information, while not erased, would be pretty secure, we did a little research. Apparently, phones with decent security, like iPhones, which are stolen, are usually sent somewhere to be broken down for spare parts to be resold. So, no identity theft, no attempts to empty our bank account.
It was a pain, but we reported the theft at Stazione CC Roma-Piazza Farnese to a nice policewoman, and when we got home, travel insurance covered some of the cost. It turned out that my Samsung Galaxy did have access to my wife’s email account. I must have previously used it at some point for that purpose. So we were able to retrieve all the necessary information about the rest of our trip, and we must have got the ‘Erase’ option started. Since by this time Apple had lost contact with the phone, the actual erasure would have to await someone switching it on. Even when switched off, the phone would have continued casting its presence for 24 hours, but then it would have disappeared.
The theft was on 11 May.
Then, the other day, 2 August, my wife received an email from Apple: “Judy’s iPhone was found near Bir Khadem Bir Algeria at 23:28 CET”. The time stamp was 8:28 am our time.
Screenshot: Stephen Dawson.
It took two and a half months for the stolen phone to make its way from Rome to Algeria, Birkhadem, a couple of kilometres from the centre of the capital, Algiers. It is around there that it will presumably be broken down for parts. I imagine that the people in Algeria powered it up briefly to make sure that the screen was in good nick. And then switched it off again, because it hasn’t appeared again since then.
Screenshot: Stephen Dawson.
As I proofread this a couple of days later, Find My Phone has lost the location (it only holds it for 24 hours), and shows “Erase Pending…” If it does come online again, the Erase will likely start. I doubt that it will ever come online again.
Screenshot: Image: Stephen Dawson.
What I learned about Find My iPhone
It turns out that Find My iPhone does in fact work! But it also turns out that if you’re away from your Apple devices, taking the strongest security actions in the event of theft may be very difficult.
I’d suggest that you take another Apple device with you, one that’s properly logged into your account and has accessed your emails and anything else you might be using (such as a venue booking app). You can pick up a second-hand iPhone SE Gen 2 for less than $200. Set it up and then you can leave it in your luggage, powered off. It won’t need a SIM. Just connect it to Wi-Fi in case of emergency. And then you’ll at least be able to protect your personal information by wiping your stolen phone, so long as it hasn’t been switched off.
Amazon’s revamped AI-based assistant, Alexa+, is now rolling out in Australia, aiming to provide a more conversational smart home experience.
Alexa+ first launched in early access overseas last year, using generative AI technology to respond to more complex queries. Like Google’s recently released Gemini Home upgrade, the new version of Alexa can use your information to provide more personalised responses. Amazon says the LLM-powered smart assistant can make restaurant bookings, travel reservations, and provide you with local news headlines,
According to an Amazon blog post attributed to Kate Gooden, Alexa Country Manager, Australia, the company’s local team worked on many different Australian idiosyncrasies to distinguish Alexa+ from the overseas version. It’s likely why there was a lengthy wait between the US launch and local availability.
“Building Alexa+ for Australia requires more than just swapping out a few words – it requires understanding how Australians actually communicate,” Gooden said. “She knows what a “servo” and “bottlo” are, that Bunnings does a great weekend snag, and that the Roosters would never line up against the Magpies (wrong code, mate).”
Alexa+ won’t be immediately available to everyone, however. Amazon is doing a staged rollout, with Aussies able to request early access if they have an eligible device. Compatible devices currently include the following:
Echo Show 5 (3rd Gen, 2024 model)
Echo Show 8
Echo Show 11
Echo Show 15
Echo Studio
Echo Dot Max
Echo Spot (2024)
Echo Dot (5th Gen, 2022 model)
During the early access period, Amazon won’t charge anything for the upgraded smart assistant. At this stage, early access is planned to last until 30 November 2026. Once it ends, Alexa+ will be included with Amazon’s $9.99 monthly Prime subscription, or $29.99 as a standalone subscription. That price difference indicates a strong push to get people within the Prime ecosystem.
DJI’s Mic Mini 2 was a relatively minor upgrade earlier this year, but the Mic Mini 2S (note the added ‘S’) is a more expansive upgrade to the tiny wireless microphone form factor. It’s more foolproof and versatile, but such an upgrade comes with a higher price tag.
So much of the content we consume online is shot on phones. As good as standalone cameras are, the convenience and quality of modern phones make them a tougher sell. Ask people who make video content for a living, and most will tell you — aside from start with what you have on hand — that a good microphone should be the first major upgrade you invest in. Bad audio kills otherwise good-looking videos.
Highlighted and bolded on my mental checklist for a wireless microphone is that it must have internal storage. Technology hiccups are inevitable, so I don’t want a signal dropout to be the reason I lose an entire recording. Most mics with onboard storage are usually bulkier or pricier, unfortunately.
With the addition of internal storage, the DJI Mic Mini 2S is an easy recommendation for creators keen to step up their productions. Good audio, flexible settings, and broad compatibility make it one of the best small-sized wireless microphones, as long as you don’t mind paying a bit of a premium.
Differences between the DJI Mic Mini 2S and Mic Mini 2
I like to think of the Mic Mini 2S as the true sequel to DJI’s first petite microphone. Iterative changes summed up the Mic Mini 2, while the 2S feels a much more meaningful upgrade. Perhaps it’s part of DJI’s future product strategy: sell a basic cheaper model and then follow it up with the more feature-rich version.
Easily the biggest new feature is internal storage. Each DJI Mic Mini 2 transmitter has 16GB, which equates to nearly 30 hours of 24-bit audio recordings (enabled by default). It’s the first time one of DJI’s ‘Mini’ wireless microphones has included onboard storage.
Although the best-case scenario is that you’d never have to touch the internal recordings, it’s a handy backup. As good as wireless technology is these days, a bit of interference or a glitch is all it takes to ruin a recording.
Image: Chris Button.
Say you’re shooting a video, and something goes wrong with the connection between the transmitter and receiver; at least you could transfer the audio from the mic and manually sync it with the visuals. Plus, the onboard storage means you could use the Mic Mini 2S to quickly record interviews or foley when out and about.
Annoyingly, at the time of writing, the only way to retrieve internal recordings from the transmitter is via the full-sized charging case (as confirmed by the user manual). This leaves you stranded if you only buy the transmitter or the bundle with the smaller mobile charging case. Fingers crossed that DJI adds wireless file transfers to the Mimo app in a future update to bring the Mic Mini 2S in line with other devices.
On the topic of backups and flexibility, the Mic Mini 2S adds 32-bit float recording to the existing 24-bit audio support. It’s a format that captures a broader dynamic range, which might save the day if someone suddenly yells into the microphone and blows out the audio.
Another neat upgrade is that the Mic Mini 2S receiver can connect up to four transmitters simultaneously. With the Mic Mini 2, you could only connect two, so there’s more flexibility for group recordings.
The price of upgrades
These extra features come at a cost, though. Compared to the Mic Mini 2, the DJI Mic Mini 2S costs nearly twice as much across most bundles. One Mini 2 transmitter costs a relatively cheap $49 in Australia, while the Mini 2S costs $99.
On top of that, the Mic Mini 2S bundles cost $149 (one transmitter, one mobile receiver, and a charging case) and $279 (two transmitters, a receiver, and a charging case), respectively, compared to the Mic Mini 2’s $89 and $149 equivalent bundles. Over on Rode’s side of the fence, the Wireless Micro bundle costs $170.
DJI’s mobile charging case (left) compared to the full-sized case (right). Image: Chris Button.
Although realistically, the dual transmitter with receiver and charging case combo isn’t that much more expensive than the original Mic Mini’s $245 launch price (pre-subsequent price drops). For comparison, the equivalent bundle for the larger DJI Mic 2 is $309, and the recent DJI Mic 3 costs $479.
In other words, the DJI Mic Mini 2S is pricey as far as ‘mini’ microphones are concerned, but it’s still cheaper than the regular-sized variants.
DJI Mic Mini 2S specifications and price
Recording formats
24-bit 48KHz 32-bit float 48KHz
Internal storage (transmitters)
16GB
Size
Transmitter: 28.58 × 28.04 × 13.52 mm (transmitter) 12g Receiver: 46.50 × 29.61 × 19.32 mm 19g
Not much has changed, form factor-wise. The DJI Mic Mini 2S is still a petite little unit, not much bigger than a name badge (depending on how big your badge is, of course). It turns out that 16GB of storage weighs roughly one gram, because a transmitter is 12g, compared to the 11g of the Mic Mini 2.
That’s before you attach the magnetic clip to the back, which you can use to attach transmitters to clothes. Alternatively, you can bypass the clip entirely. If you detach the clip, you can put it inside your top and magnetically connect it to the transmitter on the outside.
Image: Chris Button.
Not that the mic is very heavy, but it looks neater without the clip drooping off looser clothing and collars. I tried attaching a transmitter magnetically through a thick hoodie, which worked well enough. The force was strong enough to hold the mic in place, but I felt that a gentle bump would’ve dislodged it. I’d recommend using the clip for thicker clothes, and the magnet for shirts and thinner sweaters.
Thanks to the small size, I found it much easier to attach the Mic Mini 2S than my older Rode Wireless Go II. I haven’t used the Rode Wireless Micro, so I don’t have a like-for-like comparison, but the smaller mic and magnetic option proved more versatile than the comparatively bulky wireless mics I’ve used before.
Compared to the Wireless Go II, the Mic Mini 2S is tiny. Image: Chris Button.
Because the DJI Mic Mini 2S doesn’t have an audio jack for lav mics, your only way of recording is to stick the transmitter prominently on your talent. For everyday creators, that’s fine; much of social media’s aesthetic leans into microphones being visible. It’s why DJI also sells multicoloured magnetic faceplates (a set costs $35 in Australia) for the microphone, so you can accessorise and pair with outfits. I wear all the colours of the rainbow, so it makes sense for folks like me who assault people’s senses with bright hues.
Image: Chris Button.
Unfortunately, the prominent DJI branding and lack of audio jack are less ideal for professional productions. On broadcast TV or commercial projects where branding can’t be visible, the DJI Mic Mini 2S isn’t as suited as a ready-made audio solution. If it’s the DJI ecosystem you want, the Mic 2 (non-Mini) is the most recent model with lav mic support. Controversially, DJI removed the audio jack from the Mic 3 when it downsized the form factor.
Depending on the bundle, DJI supplies two different sizes of charging case. The smallest case comes with the mobile recording bundle, fitting one transmitter and a dongle. DJI’s larger case houses two transmitters, a receiver, and space for a USB-C adapter to connect the receiver to other devices, like phones, computers, and cameras. It’s a convenient setup that charges via a USB-C port, keeping the equipment topped up in between uses.
From left to right: Rode Wireless Go II charging case, Mic Mini 2S mobile charging case, Mic Mini 2S full-sized charging case. Image: Chris Button.
Control quirks
It took me a while to remember the DJI Mic Mini 2S’ on-device controls. On the transmitter are two buttons: the larger one with red colouring is the record and power button, and the smaller one is the connection button.
Pressing the big button starts an internal recording, met by a small vibration to confirm. You can disable the vibration or the on-device lighting, but I liked it as a clear indication that the mic was up and running. Another press stops recording, and a long press turns the transmitter off.
Image: Chris Button.
What confused me at first was the connection button. Holding it down puts the transmitter in pairing mode. Here, you can connect a mic to a phone over Bluetooth or with a 2.4GHz dongle included in one of the bundles. A blue light indicates Bluetooth, while green indicates a 2.4GHz connection. When I first paired the Mic Mini 2S with my phone, it was via the 2.4GHz USB-C dongle. But the DJI Mimo app that manages the brand’s devices wouldn’t let me update its firmware with the dongle attached.
After unplugging the dongle, I put the transmitter in pairing mode and connected via Bluetooth. Mimo then downloaded and applied the update without further delay. However, when I wanted to reconnect using the 2.4GHz dongle, the mic kept defaulting to Bluetooth.
Image: Chris Button.
A bit of reading confirmed that double-pressing the transmitter’s connection button is what manually swaps it between Bluetooth and 2.4GHz modes. With that morsel of knowledge, it was smooth sailing, but it took a while to figure out. Why couldn’t I change the connection method via the Mimo app? If I’m already in the device management software, I’d at least like to have the option to toggle connection settings without touching the hardware, especially if someone else is wearing the mic during a shoot.
Fortunately, the rest of the settings, like gain adjustments and recording formats, within Mimo worked as intended — for the most part. Connecting to DJI cameras, like the Osmo Pocket 3, is as seamless as can be. Depending on the connection type, though, some quirks remain. For example, when using the mobile dongle, Mimo can’t change the noise cancellation levels. This must be done via the physical switch at the base of the dongle.
Another annoyance is that the Mic Mini 2S receiver doesn’t display any sound levels. Unlike the non-Mini DJI mics, which have a receiver with real-time monitoring, the Mimo app is your only source of live levels.
Equally as petite, the receiver doesn’t display live sound levels. Image: Chris Button.
The fact that most of my (admittedly minor) irritations were merely quirks, and not anything more severe, boded well for the overall user experience. Once I got past the initial learning curve, DJI’s ecosystem was without much friction.
Sound quality
You get one of these microphones because you want something that sounds better than a phone or a camera’s built-in microphone. On that front, the DJI Mic Mini 2S easily clears the bar. Recordings are clear and capture far more depth than any built-in mic.
Part of the problem in getting good audio is getting close to the source. When a camera or a phone’s microphone is away from the speaker, you lose a lot of detail and usually pick up a lot of reverb when indoors, crosstalk when in crowds, and wind noise when outside. Because the Mic Mini 2S is so easy to position, it’s a simple answer to most audio troubles.
By default, DJI’s microphones record a reasonably neutral-sounding tone. In Mimo, you can also choose between ‘rich’ and ‘bright’ tones that aim to accentuate different frequencies. Rich brings out a voice’s bass, while bright reduces the bass and brings out the higher frequencies in an effort to improve clarity.
Regular tone test recording.
These voice tone presets are subtle but noticeable when wearing headphones. I have a naturally deep voice, so I preferred to use the regular setting without any post-processing applied. If I want to change anything afterwards, I figure I can do it in the edit suite.
Rich tone test recording.
By comparison, ‘rich’ sounded a little muddy, but would likely work well on voices without much natural bass. ‘Bright’ reduced the bass of my voice, which would help it stand out in recordings with a lot of low-end sound. But again, it’s best if I do the edits manually later for the most flexibility. However, I see a use case for time-poor creators or those unfamiliar with digital audio workstations.
Bright tone test recording.
Testing noise cancellation
Next, I tried DJI’s built-in noise cancellation settings (also known as ‘noise reduction’ in the Mimo app). On previous Mic Mini models, DJI advertised the feature as ‘Active’ noise cancellation. This time, the Mic Mini 2S has what’s called ‘AI’ noise cancellation.
DJI claims that an improved chip uses a neural processing unit to provide better vocal isolation with less of the distortion that can happen with voice noise cancellation technologies. I don’t have previous DJI Mic Mini models on hand to compare, but I was impressed by the Mic Mini 2S’ voice isolation on the whole.
By default, noise cancellation is off, recording everything the mic picks up. Either through the Mimo app or the mobile dongle, you can choose between two noise cancellation levels.
Where it gets slightly confusing is DJI’s use of different wording: the app lists ‘basic’ and ‘strong’, while the mobile dongle uses ‘O’ for off, ‘L’ for low, and ‘H’ for high. They all refer to the same thing, but ideally there would be universal language between the hardware and software.
To test how it works in action, I recorded outside (without a windshield) near a noisy air conditioning unit, with construction work happening nearby, and birds chirping overhead.
Outdoor test recording, no noise cancelling.
Without any noise reduction, I could hear all the nearby sounds, but my voice came through above everything as the nearest audio source. Setting the noise reduction to low noticeably brought down the air conditioning sound. It was still audible, but much less prominent. I’d pick the low setting for recording at events or crowded places to capture my voice clearly while retaining the ambience of the surroundings.
Outdoor test recording, low noise cancelling.
Turning the reduction to the highest setting eliminated the air conditioner entirely, as well as all other neighbouring sounds. Through headphones, I could detect the slightest bit of processing at the edges of my voice, but it didn’t sound robotic, like you can get from some vocal isolation technologies.
Outdoor test recording, high noise cancelling.
I’m astounded by how such a small wireless microphone can produce such good audio. Its built-in processing features aren’t a novelty, either, providing genuine usefulness should a situation warrant it.
Who is the DJI Mic Mini 2S for?
If I were in the market for a wireless microphone, the DJI Mic Mini 2S would be at the top of my list. It retains the convenient form factor of other ‘mini’ microphones while adding internal storage and more recording options.
Internal storage alone makes it worth a look for creators who want to avoid a single point of failure. More expensive than similarly designed microphones, the DJI Mic Mini 2S justifies the premium by adding a safety layer not previously available in this form factor. Gaining more features on top of that is a nice bonus.
DJI Mic Mini 2S
Internal storage alone makes the DJI Mic Mini 2S an easy recommendation for creators seeking a feature-rich audio upgrade.
Performance
9
Features
9
Ease of use
8
Design
8.5
Value for money
8
Positives
Much better audio quality than you get straight out of a camera
Onboard storage is essential for saving headaches later
AI-based noise cancellation works well without interfering too much
Multiple connectivity options
Small and convenient form factor
Negatives
Nearly double the price of the Mic Mini 2
Slightly fiddly on-mic controls
No audio jack for lav mics
Currently only one method for retrieving internal recordings
