Comparison

Sony | Imaging Edge Mobile vs Drone Smooth Operator

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Sony | Imaging Edge Mobile

Wirelessly transfer photos and videos from your camera to your smartphone. Control your camera remotely for unique shooting opportunities and add location data to your images. Save and apply camera settings for convenience.

Highlights
  • Transfer images and videos from camera
  • Automatic background transfer
  • Remote camera shooting with live view
  • Record location information to images
  • Save and apply camera settings
Read full description

Imaging Edge Mobile allows images/videos to be transferred to a smartphone/tablet, enables remote shooting, and provides location information to images captured by a camera. ■ Transfer images from a camera to a smartphone - You can transfer images/videos. - The selection and transfer of images after shooting are no longer needed as the automatic background transfer function allows images to be transferred to a smartphone as they are captured. *1 - High bit rate video files including 4K can be transferred. *2 - You can view and transfer images in your camera from your smartphone even when the camera is turned off. *2 - After transferring, you can immediately share your high quality images on social networks or through email. *1 See here for supported cameras. Files are imported in 2MP size when using this function. https://www.sony.net/dics/iem12/ *2 See here for supported cameras. Availability of video transfer and playback varies depending on smartphone in use. https://www.sony.net/dics/iem12/ ■ Remote shooting of a camera using a smartphone - You can capture photos/videos remotely while checking the live view of a camera on a smartphone. *3 This is convenient for capturing night views or water flowing scenes which need long-exposure, or macro shooting in which you need to avoid to directly touch the camera. *3 Models that support PlayMemories Camera Apps can use this feature by installing "Smart Remote Control" (in-camera app) on your camera in advance. http://www.sony.net/pmca/ ■ Record location information - With cameras that have a location information linkage function, the location information acquired by the smartphone can be added to the captured image in your camera. For supported models and detailed operation methods, see the support page below. https://www.sony.net/dics/iem12/ - Even with cameras that do not have a location information linkage function, it is possible to add location information acquired by your smartphone to the photos saved on your smartphone during remote shooting. ■Save and Apply Settings - You can save up to 20 camera settings in Imaging Edge Mobile. You can also apply a saved setting to a camera. *4 *4 See here for supported cameras. Save and Apply Settings are supported only for cameras with the same model name. https://www.sony.net/dics/iem12/ ■ Notes - Supported operating systems: iOS17.7-26.6 - This app is not guaranteed to work with all smartphones/tablets. - Features/Functions available for this app vary depending on the camera you are using. - For supported models and information on features/functions, see the support page below. https://sony.net/iem/

About

Drone Smooth Operator

Features
Read full description

Smooth Operator helps you create, edit, import, and export DJI waypoint missions for use with the DJI Fly app. Start a mission on iPhone or iPad, or create a mission with Smooth Operator for Mac and load it on iOS through the shared iCloud mission library or KMZ import/export workflow. Plan on the larger Mac workspace, then bring the mission to your mobile device to review, save, and prepare it for DJI Fly. Build missions from scratch, add waypoints and points of interest, adjust altitude, speed, heading, gimbal pitch, hover actions, and mission behavior, then export your mission as a DJI-compatible KMZ file. Use the map editor to place and move mission points visually, review the flight path, and fine-tune each waypoint before flying. Features include: - Create new DJI waypoint missions - Import and export DJI-compatible KMZ mission files - Open missions created with Smooth Operator for Mac - Save and load missions with iCloud - Edit waypoints, coordinates, altitude, speed, heading, turns, and gimbal settings - Add points of interest for waypoint heading and camera targeting - View and edit missions on an interactive map - Browse, rename, delete, and save missions in a DJI Fly mission database folder - Optional online elevation lookup for altitude planning Smooth Operator is designed for pilots who want to plan missions on Mac, continue on iPhone or iPad, and prepare waypoint files that can be flown with DJI Fly.

Screenshots

Sony | Imaging Edge Mobile4 screens
Drone Smooth Operator4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Sony | Imaging Edge Mobile at Free against Drone Smooth Operator's $4.99. Sony | Imaging Edge Mobile also leads on chart position (#179 vs unranked) and iOS requirement (17.7 vs 26.2). Drone Smooth Operator's advantage is update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 3 months). On ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Sony | Imaging Edge Mobile is free to download; Drone Smooth Operator costs $4.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Sony | Imaging Edge Mobile ships an update every 3 months, Drone Smooth Operator every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 20, 2026 and October 6, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 7 level
Sony | Imaging Edge Mobile versus Drone Smooth Operator: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSony | Imaging Edge MobileDrone Smooth Operator
PriceFree — better$4.99
Rating1.6 (6.7K ratings) — better—
Positive reviews16.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings6.7K — better—
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree—
Best chart rank#179 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, Mac
Requires iOS17.7 — better26.2
Further details — not scored
Size51 MB3 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSony CorporationSamuel Alaniz

Bugs and requests

Sony | Imaging Edge Mobile

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • App crashes frequently
  • Fails to connect to camera
  • Incompatible with latest iOS versions
  • Creates unnecessary photo albums

Requested features

4 requests
  • Add support for RAW file transfer
  • Improve camera control functionality
  • Provide better user guidance and instructions
  • Enhance stability and reliability

Drone Smooth Operator

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Sony | Imaging Edge Mobile

No in-app purchases

None

Drone Smooth Operator

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Sony | Imaging Edge Mobile free?
Sony | Imaging Edge Mobile is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Drone Smooth Operator free?
Drone Smooth Operator costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.
Do Sony | Imaging Edge Mobile or Drone Smooth Operator have ads?
Neither Sony | Imaging Edge Mobile nor Drone Smooth Operator shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Sony | Imaging Edge Mobile or Drone Smooth Operator?
Sony | Imaging Edge Mobile ships an update every 3 months, and Drone Smooth Operator every 2 weeks. Most recently, Sony | Imaging Edge Mobile was updated on October 20, 2026 and Drone Smooth Operator on October 6, 2026.

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