Artist's impression of the new Mavic Air. Source: Point Technology
The announcement of Chinese drone maker DJI’s new device was much anticipated at a special event in New York City. But just hours before the unveiling, DroneDJ let the cat out of the bag. The drone news blog shared alleged images and specs of the new Mavic Air drone, which it says are from a reliable source that has been correct in the past.
Source: DroneDJ
There’s a gap in the market between the current DJI Spark and Mavic Pro models. It would make sense for DJI to fill this gap, and based on the photos and information from DroneDJ, the new DJI drone may do this in terms of size and capabilities. The Mavic Air will reportedly feature a 32-megapixel camera capable of shooting 4K video, four foldable legs, 3-way gimbal (upgrade from 2-way on Spark), gesture control and will have a flight time of 21 minutes and is also expected to be compatible with DJI Goggles. The leaked photos also show some features such as the swooping lines shared earlier in the official DJI invitation as also in the DJI teaser video.
Word is that the new drone will be equipped with front, back and bottom sensors enabling it to avoid obstacles, as well as a VPS (visual positioning system) to improve control while flying and hovering. DroneDJ’s source claims that the Mavic Air will be available in black, white and red when it launches on Tuesday, but the price remains a mystery.
The features yet to be revealed are: the specifics of the codec which plays an important role in the actual quality of the 4K video footage; weight and dimensions and the speed of the drone. Specifics on the camera sensor (which will determine the quality of the 4K video) are not yet available, nor the range of the Mavic Air. Considering the flight time of the Air is squarely between that of the Pro and the Spark, something similar could be expected for the range. But there was more in another video that surfaced- the drone will apparently have various RC cables to connect to a smart phone along with an Intelligent Flight Battery and also a battery charger.
A teaser video from DJI’s website gives little away:
Overall the consensus is that based on the known specifications, it seems that the new DJI Mavic Air is more of an hyper-upgraded DJI Spark than a true successor of the current Mavic Pro. The 4K 60fps video and the 32-megapixel camera are definite upgrades. So is the VPS system which will make this drone easy to fly indoors. However, the 21-minute flight time is considerably less than the 30 minutes available with the DJI Mavic Pro Platinum Edition.
What will DJI’s live streaming will reveal? Find out on Tuesday at 10 AM ET!