After several leaks, DJI has officially announced the company's smallest and lightest camera drone, the DJI Mavic Mini. As a matter of fact, it is so small and light that users don't even need to register it with the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration).
The latest palm-sized addition to the company's Mavic line-up may have been designed specifically with the intention of keeping the weight below the minimum 250 grams required for drone regulations to kick in. DJI claims the Mavic Mini is as light as the average smartphone, which is pretty impressive for a drone that can be controlled from up to four kilometres away and stay in flight for up to 30 minutes at a speed of 30MPH.
The foldable, ultra-light gadget is equipped with GPS receivers and downward visual sensors, which allows for precise hovering and stable flying, and 2.7k video recording at 30 fps, a step up from the Mavic Spark, which tops out at FHD.
The camera can also take 12-megapixel pictures and can generate smooth and stable footage thanks to its tiny three-axis gimbal, a standard on all of DJI's consumer drones, with the exception of the Spark.
The Mavic Mini does not include some of the extra sensors for obstacle avoidance or recognition like ActiveTrack, which is available on DJI's more expensive drones. However, what it lacks in sensors, it makes up for in portability with its pocket-friendly size.
It also comes with a companion DJI Fly app that filters out a lot of the unnecessary onscreen clutter of its other drone apps, but still has cool features like pre-programmed flight manoeuvres called QuickShots, which lets you shoot cinema-like footage around subjects with a tap of a button.
The Mavic Mini is available for pre-order in two variants. The standard model, which is priced at $399, includes the Mavic, Mini, remote controller, one battery, extra propellers, and all of the necessary accessories.
Then there's the Mavic Mini Fly More Combo, which includes all of the above with the addition of a 360-degree propeller cage, two-way charging Hub, three batteries in total, three sets of extra propellers and a carrying case for an additional $100. Both models will start shipping on Nov. 11.
