DJI Mavic Air Price, Release Date Revealed: 4K Drone Blends Mavic Pro, Spark

DJI has announced a new drone that combines some of the best features of the Mavic Pro and the DJI Spark. Called the DJI Mavic Air, the new $799 drone is super portable and is also capable of shooting 4K video.

The DJI Mavic Air will be available in onyx black, arctic white and flame red color options. At first glance, the drone looks similar to the DJI Spark. It’s smaller than the Mavic Pro, but slightly larger than the Spark. When folded up, the Mavic Air can still fit in a large pocket. DJI says that the Mavic Air is 41 percent lighter and half the size of the Mavic Pro.

“When DJI introduced the Mavic Pro, it reinvented what a consumer drone could be: powerful, yet portable, accessible, but advanced,” president at DJI Roger Luo said. “Today, with the introduction of Mavic Air, we have pushed these attributes to the next level to create our best consumer drone yet.”

The camera on the Mavic Air comes with a 1/2.3-inch CMOS sensor that’s the equivalent of a 24mm f/2.8 lens, according to The Verge. It’s capable of capturing 12-megapixel still images. It also uses HDR (high dynamic range) algorithms to make sure images are crisp and sharp. The drone itself can fly up to speeds of 42.5 miles per hour, and it can withstand 22 miles per hour winds. It also has a 2.5-mile range thanks to its additional antennas.

The DJI Mavic Air is also able to capture video in 4K resolution at 30 frames-per-second, something that the Spark isn’t capable of doing. For slow-motion video, the drone is able to shoot at 120fps in 1080p full HD. The camera is able to capture smooth video thanks to its mechanical 3-axis gimbal. The drone comes with 8GB of internal storage so users can start shooting on the go. There’s also a microSD card slot for expanding the storage capacity. The Mavic Air also has a USB Type-C port making it easy to transfer files faster.

DJI has also expanded the capabilities of its intelligent camera system on the Mavic Air. The new 4K drone supports multiple panorama modes that allow users to create horizontal, vertical and 180-degree images. It also comes with QuickShot video modes that let users take professional quality video with predefined flight paths.

There’s also an improved ActiveTrack flight mode that lets the drone sense multiple objects and follow singular subjects and keep them in-frame all the time. Lastly, there’s also SmartCapture wherein users will be able to control the Mavic Air with simple hand gestures.

As for flight safety, DJI has included seven additional cameras and infrared sensors in the Mavic Air. These will be able to collect data that will be processed by DJI’s FlightAutonomy 2.0 software to create a 3D map of the environment. This allows the Mavic Air to automatically avoid objects and other obstacles while flying. An Advanced Pilot Assistance System in the drone can also create a new flight patch to avoid hitting objects while in the air.

Overall, the Mavic Air fits in nicely between the Mavic Pro ($999) and the Spark ($399) in terms of features, size and pricing. For $799, the Mavic Air comes with the drone itself, a remote controller, a carrying case, two pairs of propeller guards and four pairs of propellers. There’s also the Mavic Air Fly More Combo which includes additional two batteries, two pairs of propellers and a battery to power bank adapter and charging hub for $999.

The Mavic Air is now available to pre-order from the DJI online store, the DJI Flagship Stores and from authorized dealers. The Mavic Air will start shipping on Jan. 28.