New DJI Mavic Air 4K Foldable Drone Launched

DJI revealed last week that it would conduct an event in New York City on January 23rd. The company didn’t say what it would unveil at the event but a report yesterday leaked pictures of what it was due to announce today. DJI has now officially launched its new Mavic Air drone. It brings together some of the best features of DJI’s Mavic Pro and Spark drones.

The DJI Mavic Air has a 1/2.3 inch sensor that’s capable of recording 4K video at 24 or 30 frames per second. It can also take 12 megapixel stills with a wide angle 24mm f2.8 lens.

The foldable design is similar to the Mavic Pro from the top and very similar to the Spark from the front. It also happens to be 41 percent lighter than the Mavic Pro. The Mavic Air can reach speeds of up to 42.5 miles per hour against winds of up to 22 miles per hour. The drone has a 2.5 mile visual line of sight range courtesy of its new antenna design. It comes with a new remote that has an integrated display.

DJI has also built a new ventilation system for the drone which it says will prevent the drone from overheating. It promises smooth footage courtesy of the new 3-axis gimbal casing for the camera. The drone is also equipped with a seven-camera obstacle avoidance system. It’s DJI’s first drone with 8GB of onboard storage and comes with a USB-C port for easy transfer of content.

There are new shooting modes, including one that lets users take 32 megapixel panoramas, and improved image processing for an overall better imaging experience. Despite all of these improvements, the drone’s flying time leaves a lot to be desired. It can fly for up to 21 minutes.

DJI is going to sell the Mavic Air in Onyx Black, Arctic White, and Flame Red colors for $799 in the United States. It’s available for pre-order starting today via DJI’s online store and will ship January 28th.