DJI's recently revealed foldable drone, the Mavic Pro, is gunning for GoPro's Karma in what looks like a tight competition for the foldable unmanned aerial vehicle market.
We pitted the DJI Mavic Pro against the GoPro Karma so that you know which one brings most bang for the buck.
Mavic Pro vs. Karma
Foldable Drone Wars
Looking at the specs of these drones, the Mavic Pro from DJI sports better hardware than the GoPro Karma. It flies at 40 mph, while the Karma only counts 35 mph, and its power source is bigger, with 27 minutes of battery life against the 20 minutes on the Karma.
Size factor also gives the Mavic Pro the edge, as it is tinier than the Karma.
One important difference comes from the controllers. The GoPro Karma features a controller that relies on a built-in display, while the Mavic Pro has an optional controller. This means that users can pilot it using their phone.
Taking a leaf out of Phantom 4's book, DJI gifted the Mavic Pro with an obstacle avoidance system that relies on five sensors to analyze its surroundings. On the other side of the aerial battle, the GoPro Karma lacks obstacle avoidance features of any kind.
Follow Mode
DJI also allows users to give it commands with gesture control, but it looks a bit like a gimmick intended for advertising purposes and less practical in real life. However, the Mavic Pro does bring some neat follow modes.
The drone is programmed to do a combo of front-profile-circling around the user, which could be very handy for adventure seeking users.
So far, no information on a follow function for the GoPro Karma exists.
Camera
The DJI Mavic Pro features a 4K-ready video camera that is tied to the drone. The GoPro Karma, on the other hand, is more versatile, as it is compatible with multiple Hero cams, such as Hero3, Hero4, Hero5 Session and the new GoPro Hero5 Black.
The GoPro Karma also features a removable stabilizer, which can also act as a handheld gimbal when recording.
GoPro crafted an all-around Karma foldable drone, which clearly outranks DJI's Mavic Pro in versatility.
Price
The DJI Mavic Pro costs $750 sans remote control, and around $1,000 with the dedicated controller. The standard price for the GoPro Karma is $800, with the build-in display controller on board.
When looking at buying a new drone, personal preference and previous experiences can be a decisive factor. So far, it seems that DJI's Mavic Pro offers a tad more for the average user that is not on a budget.
Which one of the two devices would you choose as a gift for the upcoming holiday season? Let us know in the comments section below.
