Drone industry leader DJI unveiled the Mavic Air, the new $799 model that finds the sweet spot between the $399 Spark and the $999 Mavic Pro.
The Mavic Air is an upgraded version of the Spark and a cheaper version of the Mavic Pro, offering customers another option among DJI drones.
DJI Mavic Air vs Spark vs Mavic Pro
DJI Managing Director Michael Perry took the stage at a New York event to announce the Mavic Air, and he started by pulling out two of the drones from his vest pockets. This highlights the size of the Mavic Air, which takes up half the space of a Mavic Pro and weighs about 41 percent lighter. The Mavic Air is a bit bigger and heavier than the Spark though.
The DJI Mavic Air retains some of the high-end capabilities of the Mavic Pro. The drone comes with a 4K camera on-board, mounted on a new and improved three-axis gimbal, and a 12 MP camera for taking still images. The Mavic Air also comes with the Active Track feature, which allows the drone to follow the movements of its subjects, as well as support for the gesture controls that were first introduced in the Spark.
In terms of battery life, the Mavic Air is capable of 21 minutes of flight time, in between the 16 minutes offered by the Spark and the 27 minutes offered by the Mavic Pro. The drone also comes with internal storage of 8 GB, with a microSD slot for memory expansion.
The drone, however, comes with a "sport" mode that will let it fly at 42.5 miles per hour, faster than both the Mavic Pro and the Spark, which have maximum speeds of 40 miles per hour and 30 miles per hour, respectively.
DJI Mavic Air Preorders Now Open
DJI has opened preorders for the Mavic Air, which is set to start shipping on Jan. 28. Customers can now go to DJI's official website to place an order for the $799 drone, which comes with color options of black, red, and white, and a dedicated controller with no integrated display. There is also a $999 Mavic Air package that comes with additional batteries, a charging hub, and several other accessories.
At $799, the Mavic Air is still a bit on the expensive side. However, as an upgrade to the sometimes underwhelming Spark and as a smaller and cheaper version of the Mavic Pro, the Mavic Air looks like a winner.
Hopefully the Mavic Air does not suffer from the same shipping delay as the Mavic Pro.
