The New DJI Mavic Mini is Coming

Rumors are circulating around a new DJI product launch set for the end of the month. We don’t know when it will be, but according to documents filed by DJI with the FCC, a new drone is coming: the Mavic Mini.

Things have been pretty quiet from DJI since the launch of the Mavic 2 Pro and Zoom last year. On the consumer drone product front, anyway.

There have been plenty of commercial launches and steps into new territory, including the Osmo Mobile 3, and the company’s first shot at FPV Drone Racing Gear – just to name a few.

But now it looks as though the Chinese manufacturer’s line of consumer drones is about to get a revamp. The Spark and the Mavic Air are the closest things to being ‘mini’. They were launched in 2017 and at the start of 2018 respectively. So by DJI’s standards of rapid iteration, it’s about time the smaller drones were updated.

What to expect from a Mavic Mini

The obvious step would be for DJI’s new mini drone to improve upon the Spark’s camera, while still being ultra-portable and offering an accessible path into aerial photography for beginners.

We might also see a miniature drone with obstacle sensing tech beyond what’s on offer from the Mavic Air and the Spark, which both only detect obstacles in front and below while flying.

This new drone’s success will really depend on the price point. It’ll be interesting to see what features and tech DJI introduce to justify another outlay to existing Spark and Mavic Air pilots.

One expectation is that the Mavic Mini will squeeze in under the 250 gram threshold put in place by aviation authorities around the world, which could mean buyers avoid having to register their aircraft or sitting any kind of pilot exam to fly the new drone.

Either way, there’s a suggestion that DJI may not have it so easy in the consumer drone business in the months ahead. Skydio has just launched a compelling proposition for new and existing drone pilots, which should push other manufacturers in the space to innovate further.