Skip to main content

Digital Trends may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site. Why trust us?

DJI’s new Mavic Air drone shoots in 4K, does 43 mph, and fits in your pocket

We were admittedly a bit disappointed when DJI showed up to CES earlier this year without any new drones to show off, but it appears that the company had something new to show off all along. At a January 23 press event in New York City, the company unveiled the Mavic Air: A lighter, more streamlined version of the company’s popular Mavic Pro.

Much like it’s predecessor, the Mavic Air is designed with portability in mind — but it takes things to a completely new level. Thanks to its compact form factor and folding arms, the Air is not only half the size of the Mavic Pro, but also 41 percent lighter. During the unveiling event, DJI’s Managing Director Michael Perry pulled not one, but three Mavic Airs out of the pockets of his vest.

Amazingly, despite this impressively small size, the Mavic Air is somehow smarter and more capable than the Pro. It sports a seven-camera vision positioning system, which allows it to map the area around itself while it flies, and use that map to sense and avoid obstacles. Plus, in addition to DJI’s standard suite of intelligent flight modes, the Mavic Air will ship with DJI’s  new-and-improved Active Track and Quickshot functions.

The new Active Track is essentially just more accurate, responsive, and easy to use. Users will be able to track multiple subjects simultaneously, and simply tap on subjects to begin tracking them (in previous versions, you had to draw a box around whatever you wanted the drone to follow).

The Mavic Air will also sport three new Quickshot modes: Panorama, Boomerang, and a crazy new one called Asteroid. In Panorama, the drone autonomously snaps and stitches a series of photos together to create a wide, sweeping shot. With some software magic, it can even create a “spherical panorama,” which folds the shot into a neat-looking globe shape. In Asteroid mode, the drone creates one of these spherical panoramas, then zooms back down to you. The end result is a fake (but admittedly cool) super-zoom effect that ends with a selfie. Check out the video to see it for yourself.

DJI definitely didn’t skimp in the camera department either. Thanks to its 1/2.3 CMOS sensor and 34mm lens, the Mavic Air is capable of shooting 13 megapixel stills, and 4K video at 30 frames per second. Better yet, the camera itself sits inside a new-and-improved 3-axis gimbal that not only provides stabilization, but also helps protect the camera during flight and transport (which was an issue with the Mavic Pro).

To top it all off, the Mavic Air can also fly faster and longer than the Pro. It tops out at 42.5 miles per hour, and can stay airborne for 21 minutes on a single charge. Oh, and did we mention it also has 8GB of internal storage? This little guy is jam-packed with features.

If you’re interested in getting your hands on one, DJI has opened up pre-orders today. You can snag the base package for $799, or dish out $999 for the Combo Pack, which includes additional accessories and attachments. DJI expects to begin shipping by January 28.

DJI

Editors' Recommendations

Drew Prindle
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Drew Prindle is an award-winning writer, editor, and storyteller who currently serves as Senior Features Editor for Digital…
YouTube TV launches 4K Plus upgrade with yet another price jump
A couple of people watching YouTube TV.

YouTube is aiming to score new sign-ups for its YouTube TV service ahead of imminent sporting spectaculars such as the Tokyo Olympics and the MLB All-Star Game.

YouTube’s existing live TV service offers more than 85 channels for $65 a month, and this week the Google-owned streaming giant announced the addition of a new 4K Plus tier that adds 4K resolution, offline downloads, and unlimited simultaneous streams at home (exceeding the current limit of three) for an extra $20 a month.

Read more
DJI Air 2S enters pro territory with its one-inch camera sensor and 5.4K video
dji air 2s drone one camera sensor news specs price lifestyle 2 of 4

One company that’s been getting a ton of exposure lately is DJI. Just last month, the company announced its most ambitious drone to date, the DJI FPV drone, which finally brought the company into the world of first-preson view (FPV) drones. Now, it looks like there’s still more gas in the tank because we’re getting yet another brand-new drone!

Following in similar footsteps to Apple, the DJI Air 2S is a refresh of the company’s Mavic Air 2 drone from less than a year ago. Boasting the same compact and foldable design from before, the Air 2S is most notable for the 20-megapixel, 1-inch sensor it’s boasting -- a substantial size upgrade over the ½-inch sensor used by the Mavic Air 2. With a larger sensor, you can expect better results, especially in lowlight situations, because it’s able to absorb more light.

Read more
Can you stream Netflix in 4K with 5G?
can you get netflix in 4k with 5g phone

Now that 5G network coverage is spreading across the U.S. at a rapid rate, it's time to start talking about potential 5G use cases that will make it worthwhile for the average consumer. So we're digging into 5G technology and asking one of the most important questions: Can you stream Netflix in 4K with 5G?

In theory, the answer to that question is yes. In practice, we probably aren't quite there yet. 5G is faster than 4G in some areas of the U.S., offering higher download speeds and a more consistent connection. However, it's unlikely that you'd be able to stream Netflix in 4K with 5G right now. But that doesn't mean it won't be possible in the future.
 Limits on streaming quality
The fact that 5G isn't powerful enough to handle 4K streaming just yet isn't the only hurdle here. Some major 5G carriers compress and limit streaming video quality on some plans, making it currently impossible to get anything beyond 1080p on your mobile device. So if 4K streaming is something you really want, just make sure you understand the limits of your phone plan before you hop on the 5G bandwagon.

Read more