DJI's tiniest and lightest drone is receiving a major update, both in terms of functionality and pricing. The new Mini 3 Pro features a redesigned design, 4K60 footage, a larger image sensor, a larger aperture, obstacle avoidance sensors, and even a larger battery option. Expect it to be more expensive than its predecessor. To begin, the Mini 3 Pro costs $669, and that's without a controller. You'll cost $759 or more with a controller, which is $300 more than last year's Mini 2.
The fact that the Mini 3 Pro weighs less than 250 grams hasn't altered, which means you won't have to register it with the FAA (with one important exception depending on what battery you choose). You can also capture vertical films and photographs by rotating the Mini 3 Pro's gimbal 90 degrees, which is a pleasant throwback from the original Mavic Pro. Snap's drone couldn't accomplish it without a lot of cropping.
In comparison to the 1/2.3-inch sensor featured in the Mini 2, the Mini 3 Pro sports a new and slightly bigger 1/1.3-inch sensor capable of filming video at 4K up to 60fps and HDR at 4K up to 30fps. Unlike the Mini 2, the Mini 3 Pro can film in a flat color profile, giving videographers greater post-production color options. The Mini 3 Pro can also take images at a resolution of up to 48 megapixels. All of the films were shot using a new camera that has an f/1.7 aperture, which is fantastic news for anybody interested in low-light drone photography and videography.
With obstacle avoidance sensors, the Mini 3 can do a lot more with autonomous flying modes including Spotlight 2.0, which keeps the subject in the frame while you focus on the flight, and Point of Interest 3.0, which circled people or buildings in a predetermined radius and speed. ActiveTrack 4.0 assists in tracking subjects autonomously from behind or while flying parallel to the side.
Other intelligent flying modes, such as MasterShots, which was launched in the DJI Air 2S and sends your drone out to automatically generate a short clip based on pre-programmed flights, are now available on the Mini 3 Pro. Hyperlapse films and other heritage planned flight patterns, such as drones, helix, rockets, circles, boomerangs, and asteroids, are now available on the Mini.
This year, the Mini 3 Pro comes with two battery options. The basic battery has a maximum flying time of 34 minutes on a single charge, which is somewhat longer than the Mini 2's 31 minutes. However, an "Intelligent Flying Battery Plus" is available for purchase, which enables a maximum flight length of 47 minutes. Each has a hover duration of 30 and 40 minutes, respectively. However, utilizing the larger battery means your drone will be heavier than 250 grams, so if you're planning on paying extra on the "Fly More Kit Plus" that comes with that battery, don't forget to register your drone with the FAA. It will set you back $909.
DJI is also introducing a new remote controller, the DJI RC, in addition to the drone. It's a much lighter and simpler version of the DJI RC Pro, which costs $1199. It has a brilliant 700 nit 5.5-inch built-in screen, so it doesn't require a phone. Normally, DJI drones need you to plug your phone into the controller, and this is still the case with this drone unless you buy an extra $340 for the new DJI RC to be included. At launch, the DJI RC will only be compatible with the Mini 3 Pro. "There is the possibility to be interoperable with additional drones in the future," according to DJI.
The Mini 3 Pro is available for pre-order starting today, with a variety of packages to pick from. You can get the drone for $669 if you already have a compatible remote controller, such as the RC-N1 that came with the Mini 2, Air 2, and Air 2S. The drone plus the regular RC-N1 controller may be purchased for $759. And if you want the drone with the latest DJI controller with a screen, you'll have to pay $909.
At this time, however, DJI does not have a clear shipment date to confirm. The DJI Mini 3 Pro will be available in North America this summer, but that's as definite as DJI could get.
In addition, for an additional $189, you can buy the Fly More Kit package, which contains two more Intelligent Flight batteries (the normal ones that keep your drone under 250g), a charging hub, two sets of propellers, and a shoulder carry bag. For $249, you can get the Fly More Kit Plus, which contains everything described above but adds bigger 47-minute batteries instead of the usual ones. This implies that the price of this drone might range from $669 to $1,158, and that's before you include the cost of an extended warranty.
Mini 3 Pro uses OcuSync 3.0 technology for its connection, as do other contemporary DJI drones, promising connectivity up to 18.6 miles – not that you should ever fly it that far. Don't do it.
The suffix "Pro" in the name hints that a non-professional version of the Mini 3 might be on the way. However, DJI has yet to confirm that such a drone is in the works.