UPDATE: DJI has launched the Mavic Air 2 on April 27 and the drones will start shipping in early May, You can preorder here. DJI Mavic Air 2 is available with a price tag of $799.
Previous coverage
With more than a third of the world’s population under lockdown, it doesn’t look like the perfect time to see a new product launch. However, it seems DJI is planning to motivate us with Mavic Air 2. Recall, in 2018, DJI released the compact Mavic Air drone worth about $799, now $599. Although it has a lot of interesting features, they are not enough for serious video and photo works. Now after two years, it seems the giant drone company is ready to release an improved version of the popular DJI Mavic Air. DJI is the world’s largest maker of consumer drones with over 70% share of the global market.
Clues Pointing That DJI Mavic Air 2 Is Almost Here
While a few clues are pointing to the fact that DJI Mavic Air 2 is coming pretty soon, the major one is the event coming up soon. The event tagged Up Your Game is set for the 27th of April at 9:30 pm ET as seen on the official website. The company also announced it on its official Twitter account a few days ago.
https://t.co/HP98ZzTTQq pic.twitter.com/RnAuDEwuI5
— DJI (@DJIGlobal) April 15, 2020
So, considering the photos, and drone’s quick start manual shared by Anatel, it seems the event is for DJI Mavic Air 2. Anatel is the telecommunications standards supervisor for Brazil, similar to the USA’s Federal Communications Commission (FCC).
The name ‘Mavic Air 2’ has also been spotted in an FCC filing. However, the filing didn’t reveal much about the drone other than its name.
Mavic Air 2 Camera Features
Also, on translating the manual, it’s seen that DJI Mavic Air 2 has a 48-megapixel camera that will capture up to 4K video. The frame rate has not been confirmed yet, but Drone Reviews & News expects it to shoot 4K videos at 60fps, up from 30fps for the original Mavic Air. The camera also has an obstacle sensor and intelligent flight modes, including ActiveTrack 3.0, Point of Interest 3.0, Advanced Pilot Assistance 2.0, and QuickShot. It also features 3-axis image stabilization.
For the uninitiated, the ActiveTrack 3.0 technology allows users to lock-in on a subject, letting the drone automatically follow the subject. The Point of Interest 3.0 will allow users to set an automated flight path around the subject.
According to Drone Reviews & News, it will also get the OcySync 2.0 technology. The drone will have a 1/2-inch 12MP CMOS sensor that can shoot 48-megapixel ‘stitched’ stills. The 12MP pictures are stitched together to achieve 48MP resolution. The 1/2.3-inch sensor in the original Mavic Air could capture only 32MP stitched stills. It will be able to transmit 1080p images to smartphones.
Battery and Flying Time
What’s more interesting is that the specifications of DJI Mavic Air 2 were also on the leaked documentation. On the Mavic 2’s power source manual, we can see that the drone might have a battery of 3500 mAh at 11.5 volts or a little over 40Wh. That’s an improvement compared to Mavic Air’s intelligent flight battery capacity, which is 2375 mAh.
All of these contribute to the drone’s ease to capture complex shots. Furthermore, Mavic Air 2 will achieve a maximum flying time of 34 minutes and a maximum flying speed of 68.4 kph (42.5 miles per hour). Even the most expensive Mavic 2 currently has 31 minutes of flying time. The drone is said to have a range of 8 kilometers. By also comparing that to the original Mavic Air which offers 21 minutes flight time at a consistent 25 kph, that’s an improvement.
Mavic Air 2 Design
Also, judging from the leak photos, Mavic Air 2 is going to have a similar design as the Mavic 2 series. It will also come with a new controller design that is significantly different from that of Marvin Air. Besides that, there’s a change in how you attach your phone to the drone. Rather than below it, you’ll now be able to mount on top of it. It is similar to how the phone is mounted on Parrot’s Anafi drone. France-based Parrot is one of DJI’s major competitors.
Furthermore, there is a replacement for the single switch placed in the middle for sport mode. Now, there is a three-way toggle for normal, sport and tripod modes. The latter works by limiting the drone’s speed and helping you smoothen your set-piece shots.
With the Mavic Air 2 features and design seen on the leaked documentation, it’s obvious that we’ll enjoy the new drone technology upon release.
Release date and Price
The “Up Your Game” event schedules to hold soon. So, there’s a chance of Mavic Air 2 drone getting launched on April 27. DJI hasn’t revealed when it would start accepting pre-orders or when the drone would go on sale.
However, because of the current Coronavirus that has most people under lockdown, there’s uncertainty as to when DJI will release the new technology. Managing the supply chain and delivering the products to customers could be a major challenge amid the Great Lockdown.
It’ll be difficult to say the price of Mavic Air 2 since there’s nothing like that on the leaks. However, we can make some guesses, using the original Mavic Air’s release price as reference. So, we should be expecting the price to be between the $899 and $1199.
