DJI Mavic Air: Folding 4K mini drone lands Jan. 28 for $799
DJI’s colorful little Spark is enough camera drone for most people and starts around $400. But if you want more — longer range, a better camera, more flight time — you had to step all the way up to the company’s Mavic Pro ($999.00 at Dell Home). And that’s where the new Mavic Air comes in.
Announced on Tuesday, the Air is essentially an upgraded Spark, starting at $799, £769 or AU$1,299. It folds like the Mavic Pro to make it more convenient for travel and has folding feet to help lift it above grass and gravel for take-offs and landings. It can fly further and faster than the Spark and stay in the air longer: DJI claims a flight time of up to 21 minutes. That’s not quite as good as the Pro’s 30 minutes, but better than the Spark’s 16.
Like the other models, the Air is loaded with sensors to help it do things like avoid obstacles in front, behind and below, and keep it stable even without a GPS lock. In fact, it will not only avoid objects but can fly itself around them, according to DJI.
