The DJI Magic Air drone is a lavish new entry model from the same company. The air model is slimmest of the lot boasting 21 minute flight time with much improved obstacle avoidance and a High bit-rate 4K UHD video session. While the lack of USB Charging & of 4K DCI video might be a turn off but there are automated flight modes with HDR and Panorama captures.
DJI, a company which has always boasted market with its high quality products & decent sales network in consumer drones category literally failed in its first effort to sell drones. The $919 Mavic Air is a pretty likeable successor over Spark model of last year. While Air model is a small drone it still packs a lot of technology in that area.
Ergonomics – It’s the smallest drone from the company as of now & the drone is foldable that makes it highly portable across the itinerary. The folded Mavic Air measures 1.9×3.3×6.6 inches which is just accurate enough to fit most pockets across the segment.
The whole segment weighs 15.2ounces and the unfolded version has dimensions 2.5×7.2×6.6 inches.
The Mavic Air comes in Arctic White, Flame Red and Onyx Black finish. A remote control is packed in the whole package but its of least use as the Air model can be also flown through hand gestures & smartphone app. The range is 2.5-miles with remote & around 262 feet with smartphone. Remote is in stark similarity with Mavic Pro Platinum. Control sticks can be detached for storage and DJI has lightning, micro USB & a USB-C cable.
Battery – Battery is right at the bottom which is in analogy to Mavic pro Platinum and it lacks a USB cable unlike spark. It can only be charged via the provided charger. As per DJI, the drone can stay in air for about 21 flight minute on a fully charged battery. While the actual users have claimed 18 minutes of flight time it’s still much better than spark model but less than Pro model which has around 28 minutes flight time. So, if you are someone who prefers longer flights better go for Pro model.
Storage – The Air has 8GB internal memory & USB-C port. A standard microSD slot with support of microSDHC & microSDXC media. Remember that the internal storage is not enough so one needs external storage. Internal storage can last only for recording 10 minutes of 4K video.
Updates – The DJI gives off frequent updates usually firmware related. While this can be an agony for recurrent travellers. Updates are given off on smartphones and takes around half an hour to be updated.
Flight Modes – Drone is equipped with GPS & GLONASS systems. This helps for automated flights, uniform hovering & certain safety features like return-to-home. There are certain no fly zones where it is prohibited to fly. The drone responds to hand gestures as well called the Smart Capture. Waving your hand can control the drone. Smart capture is limited to 1080p.
Miscellaneous functions – Wider shot ability , movement tracker, smart selfie shots, phone control, automated flight modes, Active track system, TapFly for controlling drone via tap, Quick Shots (Rocket, Dronie, Helix, Circle & Asteroid), Sport flying, Obstacle detection & avoidance system and Advanced Pilot Awareness System (APAS).
Video & Imaging – Boasts a 4K camera stabilized using 3-axis gimbal. It can easily take 4k UHD res at 24,25 or 30fps with 100MBps compression. Also supports 2.7k. As we have noted earlier, video quality is pretty decent.
Verdict – The Mavic pro shows that it doesn’t matter whether the drone is small or big, all are equally powerful. Out of all the siblings, this is by far the company’s smallest, most portable drone that boasts a lot of feature and tech curiously packed inside that box.
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