DJI has released a new drone that is so portable, you can hold it in the palm of your hand. DJI's new Mavic Pro drone is a nifty foldable drone that can be safely tucked in your backpack or purse.
The Mavic Pro is so portable, The Verge's Ben Popper even tried to put it in the back pocket of his pant. But do not underestimate it because of its size: DJI has designed this drone to be small, but it has the same capabilities as DJI's flagship Phantom drone.
DJI's Mavic Pro is pretty much half the size and weight of the Phantom, but it is much slimmer thanks to its foldable props. Even at its size, it still features what DJI's Phantoms are known for; safety and security. Just like its bigger predecessor, the Mavic Pro also has obstacle avoidance, autonomous landing, and subject tracking features thanks to its front and bottom sensors.
The Mavic Pro comes with a standard camera: one with the same sensor that the Phantom 4 uses. It can capture 4K video at 30 frames per second, or 1080p video at 96 fps. It can also take 12-megapixel still shots in JPEG or Adobe raw. It's also stabilized by DJI's smallest-ever three-axis gimbal.
One advantage that the Mavic has over the Phantom 4 is the new OcuSync encrypted transmission system. CNET notes that because of this, one has control of the Mavic Pro up to 4.3 miles away - 1.2 miles farther than the Phantom 4's 3.1-mile capacity. The Mavic Pro can also live stream 1080p video from that distance, and is better than the Phantom's 720p streaming.
DJI designed the Mavic Pro to be affordable and will sell it either with a controller or without one. The controller is quite small, but still has a monochrome screen that displays important flight data. Users who want to see a live feed of what the drone sees can plug a smartphone into the controller.
DJI will start shipping the Mavic Pro on October 15 for $999 with the controller or $749 without it. Although it is priced relatively high, it is still cheaper compared to GoPro's portable Karma drone, which sells for $800 without a camera.