DJI has announced the new DJI Flip, the first folding drone to feature full propeller guards from the leading company. This puts the company squarely in competition with HoverAir, a whole new category for the company which only introduced its first AI tracking drone – the DJI Neo – late last year.
This however, is bigger with a more powerful camera, targeting a new market; DJI are calling it a Vlog Camera Drone and, again, I find myself asking, "Is THIS the drone that Skydio never managed to make?"
It certainly seems to be what the company is going for, based on Product Experience Director Ferdinand Wolf's comments: “Building on the success of our consumer camera drones, we are introducing DJI Flip to combine the simplicity of the DJI Neo with the stunning photo capabilities of the DJI Mini to make both aerial photography and close-up portraits accessible for everyone.”
That's certainly what's on offer here – the drone uses a one-tap launch from the hand system (as you can see in my DJI Flip review – yes, I've enjoyed some early access), but also offers DJI's remote control system which offers a good range and 'traditional' controls – a 'best of both worlds'.
The 1/1.3-inch CMOS sensor boasts Dual Native ISO, has an F1.7 aperture – wider than many drones – and 2.4μm 4-in-1 pixels. Depending on settings, digital zoom of up to 4x is on offer, and RAW from the 48MP camera.
The drone also boasts significantly better battery life than other drones with caged props at 31 minutes (28 hover), nearly double the obvious competitor in the HoverAir X1 Pro Max. The carbon-fibre string prop guards may play a part in that. It is also as fast as other DJI Mini drones – up to 16m/s.
The DJI Flip is available now from the DJI Store (or 🇬🇧 Wex) in three bundles:
DJI Flip – including standard remote and one battery) for $439 / £369 / AU$699
DJI Flip (RC2) – which replaces the remote with the RC2, which has a built-in screen, for $639 / £549 / AU$949
DJI Flip Fly More Combo (DJI RC2) – which has the remote with the screen, three batteries, a charging hub (that can take up to four batteries), and a bag, for $779 / £659 / AU$1,159
Interestingly, accessories available include a cellular dongle.
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Check my full review of the DJI Flip, with sample video, or look for my guides to the best camera drones and best beginner drones.
