Elain Brown Tech 05.10.2022 11:May AM EDT

DJI's New Mini 3 Pro Drone Will Cost at Least $699 — Is It Worth It?

DJI has revealed their all-new Mini 3 Pro, the company's newest drone. The Mini 3 Pro is the first drone in the Mini series to feature Tri-Directional Obstacle Sensing which detects obstacles in three directions: forward, backward, and downward.

This DJI drone, while in flight, also has sensors that can enable its Advanced Pilot Assistance System to quickly detect safer paths around obstructions. The Mini 3 Pro is also equipped with FocusTrack, which lets the drone choose a subject that stays in the middle of the frame while it is in the air.

DJI Mini 3 Pro

DJI's Mini 3 Pro is lightweight and foldable just like the company's other drones, making it ideal for traveling because it can be packed into a compact carrying case.

In addition, since the Mini 3 Pro weighs only 249 grams, it does not require registration with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in the United States, and it is consistent with drone rules in many nations, in addition to being safe due to its lightweight design.

According to MacRumors, the Mini 3 Pro, DJI's successor to the Mini 2, has functions that were previously only available on the company's higher-end Mavic and Air drones. It now boasts greater flight performance, a better camera, longer battery life, and enhanced artificial intelligence capabilities.

Also, the new DJI drone can shoot 4K video at 60 frames per second and has a redesigned gimbal that lets the camera take pictures from more angles, like tilt-up shots and real vertical shots for portrait mode.

However, as a consequence of a new structural design with arms and propellers that have been altered for a more aerodynamic flight, DJI claims that the Mini 3 Pro will fly for a longer period of time. It also has dual-vision sensors for both forward and backward vision, which makes for a safer flight.

DJI Mini 3 Pro Specs

DJI, without a doubt, went to tremendous lengths to ensure that the Mini 3 Pro weighs only 249 grams, just barely making the cut. That brings it into line with the Mini 2's weight while also allowing it to have some of the "pro" features.

A 1/1.3-inch CMOS camera sensor with a resolution of 48 megapixels has been included on the hardware side of the equation. While a 4K video may be taken at a frame rate of 60 frames per second, HDR can be captured at a rate of up to 30 frames per second. It also has up to a 4x digital zoom, but because of this, the resolution will drop from 4K to HD.

As TechCrunch reports, all of this is complemented by the standard Mavic software suite, which includes the most recent version of ActiveTrack, which has two subject-tracking options. Among the QuickShot possibilities are Dronie, Helix, Rock, Circumference, Boomerang, and Asteroid, just to name a few.

When fully charged, the DJI Mini 3 Pro has a flight length of 34 minutes. However, there is an extended flight battery option that increases this to a maximum flight time of 47 minutes when fully charged.

The DJI Mini 3 is priced at $669 when purchased without a remote. Prices for the DJI Mini 3 Pro with the RC-N1 remote control start at $759, while the DJI Mini 3 Pro with the DJI RC remote control starts at $909. There are also upgrade kits available, which contain more batteries, propellers, and other accessories in addition to the standard equipment.

With all of the upgraded features and new specs of DJI's latest drone, it definitely would be worth the money spent. For those who are drone enthusiasts, DJI is starting its preorder today.