DJI Mini SE is the cheap drone I've been waiting for, and it's finally landed in the UK

Want a DJI drone? You'd better start saving up. Or perhaps not, as the brand's new, wallet-friendly compact drone is now available to buy in the UK and the rest of Europe. The price tag of only £269 makes it cheaper than anything in DJI's lineup. 

DJI is the brand behind almost all of today's best drones (although in January 2022 its finally got some competition in the shape of the Autel Evo Nano and Autel Evo Lite Plus). The Mini SE is part of the brand's compact series of drones, which includes the DJI Mini 2 and DJI Mini 3 Pro (released May 2022). As well as boasting a more affordable price tag than the rest of the fleet, these dinky birds' appeal lies in the fact that they weigh in at under 250g, which means they're subject to fewer fiddling licensing rules.

At £419, the Mini 2 is too pricey to feature in our best cheap drones guide… but ringing in at under £300 the Mini SE is a shoo-in. It's been on shelves in Latin America and Asia Pacific since summer 2021, but only now it is available to buy in Europe.

To look at, the Mini SE is extremely similar to the Mini 2. Which makes sense because it's made in the same shell. Under the hood, it uses components from the original DJI Mavic Mini, although again for a more affordable price tag (that model had an RRP of £369). 

You're still getting DJI’s signature flight control and camera performance, including the creator templates and QuickShot modes. On a full charge, it can fly for up to 30 minutes – a minute less than the Mini 2's official max flight time. There's a three-axis gimbal for smooth video  footage in up to 2.7K. as well as 12-megapixel photos. A low-latency HD video transmission can reach as far as 2.5 miles… although that's in ideal conditions, and you should always keep your drone within your line of sight. Find out more or buy one on the DJI website.