DJI's Mini 4K beginner drone became a bit of a pilot favourite in recent years, thanks to its versatility and affordable price point. It was so popular that DJI decided to create not one but two successors, the Lito 1 and the Lito X1. Now, the former received its first-ever price cut, knocking 10% off its RRP.

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Better still, as far as I can tell, today is the first day you can get the drone for less, which is pretty special. If you like the Mini 4K, the Lito 1 will feel like an excellent update without pushing you too much into pro-pilot territory. Plus, it's pretty affordable at full price, let alone with a bit of a discount.

The DJI Lito 1 is an affordable, beginner-friendly camera drone that weighs under 249g, which falls within the least restrictive flying category in the UK.

Its camera combines a 1/2-inch, 48-megapixel CMOS sensor with an f/1.8 aperture and a three-axis mechanical gimbal. It can record 4K video at up to 60 fps, capture 4K slow-motion footage at 100 fps, and shoot stills at up to 8K resolution.

Despite its entry-level positioning, the Lito 1 features omnidirectional obstacle sensing and ActiveTrack 360°, allowing it to follow moving subjects while helping inexperienced pilots avoid collisions. QuickShots, MasterShots, Hyperlapse and Panorama modes provide automated options for creating more polished footage.

The standard battery delivers up to 36 minutes of flight time, while DJI’s transmission system provides a maximum 15km video range. Wi-Fi 6 QuickTransfer supports file transfers at up to 50MB/s, and the foldable design makes the drone easy to carry between locations.

Credit where it’s due – Potensic is arguably the sole remaining consumer camera drone manufacturer with enough clout and expertise to regularly take on the might of DJI.

Yes, there’s also Autel (who now appear to be concentrating on the commercial market) and, of course, HoverAir and its small but perfectly-formed fleet of excellent personal follow-me models.

I’m also fully aware that Amazon is filled with a wide range of cheap-as-chips ‘4K UHD’ camera drones with prices too low to be believable, but we’ve given up looking at them because they’re almost universally awful in every conceivable respect.

Shenzhen-based Potensic, on the other hand, has continued to innovate since its inception in 2014, and you don’t survive that long against a reliable, premium brand like DJI unless you consistently provide products people want at a price that undercuts at least some of the competition. That’s the Atom 3 in a nutshell.

Potensic Atom 3 review

Price and availability

The Potensic Atom 3 is available across the UK and much of Europe, with launch stock appearing through Potensic and selected retailers like Amazon. In the UK, pricing starts at around £329.99 for the Standard Kit, rising to around £579 for the Fly More Combo with the new RC PTD 2 controller we’re reviewing here. European pricing ranges between €359 and €659, depending on bundle configuration.

As with DJI, US buyers may not get the chance to fly this little tyke because it’s unavailable as of writing, though Potensic does list a US price of $679.99.

Specifications

• Dimensions (L×W×H): 236 x 168 x 63mm (unfolded), 91 x 148 x 62mm (folded)
• Weight: 249 grams
• Flight time: 40 mins
• Max transmission range: 16 km‌
• Max flight speed (Sport mode): 35mph / 58km/h
• Max Wind Speed Resistance: 24mph / 38.5km/h (Level 5)
• Built-in GPS: Yes
• Intelligent QuickShot modes: Multiple
• Tracking: Yes – AI Visual Tracking
• Internal storage: No
• Sensor: 1/1.3-inch CMOS image sensor
• FOV: 84˚
• Max aperture: f2.8
• Max photo resolution: 50MP JPG
• Max video resolution: 4K (3840×2160) @ 60fps (horizontal shooting); 2.7K (2704X1520) @ 60fps; FHD: 1920x1080 @ up to 60fps
• Slow motion: 1080p - 4, 5, 6, 7x
• Image stabilisation: 3-axis mechanical gimbal (tilt, roll, pan)
• Connectivity: WiFi / Bluetooth

Design and build quality

The new Atom 3 is a major upgrade over its Potensic Atom 2 predecessor, specifically in the camera department. While the Atom 3 remains just one gram under the CAA’s sub-250g drone category for hassle-free flying without having to meet a surfeit of aeronautical legalities, it’s actually a few centimetres larger in stature than the Atom 2 and equipped with a much better camera. I’m not sure how Potensic’s designers managed that, but a tip of the hat to them.

At 91 x 148 x 62mm when folded and 236 x 168 x 63mm (excluding props) when unfolded, the Atom 3 comes in a more rounded fuselage that looks a little more premium even though you won’t notice this once it’s in flight.

The main thing here is that it is still compact enough to slip into a backpack, shoulder bag (as supplied with the Fly More bundle reviewed here) or even a roomy jacket pocket.

Also, it’s refreshingly quick to deploy and pack away since it comes with a well-designed gimbal and props protector that is much easier to fit than the DJI Mini 4 Pro’s one-direction-only plastic arrangement that somehow never seems to fit without a degree of faffing.

Let’s skip straight to the camera since that is the Atom 3’s most promising new facet. At 1/1.3-inches, its new CMOS sensor is the same size as that fitted to the DJI Mini 4 Pro and capable of capturing 50MP stills and recording 4K video at up to 60fps, which immediately puts it in more serious company than most entry-level rivals.

While its maximum aperture of f2.8 is mysteriously smaller than the Atom 2’s f1.8, its all-new AI Night Mode makes a very good fist of boosting image clarity and brightness while reducing excessive noise in low-light conditions. The camera can be used in both horizontal and vertical formats.

The Atom 3 also supports RAW image capture, HDR and a P-Log profile for those who like grading footage afterwards, while the bitrate tops out at an impressive 120Mbps.

I also rate the digital Medium Tele mode, which functions as a 2x mid-telephoto crop that utilises the drone's 50MP sensor and AI image optimisation to retain very decent clarity. However, while the tele mode adds a touch of cinematic compression to your shots and is equally useful when using the Atom 3’s Dolly Zoom feature, it does have its limits.

Also, I’m surprised Potensic still continues to omit any onboard storage, as I discovered on arrival at my test site. Thankfully I was within walking distance of home to retrieve a MicroSD, but had I been out in the sticks I would have been really miffed. After all, every other decent drone comes with onboard storage as a basic requirement.

Another possibly very important element that this drone lacks is obstacle avoidance. If your flying style involves threading through trees, skimming buildings or generally relying on electronic safety nets, this might not be the drone for you.

Personally, I’ve rarely needed the obstacle avoidance system on my Mini 4 Pro because I prefer to keep visual contact and avoid risky manoeuvres altogether, but different pilots fly in different ways.

On the plus side, the Atom 3 comes with three speed modes. Video mode is ideal for gentle movement and cleaner cinematic footage while Normal mode strikes a good balance between agility and control.

However, switch it into Sport mode, and the Atom 3 becomes way more responsive, accelerating briskly and covering a huge amount of ground surprisingly quickly for its size. In Sport mode, the Atom 3’s top speed is a very respectable 35mph.

Now here’s the really good bit. The Atom 3 Fly More bundle I received ships with Potensic’s new RC PTD 2 screen controller with a 1920 x 1080 resolution, 900 nits of brightness and 5.5 inches of screen estate that makes on-screen flight monitoring an unbridled joy.

You get a dedicated Return to Home button, a gimbal adjustment wheel, zoom control and a single shutter/record button that adapts depending on the selected shooting mode. Most importantly, there’s a physical flight mode switch – just like DJI’s controllers – for jumping between Video, Normal and Sport modes. This immediate access to Sport mode can be invaluable when a strengthening headwind suddenly turns the return journey into a battle of wits.

The controller also features Potensic’s PixSync 5.0 transmission system, offering a quoted maximum range of up to 16km – considerably further than most drone regulations would ever permit. Its integrated 5,000mAh battery, meanwhile, delivers up to four hours of operation and supports USB-C charging at up to 18W.

Flight performance

Like any DJI drone, the Potensic Atom 3 immediately puts any nerves at ease the moment it takes to the air. The controls are perfectly dialled for butter-smooth input without any sudden lurching, so I can’t see novices having any issues in this department.

Setup is pretty quick, too. Simply unfold the arms, power up the drone and controller, and you’re generally airborne within a minute or two. Granted, GPS lock isn’t the fastest I’ve seen, but the whole process feels streamlined rather than fiddly, especially when used with the all-in-one PTD 2 controller my press sample came with.

Once in the air, the Atom 3 delivers impressively stable performance for a lightweight sub-250g model (it features Level 5 wind resistance, which is good for wind speeds up to 24mph). The drone’s positional hold, too, is exceptional, even in a stiff breeze.

If the noise of a drone troubles you, you’ll be pleased to learn that this one is among the quietest I’ve ever reviewed. Its gentle hum is far removed from the frenetic swarm-like screech of the DJI Avata 360 and HoverAir Aqua.

I personally haven’t been able to detect any major differences between this drone and any from the DJI stable when flying it. It does exactly what you want it to do with no nasty surprises like transmission dropouts, lag, or any unusual behaviour traits. It just flies as you would expect of any modern drone, and that’s testament to great design, well-crafted flight controllers and reliable software.

Camera performance

For a drone that sits firmly in the affordable, sub-250g category, the Potensic Atom 3’s camera performance is surprisingly accomplished and a significant step forward over the previous Atom 2.

While it’s not attempting to dethrone premium aerial platforms or even the similarly sized DJI Mini 4 Pro and DJI Mini 5 Pro, the Atom 3’s little camera delivers footage with enough sharpness, colour accuracy and dynamic range to satisfy everyone from casual flyers to content creators looking for quick, polished results without the need for much colour grading. However, it’s not without some anomalies.

I noticed that it did tend to overexpose shots much more than most DJI models when taken facing the sun so you’re advised to tap on an appropriate area of the display screen before shooting to properly set exposure, or you may end up with an image with blown highlights which is very difficult to fix in post-production.

This is most noticeable when shooting with a lot of sky in the frame. When the footage was viewed on a MacBook Air, I also noticed more banding in some sky shots than I would consider acceptable. And while it features an AI-generated night mode, I wouldn’t say it’s as dynamic as the DJI Mini 4 Pro, which has a much larger aperture.

On the plus side, I’ve been impressed by the Atom 3’s mechanical 3-axis gimbal, which helps produce footage that stays level and smooth, even during directional changes or in breezy conditions. Likewise, this drone’s AI tracking is a marked improvement over the Atom 2 and locks on to a subject with great accuracy and with very little drifting, even when using the Circle QuickShot feature and the subject is moving.

Autonomous QuickShots

The Potensic Atom 3 comes loaded with a tranche of AI QuickShot modes, several of which can be seen in the accompanying video above. Simply draw a box around yourself or your chosen subject, select an autonomous flight function and let the drone do the rest.

Alongside familiar options like Circle, Pull Away, Spiral, Rocket, Boomerang, Drift and CineRoll (a 360˚ horizon spin), there’s also AI-enhanced subject tracking – including side tracking at head height – and a very effective Dolly Zoom mode that creates that distinctive cinematic Hitchcock-style effect where the subject remains the same size in the frame while the background appears to stretch or compress dramatically behind it.

You can also select four levels of slow motion (4x, 5x, 6x and 7x) and a handy Waypoints function which follows a pre-programmed flight path replete with different elevations and camera angles.

Verdict

The Potensic Atom 3 delivers a surprisingly mature flying and imaging experience for not too much wonga. Its new PTD 2 controller makes it quick to set up and easy to control, while its updated camera and refined 3-axis gimbal produce acceptably sharp and stable footage.

While it can’t match DJI’s more expensive Mini 4 Pro for outright image depth and sharpness, it gets close enough in my opinion, and that makes it a perfect choice for budgeteers looking for a camera drone that doesn’t feel like a compromise.

A big compromise in aviation is choosing between efficiency and control. Drones can hover and move precisely, but their propellers consume a lot of power. Fixed-wing aircraft are far more efficient, but can't stay suspended in one place.

Researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems and the University of Stuttgart think they've found a middle ground. Their new robot, affectionately called Floaty, uses rising air currents to remain airborne while adjusting four movable flaps to control its position and stability.

Inspired by soaring birds, Floaty doesn't use propellers to stay in the air. Instead, it rides upward airflow and continuously changes its shape to control how air moves around its body.

The robot has been trained using an aerodynamic model developed from extensive wind tunnel testing, allowing it to recover from gusts of wind and even physical pushes without losing control.

Getting the design right wasn't straightforward. Early versions proved unstable, so the team lowered the robot's centre of gravity and redesigned its control flaps to help it automatically correct its position while airborne.

The result is a robot that can hover in vertical airflows of up to 10m/s while remaining very stable.

The biggest advantage is efficiency. According to the researchers, Floaty consumes around 10W per kilogram of weight, roughly an order of magnitude less power than comparable thrust-powered aerial robots.

While it's still a research project, the team believes the technology could eventually be used to inspect industrial chimneys, monitor weather systems or even help control spacecraft and rockets in airflow-rich environments.

If that happens, Floaty may represent a very different future for flight – one where robots work with the wind rather than fighting against it.

Who doesn't like a cheap DJI drone deal? I sure do. As someone who spends more hours a day thinking and writing about the brand than I'd like to admit, it's always nice to stumble upon a good offer on DJI drones.

Sadly, this Prime Day, I can't say I've seen loads of excellent discounts on the Chinese electronics giant's products, apart from the cheapest ever deal on the Mini 4K Fly More Combo for just under £200.

But! There are DJI drone deals that are worth looking at, a few of them, anyway. The selfie drone Flip is also the cheapest ever, but I know some pilots take it as a bit of a toy drone (it really isn't, by the way).

Speaking of selfie/toy drones, the Neo is pretty cheap at the moment and an excellent choice for younger pilots and beginners alike. The camera performance is on point, and it weighs half as much as the Mini 5 Pro and has propeller guards, making it a lot safer to manoeuvre the dinky drone.

If you want something a bit more serious, the Mini 5 Pro is a tad cheaper than usual. It's an amazing drone with LiDAR and a beautifully-balanced camera. If you need something even more serious (?), the Mavic 4 Pro Creator Combo Drone is £150 cheaper than usual (still over £3,000, though),

Best DJI drone Prime Day sales (UK)

• Amazon: money off Mini 4K, Neo, Flip and more
• DJI: action cam, drone and power station deals galore
• Very: Mini 5 Pro and Mavic 4 Pro for less
• Wex Photo: Air 3S and Avata 2 offers
• Currys: drones and accessories

Best DJI drone Prime Day deals (UK)

You know just as well as I do that if Amazon is having a sale, there will be DJI products on offer, and it's no different this time around. However, the quality of the deals can be a bit hit-and-miss. Not this time around, though! The offers are excellent, and some of them are downright unmissable.

Shop all DJI deals in Amazon's Prime Deal Days sale

One deal in the latter category is the DJI Mini 4K Fly More Combo, which has never been this cheap. The Chinese giant's affordable beginner drone has always been sought after, but at this price point, it's a must-buy.

The DJI Mini 4K might be the most accessible way into DJI’s ecosystem, but it still packs many of the features that made the Mini series so popular. Weighing under 249g, it sits below the threshold for many drone regulations, making it easier to fly in a wider range of locations while remaining highly portable.

The 4K camera is mounted on a three-axis mechanical gimbal for smooth capture and stabilised footage even in breezy conditions.

The drone can record 4K video at up to 30 fps and shoot 12 MP still images, while DJI’s QuickShots modes automatically perform cinematic flight manoeuvres such as Dronie, Helix and Rocket to create professional-looking clips with minimal effort.

The Mini 4K uses DJI’s OcuSync transmission system, offering a video range of up to 10km in ideal conditions, and includes useful safety features such as GPS positioning, auto take-off, auto return-to-home and hover stabilisation.

Wind resistance is rated to Level 5, helping to maintain stable flight in less-than-perfect conditions. At this discounted Prime Day price, it's one of the best-value camera drones available.

DJI launched its Prime Day deals a week early, it seems! I already reported on a brill Osmo Action 5 Pro offer, but after further inspection, I found an even better discount: the coveted Mini 4K is now only £169, which really is the cheapest the drone has ever been, at least as far as I can tell.

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The Mini 4K a bit of a fan favourite model from the Chinese drone giant, thanks to its camera quality, long flight time and beginner-friendly controls. You essentially get a drone that, even just a few years ago, would have been considered a top-of-the-range option for less than the price of a pair of running shoes.

The DJI Mini 4K is an entry-level camera drone designed to make aerial photography accessible without sacrificing the features that matter most. Weighing less than 249g, it features a 1/2.3-inch CMOS sensor capable of capturing 4K video at up to 30 fps and 12MP still images.

The camera is mounted on a three-axis mechanical gimbal to keep footage smooth and stable even when flying in breezy conditions. DJI's video transmission system offers a range of up to 10km, providing a reliable live feed back to the controller.

The Mini 4K can remain airborne for up to 31 minutes on a single charge, giving you plenty of time to explore a location and capture footage. It also offers Level 5 wind resistance, helping it maintain stability in winds of up to 38kph.

For beginners, DJI includes a range of intelligent safety and flight features, including automatic take-off and landing, Return-to-Home, GPS positioning and one-tap QuickShots modes that create cinematic flight paths automatically.

The drone can also capture panoramas, making it easy to produce wide landscape images without complex editing.

Drone pilots have been crying out for a drone that can be safely used on water without a chance of it sinking, and here it is, the new HoverAir Aqua in all its Day-Glo orange glory.

HoverAir has spent the past few years carving out a niche for itself with a small raft of compact, self-flying camera drones that prioritise simplicity, safety and automatic subject tracking over traditional piloting.

With the Aqua, however, the Chinese company has taken a leap and created the world's first consumer-priced waterproof flying camera designed to operate where most drones fear to tread – over lakes, seas, rivers, ponds, swamps, and swimming pools.

It's a concept that makes perfect sense given how many outdoor adventures take place on and around water, but the catch may be the price, which is higher than you might expect for a small personal follow-me drone.

Do the Aqua’s unique capabilities justify the significant investment of £1,129? In this day and age, not really, but it's still a darn fine opening salvo that works an absolute treat for those who can afford it. Let's get it on.

HoverAir Aqua review

Price and availability

The HoverAir Aqua is available now in the UK, where it can be purchased directly from HoverAir and other online stores like Amazon and Jessops.

Prices start at £1,129 for the Standard bundle, which includes the drone, Lighthouse tracking device and essential accessories. It is also widely available throughout Europe, where the Standard bundle retails at €1,299.

While this waterproof drone has officially launched globally, HoverAir has reportedly paused accepting US orders due to regulatory complexities and the FCC's ban on certain foreign drone brands.

Specifications

• Weight: 249g
• Dimensions: 20.19 × 20.59 × 6.25 cm (L×W×H)
• Max speed: Normal 34mph (55kmh)
• Max flight time: 23 mins
• Max flight distance: On water: 100-300m; On land: 500m (with phone); 1km with beacon
• Wind resistance: Level 7 (33 knots/38mph)
• Camera sensors: 1/1.28-Inch square CMOS
• Lens format equivalent: 24mm
• Max aperture: f/2.55
• FOV: 85˚
• Max video resolution: Horizontal: 4K + 1080p up to 100fps; Vertical: 4K up to 30fps
• Video modes: Standard, 10-bit H-Log, Slow-Mo, Vertical
• Max image resolution: 12MP (JPEG)
• Image stabilisation: Single axis mechanical + digital with horizon levelling
• Onboard Storage: 128GB
• MicroSD card slot: No
• Battery charging time: 52 mins
• Waterproof: IP67

Available combinations

The HoverAir Aqua is available in three main package configurations, allowing buyers to choose a bundle that matches their budget and intended use.

The Standard Bundle retails at £1,129 and includes the drone, waterproof Lighthouse controller, a single battery, a USB-C cable, a repair kit and a waterproof battery bag.

Stepping up a notch, the Fly More Bundle (£1,299) is designed for longer adventures and adds two extra smart batteries, extra waterproof battery bags and a charging hub.

Finally, at the top of the range sits the Land and Sea Bundle. This comprehensive package includes all of the Fly More accessories plus the Beacon and Joysticks control system, magnetic mounting accessories and a take-off/landing pad.

Design and build quality

I've been harping on for ages about the lack of drones that are able to survive a fall into water without sinking to the bottom like a stone. To my knowledge, only two drones have thus far been capable of flotation in an emergency: the extraordinarily expensive pro-spec SplashDrone and the now-defunct PowerVision Power Egg X.

There have also been many DIY attempts over the years, with users zip-tying polystyrene landing gear to conventional drones, but these have consistently compromised the craft's aerodynamics, especially in windy conditions.

Well, it seems that HoverAir has beaten DJI to the punch once again by closely observing the market and producing the Aqua, a one-of-a-kind drone that can take off and land on water. This is long overdue, since water – specifically salt water – is the number one enemy of any drone and the sole reason so many pilots are reluctant to fly over seas, lakes, and rivers.

The HoverAir Aqua is unlike any other consumer drone currently on the market – an autonomous flying camera with a fully waterproof design that makes it unsinkable. The fact that it's decked out in bright orange is not only a welcome change from the grey norm, but it genuinely makes it much, much easier to see in the air and on the water.

Purpose-built for watersports and other watery outdoor adventures, the Aqua carries an IP67 waterproof rating, which means it's watertight enough to survive submersion to a depth of up to one metre for up to 30 minutes. It also weighs just 249g, so it doesn't require anything beyond the easy-to-attain Flyer and Operator IDs to fly it.

Unlike the company’s land-based HoverAir X1 Pro, the Aqua has been designed as a one-piece fuselage for structural integrity so it cannot be folded.

At 20cm in length, 20.59cm in width and 6.25cm in height, it is far too big for any pocket and for some reason, none of the package configurations includes the official bag for the drone, so you'll have to purchase it separately or transport it as best you can without damaging the camera lens.

The HoverAir Aqua's build quality is excellent throughout with solid assembly and no creaks, flexing panels or obvious weak points. Its main means of flotation is a buoyant outer tube that feels like spongy memory foam under its tough nylon-like wrap. This tube also serves as a collision bumper, so there's very little chance of being injured even if it accidentally flies into you at speed.

The four mini props, meanwhile, are encased in the surrounding flotation tube, with soft plastic guards on top to protect your fingers when you hand-catch the drone from above. Oh, and you'll be very pleased to learn that even the Standard package includes a repair kit comprising a flotation tube, props and prop guards.

Amazingly, the Aqua can hit a top speed of 34 mph (55 km/h), which is easily fast enough to film the most rapid watersports like kiteboarding, sailboarding, and even skiing without leaving the drone behind.

Moreover, the Aqua's wind speed rating is an astonishing Level 7 (33 knots/38mph), one level up from the big DJI Mavic 4 Pro. You also get up to 23 minutes of flight time with this drone, and that's only a few minutes shy of the similarly sized but foldable DJI Flip.

While other follow-me drones use their cameras to track the user without requiring an app or controller, this one is more specialised and aimed at waterborne activities where signals can be easily interrupted.

Hence, the user is required to wear an arm-mounted bright orange transmitter called a Lighthouse so the drone can lock onto its subject and avoid being confused by water reflections, sea spray, or large waves.

One of the HoverAir Aqua's most impressive features is its integrated one-inch colour screen interface, which transforms what could be a complicated setup process into something a lot more straightforward.

The ultra-crisp, high-resolution display is really easy to read in a variety of lighting conditions while providing clear menus, large icons and a logical layout that makes everything easy to navigate.

Aside from essential information like battery status, camera settings, connection status and instant access to its wide range of follow-me flight modes (including their individual flight parameters), the screen interface also lets you watch the videos you've shot on the spot so you can instantly check whether you got something in the can or whether you need to do another take.

A series of very loud and clear voice alerts, meanwhile, keeps the pilot informed every step of the way.

Ways to use the HoverAir Aqua

The HoverAir Aqua has been designed essentially for use on water, though it's just as happy on land. Unlike the HoverAir X1 Pro I reviewed in 2024, which follows the user on land using advanced AI-powered vision-tracking algorithms combined with built-in cameras and sensors, the Aqua predominantly tracks the user by locking onto a wearable, waterproof tracker and control hub called the Lighthouse, which straps around the upper arm.

Instead of relying on camera vision alone, the Aqua uses centimetre-accuracy RTK GPS (Real-Time Kinematic) technology to create a virtual tether between the drone and the Lighthouse, ensuring it stays locked onto the individual even when its line of sight is temporarily blocked by waves or the user is obscured in a crowd.

Given that both the drone and Lighthouse beacon are fully waterproof, any water sport fan can now indulge in their favourite pastime and film themselves while doing it.

In fact, this drone is suitable for a wide range of water sports, whether it's shooting slower activities like paddleboarding and swimming or nippy sports like surfing, kitesurfing, sailboarding, and hydrofoiling. Even skiing is doable if the speed is less than the drone's maximum velocity of 34mph.

The Aqua can be flown in several ways. Obviously, the Lighthouse is far and away the best method when used on water, but you can also fly it using the HoverAir app's virtual joysticks or the optional Beacon controller with physical joysticks.

And if you select the tracking option in the app and draw a box on the screen around a subject, the drone will perform any number of pre-set tracking shots without the need for the Lighthouse beacon. You can read more about this drone's multitude of preset flight modes in the chapter below.

The HoverAir can take off and land from the hand, the ground or water. To use the hand method, hold the drone from above, tap the 'take off' icon on the Lighthouse, the main power button on the drone, or, more awkwardly, the take-off button in the app, and let go once the props start spinning.

To land it, either grab the top of the drone after you've initialised a return to home and flip it over quickly to shut the motors off or simply land it on water or solid land. If using the Lighthouse on water, tapping the landing button will have it return to you and hover nearby for 15 seconds, giving you time to grab it before it initiates an automatic landing sequence.

As an extra rescue bonus, if the drone hits an overhanging tree, sail or other obstacle and crashes into the water upside down, a simple tap of the 'take off' button on the Lighthouse will initiate a turtle flip before the drone lifts off. Very clever.

Another very cool feature when wearing the Lighthouse is the ability to adjust the drone's height, distance, and angle from the subject by tapping the Lighthouse's black directional buttons. This saves having to bring the drone back to you or reach for the app to make these changes.

Camera features

The HoverAir Aqua camera is equipped with a 1/1.28-inch CMOS sensor that supports various resolutions, including 4K and 1080p at up to 100 fps, and vertical 4K at up to 30 fps. Its photo resolution is 12MP.

The lens, meanwhile, boasts a format-equivalent focal length of 24mm, a maximum aperture of f/2.55, and an 85˚ field of view. The user also has a choice of several video modes: Standard, 10-bit H-Log, Slow-Mo and Vertical.

The camera itself is mounted on a single-axis mechanical gimbal with digital image stabilisation and horizon levelling, while a hydrophobic, anti-fog lens coating helps keep the lens clear in wet and humid environments.

For waterproofing, there is no MicroSD card slot on this drone, so it comes with a commendable 128GB of onboard storage, which is more than enough space for any all-day shoot.

Finally, you can copy Aqua’s raw video and photo files in two ways: wirelessly from the drone to a phone or tablet, or directly to a computer via its water-sealed USB-C port.

Unless you're editing footage on your phone or tablet, I would go for the USB desktop route every time. Simply turn the drone on, plug in the supplied USB-C cable, and look for its drive icon on the desktop.

Flight modes

The HoverAir Aqua comes with a banquette of 14 autonomous flight modes, tailored in some instances to specific water sport disciplines. Here's a handy breakdown:

Basic Modes

Follow: Automatically tracks and keeps you in the frame from the front, back or side.

Orbit: Rotates a full 360° around the subject with adjustable radius and speed.

Hover: Stays locked in a stationary position while swivelling to track the user.

Zoom Out: Flies backwards and upward to reveal the surrounding panorama.

Bird's Eye: Flies straight upwards with the camera facing directly down.

Water Modes

Kayak Mode: Optimised for low-profile tracking on rivers and open water.

Paddleboard (SUP) Mode: Tracks your full body and allows for one-handed angle adjustments via the wearable Lighthouse controller.

Surf Mode: Uses high-speed AI tracking (up to 34 mph) to follow and capture fast wave-riding.

Foil Mode: Tuned for wind surfing, sail boarding, hydro-foiling and other fast-moving watersports.

Cinematic Modes

Spiral: Flies upward in a spiral pattern to capture an evolving, dramatic scene.

Dolly Track: Maintains a fixed distance in front of you as you move toward the camera.

Angle Track: Tracks alongside to capture a side-profile view.

360 Spin: The drone spins 360˚ with the camera facing outwards for panoramic captures.

Orbit Follow: Combines circular movements with customisable speed and radius.

Flight and camera performance

I tested the Aqua in a field and also let it loose on a canal, and it flew like a trouper, even when the wind was strong enough to pitch it at a very acute angle. I’m not sure how HoverAir managed to make this light, not-especially-aerodynamic drone so wind-resistant, but hat’s off to them.

I've also been extremely impressed with this drone's ability to track a subject as if following a breadcrumb trail, especially during my land tests.

However, because it is locked to the Lighthouse beacon, which is worn on the upper arm, it does sometimes tend to favour one side more than the other, and you can see this in some of the videos I took at Cropredy’s canal-based kayak racing club.

In general, the Aqua mostly chose a central position when using the Kayak mode, but when the canal narrowed, it twice chose the side the beacon was on – the kayaker's right arm.

Since it doesn’t feature obstacle avoidance, the drone crashed into a canal boat on one occasion – remarkably surviving unscathed – and almost came a cropper on the return trip when it flew perilously close to a wall, brushing some overhanging leaves in the process.

It never truly recovered from this last event because it spent the next few seconds desperately trying to keep up with the kayak at racing speed. Its camera, too, seemed to bob up and down as if it were having trouble locking onto its target. But, hey, it missed the canal bridge and produced some fabulous footage in the process.

To be fair, this drone is designed for use in open water where it has space to breathe, but I have to say that I was pretty chuffed it performed as well as it did in a confined area, too.

No camera drone is worth its salt if the resulting footage is below par. From my experience, sharpness and definition tend to fall away the higher a drone flies, and this is most notable when flying over woodland, when everything becomes a wee bit smudgy.

However, when a drone gets much closer to its subject, everything in the frame pops with vastly improved sharpness and definition.

While the Aqua's imagery doesn't quite match the DJI Mini 4 Pro or Mini 5 Pro for overall video quality, I think it's spot-on perfect for close-quarters work from several metres away, which is what it was designed for.

Yes, you may notice some minor visual anomalies here and there on a desktop, but I believe it's more than good enough for tablet and phone use and for social media.

I've also been impressed with the camera's quick focusing, exceptional smoothness from the gimbal and its ability to keep the subject in frame, though I did make sure I had set the drone's distance to either medium or far (if set too close, there's a chance your head may be cut off in the frame). I was also pleased to see that none of the footage was affected by water droplets on the lens.

I guess the only annoying things about the whole experience were the insane noise it makes – especially when flipping it over to turn it off – and the propensity for disconnections and reconnections with the Lighthouse, sometimes within seconds of each other.

Mind, this mostly happened at the beginning of a session and seemed to have no bearing on the safety of the craft. Just as well, because I was getting quite irritated by the loud vocal alerts of 'Lighthouse disconnected, Lighthouse connected'. Perhaps a future firmware update will solve this issue.

Verdict

The new HoverAir Aqua stands apart from every other consumer drone I’ve tested thanks to its waterproof design and ability to operate effortlessly over water, even in a very stiff sea breeze.

Its intelligent armband-tracking technology reliably follows the user while capturing unique waterborne footage that traditional drones would struggle to achieve without falling in and sinking like a brick.

Compact, easy to use and packed with innovative features, this amazing drone offers plenty of appeal for water sport fans and even landlubbers. However, all this innovation comes at a high cost, placing it firmly in the territory of enthusiasts and wealthy boat owners.

HoverAir’s long-awaited Aqua is finally available to buy globally, and it might still be one of the strangest and most interesting drone launches we’ve seen in years.

The brand first teased Aqua back in 2025, promising a fully waterproof flying camera designed specifically for watersports and marine adventures.

Now, after a successful crowdfunding campaign and months of anticipation, the self-flying drone has officially hit shelves in more than 50 countries.

The headline feature is, of course, the IP67 waterproof construction, allowing the Aqua to take off directly from the water, land on it, float if it crashes, and relaunch.

This is something no DJI models can do at the moment, but knowing the drone giant, an alternative might already be in the works.

Built for the waves

The water-based operation opens the door to aerial filming scenarios that are either extremely difficult or downright impossible with most consumer drones.

HoverAir is pitching Aqua as the ultimate hands-free camera companion for activities such as kayaking, wakeboarding, kitesurfing and paddleboarding.

The drone uses autonomous flight modes and subject tracking to follow users automatically, removing the need for a dedicated pilot.

According to the company, Aqua can track action at speeds up to 55km/h and withstand Level 7 winds, which is impressive considering the drone weighs under 250g.

It also packs fairly serious imaging hardware for such a compact machine, including a 1/1.28-inch CMOS sensor capable of shooting 4K video at up to 100 fps for slow-motion footage.

HoverAir says the drone also uses a hydrophobic lens coating, anti-fog technology and corrosion-resistant materials to survive harsher marine environments.

One of the more intriguing additions is the new Lighthouse wearable controller, which creates what the company calls a “Virtual Tether” experience, essentially allowing you to control the drone hands-free while remaining focused on the activity itself.

The US misses out

Despite becoming available globally, HoverAir says Aqua is currently unavailable in the US due to “administrative and regulatory complexities”.

That means the drone is launching in markets including the UK and Europe first, while American buyers will have to wait for further updates.

Pricing starts at £1,129 for the Standard Combo and rises to £1,299 for the Fly More Combo, both at 20% off the recommended retail price.

Head over to HoverAir to find out more.

I've been busy reporting on DJI Mini 4K deals, so I thought I'd switch things up by bringing you another 4K-capable DJI model, the Mini 3 Fly More Combo, which is currently selling for £399 at Argos, £110 off its recommended retail price.

Shop all DJI deals at Argos

I had a look, and this seems to be the lowest price, not just currently but ever. Amazon will tell you the bundle sold for a ridiculously low £239 at some point, but I can't see it anywhere in the product's price history, so it could just be an anomaly in the retail giant's data.

The DJI Mini 3 is an ultralight camera drone weighing under 249g and falls into one of the least restrictive drone categories in many regions, including the UK.

Despite its compact size, it packs a 1/1.3-inch CMOS sensor capable of capturing 48MP photos and recording sharp 4K HDR video at up to 30fps.

The drone has a true vertical mode, which rotates the camera to produce social-media-friendly portrait content without cropping.

The three-axis mechanical gimbal helps keep footage smooth and stable, even in breezy conditions. DJI’s intelligent flight modes, including QuickShots and automated return-to-home functionality, make cinematic aerial footage accessible to less experienced pilots.

The Fly More Combo expands the experience with two additional Intelligent Flight Batteries, bringing total flight time to well over an hour before recharging is required.

A two-way charging hub allows batteries to be topped up efficiently and can also function as a power bank for other devices.

The bundle also includes DJI’s RC controller with an integrated display, eliminating the need to connect a smartphone. A dedicated shoulder bag keeps the drone, controller, batteries and accessories organised for travel and outdoor adventures.

Despite the recent launch of DJI's Lito 1 and Lito X1 beginner drones, interest in the last-gen Mini 4K hasn't died down. And if you're one of those pilots interested in the brand's 4K flying camera, you'd be happy to know it's back down to its lowest-ever price on Amazon.

Shop all DJI deals on Amazon

The compact beginner drone has racked up over 7,000 reviews on Amazon and currently holds an impressive 4.5-star rating. One recent review calls it the "Perfect First Drone," adding that it's "So Easy to Use" – not bad for a 2-year-old drone!

The Mini 4K is effectively an upgraded version of the Mini 2 SE, reintroducing 4K recording while keeping the same compact, foldable design and beginner-friendly handling.

It launched in April 2024 as the brand’s most affordable 4K camera drone, aimed squarely at beginners who wanted a lightweight, easy-to-fly model without sacrificing image quality.

Weighing just 246g, it sits below the 250g threshold that keeps regulations relatively relaxed in many regions, which is a big part of the drone’s appeal.

The Mini 4K has a 1/2.3-inch CMOS sensor capable of capturing 12MP stills and stabilised 4K video at up to 30 fps. It also supports 2.7K video at 60 fps and Full HD at 60 fps, with footage stabilised by a three-axis mechanical gimbal to keep shots smooth while flying.

DJI also included QuickShots flight modes such as Dronie, Helix, Rocket, Circle and Boomerang, allowing beginners to capture cinematic footage with minimal input.

Despite its entry-level positioning, the Mini 4K offers up to 31 minutes of flight time and uses DJI’s OcuSync 2.0 transmission system, which provides a maximum video transmission range of up to 10km under ideal conditions.

The drone also features Level 5 wind resistance, automatic return-to-home functionality and downward obstacle sensing for safer landings.

DJI recently announced its Lito 1 and Lito X1 drones, the successors to the brand's incredibly popular Mini 4K beginner drone. The latter is the premium version with omnidirectional obstacle avoidance, LiDAR, and stronger camera performance (RAW + 4K@100fps) – and now it's also cheaper.

Shop all DJI deals at Amazon

Admittedly, it's only £20 off for now, but considering the drone is already pretty affordable for what it offers, even 5% off its asking price feels like an excellent deal. The Lito 1 isn't on offer, so the Lito X1 is certainly the model to go after!

Weighing under 249g, the DJI Lito X1 falls into the beginner-friendly category in the UK and Europe, meaning it can be flown with fewer restrictions than heavier models.

It has a 1/1.3-inch CMOS sensor with an f/1.7 aperture, which supports 48MP stills and up to 4K/60fps HDR video recording. The drone can also shoot 4K/100fps slow-motion footage and supports 10-bit D-Log M colour profiles for more advanced editing workflows.

DJI says the larger sensor improves low-light performance and dynamic range, making the Lito X1 feel closer to a Mini 4 Pro than to a typical entry-level drone.

The drone features omnidirectional obstacle sensing alongside a forward-facing LiDAR sensor, helping avoid collisions in tighter environments and during low-light flights. DJI also includes ActiveTrack subject tracking, QuickShots, MasterShots and Hyperlapse modes to simplify cinematic footage capture.

Battery life is rated at up to 36 minutes with the standard pack, while DJI’s O4 transmission system enables 15km video transmission. The drone also comes with 42GB of internal storage for shooting without a microSD card.

DJI had a crazy month in April. The brand has launched a ton of highly anticipated products, including the Osmo Pocket 4 and the successors to what is surely DJI's most popular beginner drone, the Mini 4K. And since the company wasn’t dominating the drone market quite enough (?), it decided to offer two new models: Lito 1 and the Lito X1.

Rumours about the Lito Series have been swirling around for months, so I can’t say I was massively surprised when the company started teasing the upcoming release earlier this month. And because it’s DJI, I just assumed they would be of decent quality.

I wasn’t wrong. I’ve been testing the more premium of the two models, the Lito X1, for a little over a week, and it made me seriously question who might need a DJI Mini 5 Pro other than people who fly drones for a living. It has everything from long battery life and forward-facing LiDAR to high-resolution photos and videos and easy controls.

Best of all, it’s cheap as chips, making it the beginner drone to beat in 2026 (and probably beyond). Some pilots might still opt for the entry-level Lito 1 – which I’ll be testing next – but the Lito X1 is really just an amazing drone for not a lot of money.

If you haven’t already bought the Mini 4K, or bought it a while ago, or have a Neo or a Flip and want to take your piloting, photography and videography to the next level, read my full DJI Lito X1 review below. Let’s get started.

DJI Lito X1 review

Price and availability

The Lito X1 was announced on 23 April 2026 and is available to buy now at DJI for the recommended price of £369 / €379 / AU$619 (Drone only). The Lito X1 Fly More Combo (DJI RC 2), which includes the RC2 controller with a built-in screen, three Intelligent Flight Batteries, a charging hub and a shoulder bag, sells for £599 / €619 / AU$1,069.

Sadly, just like the Osmo Pocket 4, the DJI Lito series will not be available in the U.S. market as the application for authorisation is still pending. A crying shame for beginner pilots over yonder!

Design and build quality

The Lito X1 is a compact, sub-249g drone with foldable arms and a front-mounted gimbal. Mine came at 248 grams, just under the limit. It measures 144×94×62 mm when folded and 183×251×79 mm when flight-ready. It’s quite small and lightweight, all things considered.

The drone doesn't come with propeller guards like the Neo 2, but DJI included a gimbal cover, which is as awkward to take off as always. This covers the camera unit and the two LiDAR sensors, the latter of which are located above the gimbal. You’ll find two more (optical) sensors at the top and bottom of the Lito X1.

The gimbal itself is a 3-axis mechanical gimbal (tilt, roll, pan) with a mechanical range of -126° to 67°. Of this, the controllable range (tilt) is -90° to 40°, allowing you to point the camera directly towards the ground and slightly up. DJI claims the angular vibration ranges ±0.01° – excellent in this category.

The Lito X1 is equipped with a 2,788 mAh Li-ion battery (Intelligent Flight Battery), which weighs approximately 74 grams. This is, of course, included in the drone's overall weight. The Lito X1 has 42 GB built-in storage, continuing the trend of DJI adding this feature to most of its newer products.

Camera performance

The Lito X1 has a 1/1.3-inch CMOS sensor with 48MP effective pixels – a lot larger than the Mini 4K’s camera unit. The lens has an FOV of 82.1°, equivalent to a 24 mm lens on a full-frame camera, and an aperture of f/1.7. The minimum focusing distance is 1 metre, which is more than enough, considering it’s unlikely you’ll be flying the drone that close to anything or anyone.

The maximum resolution is 8,064 × 6,048 pixels (48 MP), but the Lito X1 can also shoot 12 MP photos, both JPEG and RAW (and JPEG+RAW). It’s pretty cool to have raw functionality on a beginner drone, along with manual exposure control options.

As for video, the Lito can deliver up to 4K (3,840×2,160) videos @ 100 fps, full HD (1,920×1,080) @ 200 fps and 2.7K (1,512×2,688) vertical videos at 60 fps. The Lito X1 can shoot 'true vertical' videos like the Mini 5 Pro; instead, it downsamples 4K landscape footage to 2.7K vertical.

The maximum bitrate is 130 Mbps, and thanks to the built-in storage, you don’t have to worry about getting a fast enough microSD card.

(The Lito X1 supports microSD cards up to 1TB and recommends either Lexar’s Silver Plus or Kingston’s CANVAS GO! Plus models.)

Even though the Lito X1 has only one lens, it offers up to 3x zoom. It’s all digital, of course, but that larger sensor enables the drone to produce a 2x zoom that’s almost surprisingly not digital-looking. The 3x zoom is usable, but doesn’t quite look as good as the 1x or 2x zoom.

As always, it’s best to step down the exposure compensation to -0.3 or -0.7, as the Lito X1, like most DJI drones, tends to slightly overexpose images and videos. I was testing the drone early-ish in the morning on nice, sunny days, and the sensor was clearly trying its best to account for the huge dynamic range.

Sure, the videos don’t look quite as good as the Mini 5 Pro's, but considering the Lito X1 is a beginner drone, I’m thoroughly impressed with how well it performed in the camera department.

Features and flight performance

It probably doesn’t come as a surprise, but the Lito X1 is a much more capable drone than the Mini 4K in terms of features and flight characteristics. I already mentioned the forward-facing LiDAR – those little cameras above the gimbal unit – that allow the drone to navigate even in low light conditions.

The Mini 4K doesn’t have obstacle avoidance, while the Lito X1 sports omnidirectional sensing and can recognise and manage hazards around the drone.

I flew the Lito X1 directly towards me, and it slowed down and then stopped well before it could hit me. I mostly use the drone in ‘Normal’ mode, which balances speed and battery life, but if you switch to ‘Sport’ mode, the Lito X1 disables the obstacle-sensing feature – something to be aware of.

Speaking of Sport mode, the drone's maximum speed is 18 m/s, which is 2 m/s faster than the Mini 4K’s maximum speed (16 m/s). It’s on par with the Mini 5 Pro but much slower than the much larger Mavic 4 Pro, which has a top speed of 25 m/s in Sport mode. 18 m/s is more than fast enough for beginner pilots, anyway.

Wind resistance is the same as before, with the Lito X1 being capable of managing gusts up to 10.7 m/s (Level 5). The dinky drone will, of course, struggle in higher winds, and trying to maintain a stable hover when gusts push the Lito X1 around will also drain the battery. Overall, the drone is satisfactory in this department.

A big upgrade is dynamic autonomous tracking. The Lito X1 can not only lock onto stationary subjects – something the Mini 4K can also do – but also continuously follow a moving subject, predict motion, adjust its path, and reframe in real time. Plus, the new model now has MasterShots as well as QuickShots, which string together a few shots and can be edited into a short video in the DJI Fly app.

MasterShots are an easy way to create good-looking social media clips with absolutely no effort.

Battery life and charging

Battery life (i.e., flight time) improved from 31 minutes on the Mini 4K to 36 minutes on the Lito X1 when using the 2,788 mAh Intelligent Flight Battery. It’s a decent increase, but as always, impossible to achieve in real-life flying conditions.

I tested a fully charged battery, hovering the Lito X1 in a room with just enough breeze to keep it from overheating for as long as it could. I flew for 38 minutes and 26 seconds, with the plane beeping excessively for the last 10 or so minutes, warning me that the battery was dangerously low before force-landing the unit.

The Lito X1 still had around 7% battery left at this point, so in theory, it might have been able to fly for longer, but no drone will let you drain its battery completely while it's airborne. I’d say, if you’re flying the Lito X1 in comparatively windless conditions, you’ll be able to get around 23-25 minutes of flight time.

Battery charging speed is far from mind-blowing at around 70 minutes with the battery in the drone using a 65W charging cable and block. Using the Charging Hub improves things and can reduce charging time to 45 minutes. Charging three batteries simultaneously with the Charging Hub is the most efficient way, as they will all be ready to go in just under 90 minutes.

Verdict

The DJI Lito X1 is an amazing beginner drone. In fact, it’s more than just a cheap flying tripod; the premium Lito bridges the gap between basic and intermediate drones, and does it for an incredibly low price, too.

What makes it stand out isn’t just the longer battery life or the faster top speed, but the intelligence packed into such a small, affordable package. Features like dynamic subject tracking and omnidirectional obstacle sensing fundamentally change how the drone behaves in the air and make it easier to get usable footage without constantly thinking about flight control.

It doesn’t quite match the Mini 5 Pro in outright image quality or flight refinement, and more experienced pilots will still appreciate the extra polish of DJI’s higher-end models. But for everyone else, the Lito X1 hits a sweet spot that’s hard to ignore.

For beginners, it’s approachable, and for upgraders, it’s a genuine leap forward. And for DJI, it’s a clear sign that “entry-level” no longer means stripped back.

Antigravity is rolling out a major firmware update for its 360º drone, introducing a suite of new features designed to make flying safer, easier and more creative.

The update, known as U3, focuses on improving safety, simplifying controls and enhancing creative tools.

It marks one of the most significant upgrades to the Antigravity A1 to date, the world's first 360º drone, which, since then, received company in the form of DJI's Avata 360.

The latest update follows another rollout earlier this year, which introduced a virtual flight simulator in the Vision Goggles to help new users get to grips with its motion-based controls.

A smarter way through the air

The drone now has omnidirectional obstacle avoidance and can detect obstacles in every direction, including above and below, rather than just in front or beneath it as before.

It can also actively navigate around obstacles instead of simply stopping, making the flight smoother and more reliable.

Antigravity is also introducing voice control, allowing users to operate the drone using simple spoken commands.

Functions such as take-off, recording and return-to-home can now be triggered hands-free via the Vision goggles, reducing the need to interact with physical controls.

Flying starts to feel like a game

On the creative side, the update adds a third-person virtual cockpit view alongside the existing first-person perspective.

Users can switch between the two mid-flight, creating a more dynamic and game-like flying experience.

The company has also upgraded its Auto Edit feature, which now uses AI to generate more varied camera movements, including 360-degree motion and FPV-style shots.

It also introduces built-in sound effects and improved editing logic to produce more polished videos with minimal input.

Small tweaks that unlock bigger shots

Further updates include enhanced flight path tools with customisable path marker visuals, assigning different camera angles at each waypoint and combining these routes with the virtual cockpit mode for more cinematic footage.

A new timelapse feature is also included.

The firmware is expected to roll out in mid-April via the Antigravity app.

You can buy the A1 drone directly from Antigravity.

DJI has officially unveiled its new Lito series, a beginner-focused drone lineup that effectively replaces the long-running Mini range. Positioned above the more playful Neo and Flip models, the new drones follow the long tradition of making 'proper' aerial photography and videography more accessible for beginners.

It's an interesting choice from DJI to effectively split the incredibly popular Mini 4K into two separate drones. The Mini 4K was well-known for providing a superb flying experience for beginner pilots, something the Lito Series promises to continue.

With two models to choose from at launch – Lito 1 and Lito X1 – I wondered what the key differences between the two new drones would be, so I read through the official specs and feature lists to find out. I found the six below the most striking.

1. Sensor size and image quality

The biggest gap between the two is sensor size. The Lito X1 uses a larger 1/1.3-inch sensor, compared to the 1/2-inch sensor in the Lito 1. Both offer 48MP resolution, but the X1 should deliver better low-light performance, improved dynamic range, and more flexibility when editing footage.

Both sensors are larger than the Mini 4K's 1/2.3" sensor. The Lito 1's 1/2" sensor is the same size as the DJI Neo 2, and the image quality on that is more than good enough. Not many drones, DJI or otherwise, use a 1/1.3-inch sensor, but interestingly, it's the same size as the DJI Osmo Pocket 4 gimbal. Coincidence? I think not.

2. HDR and colour grading options

The Lito X1 punches above its weight, thanks to HDR video support with up to 14 stops of dynamic range and 10-bit D-Log M for colour grading. Quite a few DJI drones, including the Mini 4 Pro and the Air 3, have D-Log M, but these are mid-range and above, not true beginner drones. The Lito 1 sticks to standard video profiles, so what you shoot is more or less what you get.

3. Obstacle sensing and LiDAR

Both drones feature omnidirectional obstacle sensing, a big deal at this level, but the X1 goes a step further by adding forward-facing LiDAR. LiDAR works by firing out tiny laser pulses and measuring how long they take to bounce back. From that, the drone builds a precise 3D map of its surroundings in real time.

This improves precision when flying in complex environments or lower light conditions. The Lito 1 relies purely on vision-based sensing, which is still solid but slightly less advanced.

4. Internal storage

DJI started adding internal storage to some of its newer products. The aforementioned Pocket 4 now has over 100 GB of internal storage, and so does the Osmo Action 6 Pro. The Lito X1 doesn't quite have the same internal memory prowess, but it comes with 42GB of built-in storage, meaning you can shoot even without a microSD card. The Lito 1 doesn’t have this, so you’ll need a quick enough memory card for shooting videos.

5. Price and value positioning

I'm sure it's obvious to most people, but the two Litos are sold for different prices. The DJI Lito 1 starts at £299 in the UK, €309 in Europe, and AU$539, while the Lito X1 comes in at £369, €379, and AU$619, with Fly More bundles pushing prices up to £599 and AU$1,069, depending on the model.

The Lito 1 is around £50 more expensive than the Mini 4K, which currently sells for £242 at DJI UK, yet offers a larger sensor, better frame rates, omnidirectional obstacle sensing, longer flight times (36 vs 31 minutes), and more advanced automation.

The Lito X1 also offers a lot of bang for your buck compared to D-Log M models such as the Mini 4K, which had an RRP of £589, over £200 more expensive than the new premium Lito. Not to mention the Air 3, selling for close to £1,000.

6. Who each drone is really for

DJI has drawn a pretty clear line between the two Litos. The Lito 1 is aimed at complete beginners who want a straightforward, affordable way into aerial photography. The Lito X1, conversely, is for users who care more about image quality and want features that won’t feel limiting after a few months.

DJI seems to understand that not all pilots are obsessed with chasing more advanced specs and features. For many, the Lito 1 will provide more than enough scope for their aerial photography.

After all, if there is anything we learned from NASA's recent Artemis II mission, it is that old gear is perfectly good for capturing amazing photos – as long as you know how to use it.

DJI has officially unveiled its long-rumoured Lito drone series, introducing two beginner-friendly models designed to make aerial photography more accessible without sacrificing key features.

The new lineup consists of the DJI Lito 1 and the more advanced Lito X1, both positioned as entry-level camera drones that sit above the Neo and Flip (selfie-focused) range while effectively replacing the Mini as DJI's go-to options for beginner pilots seeking the 'proper' flying experience.

Both are designed with first-time flyers in mind, combining lightweight sub-250g builds with automated shooting modes and improved safety systems.

ActiveTrack, QuickShots, MasterShots and Hyperlapse are included on both, allowing you to capture complex shots with minimal input.

According to DJI, the aim is to “lower the learning curve” while still delivering high-quality results from the first flight.

Two models with a clear split

While the two drones share a similar design and core feature set, the Lito X1 offers several upgrades for users who want better image quality and more advanced flight performance.

The Lito 1 uses a 1/2-inch sensor, while the Lito X1 steps up to a larger 1/1.3-inch sensor, which should improve low-light performance and dynamic range.

Both can shoot 4K video, but the X1 adds HDR recording and D-Log M colour profiles for more flexibility in post-production.

The X1 also gains forward-facing LiDAR, enhancing obstacle detection and helping the drone navigate more complex environments with greater confidence.

All current-gen Litos feature omnidirectional obstacle sensing, a notable addition at this price point, alongside up to 36 minutes of flight time and long-range (15 km) video transmission.

The DJI Lito series is now available from DJI UK, DJI EU and DJI AU in multiple configurations.

The Lito 1 starts at £299 in the UK, €309 in Europe and AU$539, while the Lito X1 is priced from £369, €379 and AU$619.

Fly More Combo bundles push pricing up to £599 and AU$1,069, depending on the model.

Sadly, neither is available in the US for now.

We're all eagerly waiting for DJI to drop the successor to the Mini 4K later this week, but in the interim, let's not forget about deals on the brand's current-generation drones. Chiefly among these is the Neo 2 Fly More Combo offer below, which is the cheapest it's ever been.

Shop all DJI drone deals on Amazon

The DJI Neo 2 Motion Fly More Combo is a full FPV-ready bundle that includes the Neo 2 drone itself, the RC Motion 3 controller for one-handed, gesture-based flying, and the DJI Goggles N3 for an immersive first-person view.

Alongside the core kit, you also get three Intelligent Flight Batteries and a charging hub to extend your flying time, plus the necessary transmission module and spare propellers.

The DJI Neo 2 has a sub-250g frame (around 151g) with full propeller guards, making it safe and approachable for beginners while remaining highly portable.

It features a 12MP 1/2-inch CMOS sensor paired with a 2-axis gimbal and electronic stabilisation, capable of shooting up to 4K video at 60fps or 100fps for slow motion, alongside vertical video options for social media.

Flight performance is boosted by omnidirectional obstacle sensing, including LiDAR and infrared sensors, helping the drone avoid collisions and fly confidently indoors or outdoors. Intelligent features such as ActiveTrack, SelfieShot and gesture control enable hands-free shooting and subject tracking in multiple directions.

The drone also includes 49GB of internal storage, up to 19 minutes of flight time, and multiple control options, including smartphone, remote controller and FPV accessories.

DJI has officially confirmed the name of its next drone, the DJI Lito, alongside a launch date of 23 April 2026 at 12 PM (GMT).

The teaser, shared on the brand’s social channels, explicitly spells out “NEW DRONE” before revealing the Lito name, followed by DJI’s familiar “Just Fly” tagline.

While the clip doesn't show the drone itself, the confirmation of the name signals that a full launch is imminent.

DJI hasn’t directly referenced the Mini 4K, but the timing and positioning strongly suggest the Lito is its successor.

The Mini 4K has been one of DJI’s most accessible and popular drones, offering stabilised 4K video, a sub-250g design and a beginner-friendly feature set at a relatively low price.

That makes the Lito an important release for the brand, and early leaks hint at how DJI might evolve the formula.

Clear Mini 4K successor

One of the most talked-about upgrades is built-in storage, with rumours suggesting the base model could include around 20GB onboard memory.

There are also indications that DJI could introduce a two-tier lineup, with a more advanced variant sitting above the standard Lito.

This higher-end version has been linked to improved obstacle avoidance, potentially using LiDAR-style sensing to enhance tracking and flight safety in more complex environments.

The Lito will almost certainly stay under the 250g threshold, keeping it accessible in most regions and in line with the Mini 4K’s appeal as a low-barrier entry point into drone flying.

Camera details are still under wraps, but expectations are for at least parity with the Mini 4K’s 4K video and three-axis stabilisation, with incremental improvements rather than a dramatic overhaul.

A busy moment for DJI

The Lito is just one part of a wider rollout from DJI. The company has already teased the Osmo Pocket 4, which is expected to bring built-in storage and iterative hardware upgrades.

The Power 1000 Mini global release date has also been announced, expanding DJI’s portable power station lineup, and there are hints of a new audio product on the way.

With the launch date now locked in, more details about the Lito are likely to emerge in the coming days.

Given the popularity of the Mini 4K, expectations for the Lito will be high, especially in the entry-level segment where DJI continues to dominate.

DJI is rumoured to be working on the successor to one of its more popular beginner drones, the Mini 4K, which might explain why Amazon keeps selling the drone at such a low price. It was £100 cheaper at the end of March, then jumped all the way back up to £329, but now the Mini 4K is down again to its all-time low price.

Whether the DJI Lito arrives anytime soon doesn't change the fact that this is a very good price for a drone that shoots 4K video and stays airborne for over 30 minutes. No wonder the Mini 4K has been selling like hotcakes over the years! So much drone for so little money.

DJI's tiny flyer shoots crisp 4K video at up to 30fps via a 1/2.3-inch sensor, with a three-axis mechanical gimbal keeping things steady when conditions get a bit breezy.

It also captures RAW stills, supports 4x digital zoom, and features DJI’s QuickShots modes, letting it pull off cinematic moves on its own. Each of the two included batteries offers up to 31 minutes of flight time, giving you plenty of airtime before needing to land.

DJI’s O2 transmission system maintains a solid connection, with a claimed range of up to 10km in optimal conditions.

Beginner-friendly features like one-tap takeoff, auto Return-to-Home, and stable hovering take the stress out of flying, while built-in panorama modes make it easy to capture wide, sweeping shots.

Are you sitting comfortably on your booty? Welcome to T3’s ridiculously long review of the DJI Avata 360, a sensational but perplexing hybrid do-it-all FPV drone with an omnidirectional camera system that captures the world from a multitude of angles.

Coming hot on the heels of the similar Antigravity A1, the Avata 360 promises to shake up the drone world with its high-speed skyjinx and ability to be flown FPV-style using goggles or conventionally with a standard remote control.

Make no mistake, this is one of the best camera drones on the market right now – and one of the cheapest – but there’s a ton of stuff to unpack here, so bear with me. Are you sitting comftybold two-square on your botty? Then I’ll begin.

DJI Avata 360 review

Price and availability

The DJI Avata 360 is available from select UK online stores with prices starting at £409 for the drone alone to £829 for the Fly More Combo (details below). Your first port of call should be the DJI Store, hotly followed by Amazon and Heliguy, until it becomes available everywhere else.

As of writing, the DJI Avata 360 is not available from official DJI US web stores due to regulatory complications, but who knows what the future holds?

Specifications

• Weight: 455g
• Dimensions: 246×199×55.5 mm (L×W×H)
• Max speed: Normal 27mph (43kmh); Sport 40mph (64kmh)
• Max flight time: 23 mins
• Max flight distance: 8.3 miles (13.5km)
• Wind resistance: Level 5 (24mph)
• Camera sensors: Two 1/1.1-Inch square CMOS sensors
• Max aperture: f/1.9
• Max video resolution: 8K at 60fps
• Max image resolution: 120MP
• Image stabilisation: Single axis mechanical + digital
• Onboard storage: 42GB
• MicroSD card slot: Yes

Available combinations

The DJI Avata 360 is available in four packages. You can purchase the drone on its own (£409) and use it with any compatible controllers you already have, or you can opt for the Avata 360 with DJI RC2 screen-based controller (£639).

If you want to splash more cash, try the popular Fly More Combo (£829) comprising the Avata 360, DJI RC2 controller, three batteries, charging hub and excellent sling bag or, for FPV fans, the exhilarating Motion Fly More Combo (also £829), which comes with the Avata 360, three batteries and charging hub, along with DJI’s latest Goggles N3 and DJI RC Motion 3 hand controller.

In other words, a lot of options to suit a wide variety of pockets and pilots.

Set up

I received the full monty from DJI, comprising the standard Fly More Combo with drone, RC2 controller and spare batteries. I also received DJI’s latest Goggles N3 and DJI RC Motion 3 hand controller.

I have to admit that I was dreading the process of setting them all up at the same time, but after following the basic instructions for all three packages, it miraculously turned out to be much more straightforward than I had envisaged.

Setting up and binding the drone and RC2 controller to your account is very straightforward and involves linking the RC2 controller to your WiFi and following the onscreen steps. However, registering and linking the Goggles N3 and RC Motion 3 controller requires using the DJI Fly app and the included USB-C cable between the phone and the goggles.

I genuinely expected chaos to unfold during this process, but, against all odds, both the goggles and the Motion Controller somehow synced perfectly with the drone, and all was well. Until the slew of firmware updates came pouring in for every item I had on the desktop.

Most people would advise using DJI’s Assistant desktop software for the complex updating process, but I stuck to WiFi, knowing full well how long DJI updates can take to complete using this method.

Since the updating process can take over 40 minutes to complete in some instances and the drone may be sitting in an ‘on’ state on the table, I would advise having a fan blow some cool air over it because, while any drone will cool itself in flight through the simple physics of fast air running over its ventilation intakes, when it’s sat on a table for ages it can easily overheat and switch itself off or turn off some of its settings, and that could affect the updating process.

What’s so great about the DJI Avata 360?

Just like the land-based DJI Osmo 360 and Insta360 X5 cameras T3 has already reviewed, the new DJI Avata 360 is equipped with two opposing vertical fish-eye lenses that record a spherical 360˚ view of everything around the drone, whether it’s ahead, behind, above or below.

In fact, having given this little tyke a few spins, I’m of the opinion that 360˚ videography is way more suited to aerial use than it is on the ground, mostly because hitting the airspace opens a zillion more doors to one’s creativity.

So what’s the point of having a 360˚ drone like the Avata 360 or even the popular Antigravity A1? Post-reframing is the answer.

Where a conventional drone uses a single camera mounted to the nose of the craft and requires the pilot to be creative in the moment, framing from different angles and trying to get the money shot before the drone’s battery runs out of juice, with the Avata 360, you simply fly a similar course or trajectory without much care about actual framing.

This is because the footage that comes out of the Avata 360 doesn’t just cover what’s ahead of the camera, but almost every part of the sphere the drone is flying within.

When you put this footage into specialised software like DJI Studio, you’re presented with a wide-angle wall of warped imagery that you can scroll around and zoom into using the mouse on a laptop computer or your finger on a phone if using the DJI Fly app. It’s like spinning a world globe, only you’re on the inside.

In essence, once you’ve found a specific aerial scene you like, you can flatten the image so it looks like an ordinary drone shot and then use a series of keyframes to change perspective from a myriad of angles, just by scrolling across the screen and choosing the best vantage point.

I should point out that the Avata 360 can also be used in single-lens mode, which produces flattish 4K footage almost on par with the DJI Mini 5 Pro. However, because this drone doesn’t have a 3-axis mechanical gimbal, the horizon in single-camera mode tilts left and right as the drone moves around, just like an FPV drone. Bear this in mind in case you want to use it like a conventional drone.

Another brilliant facet of this drone is the way it can accurately replicate FPV footage, especially after you’ve spent some time key-framing the footage in post-production. For this effect, you can use either the RC hand controller or, better still, the optional Goggles N3 and RC Motion controller.

Take the classic diving-down-a-waterfall FPV shot, for instance. With an FPV drone, the pilot has to fly to the edge and execute an acrobatic half-roll and half-loop to enter a vertical dive. This is followed by setting the throttle to zero and using micro-adjustments on the controls to steer it down while the chaos of air currents threatens to pull the drone into the falling water.

It is one of the most difficult and disaster-courting manoeuvres in drone-land, but when well executed, the pilot gets a million Hail Marys on his or her social media feed. Job done.

Conversely, with the Avata 360, you simply engage Sport mode, hover while you get your bearings (try that with an FPV drone in manual mode) and bring the drone downwards before following the flow of water along the river. The Avata 360 doesn’t physically dive nose-first; instead, it drops down in its usual horizontal flying position.

However, because the two cameras are capturing everything around the drone, you can select the best shots in post production (whether viewing the scene from above or below the cameras) and, if necessary, speed up the footage and add motion blur to make it look like you’ve skilfully dived down the waterfall at 50mph. It’s shots like these that could feasibly spell the end of the conventional single-camera FPV drone as we know it and kick-start a whole new slew of 360 drones.

The Avata 360’s multitude of FPV-style uses doesn’t stop here because it also comes with an Easy ACRO mode, which can only be experienced when using goggles and the Motion controller. If you’ve ever tried flying an FPV drone in manual ACRO mode, you’ll know how impossible it is to get a handle on.

Well, Easy ACRO perfectly replicates the action of an FPV drone doing aerobatics, in some cases without actually performing any physical aerobatics itself. Instead, for some of the tricks it uses the dual cameras and nifty software manipulation to recreate the visual effect of the drone performing a selection of preset trick moves in real time: Slide, 180 Drift, Flip and Juke Roll, which is a mid-air flip from front facing to backwards. You should try them, it’s fun.

My personal favourite feature on the Avata 360 is Head Tracking mode. When wearing the Goggles N3 and using the RC Motion 3 controller, it’s like being in Metaverse, only everything you see is the real thing. As if standing in an air balloon basket, you can have the drone hover in one spot at your preferred altitude and simply look all around you.

It’s a brilliant feature for scanning an area or even flying over a dangerous glacier to see it close-up from the air by using the Motion controller’s zoom wheel. Magic. By the way, the Avata 360 also comes with the same selection of Quick Shots featured with most conventional DJI drones, plus all-important subject tracking.

If all of these amazing features tickle your fancy and you wish to explore the sensational and immersive joys of FPV-style flying, the DJI Avata 360 is about as good as it gets.

What’s not so great about the DJI Avata 360?

Make no mistake, the Avata 360 is a brilliant do-it-all camera drone that offers an endless amount of creative freedom, but I see it being more suited to social media creators, avid videographers, FPV fans or anyone adept at quickly learning how to operate new software.

If you already have a drone but rarely edit any of the clips it’s taken into a complete video or perhaps a casual camera phone user who just shoots family or holiday clips but always leaves them untouched in the phone’s photo library, the Avata 360 is probably not the drone for you, and you’d be much better served with a conventional model like the amazing DJI Flip.

As briefly explained above, the Avata 360 records an almost full sphere of imagery all at once, as if filmed using two fish-eye lenses that have been fused together. The trouble is, the footage it shoots has to be edited – or at the very least watched – using specialised software like DJI Studio because its OSV files are not recognised by normal editing platforms such as FinalCut Pro or Adobe Premiere, let alone any current photo library apps like Apple Photos or Google Photos.

Since the 360 method of videography transfers the creativity process from flying the drone to editing the footage on a desktop, laptop or phone, when you get back home after capturing all your lovely clips you have to launch the DJI Studio app and sift through acres of spherical footage within a single clip, choose a specific camera angle and create a series of key frames to hold the angle in position.

In some instances, a single clip just five seconds long may require several keyframes to either hold the camera’s perspective throughout the clip or change it so the subject is being viewed from a different angle.

To say this process is complex, comes with a very steep learning curve and is extremely time-consuming, is an understatement. Put another way, I have been shooting and editing conventional drone footage – including a raft of presentation videos for the real estate industry – since the first DJI Phantom was launched and, while the Avata 360 is capable of generating sensational footage that swirls and dives like a Peregrine Falcon, the act of pulling it off successfully in the final edit requires a lot of pernickety fiddling and that can take a lot of time.

When I’m shooting with a conventional camera drone, I know exactly what kind of shots I want at that very moment, and I simply make two or three passes from slightly different angles using subtle stick control and a light touch on the camera’s gimbal wheel until I’m happy with what I’ve got in the can.

When I get home, I throw the universally compatible MOV or MP4 footage files into Final Cut – or any other editing app – edit the clips together, add a bit of colour grading, and the job’s done. I’d say the whole process of flying to a completed video edit using a conventional drone is nearly three times faster than when I’ve used the 360 method.

Although the resolution of the footage coming out of the Avata 360 is in a whopping 8K, when you flatten the imagery in DJI Studio and start selecting and zooming into specific perspectives, the resolution is reduced to 4K and even 1080p if zoomed in closer on a subject.

You won’t see any reduction in quality when the finished video is viewed on a phone or tablet, but you may notice some artefacts and a noticeable softening of the image when pixel-peeping on a desktop monitor.

Also, since 360 cameras stitch two half spheres together using software trickery, you might occasionally notice a wobbly, jelly-like band across the centre of the frame. DJI Studio comes with three stitching optimisation plug-ins that help smooth out some but not all stitching issues.

Another thing I’ve noticed when editing with DJI Studio is how processor-intensive the program is when editing a load of 8K footage. Although the file sizes don’t appear to be any larger than standard 4K files, my two-year-old MacBook Air M3 experienced some serious lagging issues, which made the clips I was viewing jerk across the screen.

And this anomaly suggests to me that you may require a very decent, up-to-date computer for the editing process. I also find DJI Studio quite glitchy when editing, with some annoying workflow anomalies.

Aside from the above-mentioned disadvantages, one of the most annoying things about the Avata 360 is its noise. And I mean a right old racket that’s so shrill it can be heard from around 150m away.

The reason for this is that its propellers are much smaller than, say, the DJI Mini 4 Pro, which can’t be heard at all beyond just 30 or 40m. If you don’t want to draw attention to yourself, this may not be the drone for you.

Now I know that there are quite a few negatives in this paragraph but, as an experienced drone flyer who has reviewed almost every model in DJI’s incredible fleet, I’m mindful that this unique and extremely capable model may be a tad too complex and the required editing process too long-winded for some casual users who may be overly flattered by the all-singing, all-dancing 360 moniker.

Hence, for newbie pilots and those who rarely edit their footage, I would instead consider one of DJI’s conventional drones, like the similarly-priced DJI Mini 5 Pro or the aforementioned DJI Flip.

Drone design and features

I’ll come straight to the point – DJI is unequivocally the world’s best consumer drone manufacturer and one of the leading lights in commercial drone production for agriculture, rescue and surveying. If anyone asks me which drone they should buy, I simply say ‘anything by DJI’.

Even if the Chinese behemoth is initially beaten out of the blocks by other manufacturers like Zero Zero with the HoverAir X1 or Antigravity’s A1, the sheer weight of DJI’s long-term expertise and immense marketing clout ensures that it always comes out on top. Well, here’s another one to add to its roster of remarkable sky machines.

The new Avata 360 is unlike any other DJI drone, and while it isn’t necessarily the most suitable model for some, it definitely deserves its own pigeon hole, mostly because it’s so different to anything else in the company’s fleet. Think cinewhoop-style FPV on steroids.

Instead of having a single front-mounted camera, this one has two vertical fish-eye cameras, and they point away from each other to capture a full sphere of imagery. These cameras are mounted to a single-axis gimbal, so all stabilisation is performed digitally. This also means that even when using single-lens mode, the footage shot will follow the craft's roll as it turns left or right.

The key takeaway here is that, unlike a conventional drone which requires the user to carefully compose a shot while the drone is in the air, with the Avata 360 you can roughly point its twin fish-eye cameras at a subject, hit record and when you get home watch the clip from a myriad of angles using DJI’s specialised DJI Studio editing software, which allows you to choose any perspective or camera angle you want for your final edited video.

The Avata 360 weighs in at 455g, and that means it requires a CAA Operator ID (for the owner/controller) and a Flyer ID for the pilot. At 246×199×55.5mm, the Avata 360 cannot be folded, so it won’t fit in a pocket, but thankfully, the Fly More Combo comes with a great shoulder bag.

Regarding its flight specs, the Avata 360 has a maximum speed of 27mph (43kmh) in Normal mode and a spritely 40mph (64kmh) in Sport mode, with a maximum flight distance of 8.3 miles (13.5km) and a flight time of 23 minutes per battery. It’s also good to fly in winds up to Level 5 (24mph/38kmh).

As a safety measure, the Avata 360’s four small props are encased in a tough cage that protects the drone in flight while also making it much safer to fly within the vicinity of people. It also comes with confidence-inspiring omnidirectional obstacle avoidance when flown in 360 mode – in single camera mode, it only has forward obstacle avoidance – and a precision Return to Home function.

Goggles N3 and RC Motion 3 controller

For those who wish to enjoy a full immersive in-flight experience or fancy flying the Avata 360 in true FPV-style, it is also available to purchase with DJI’s new Goggles N3 and RC Motion 3 controller (both models are also available separately).

Believe me, flying FPV-style while wearing goggles provides a whole new level of wow factor that’s akin to wearing a VR headset. It genuinely allows you to view the world as a bird sees it – while keeping your feet safely on the ground.

The Goggles N3 are the latest in the DJI lineup, and they don’t require any eye focus adjustment because there’s space on the inside to accommodate your reading glasses. Simply adjust the head strap with an integral battery for comfort and go flying. However, since my face is thin, I did find that the goggles pressed down on the bridge of my nose, which prevented me from wearing them for long periods of time.

I must add at this point that the law requires having a second person alongside as a spotter whenever flying a drone with goggles of any kind. Hence, I would think carefully about who you could call on to spend time watching the drone while you enjoy yourself flying it.

The best way to use the goggles is in conjunction with DJI’s clever Motion 3 Controller, though there is a learning curve attached to this, too. The Motion 3 steers the drone mostly by hand movement, though it is also equipped with a tiny joystick for up, down and lateral movement.

To use, push the mini thumb stick up, and the drone will ascend. Now gently pull the acceleration trigger, and the drone will move forward – a circular dot in the centre of the screen makes it very easy to aim the drone at a particular subject.

Likewise, to go left or right, just tilt your hand in the direction you want the drone to go. Finally, to lower the altitude, pull back on the joystick, and if you need to perform an emergency brake, tap the top orange button. You can also fly backwards with this controller by pushing forward on the trigger.

The Motion 3 Controller feels extremely comfortable in the hand, and all buttons and control sticks are well-positioned and differently textured so you can easily find them while wearing goggles.

Flight performance

As with absolutely every drone in the DJI roster, the Avata 360 is an unbridled joy to fly. Everything is butter smooth, reliable and confidence-inspiring.

Honestly, any nervousness you might feel when putting it on its accompanying launch pad evaporates the moment it lifts off. It’s also extremely fast and it swoops and dives like a dragonfly on steroids, making it a perfect drone for darting around obstacles, which is what FPV is all about.

Camera features and performance

As already mentioned, the Avata 360 comes with two cameras: one above and one below. When in standby mode, one lens points forward and the other to the rear. This is because the drone actually rests on the camera housing prior to take off.

However, as soon as it’s in the air, the lens mount swivels so its lenses are pointing up and down. Thankfully, DJI provides optional lenses that can be easily fitted by the user should either lens sustain damage in flight or on the ground.

The Avata 360’s dual cameras are equipped with a 1/1.1-inch square CMOS sensor in each, delivering crisp 8K spherical footage, even in very low-light conditions. Each f/1.9 lens has a super-wide 200˚ field of view with a 20˚ overlap between the two cameras, where the software stitches both half spheres together.

As a result, you may see some tell-tale signs of stitching which manifests itself as a wobble across the centre line. This anomaly is more noticeable when shooting a subject up close or occasionally when filming vertical objects like statues, buildings, etc.

In maximum 8K resolution mode, both cameras sport a variety of frame rates from 24fps to 60fps, while their 2.7K setting provides even faster frame rates of up to 120fps. Just remember that when you select a specific scene and flatten it in post-production, the resolution of the clip is reduced to 4K and 1080p if you’ve zoomed in closer.

The Avata 360 also comes with a simple Panoramic mode and a tranche of standard Quick Shots like Dronie, Helix, Circle, Boomerang, Rotate and Rocket. However, these Quick Shots aren’t available in single lens mode, at least not yet. For video and stills recording, the Avata 360 comes with an ample 42GB of onboard storage along with a sealed MicroSD card slot.

I’ve been very impressed with the footage from this little drone though I’m not sure it would replace my Mini 4 Pro anytime soon, and for a number of reasons. Firstly, the Avata 360 relies on electronic image stabilisation and its housing only has one axis, as opposed to the Mini 4 Pro which uses a mechanical three-axis gimbal for a rock-steady horizon even when the drone’s turning or battling against a cross wind.

Even in single-camera mode, the Avata 360’s footage rolls with the pitch of the drone, making the horizon tilt from side to side, which is great for FPV but not traditional cinematography. Also, I have found that the Avata 360’s images – specifically the outer edges of the frame when viewed on a large laptop or desktop computer – are less sharply detailed, especially when shot from higher altitudes.

In a nutshell, the Avata 360 is a specialised hybrid designed for speedy 360-degree capture to the tune of a Death Metal soundtrack, while the Mini 4 Pro, and others like it, are precision aerial tools designed for capturing languorous cinematic scenes to the sound of Chopin. Take your pick.

Verdict

The DJI Avata 360 is one of the most innovative FPV-style drones you can buy. It captures immersive 8K 360˚ video, allowing creators to reframe shots after filming for maximum flexibility while its robust cinewhoop-inspired design, obstacle sensing and intuitive controls make it great fun to fly. With prices ranging between £409–£829 depending on the bundle, this drone really is amazing value.

However, it may not suit everyone since 360 footage requires complex, time-consuming editing and up-to-date hardware, while the final reframed video can be less sharp than a traditional camera drone and occasionally spoiled by poor image stitching.

DJI's mega-popular Mini 4K just recently dropped to its lowest price – sadly, it's back to nearly full price now – but I found another offer from the brand that's worth taking a look at, especially if you're considering taking your piloting skills to the next level.

Shop all drone deals on Amazon

The Mini 5 Pro Fly More Combo is currently down to £756.03, which is pretty much the cheapest it's ever been, apart from that one day in late January when it strangely dropped to £710. That must have been a pricing anomaly, and if you managed to grab one, then good for you! For the rest of us, this is as cheap as it gets!

I had a look at some of the Amazon reviews, and they are as glowing as you'd expect. The top review currently says, "If you’re on the fence and worried about being a beginner, don’t be. This is an incredible drone, very approachable, and capable of producing amazing results straight out of the box. Easily one of the best purchases I’ve made in a long time."

Another one calls the DJI Mini 5 Pro "small and mighty," adding that it "moves much quicker through the air than the previous models." One person says it's "Another winner from DJI, my new best mini drone." Long story short, people seem to like it.

It’s easy to see why people are so obsessed. The DJI Mini 5 Pro packs serious hardware into a sub-250g body, including a 1-inch 50MP CMOS sensor that captures detailed stills and 4K video at up to 120fps for slow motion.

The upgraded 225° rotating gimbal enables true vertical shooting without cropping, while 10-bit D-Log M and HDR support give you more flexibility in post.

Flight performance is equally impressive, with up to 36 minutes of battery life and DJI’s O4+ transmission system delivering a stable signal at long range.

Safety features include omnidirectional obstacle sensing, now enhanced with forward-facing LiDAR for improved low-light flying.

You also get upgraded ActiveTrack 360, QuickShots, around 42GB of internal storage and fast wireless file transfers, making it as capable for content creation as it is easy to fly.

DJI has launched its hotly anticipated 360-degree drone after months of rumours and weeks of teasing on social media.

The Avata 360 is now official, and while leaks got a lot right, the full picture reveals a more ambitious device than expected.

Rather than simply adding a 360 camera to an FPV drone, DJI has built what it calls a flagship 360 aerial system, designed to capture everything in a single take and let creators decide the framing later.

The bigger picture

One of the biggest unknowns ahead of launch was imaging hardware, and DJI has gone further than expected.

The Avata 360 uses 1-inch-equivalent sensors in its 360 lens, capable of shooting 8K/60fps HDR video and 120MP photos.

The larger 2.4 μm pixels and emphasis on dynamic range suggest this is aimed squarely at serious content creation rather than novelty capture.

Alongside full 360 capture, the drone features a Single Lens mode that records in 4K/60fps, effectively turning it into a more traditional Avata-style camera when needed.

That dual approach makes it as much a conventional aerial camera as it is a 360 device.

Safety was another area where details were thin before launch, but DJI has confirmed omnidirectional obstacle sensing alongside integrated propeller guards.

The Avata 360 offers full omnidirectional sensing across all axes, with forward LiDAR-assisted detection extending to 20 m and a downward 3D ToF sensor with a 10 m precise hovering range.

DJI has also addressed one of its long-standing weaknesses by focusing heavily on the editing experience.

The Avata 360 introduces in-app reframing via GyroFrame, along with a Virtual Gimbal that lets footage be rotated and reframed in virtually any direction after capture.

Features such as ActiveTrack 360° and Spotlight Free aim to automate subject tracking and camera movement, bringing the kind of workflow typically associated with dedicated 360 camera brands into DJI’s ecosystem.

The weight tells its own story

Another key detail that only became clear with the official specs is the weight.

At approximately 455g takeoff weight, the Avata 360 sits well above the sub-250g category.

That decision explains much of the hardware on board, including larger sensors, full obstacle sensing and robust flight systems, all of which come at a cost.

Speaking of cost, pricing is arguably the most surprising element.

The Avata 360 starts at £409 for the drone-only version, rising to £639 with the DJI RC 2 controller and £829 for Fly More and Motion controller bundles.

That positions it aggressively against its closest rival, the Antigravity A1, which currently sells for significantly more.

In a category with only a handful of true 360 drones, DJI’s pricing could prove disruptive, especially if real-world performance matches the spec sheet.

Flight performance itself is broadly in line with expectations, but now confirmed.

The drone offers up to 23 minutes of flight time and uses DJI’s O4+ transmission system to deliver a 1080p/60fps live feed with a maximum range of up to 20km.

There is also 42GB of internal storage, which DJI says is enough for around 30 minutes of 8K 360 footage, along with Wi-Fi 6 support for faster file transfers.

Real-world image quality, stitching performance and how intuitive the editing tools feel in practice will ultimately decide how successful this drone becomes. DJI has revealed almost everything.

The DJI Avata 360 is available for pre-order starting today at DJI and at authorised retailers. Shipping begins in April 2026 and will vary by region

With the launch of the Avata 360, DJI has officially entered the 360º drone market. The new model has been teased by the brand for weeks, and rumours have circulated for months, but even with all that, the final product still surprised everyone, including the brand's fans.

DJI’s take on the concept follows the release of Insta360-incubated Antigravity’s A1, the first 360-degree drone ever. It was launched in December 2025, and offered a new take on piloting, thanks to its clever camera mechanism and “shoot first, edit later” approach borrowed from action cameras like the Insta360 X5.

The two drones are in direct competition and offer similar feature sets, but there are key differences in how they operate and in the footage you can capture with them. Antigravity’s approach is to offer a more playful, almost gadget-like experience with the A1, while the Avata 360 builds on DJI’s years of experience as a drone maker and undercuts the rival by a large margin.

Both have their place in the drone market, but the aggressive pricing strategy certainly puts Antigravity on its back foot. That said, the A1’s lightness means that more people will be able to use it without restrictions, and it might also be a better choice for hobbyists. Which is the best drone for 360º footage, and should you buy… either? Let’s find out.

DJI Avata 360 vs Antigravity A1

Price and availability

DJI decided to price the Avata 360 rather aggressively. The drone starts at £409 for the standalone unit, rising to £639 with the DJI RC 2 controller, and £829 for the Fly More Combo and Motion Controller bundle. It is available to pre-order now, with shipping expected to begin in April 2026.

The Antigravity A1, which launched at the end of 2025, carries a much higher price tag, starting at $1,599 / £1,219 / €1,399 / AU$2,199 for the Standard bundle, with higher-tier packages approaching $2,000 / £1,500 / €1,700 / AU$2,900. Recent discounts have brought the entry price down slightly, but it remains firmly in premium territory.

Winner: DJI’s Avata 360 is hands down the cheaper option.

Design and build quality

The weight difference between these two drones is the first thing that defines them. The Antigravity A1 weighs 249 g with its standard battery, which falls under the EU C0 classification threshold. The weight rises to 291 g with the High-Capacity Flight Battery, nudging it into C1.

The DJI Avata 360 tips the scales at 455 g from the outset, a C1 drone by default. That's an 83% weight premium over the A1's base configuration, and you not only feel the gap immediately in the hand, but you will also need an appropriate licence to fly it.

Dimensionally, the two drones take opposing approaches to the same problem. The A1 folds to 141.3 × 96.2 × 81.4 mm, deploying to a 308.6 × 382.3 mm footprint with propellers extended, optimised for transport and rapid deployment.

The Avata 360 follows the design language of its predecessors and is fixed at 246 × 199 × 55.5 mm, with integrated propeller guards that eliminate the need for a folding mechanism.

Both drones feature user-replaceable lenses, which makes sense in the A1’s case, as it uses the Insta360 X5’s camera unit. DJI’s own 360-degree camera, the DJI Osmo 360, doesn’t have this feature, but clearly, the brand added it on the drone for convenience.

Winner: The A1 can be flown in more areas and requires a less advanced licence.

Camera performance

The two drones use fundamentally different imaging technologies, and the specs clearly show this. The Antigravity A1 is built around a pair of 1/1.28-inch sensors shooting in 360°, while the Avata 360 steps up to dual 1/1.1-inch square CMOS sensors, larger in both area and effective pixel count, at 64 MP per sensor.

Both use wide, fast apertures designed to maximise light intake: f/2.2 on the A1, f/1.9 on the Avata 360. That half-stop advantage is modest on its own, but combined with the larger sensor area, the Avata 360 has a meaningful edge in low-light capture.

The A1 tops out at 55 MP stills (10496 × 5248) and 8K video at up to 30 fps, with 5.2K available at 60 fps and 4K at up to 100 fps for slow-motion work. The Avata 360 can do 120 MP stills (15520 × 7760) and 8K video at up to 60fps, double the A1's peak frame rate at maximum resolution. For video, both cap out at 180 Mbps bitrate on the Avata 360 versus 170 Mbps on the A1, a negligible difference in practice.

The A1 relies on a single-axis mechanical gimbal paired with FlowState electronic stabilisation, inherited directly from Insta360’s action camera line. The Avata 360 uses a single-axis mechanical gimbal on the tilt axis supplemented by a 360° virtual gimbal, enabling infinite tilt and roll adjustment in post. For pilots using DJI Goggles, RockSteady 3.0 and HorizonBalancing are also available in single-lens mode.

Colour science is another differentiator. The Avata 360 supports D-Log M across its full resolution range, enabling more pro users to edit footage more effectively in post. The A1 shoots in a fixed colour profile with no log option, which simplifies the workflow but limits flexibility in post-production.

Both drones support intelligent tracking, though their implementations differ. The A1’s Deep Track can lock onto subjects in any direction after capture, since everything is already recorded in 360°, removing the need to frame shots precisely during flight.

However, the A1 is not limited to post-flight tools: its Sky Gene system also enables in-flight subject tracking and automated camera movement, bringing it closer to DJI’s real-time approach than it might initially appear.

The Avata 360 offers ActiveTrack 360°, which tracks subjects in real time across the full spherical frame, with Standard and Cycling modes automatically adapting to subject behaviour.

Winner: The Avata 360 leads in raw imaging capability, with larger sensors, higher-resolution stills, 8K60fps video, and D-Log M support, giving it more latitude for serious creative work, although the A1’s combination of in-flight automation and post-capture reframing makes it a more flexible option than the specs alone suggest.

Flight performance

The two drones approach flight from opposite ends of the control philosophy spectrum. The Avata 360 is a conventional fixed-guard FPV aircraft, piloted via DJI’s RC 2, RC-N2 or RC-N3 remote controllers, or, for a more immersive experience, via DJI Goggles paired with the RC Motion 3.

The A1 dispenses with traditional sticks entirely, using the Grip motion controller and Vision Goggles as its primary interface. You steer by pointing, not by pushing sticks, which makes the A1 feel closer to a first-person flying experience than a conventional drone, particularly for beginners or those transitioning from action cameras rather than drones.

Both are rated for a maximum wind resistance of Level 5 (10.7 m/s), and both achieve ±0.1 m vertical hovering accuracy with vision positioning active, putting them on a broadly equal footing for stability in real-world conditions.

In terms of speed, the Avata 360 can reach 18 m/s in Sport mode (vs the A1’s 16 m/s), and its maximum ascent and descent speeds of 10 m/s in Sport mode exceed the A1’s 8 m/s. The Avata 360 can also take off from altitudes of up to 4,500 m, compared with the A1’s 4,000 m, although this is unlikely to affect most users outside high-altitude environments.

Sensing systems are another area where the two initially diverged. The A1 provides forward binocular vision sensing from 0.5–18 m and downward 3D infrared detection from 0.3–7.5 m, offering a practical safety layer for forward flight and landing.

However, this setup is being significantly expanded, with a firmware update introducing full omnidirectional obstacle avoidance already rolling out to some users.

By comparison, the Avata 360 offers full omnidirectional sensing across all axes out of the box, with forward LiDAR-assisted detection extending to 20 m and a downward 3D ToF sensor with a 10 m precise hovering range, giving it a more mature and fully integrated system at launch.

In terms of video transmission, the A1 uses OmniLink 360, with a maximum range of 10 km under FCC standards and an average latency of approximately 150 ms. The Avata 360’s O4+ system reaches 20 km under FCC, with a lowest latency of approximately 130 ms at 1080p/60fps, giving DJI the edge for long-range flying and responsiveness.

Intelligent flight modes are more closely matched than they first appear. The Avata 360 includes features such as Spotlight Free, ActiveTrack 360° with Standard and Cycling modes, and a Virtual Gimbal enabling infinite tilt and roll during flight.

The A1, meanwhile, combines its Deep Track post-flight reframing tools with in-flight automation via its Sky Gene system, which enables subject-aware flight paths and intelligent capture in real time. This means the A1 is not limited to post-production workflows, but instead offers a hybrid approach that blends automated capture with flexible reframing after the fact.

Winner: The Avata 360 remains the more mature platform, with higher speeds, longer transmission range and a more fully established sensing system, but the gap is narrower than it first appears, particularly as the A1’s software capabilities continue to evolve.

Battery life and charging

Flight endurance figures favour the A1 on paper, though with an important caveat. With its standard 2,360 mAh Flight Battery, the A1 is rated for up to 24 minutes, rising to 39 minutes with the optional 4,345 mAh High-Capacity Flight Battery.

The Avata 360 is rated for approximately 23 minutes from its 2,700 mAh cell. On standard batteries, the gap is narrow, but the A1's high-capacity option is in a different class entirely, offering nearly 70% more flight time at the cost of increasing the aircraft's weight from 249 g to 291 g and pushing it out of the EU C0 weight bracket.

The A1's Explorer and Infinity bundles include a charging hub, which is essential for back-to-back sessions, given the drone's reliance on goggles and controller batteries, as well as the flight pack itself.

The Vision Goggles draw from a separate 4,500 mAh, 32.85 Wh external battery rated for up to 2.5 hours, and the Grip controller carries a 2,300 mAh cell good for approximately 4 hours. Managing three independent power sources isn’t ideal, but it’s a price to pay for cutting-edge technology.

The Avata 360's battery charges via USB-C and benefits from DJI's established charging ecosystem, with Fly More Combo options providing additional batteries and a multi-bay hub for sequential charging.

Winner: The A1 wins on maximum endurance if you're willing to carry the high-capacity battery and accept the regulatory trade-off.

Verdict

These two drones are more complementary than they are direct competitors, and choosing between them comes down to a clear set of priorities.

The Avata 360 makes a compelling case on almost every technical metric. Its larger sensors, higher resolution, 8K60fps video, D-Log M colour profile, omnidirectional obstacle sensing, O4+ transmission and 20 km range represent a meaningfully more capable package.

Plus, at a starting price of £409 for the drone alone, it undercuts the A1 by a considerable margin.

For creators who want serious imaging performance and the flexibility to fly with either a conventional remote or immersive goggles, DJI's offering is difficult to argue against.

The A1 occupies a different position. It was first to market with a fully realised 360° drone experience, and the motion-controlled, headset-first flight system it introduced remains genuinely distinctive.

Its “shoot-now, frame-later” workflow suits travel photographers and creators who prioritise flexibility, and the high-capacity battery option gives it the upper hand in terms of endurance over the Avata 360 (for now).

That said, at £1,219 for the Standard Bundle, nearly three times the Avata 360's entry price, it faces a significantly harder sell now that DJI has entered the category with comparable imaging and superior flight capability at a fraction of the cost.

The arrival of the Avata 360 has sharpened the competitive landscape considerably.

Antigravity deserves credit for building the category from scratch; however, as expected from DJI, it has responded to the challenge with a drone that matches or exceeds it in most measurable areas while also making it a lot cheaper.

Unless the A1's unique motion-control experience or its extended battery life is a specific priority, the Avata 360 represents the stronger overall proposition at launch.

Overall winner: DJI Avata 360. Better imaging, broader sensing, longer range and a dramatically lower price point make it a more compelling buy for the majority of creators entering the 360° drone space. A small caveat is that the drone is certainly aimed at more experienced pilots and enthusiasts rather than beginner pilots. They are better off splashing the cash on the A1.

Amazon's Spring Sale has well and truly arrived, and with it came the best DJI Mini 4K deal I've ever seen. Both the standard package and the bundle with the extra batteries and carry bag are now the cheapest they've ever been – lower price than Black Friday!

Shop all DJI deals in the Amazon Spring Sale

The Mini 4K is the most affordable in DJI's Mini series, yet it offers 4K video, a 3-axis gimbal and up to 31 minutes of flight time on a single charge. If you're looking for something meatier, the DJI Mini 3 (with the DJI RC controller) is nearly $200 off, too.

The DJI Mini 4K is a lightweight, foldable drone designed for beginners who want solid imaging without the complexity of pro models.

Weighing just 246g, it sits below key regulatory thresholds while remaining highly portable. It features a 1/2.3-inch CMOS sensor capable of shooting 12MP stills and recording crisp 4K video at up to 30fps, stabilised by a three-axis gimbal for smooth footage even in wind.

Flight performance is strong for the price, with up to 31 minutes of battery life and a maximum transmission range of 10km using DJI’s O2 system. GPS-assisted hovering, automatic Return-to-Home and one-tap take-off make it easy to fly, while QuickShots modes like Dronie, Helix and Rocket help create cinematic clips with minimal input.

It also offers 4x digital zoom and decent wind resistance, though it lacks obstacle avoidance. Overall, the Mini 4K delivers a well-rounded mix of portability, image quality and ease of use at an accessible price point.

DJI likes to piggyback on Amazon's sales events, as it did with last week's Spring Sale. However, good offers on products from the best drone brand are available pretty much continuously. Case in point: the capable Neo 2 is down to its lowest-ever price on Amazon right now.

Shop all DJI deals on Amazon

The deal is for the ‘drone only’ version, meaning it doesn’t include a remote. While that might be a drawback with other drones, the Neo 2 can be operated using onboard buttons or simple hand gestures, making extra hardware largely unnecessary.

Despite its compact size, the DJI Neo 2 packs in a surprisingly capable set of features. Weighing just around 151g, it comfortably sits below the 249g threshold, making it easier to fly in more places without heavy restrictions.

The drone features a 1/2-inch sensor capable of shooting 4K video at up to 60 fps (even higher frame rates for slow motion), paired with a two-axis gimbal that keeps footage smooth and usable straight out of the camera. Still images top out at 12MP, which is more than enough for social and casual use.

Features like ActiveTrack, QuickShots and automated modes such as orbiting or “selfie” flights allow it to follow subjects and capture content with minimal input. Gesture and app-based control also make it easy to operate without extra accessories.

From a safety standpoint, the Neo 2 has full propeller guards and omnidirectional sensing, including LiDAR, to help it avoid obstacles and remain stable, even in less-than-ideal conditions.

You also get around 19 minutes of flight time per charge, plus 49GB of internal storage, so there’s plenty of room to capture multiple clips before needing to land or offload footage.

The emerging race to dominate the new generation of 360-degree drones appears to be accelerating, as Antigravity has announced the biggest discount yet for its A1 drone just as anticipation builds around DJI’s upcoming Avata 360.

While DJI has not officially revealed the full details of the Avata 360 yet, industry chatter suggests the drone could launch at a noticeably lower price than many expected.

If true, that would immediately put pressure on rivals in what is still a very young category of immersive aerial cameras.

According to the company, the Antigravity A1, widely described as the world’s first all-in-one 8K 360 drone, is currently available with a limited-time discount as part of its spring promotion.

North American customers can receive 20% off all A1 bundles between March 16 and April 16, while European markets, including the UK, are already eligible for a 15% discount.

The A1 launched in late 2025 with a built-in 360-degree camera capable of capturing immersive aerial footage without an external camera module, a design that set it apart from traditional FPV drones.

That approach places it in direct competition with upcoming products expected from DJI and other imaging companies experimenting with fully integrated 360 drone systems.

If rumours about the Avata 360’s aggressive pricing prove accurate, the segment could quickly shift from niche experiment to genuine battleground.

New features arriving in April

Antigravity is also preparing a major software update for the A1, arriving in April, that adds several new features designed to expand creative control.

The update will introduce voice commands for flight and shooting functions, time-lapse recording for both standard and Sky Path flight modes, and a new “Virtual Cockpit” mode that lets pilots experience flights through a stylised virtual avatar.

Additional visual effects are also coming to the drone’s Sky Path feature, including animated route styles and interactive path markers intended to make automated flight paths more cinematic.

With DJI widely expected to unveil its Avata 360 soon, the coming months could determine which company ends up shaping the future of immersive aerial filming.

While many people don't know (or care) about Amazon's Spring Deal Days Sale, drone pilots should certainly pay attention. The Mini 3 Fly More Combo is down to its lowest ever price, and so is admittedly – and somewhat confusingly – the most popular DJI beginner drone, the Mini 4K.

Shop all DJI deals in Amazon's Spring Deal Days Sale

This compact drone is proof that you don’t need to spend a small fortune to get a taste of aerial photography. As the brand's entry-level model, it weighs under 249g, which keeps it in the lightest regulatory category in many countries, including the UK.

The dinky drone records 4K video at up to 30fps using a 1/2.3-inch sensor, while a three-axis mechanical gimbal keeps footage smooth when the wind inevitably tries to ruin your videos.

It can also shoot RAW photos, offers 4× digital zoom, and includes DJI’s QuickShots modes, enabling the drone to perform flying manoeuvres without any user input.

Each battery (there are two in the bundle) delivers up to 31 minutes in the air, which is long enough to explore your surroundings without immediately scrambling for a charger.

DJI’s O2 video transmission system keeps the connection stable and can reach distances of up to 10km in ideal conditions.

DJI has also packed in a handful of pilot-friendly helpers, including one-tap take-off, automatic Return-to-Home and steady hovering, all of which make flying less intimidating, while panorama modes help capture sweeping aerial shots with minimal effort.

DJI is running its Spring Sale across its own webstore and Amazon, and, strangely enough, the deals seem slightly different on the sites. One of the best deals on the retail giant's page is the Mini 3 Fly More Combo, which knocks £180 off the brand's lightweight 4k-capable drone.

Shop all DJI deals in Amazon's Spring Deal Days Sale

The DJI Mini 3 is designed to make aerial photography accessible without sacrificing key features. Weighing just under 249g, the compact foldable drone sits below the regulatory threshold in many regions, making it an ideal drone for beginner pilots, especially at this price.

Despite the lightweight design, the Mini 3 packs a 1/1.3-inch CMOS sensor with an f/1.7 aperture, allowing it to capture 4K HDR video at up to 30fps and detailed still images, while a three-axis mechanical gimbal keeps footage smooth and stable even in breezy conditions.

The drone can stay airborne for up to 38 minutes on a single charge, with the Fly More Combo taking things further by including two additional Intelligent Flight Batteries, a two-way charging hub and a carry bag, meaning you get three batteries in total and up to around 114 minutes of combined flight time.

The version on sale also includes the DJI RC controller, which features a built-in 5.5-inch display so you don’t need to connect your phone before flying!

With its portable design, long battery life and beginner-friendly controls, the Mini 3 remains one of DJI’s most approachable camera drones. And with the price dropping from £579 to £399, the Fly More Combo now represents particularly strong value for anyone looking to start flying.

DJI has officially confirmed the launch of its next drone, and all signs point to the arrival of the long-rumoured DJI Avata 360.

The company announced a launch event scheduled for 26 March at 12 PM GMT, accompanied by the tagline “Above It All, See It All.”

The teaser image features a prominent curved lens element, strongly suggesting a camera designed to capture a full panoramic view.

While DJI hasn’t revealed any specifications yet, leaks and early reports suggest the drone could mark a significant shift for the company’s FPV lineup.

A new kind of FPV camera drone

If rumours prove accurate, the Avata 360 will combine FPV flight with a dual-lens 360-degree camera system, capturing everything around the drone at once.

That would allow pilots to reframe shots after filming, much like creators use 360-degree action cameras, including the DJI Osmo 360.

Instead of lining up the perfect angle during flight, users could simply fly the drone while it records the entire environment.

The drone is expected to build on the design of the DJI Avata 2, retaining the compact cinewhoop-style frame with enclosed propellers that make FPV flying safer around obstacles.

A direct rival to Insta360’s drone ambitions

If confirmed, the Avata 360 will also place DJI directly in competition with the Antigravity A1, a drone developed by Insta360-incubated Antigravity brand that focuses on fully reframable aerial footage.

Instead of treating the camera as a fixed lens pointing in one direction, the drone records a full spherical view, allowing creators to choose framing later in editing.

DJI may be planning an aggressive price

Reports suggest DJI could price the Avata 360 aggressively in order to put pressure on Insta360’s new drone category.

Antigravity's drone received a price cut earlier this year, likely to take the wind out of DJI's sails before the 360º drone launch.

It wouldn't be unprecedented for DJI to use a cut-price strategy to ensure its market-leading position stays.

The company has used a similar strategy before when DJI launched the DJI Flip.

The drone entered the market at a price designed to compete directly with the HoverAir X1, a compact autonomous flying camera.

If DJI follows the same playbook here, the Avata 360 could arrive as a more affordable entry point into the emerging 360-drone segment.

DJI will reveal the drone officially during its launch event on 26 March, when we should finally learn how the Avata 360 fits into the company’s rapidly expanding drone lineup.

If the rumours prove accurate, it could mark the beginning of a new category of consumer drones, one where pilots focus on flying while the camera captures everything around them.

Spring might be the season of fresh air and longer days, but it’s also shaping up to be a great time to upgrade your camera gear. DJI has launched its Spring Sale, slashing prices across drones, action cameras, creator gear and portable power stations on both the DJI Store and Amazon.

Shop all deals at DJI

The brand almost always times its seasonal shopping event to coincide with Amazon's similarly named discount extravaganza, and some of the discounts are surprisingly generous, too.

Standouts include the beginner-friendly DJI Mini 4K dropping to £189, chunky savings on the DJI Flip Fly More Combo, and big reductions on creator favourites like the DJI Osmo Pocket 3 Creator Combo.

Check out all DJI deals at Amazon

The sale runs through much of March, with different products discounted on different dates, so it’s worth keeping an eye out if you’ve been waiting to upgrade your flying camera, action cam or vlogging setup.

Below are the best DJI Spring Sale deals worth grabbing right now.

Best DJI deals at DJI

Best DJI deals at Amazon

DJI has launched the DJI Inspire 3 Basic Package, a streamlined bundle that significantly lowers the entry price of the Inspire 3 platform.

Previously available mainly as a comprehensive Combo kit aimed at professional film productions, the Inspire 3 typically retailed for around £13,000 in the UK.

The new drone bundle brings the starting price down to the mere pocket change of £7,099, cutting the cost of entry by thousands of pounds (£6,320 / 47%, to be precise) while keeping the same aircraft and camera system.

Same drone, different package

Importantly, the Inspire 3 itself remains unchanged. You still get DJI’s flagship aerial cinema platform built around the Zenmuse X9-8K Air full-frame camera, capable of capturing up to 8K video with professional formats such as Apple ProRes RAW and CinemaDNG.

The Inspire 3 also features DJI’s CineCore 3.0 image processing system, RTK-powered centimetre-level positioning, and the company’s O3 Pro transmission system, designed to deliver stable long-range video feeds for complex film productions.

Like the standard Inspire 3 kit, the aircraft uses interchangeable DL-mount lenses and dual TB51 batteries, offering flight times of up to around 28 minutes depending on conditions.

The drone’s distinctive transforming design allows the landing gear and arms to lift out of frame, enabling unobstructed 360-degree camera movement for cinematic shots.

While the original Inspire 3 Combo shipped with multiple batteries, charging hubs, storage drives and transport accessories, the Basic Package removes several of these extras.

In the box, you’ll find the Inspire 3 aircraft, the Zenmuse X9-8K Air gimbal camera, four TB51 Intelligent Batteries, and the Inspire 3 trolley case, along with a dedicated camera case for the Zenmuse unit.

Other accessories, including the RC Plus remote controller, can be purchased separately, allowing filmmakers to build out the kit to suit their existing setup.

That makes the new bundle particularly appealing to production houses, rental companies and experienced operators who already own Inspire accessories and simply want another aircraft or camera platform without paying for duplicate kit.

For smaller studios or independent filmmakers looking to step into DJI’s highest-end drone ecosystem, the lower entry price could also make the Inspire 3 platform far easier to justify.

Even with the reduced price, the Inspire might be overkill for non-professional creators – they are better off with something like the DJI Mavic 4 Pro.

The DJI Inspire 3 Basic Package is available now from authorised retailers and DJI’s online store, with UK pricing starting at £7,099 / €7,999 (~$9,293 / AU$13,171).

It always baffled me why people prefer DJI's Mini 4K over other $k drones from the brand, such as the Neo or the Flip, since all three can shoot 4K video, yet the latter two are always cheaper than the Mini 4K. Nevertheless, the Mini 4K gets most of the attention, and now, it's also cheaper at Very!

Shop all DJI deals at Very

Admittedly, you won't be able to save loads, but any money off what's already a pretty affordable drone is a good deal in my eyes. The Fly More Combo includes the drone and controller, a carry bag, an extra battery, and a parallel charger that lets you recharge both batteries simultaneously.

The site also mentions a 10% off discount with a code, but I couldn't figure out what this code might be, so I'm going with what the page currently says: £22.16 off. If you find the code, that could potentially knock another £40 off the asking price.

In case you didn't know, the Mini 4K has a 1/2.3-inch CMOS sensor that records 4K video at up to 30 fps, 2.7K at up to 60 fps, and 1080p at up to 60 fps.

Stills can be captured at up to 12 MP, and the camera is stabilised with a 3-axis gimbal for smooth, shake-free shots.

The drone offers a up to 31 minutes of flight time on a single charge, and supports a long-range DJI O2 video transmission of up to 10 km.

It handles winds up to around 38 km/h (Level 5) and can reach roughly 57 km/h – impressive for such a compact flying machine.

Usually, Valentine's Day sales end on or just after the date, but the world's most romantic annual event was three days ago, and DJI's Valentine's Special sale is still very much on. This is good news for drone and gimbal fans and content creators alike, as they can save up to 21% on some of the company's hottest products.

Shop the DJI Valentine's Special Sale

The highlight is certainly the Mini 4 Pro deal, which makes the last true sub-250g Mini more affordable – and it wasn't massively expensive to begin with.

The FPV-specialist Avata 2 is also on offer, although it has been for a while, as we're expecting the Antigravity A1-rival Avata 360 to drop soon.

Two gimbals, the Osmo Mobile 7P and Osmo Mobile 8, are also cheaper than usual, and the mega-affordable Mic Mini can also be yours for less than a meal out for one.

If none of the five deals here tickles your fancy, there are more deals listed below, not just at DJI but also at other retailers such as Amazon, Very, Clifton Cameras, and more.

And there is always the DJI Mini 4K, which is quite cheap even at full price...

It's February, and the weather has been anything but drone-friendly so far this year. This might be the reason why Amazon decided to knock £100 off the asking price of the Mini 4 Pro, the last truly sub-250g Mini drone.

Shop all DJI deals at Amazon

The drone was slightly lower on Black Friday last year, but this is the best price I've seen in nearly two months. Even then, it was only £30 cheaper than it is now; £457.05 is a really good price for a compact drone this competent.

Customer reviews consistently praise the drone, which currently holds a 4.6-star rating from more than 5,400 reviews. One says it's "probably the best gadget I have bought in years," while another review (titled "Well chuffed") says, "When I unboxed the DJI Mini 4 Pro, I felt like a kid on Christmas morning."

The Mini 4 Pro is a highly capable drone that blends portability with powerful imaging and flight tech. It’s equipped with a 1/1.3-inch CMOS camera capable of capturing up to 48 MP stills and shooting stunning 4K HDR video at up to 60 fps, with slow-motion 4K at 100 fps and 10-bit colour profiles for rich footage.

A three-axis gimbal can rotate for true vertical shooting, and DJI’s O4 video transmission delivers low-latency HD feeds up to 20 km. Advanced safety comes from omnidirectional obstacle sensing and APAS, helping avoid hazards in flight.

Intelligent flight modes include ActiveTrack 360°, Waypoints and other automatic shooting options, while a max flight time of around 34 minutes lets you stay airborne longer. Foldable and regulation-friendly, it’s a versatile aerial tool for travel, content creation and creative cinematography.

The compact camera market, long dominated by brands such as DJI, Insta360 and GoPro, is growing steadily, drawing in new challengers looking to capitalise on the creator boom.

The latest to enter the conversation is vivo, a Chinese smartphone maker that appears to be exploring its own take on the vlogging camera.

According to a recent post in Jiemian News, a prominent Chinese digital news media outlet focused primarily on business, finance and economic reporting, vivo has "internally initiated a Vlog camera project at the end of 2025, with the product positioned to compete with DJI's Pocket series." (translated from Chinese)

The outlet reports that the product's name has not yet been officially confirmed, and that it is expected to be released in 2026.

If true, DJI's upcoming Osmo Pocket 4 camera will enter a crowded market, with many brands vying for attention.

The camera that changed the conversation

Drone giant DJI has been branching out in recent years, entering new product categories seemingly every month.

The company now has its own portable power station line, robovac, and various creator equipment, including action cameras and gimbals.

The Osmo Pocket 3, launched on 25 October 2023, was a global success, with the Chinese brand surpassing GoPro as the top-selling action camera brand in Japan in 2025.

Offering a different user experience from DJI's 'traditional' Osmo Action action cam, the Pocket series is praised for its compact form factor, excellent stabilisation and cinematic footage.

Understandably, hype around the upcoming Osmo Pocket 4 has been at an all-time high in recent months, even though DJI has yet to confirm any details, including the launch date.

A crowded pocket

Vivo isn't the only company looking to take a slice of the creator pie. Dreame, known for its robovacs, has announced its Leaptic sub-brand at CES 2026, along with its first product, the Nano.

The Leaptic Nano is an 8K action camera reminiscent of the DJI Nano, featuring a 155-degree ultra-wide lens and a large 1/1.3-inch CMOS sensor.

SJCAM, an affordable action camera brand offering low-cost alternatives to GoPro that punch above their price point, also has an Osmo Pocket alternative.

The SJCAM C400 features a modular design and can be used as either a handheld vlogging camera or an action camera.

In terms of price, the SJCAM C400 costs half as much as the Osmo Pocket 3 – although there probably are some quality trade-offs to consider.

Whatever vivo is planning to do with its upcoming camera, it might take some wind out of DJI's sail. How much, we'll see.

[via TechNode, Jeimian News]

DJI is planning to replace, admittedly, its most popular beginner drone soon, which might be why Amazon is trying to clear its stock of the Mini 4K. The Fly More Combo, which includes two batteries, a controller and a carry case, has fallen back down to Black Friday-level prices.

Shop today's drone deals at Amazon UK

Amazon lists the Mini 4K as its #1 Best Seller in Remote & App-Controlled Drones, which speaks volumes about how popular this sub-249g drone is. This shouldn't come as a surprise, as the Mini 4K Fly More Combo offers over an hour of combined flight time, 4K video at 30pfs, and a 3-axis gimbal for extra-smooth footage.

The Mini 4K packs a powerful camera and solid flight performance into a portable frame that weighs under 249 g, meaning it falls below registration limits.

It’s built around a 12 MP 1/2.3-inch CMOS sensor that records 4K video at up to 30 fps, 2.7K at up to 60 fps, and 1080p at up to 60 fps, giving crisp, high-resolution footage for landscapes, travel clips, and everyday moments.

Stills can be captured at up to 12 MP, and the camera is stabilised with a 3-axis gimbal for smooth, shake-free shots.

Flight-wise, the compact drone offers a maximum flight time of about 31 minutes on a single charge, letting you stay airborne for plenty of aerial coverage on a single battery, and supports a long-range DJI O2 video transmission of up to 10 km.

It handles winds up to around 38 km/h (Level 5) and can reach roughly 57 km/h, making it stable and responsive in varied conditions.

User-friendly features include easy one-tap takeoff/landing, GPS-enabled hovering, intelligent shooting modes such as QuickShots and panoramas, and a Return-to-Home function for safe flying, all accessible via the DJI Fly app.

DJI appears to be preparing a refresh of its most accessible consumer drones, with two new models, the Lito 1 and Lito X1, now semi-confirmed through regulatory listings and certification documents.

The upcoming drones were first spotted in filings with the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC), and while DJI has yet to formally announce either model, the appearance of both names in official documentation strongly suggests a launch is on the horizon.

A new entry-level direction

Based on the information available so far, the Lito 1 and Lito X1 look positioned below DJI’s prosumer offerings, instead targeting first-time flyers and casual creators, a space currently occupied by drones such as the incredibly popular DJI Mini 4K, as well as DJI Neo 2 and DJI Flip models.

The Mini 4K was launched on 29 April 2024 and features a 1/2.3-inch CMOS camera capable of shooting 4K video at up to 30 fps and 12 MP stills, with stabilisation via a three-axis gimbal for smooth aerial footage.

It offers a maximum flight time of around 31 minutes, up to 10 km of video transmission range with DJI’s O2 system, and a suite of intelligent modes like QuickShots and GPS-assisted hovering.

Both upcoming drones appear to prioritise simplicity and ease of use, with integrated internal storage among the clearest confirmed features.

The Lito 1 has 22GB of onboard storage, while the Lito X1 increases this to 42GB, reducing reliance on microSD cards.

Crucially, nothing in the leaked material suggests these drones are intended to replace higher-end Mini models.

The DJI Mini 5 Pro, which sits firmly in the prosumer category thanks to its advanced camera system and flight features, appears unaffected by the Lito series based on current evidence.

What the filings reveal (and what they don’t)

Beyond storage capacity, the FCC documents confirm that both drones use DJI’s latest wireless transmission hardware, with the Lito X1 expected to support a more advanced version than the standard Lito 1.

While reports speculate about extended range and enhanced obstacle sensing on the X1, DJI has not yet confirmed camera specs, sensor size, video resolutions, or flight times.

The presence of FCC certification typically indicates that a product is moving closer to market.

Confidentiality deadlines attached to the filings point to late spring as the latest possible window for a public announcement, making a Q1 or early Q2 launch plausible.

If that timeline holds, DJI could soon be refreshing its beginner-friendly lineup while leaving its prosumer Mini range untouched — a sensible move at a time when drone regulations, pricing pressure, and ease of use matter more than ever.

[via Notebookcheck, NewCamera]

Just when you thought you'd recovered from Christmas and finally crawled your way through that painfully long January stretch to pay day, DJI has gone and kicked off a fresh Winter Sale on its UK store - with a handful of discounts that’ll actually make you stop scrolling.

Shop DJI's up to 25% off Winter sale

There's up to 25% off, with DJI also pushing “limited-time deal” messaging across the promo page, plus the promise of extra gifts depending on what you buy.

So, if you’ve been waiting for an excuse to upgrade your content kit, or you’ve had a drone sat in your bookmarks for months, this is one of the better straight-from-DJI sales I’ve seen in a while.

The biggest discount hits DJI’s Osmo 360 Adventure Combo, but there are also reductions on a couple of phone gimbals, a creator microphone bundle, and a Mini drone that’s still one of the easiest ways to get proper aerial footage without going full cine-nerd.

If you mostly shoot on your phone, DJI’s Winter Sale is also trying to tempt you with stabilisers.

The Osmo Mobile kits are basically designed to make handheld footage look less shaky and more like a smooth tracking shot, with built-in subject tracking and quick controls that are useful if you film people, pets, travel days or gym stuff.

The Winter Sale isn’t exactly a bargain-fest, but it does include a few solid, sensible discounts on DJI gear that people actually buy.

If you want the best value, I'd say start with the Osmo 360 Adventure Combo and work backwards from there.

DJI has unveiled the RS 5, a new lightweight camera gimbal aimed at professional and semi-professional videographers who want more stability, smarter subject tracking and longer runtimes in a compact setup.

The RS 5 sits above the RS 4 Mini and introduces DJI’s latest RS Enhanced Intelligent Tracking Module (seen above), which allows subjects to be framed and tracked directly from the gimbal’s touchscreen.

Unlike earlier systems, the updated module can track people, animals and vehicles, maintaining focus on a human subject from up to 10 metres (~33 ft) away and re-acquiring them if they leave the frame.

The module attaches magnetically, removing the need for adapters or additional accessories.

DJI says its 5th-generation RS Stabilisation Algorithm improves stability when shooting while walking or running, during rapid direction changes, and when filming vertically.

Despite its compact body, the RS 5 can support payloads of up to 3kg and switch to vertical shooting without extra hardware.

Designed for longer days on set

The RS 5 can fully recharge in one hour, a 60 per cent improvement over the previous generation, and offers up to 14 hours of runtime with the standard battery.

An optional BG70 High-Capacity Battery Grip extends this to up to 30 hours for longer shoots.

New accessories include an Electronic Briefcase Handle for low- and high-angle shots, along with an on-screen Z-Axis Indicator designed to help users adjust their movement to reduce image shake.

Camera compatibility has also expanded, with Bluetooth shutter control now supporting Panasonic and Fujifilm cameras alongside Sony, Canon and Nikon.

The RS 5 integrates with DJI’s wider ecosystem, including Focus Pro Motors, SDR Transmission and third-party accessories via the RSA Communication Port, while the open RS SDK enables custom functions for advanced workflows.

The DJI RS 5 is available now directly from DJI for £485 / €569 (~$669 / AU$950), while the RS 5 Combo, which adds the tracking module, briefcase handle and carry case, is priced at £619 / €719 (~$854 / AU$1,212).

Antigravity has recently announced that it's introducing a new feature to its award-winning 360º drone, the A1, and to mark the occasion, the company has also knocked 15% off the price of one of the hottest gadgets of the last 12 months in the US.

Buy the A1 drone for 15% less at Antigravity UK

Now, the brand decided to extend its offer to other countries, including the UK and parts of Europe. This is a big deal for drone fans, as the A1 offers a unique 'capture first, frame later' flying experience, an approach made popular by Insta360's all-seeing action cameras.

The Antigravity A1 is designed around native 360° capture, making it the world's first drone to integrate 8K all-around video into a ready-to-fly system. It weighs roughly 249 g, keeping it under many international sub-250 g regulatory thresholds and boosting portability for creators and travellers alike.

It has a dual-lens camera system with 1/1.28-inch sensors capable of recording 8K 30 fps 360° video, alongside 5.2K 60 fps and 4K 100 fps capture options. Stills can reach around 55 MP, and advanced stitching algorithms effectively remove the drone from your footage, creating seamless, immersive visuals.

With Level 5 wind resistance, obstacle sensing for safer flying, and intelligent return-to-home safety features, the A1's flight performance balances agility and stability. Flight times range from around 24 min on a standard battery up to 39 min with a high-capacity pack, and transmission ranges extend into the multiple-kilometre bracket under ideal conditions.

Even with the discount, the A1 is sold for a pretty penny. However, nothing on the market today offers a similar flying experience, which might justify the heftier price tag to those who prefer to exist on the bleeding edge of technology.

Antigravity has made its most ambitious drone a little easier to recommend, thanks to a somewhat unexpected price cut. The world's first 8K all-in-one 360º drone, the Antigravity A1, is currently 15% off all bundles for a limited time in the US.

Shop all Antigravity A1 bundles now

The discount suggests the brand is keen to widen its audience. The drone received praise from early reviewers, with many pointing out that the price was quite steep, which might be less of an issue now that the A1 is (up to) $300 cheaper.

Alongside the price drop, the company is also rolling out its first major feature update: a built-in virtual Flight Simulator designed to help new pilots get comfortable with the A1 before taking it outdoors.

Accessible through the Vision Goggles, the simulator recreates the drone’s real-world handling and physics in a virtual environment, allowing users to practise manoeuvres and build muscle memory without risking crashing an expensive piece of kit.

It’s a sensible addition, particularly for a drone that sits outside the traditional camera-on-a-gimbal mould. Flying a 360º drone is a different experience, and Antigravity appears keen to remove some of the friction that might put off first-time buyers.

The simulator also works as a training tool between shoots or during bad weather, making it more than a one-time onboarding gimmick.

The Flight Simulator update will be available from 29 January, while the 15% discount runs from 26 January to 9 February across all three A1 bundles in the US.

T3 has already reviewed the Potensic Atom 2 drone, which comes with a standard phone-based hand controller. If you're in the market for a brilliant, low-priced camera drone that genuinely cuts the mustard, the Atom 2 comes highly recommended, especially for beginners and budding aerial cinematographers.

However, this very same drone is now also available with a brand-new all-in-one controller with a 5.5-inch screen. The Potensic RC PTD 1, to give it its full moniker, successfully showcased at CES 2026 and is available either separately for around £240 or as part of the Potensic Atom 2's Standard Kit and Fly More Combo.

I've been putting this new controller through its paces and can report that it's a worthwhile upgrade that speeds up the process of launching while providing a more complete flying experience. Here's my review.

Potensic Atom 2 PTD 1 controller review

Price and availability

If you live in the UK, you can purchase the new PTD 1 controller separately for £239.99 from Amazon, or as part of two new packages: the Standard Kit (£379.99 from Amazon) with Atom 2 drone, PTD 1 controller and single battery; and the Fly More Combo (£479.99 from Amazon) with drone, PTD 1 controller, three batteries, charging hub and well-designed carry case.

If you live Stateside, head straight to Amazon US, where the Standard Kit retails at $419.99 and the Fly More combo for $519.99. If you're looking to upgrade your current PT 1 controller, the new PTD 1 is also available separately from Amazon, priced at $279.99.

Specifications

• Atom 2 drone:
• Dimensions (L×W×H): 300×242×58 mm (unfolded), 88×143×58 mm (folded)
• Weight: 249 grams
• Battery life (flight time): approx. 32 mins
• Max flight speed: 35mph / 58km/h
• Max Wind Speed Resistance: 38km/h (Level 5)
• Built-in GPS: Yes
• Tracking: Yes – AI Visual Tracking
• Internal storage: No
• Sensor: 1/2-inch CMOS image sensor
• FOV: 79.4˚
• Max photo resolution: 48MP (JPG/RAW)
• Max video resolution: 4K (3840×2160) @ 30fps (horizontal shooting); 2.7K (2704X1520) @ 30fps; FHD: 1920x1080 @ up to 60fps
• Image stabilisation: 3-axis mechanical gimbal (tilt, roll, pan)
• Connectivity: WiFi / Bluetooth
• PTD 1 controller:
• Dimensions (L×W×H): 225.4 x 111.6 x 52.7 mm
• Weight: 450 grams
• Max operation time: 3 hours
• Max transmission range: 10 km‌
• Transmission system: PixSync 4.0
• Video Transmission: 1080p@30fps
• Intelligent flight modes: Multiple
• Gimbal wheel: Yes
• Zoom wheel: Yes

Design and features

Before we kick off, I should add that, a few new firmware features notwithstanding, there's no change to the Potensic Atom 2 I reviewed in 2025. However, the brand new PTD 1 hand controller, the Atom 2, is now available, and it is a completely different kettle of pleasure, so that's what we'll concentrate on here.

For the record, the Atom 2 drone looks very similar to the DJI Mini 4 Pro while sporting comparable flight characteristics, a decent tranche of autonomous flight modes, and an impressive little 4K camera with a 1/2-inch CMOS image sensor and a wide f/1.8 aperture, mounted on a rock-steady 3-axis mechanical gimbal.

While the camera doesn't afford quite the same level of sharpness as DJI's Mini 4 Pro, it's perfectly adequate for beginners and anyone looking for a great little 4K camera-equipped drone that doesn't cost the earth.

I should add that, unlike the Mini 4 Pro, this model doesn't include obstacle avoidance. However, I don't think this is too much of an issue, as long as you use some common sense and don't ask it to follow you through a wooded area or fly it too close to buildings or other solid obstructions.

Before continuing, it's also worth noting that this sub-250g drone now falls under the UK's new drone flying regulations of 2026, and that means that any prospective user will now need a Flyer ID and Operator ID before taking to the skies.

Right, let's talk about this new PTD 1 controller I have here in my hands. Where the standard Atom 2 kit I reviewed in 2025 requires inserting your mobile phone into the provided hand controller's spring-clip mechanism and attaching an ungainly cable, the latest kits come with Potensic's new, all-in-one smart controller, comprising a built-in 5.5" 1080p HD screen.

In other words, this new setup completely eliminates the need for a phone while offering much faster setup, similar screen brightness, integrated storage for saving flight data, screenshots and cached video (you will still need a MicroSD card in the drone for downloading the full-fat footage), plus dedicated controls for functions like gimbal tilt and digital zoom.

The PTD 1 measures 225.4x111.6x52.7mm, which is quite a bit larger than DJI's similar RC 2 controller (168.4mm×123.7×46.2 mm), so it won't fit into most jacket pockets. At 450g, it's also 60g heavier than the RC 2.

However, it's all very well laid out and feels impressively comfortable in the hands of an adult. Whether this controller is a good fit for teenagers under the age of 16 is open to debate, so if you're not sure, perhaps opt for the original package, which ships with the marginally smaller phone-based PT 1 controller.

Like most hand controllers of this nature, the PTD 1 features removable joysticks that stow away on the rear of the unit. Be careful when fitting these joysticks since they are very small and easily dropped – a bad thing if the drone is being used on rocky beach terrain.

Looking at the front, you get a wonderfully wide 5.5" HD touchscreen that relays crisp visuals from the nose of the drone in HD 1080p. At 700 nits, this touch-responsive, lag-free screen is the same brightness as the DJI RC 2 and therefore suitable for most lighting scenarios. Granted, screen brightness does suffer somewhat in direct sunshine, but this can be improved by having your back to the sun and shading the controller.

To the left of the device, you'll find a simple power button, and to the right, a return-to-home button that can be height-configured in the controller's software. Potensic's PixSync 4.0 video transmission system, meanwhile, provides a stable feed up to a claimed 10 km range, though real-world reception can vary depending on the environment.

Heading to the top of the unit, you get two pop-up aerials, dedicated video and still-shot buttons on either side (you can also perform this function by tapping the on-screen video record and photo buttons), a nicely dialled gimbal control wheel for the left index finger and a similar wheel on the right for activating the Atom 2 camera's smooth 2x to 4x digital zoom.

And just below these control wheels are two customisable buttons (C1/C2) that can be programmed in a number of ways. For instance, a single press of the C1 button will activate one of seven preset options, including instantaneous toggle of gimbal angle from 0˚ to 90˚, switching the camera from Manual to Auto or toggling between Landscape and Portrait modes. The same set of custom options also applies to the C2 button.

If you really have a good memory, you can even set the C1 and C2 buttons to trigger a whole host of other shortcuts by double-tapping the custom buttons, and use them in combination with the aforementioned left and right gimbal and zoom wheels.

The PTD 1 controller features the same user-friendly interface as Potensic's Eve app for smart phones which serves as the unit's primary interface for flight control, autonomous flight modes, media management and camera settings like white balance, onscreen gridline activation for improved framing, Defog mode for hazy weather, GPS positioning info and access to a small tranche of telemetry settings like control stick sensitivity and gimbal pitch speed.

However, unlike DJI's Mini series, this model doesn't provide access to the craft's gain and expo parameters, such as yaw velocity and smoothness, pitch speed, and brake sensitivity.

The PTD 1 has a runtime of around 3 hours and can be charged on the fly via USB-C with a suitable power bank or portable power station.

PTD 1 controller performance

I've used the Atom 2 with both the standard PT 1 controller and this new PTD 1 version, and the experience is like night and day. With the PTD 1 you're never bothered by annoying notifications and phone calls and the set-up process is almost twice as fast. Simply turn on the controller and drone, and it takes about 15 seconds for them to fully connect.

I tested this controller in a local field and, despite its bulk, it felt great in my hands. However, I do think it's much larger than it needs to be, and that could be an issue for those with smaller hands. On the plus side, I've been impressed by its overall build quality, which feels solid and sturdy, though I would definitely consider buying a secure neck strap and fixing it to the controller using its conveniently positioned universal screw mounts.

While the screen isn't the brightest I've ever seen, in direct sunlight, I was able to see what was going on by turning my back to the sun and holding the controller at waist level. I'd say the screen is no better or worse than DJI's RC 2, and that's good enough in my book.

Stick control is just how I expected it to be – butter smooth and a joy to use. However, I personally think the C1 and C2 buttons should have been fitted on the rear of the unit, like on the DJI RC 2, because I kept activating them whenever I reached for the gimbal pitch or zoom wheels. But this is something I would eventually get used to and don't consider a deal breaker.

Thankfully, the PTD 1's built-in Eve app is very similar to DJI's, which means it's easy to check the drone's battery status, elevation, distance, and the number of GPS satellites. At no time during my flight tests did I experience any transmission issues, such as dropouts or glitches. In fact, I'd go so far as to say that the PTD 1's video transmission is a bit more stable than the phone-based PT 1 variant.

Should you opt for this controller over the standard PT 1 variant? If you have a high-end mobile phone with more than 700 nits of brightness, you may be better off with the standard PT1, as you'll benefit from a much brighter screen, which can be a godsend in very bright summer sunshine. But if your phone is pretty standard and you have some extra readies to splash out on an integrated controller, the answer is a resounding yes.

Verdict

The new Potensic PTD 1 smart controller pairs seamlessly with the Atom 2 drone and delivers a clean, cable-free flying experience via its built-in 5.5-inch HD 1080p touchscreen. Live video and flight data are presented in crisp detail, touch sensitivity is spot-on, and battery life is impressive. While screen brightness isn’t quite as strong as premium phones in harsh sunlight, the PTD 1 remains a polished, practical upgrade over its phone-based stablemate.

When an unannounced DJI drone appears on a retailer’s website, complete with pricing and bundle options, it usually means I missed the announcement somehow.

That’s why the sudden appearance of the long-rumoured DJI Avata 360, the drone giant's answer to the Insta360-incubated Antigraviry A1, on a US retailer’s site immediately raised eyebrows.

According to the listing, the Avata 360 blends DJI’s FPV-style Avata design with full 360-degree capture, enabling you to “fly first and frame later.”

Multiple bundles are already live, including Fly More and Motion Controller kits, and the drone is even available with a small deposit for pre-order.

None of this would raise any red flags, but the fact remains: DJI hasn’t announced anything. There were no teasers on social media, no emails, nothing.

A drone that exists online, but nowhere else

The second issue is geography. The listing appeared on a US retailer’s site, which is an odd choice for a DJI product reveal at a time when the brand’s relationship with the American market remains... complicated.

DJI still sells products in the US, but major launches are usually handled with extreme care, particularly when regulatory attention is involved.

The images aren't quite right, either. At first glance, the Avata 360 looks like a DJI Neo with a 360 camera bolted on top.

Not the newer DJI Neo 2 either – the body design lacks the rear antenna details that differentiate the updated model.

In some photos, the lenses appear to face forward, which would make little sense for true 360-degree capture.

Of course, it's possible that the Avata 360 has a single-lens mode, as some 360º action cameras do, like the Insta360 X5.

That said, a top-bottom lens arrangement, as seen on Antigravity's A1, would provide far cleaner spherical coverage.

The rumour angle

To be clear, rumours of an Avata-style 360 drone have been circulating for a while.

Leaks and filings have hinted at a DJI FPV platform capable of spherical capture, potentially using dual sensors and a rotating or modular camera system.

But the retailer listing doesn’t back any of that up with actual specifications.

There’s no sensor size, no video resolution, no flight time, no transmission system, and no obstacle avoidance details.

For DJI, or any other drone manufacturer, for that matter, that level of vagueness is highly unusual.

Which leads to the uncomfortable conclusion: this listing may be jumping the gun, or worse, building a product page around rumours and mock-ups.

Fake, premature, or accidentally early?

Right now, the Avata 360 sits in an awkward space between plausible and questionable. The concept fits DJI’s roadmap, but the execution, at least in this listing, does not.

That doesn’t mean the Avata 360 isn’t real; it just means the version currently floating around online might not be.

Either way, the sudden appearance of a mystery DJI drone with no announcement, no confirmed specs and inconsistent imagery is too strange to ignore.

However, I would be extra cautious when pre-ordering a drone from an online retailer before the official DJI announcement.

[via DroneXL]

We had a ton of excellent DJI drone deals during Black Friday, and some of them actually lingered around even after the year's biggest shopping event ended. One that didn't was any offer on the Mini 4 Pro, the last 'true' sub-250g Mini drone. Thankfully, Amazon dropped the price back to Black Friday levels in January!

Shop all DJI deals at Amazon

The DJI Mini 4 Pro is one of DJI’s most capable sub-249g drones, designed to deliver flagship performance while staying within the lightest regulatory category in many regions. It uses a 1/1.3-inch CMOS sensor capable of capturing 48MP stills and recording detailed HDR video.

Video performance is a standout, with support for 4K at up to 60fps in HDR, plus 4K at 100fps for smooth slow-motion footage. Creators also get 10-bit D-Log M and HLG colour profiles, offering far greater flexibility in post-production than typical consumer drones. The three-axis gimbal can rotate into true vertical mode, making the Mini 4 Pro especially well-suited to social-first content without sacrificing resolution.

Flight safety is equally impressive. The Mini 4 Pro features omnidirectional obstacle sensing, allowing it to detect hazards from all directions and making automated tracking and complex manoeuvres far more reliable.

Intelligent modes include ActiveTrack 360°, Waypoints, Spotlight and QuickShots, giving users multiple ways to capture cinematic footage with minimal effort.

DJI’s O4 transmission system enables a stable, low-latency live feed at long distances, while battery life reaches up to 34 minutes per charge. Wind resistance, precision hovering and advanced return-to-home functions ensure confident flying in varied conditions.

Despite its compact size, the Mini 4 Pro feels like a serious creative tool, blending portability, safety and professional-grade imaging into one of DJI’s most well-rounded lightweight drones to date.

Drone regulations have just changed in the UK – read more about it here: New CAA drone regulations for 2026.

So you’ve just received a new camera drone for Christmas, and now you’re desperate to fly it. If it’s one of DJI’s popular Mini drones or even a titchy DJI Neo 2 or HoverAir X hand-launched model, you will now be subject to the CAA’s latest set of rules of 2026 and require a Flyer ID and Operator ID before you can launch it into the sky.

These new rules came into force on the 1st of January 2026 and affect hobbyists, commercial pilots, and manufacturers alike.

Now, you may be wondering why even the smallest of drones, like the ones mentioned above, are being covered in red tape when they pose no more threat of injury than being hit by a wayward tennis ball, but the CAA sees things differently.

“These changes represent a major step in creating a regulatory framework that is ready for the future,” Kevin Woolsey, Head of Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems at the UK Civil Aviation Authority, said back in May 2025, when the updated regulatory package was formally announced. "[They are] supporting safe, responsible drone use while enabling the sector to grow and innovate."

Since drone technology continues to advance rapidly, the CAA has to play catch-up, which is why our drone regulations keep changing from year to year. Thankfully, the new 2026 regulations are a little easier to understand than previous years, but there’s still a lot of jargon to wade through.

With this in mind, we’ve broken down the new regulations into different categories and even included a UK Class section at the end, which should hopefully help you understand the regulations that apply to all the best drone models currently on the market.

So, grab a cup of tea, an espresso or a pint and read on for the new low down. Happy flying!

Key 2026 regulatory changes at a glance

Flyer ID Threshold: Anyone flying a drone weighing 100g or more must now pass a free online theory test to obtain a Flyer ID.

Operator ID: Required for all drones weighing 100g or more with a camera, or any drone 250g or more, with or without a camera.

Remote ID: Mandatory as of 1 January 2026, for all new UK class-marked drones in classes UK1, UK2 and UK3.

Night Flying: From 1 January 2026, most drones flown at night must display a green flashing light.

Key drone regulations for 2026

New lower weight registration thresholds

Perhaps the biggest impact for most UK flyers is the tightening of registration requirements for drones weighing 100g or more, whether they’re carrying a camera or not (this only applies to flying outdoors).

Hence, anyone flying a drone or model aircraft weighing 100g or more must now hold a Flyer ID (free), obtained by passing a free online theory test covering basic safety and regulations. Toy drones weighing less than 100g are exempt from this rule, whether flown indoors or outdoors.

The new 2026 Flyer ID rule replaces the previous 250g threshold and applies to many consumer and camera drones (DJI Mini series, DJI Neo, HoverAir X1, etc.) that were previously exempt.

I should add that the Flyer ID’s online multiple-choice test is easy to complete and can be retaken as many times as needed to pass. Just be sure to study the Drone and Model Aircraft Code to pass the 40-question test (30 correct answers), which is valid for 5 years before requiring a further renewal test.

If you are responsible for a drone with a camera weighing 100g or more, you will also need an Operator ID (£11.79), which must be affixed to the drone at all times (a simple hand-written ID code carefully attached using clear sellotape will suffice, as long as it’s legible).

The Operator ID needs to be renewed annually and is required if you are the owner or person responsible for a drone that is ‘not considered a toy’ and meets either of the following criteria: it weighs 100g or above and has a camera, or it weighs 250g or more, regardless of whether it has a camera. The Operator ID also links to your Remote ID, which broadcasts flight data and must be enabled (more on that below).

New UK drone class-marking system

A cornerstone of the 2026 rules is the introduction of a class-marking system for almost all new drones on the UK market. This replaces the previous weight-only approach, under which drones weighing less than 250g could fly in most areas without requiring a license.

From January 2026, all new drones must carry a UK class mark from UK0 to UK6. This class mark system designates where and how a drone may be used and is similar to but distinct from the EU’s ‘C-class’ markings.

However, all EU C-class drones will still be recognised as equivalent until 31 December 2027. Similarly, drones without a class mark – typically older ‘legacy' models bought before 2026 – remain legal but are subject to weight-based regulations.

These new class markings should, theoretically, make it clearer for consumers to understand. For example, certain class drones can fly ‘near people’ without additional qualification, while others are to be used ‘far from people’.

New drone class markings:

UK0 (less than 250g) = Open A1 ‘Fly Over People’

UK1 (less than 900g) = Open A1 ‘Fly Over People’

UK2 (less than 4kg) = Open A2 ‘Near People’ and A3 ‘Far From People’

UK3 & UK4 (less than 25kg) = Open A3 ‘Far From People’

UK5 & UK6 (less than 25kg) = Specific Category for higher-risk operations not covered by the Open Category. Requires an Operational Authorisation from the CAA.

What the qualification categories mean

Open A1 (Over People): Fly over people but not crowds. This affects UK0 drones weighing less than 250g and UK1 drones weighing less than 900g, like the majority of modern consumer drones.

Open A2 (Near People): Fly closer to uninvolved people (a minimum of 30m or 5m in low-speed mode). This affects UK2 drones less than 4kg but requires an A2 CofC (see below).

Open A3 (Far from People): Fly far from people (minimum 50m away). This category applies to larger UK2, UK3, and UK4 drones weighing less than 25kg.

A2 Certificate of Competency (A2 CofC): Required for A2 flying of UK2 drones. In essence, you need a CofC primarily for professional drone piloting, specifically the A2 CofC, to fly drones from 250g to 2kg closer to people and in built-up areas.

Remote ID: Digital drone identification

From 1 January 2026, all drones with a UK1 or higher class mark must broadcast a Remote ID while flying (this does not affect UK0 drones weighing less than 250g, such as the DJI Mini 4 Pro and DJI Flip). For legacy drones and even most home-built drones weighing 100g or more and with a camera, Remote ID becomes mandatory from 1 January 2028.

Apparently, the information broadcast by the RID is intended for authorised airspace users and regulators to track drone activity and enhance airspace safety and does not include personal data visible to the public.

For most modern drones (especially those from DJI), the RID feature is typically built in and automatically enabled or managed through the companion flight app when you activate the aircraft for the first time or initiate its first firmware update.

Night-flying lights now required

For after-dark drone flying, the new regulations now require anti-collision lights for visibility, typically a green flashing light visible from afar.

UK rules require a green flashing light on all drones at night for easier visibility. However, this may add weight to the drone if retrofitted, so make sure your drone doesn’t tip the scales and slip into a different flying category. Thankfully, most DJI Mavic, Air, and Mini models are already fitted with green lights as standard.

Professional and commercial operations

If you wish to indulge in some professional aerial videography and/or photography, you will almost certainly require a decent drone like a DJI Air 3S or, better still, a DJI Mavic 4 Pro. You will also need an A2 Certificate of Competency (A2 CofC) if you plan to fly a drone up to 2kg in weight in the Open Category's A2 subcategory.

The A2 CofC allows you to fly 30m (5m in low-speed mode) from uninvolved people in urban areas, but you must maintain a visual line of sight (VLOS), stay below 400ft (120m) altitude and never intentionally fly over people. Legacy drones (sub-2kg models with no class mark) require a 50m distance.

The A2 CofC involves a theory course and an online multiple-choice exam from a CAA-approved provider, demonstrating knowledge of meteorology, flight performance and risk mitigation for flying drones closer to people in the Open Category A2 subcategory.

Operational rules still apply

While registration and identification have new requirements, many core parts of the UK Drone Code remain the same. Here’s a list of the most obvious rules that all drone flyers should know:

• Drones must be flown within visual line of sight. Whether you can fly beyond half a mile with a pair of binoculars strapped to your face is unclear, but I wouldn’t try it.
• Do not fly at altitudes above 400 feet (120m) because that’s where passenger craft hang out. You can easily set your craft’s maximum altitude in the drone’s accompanying app so that it comes to halt if you accidentally push the stick too far.
• Do not fly in no-fly zones that surround airports and other sensitive facilities. Breaking this code is one of the main reasons we now have these regulations in place, so just don’t do it!

Which category and regulation applies to your drone?

To make these rules a little easier to digest, we’ve compiled a compliance checklist tailored to some of the most popular consumer and prosumer drones on the market. This should help you quickly see what legal requirements apply to your drone right now under the new UK rules of 1 January 2026.

Drones under 250g

Class: UK0 (Fly Over People)

Drone models: DJI Mini 2 SE, DJI Mini 3 and Mini 3 Pro, DJI Mini 4 Pro, DJI Mini 5 Pro, DJI Neo and Neo 2, DJI Flip, HoverAir X and Pro, Potensic Atom 2 and Autel EVO Nano.

Required documentation: Flyer ID and Operator ID

These mini drones weigh less than 250g and can be flown in the Open Category A1 subcategory, including over uninvolved people (but not crowds). Sub-250 g drones like the above can be legally flown in residential, recreational, commercial, and industrial areas, but strict rules apply to their proximity to people and crowds. They can also be flown in parks and on beaches, but always check local rules and avoid restricted zones.

Drones under 900g

Class: UK1 (Fly Over People)

Drone models: DJI Air 2S, Air 3 and Air 3S, DJI Avata 2, DJI Mavic 3 Classic and Cine, DJI Mavic 3 Enterprise and Autel EVO II.

Required documentation: Flyer ID and Operator ID, with the option to get an A2 Certificate of Competency (A2 CofC) for flying nearer to people

These drones feature enhanced safety systems like Remote ID. They can also be flown in the Open A1 subcategory.

Drones under 4kgs

Class: UK2 (Fly Near People)

Drone models: Mavic 4 Pro, DJI Mavic 3 Pro, DJI Mavic 3 Pro Cine, DJI Mavic 3 Thermal edition, DJI M30 and M30T, DJI Matrice 4E, 4T and 4D Series, and Autel EVO Max series.

Required documentation: Flyer ID and Operator ID, with the option to get an A2 Certificate of Competency (A2 CofC) for flying nearer to people.

These semi-pro and pro drones are restricted to the Open A2 category when used in residential, recreational, commercial and industrial areas. When operated by a pilot with an A2 Certificate of Competency (A2 CofC), these drones can fly as close as 30m to uninvolved people (or 5m in low-speed mode). Without the A2 CofC, they must be flown in the A3 subcategory (Far From People).

Drones under 25kgs

Class: UK3 & 4 (Fly Far From People)

Drone models: DJI Inspire 3, DJI Matrice 350 RTK and DJI Matrice 400

Required documentation: A2 Certificate of Competency (A2 CofC) for Open Category or a General VLOS Certificate (GVC) to apply for a Specific Category Operational Authorisation.

These huge professional drones are restricted to Open Category A3 operations, requiring flights to be at least 50m from uninvolved people and 150m from residential, commercial, industrial or recreational areas.

Existing drones purchased before January 1, 2026

For existing drones purchased before January 1, 2026, without a class mark (known as legacy drones), operational privileges are determined by weight:

Under 250g: Fly in A1 (Over People) subcategory

Over 250g (without A2 CofC): Default to A3 (Far From People) subcategory

Under 2kg (with A2 CofC): Fly in A2 (Near People) subcategory with a 50m separation distance

At CES, GDU has unveiled the UAV-P300, which the company says is the world’s first AI-powered drone combining optical and electronic fog-penetration technologies.

According to the brand, the system can boost clarity by up to 50 per cent in rain or fog, helping operators keep working safely rather than waiting for conditions to improve.

It might look similar to the DJI Mavic 4 Pro, but the UAV-P300 isn't a consumer drone.

It's designed for public safety agencies, smart city monitoring, industrial inspections and cultural heritage projects, where visibility and precision genuinely matter.

The emphasis is on reliability in changing environments, consistency across long deployments and imaging that remains usable when light and contrast drop away.

Clear as day

The UAV-P300 features a 50-megapixel wide-angle sensor, full-colour 4K night vision, and a starlight camera system designed to reveal detail in low-light conditions.

There is an 11x optical zoom and up to 176x (!) hybrid zoom, allowing operators to maintain a safe distance while still capturing meaningful visual data.

Thermal imaging is also AI-enhanced, helping highlight heat sources and anomalies in search-and-rescue missions, infrastructure inspections, and nighttime assessments.

The drone uses lidar and AI-powered obstacle recognition to move confidently around cables, buildings and tight urban spaces.

If the GPS signal drops or becomes unreliable, visual SLAM fusion navigation steps in to keep the aircraft stable and maintain dependable return-to-home behaviour.

A built-in laser rangefinder with a 2-kilometre (~1.24 miles) range allows operators to mark targets, measure distances, and share location data quickly within GDU’s UVER platform, improving coordination across teams.

With an IP55 rating against dust and water, the UAV-P300 is designed to continue operating in conditions where consumer drones would typically be grounded.

The UAV-P300 is clearly an enterprise machine, designed for cities, emergency services, and organisations that depend on consistent aerial insight.

But historically, technology like this has a habit of trickling down. Features once seen only on industrial platforms, including advanced obstacle avoidance, thermal modules and multi-sensor gimbals, eventually arrived on mainstream drones.

The DJI Mini 5 Pro uses LiDAR, and even more affordable models, such as the DJI Neo 2, utilise advanced obstacle avoidance systems.

AI-driven fog penetration feels like the next likely step, potentially leading to clearer footage in mist, coastal haze and winter weather for everyday pilots and content creators.

GDU plans to make the UAV-P300 available from late January 2026, with multiple payloads and configurations depending on the use case.

Head over to GDU to find out more.

DJI launched a raft of drones over the last couple of years, each pushing things forward in its own way. Two stood out for me: the tiny, fuss-free Neo and the foldable Flip, the latter of which just as beginner-friendly, but with sharper flight handling and a bigger, more capable camera system.

Both saw some price drops over Black Friday, with also both dipping under Black Friday prices recently. In fact, the Flip is down to its lowest ever price, selling for only £294 at Amazon right now, a huge saving on what was already excellent value.

Both the DJI Neo and DJI Flip launched at already-aggressive prices, so discounts were rare for a long time. Now that they’ve been on shelves for a while, the deals are finally landing, and the Flip is the one I keep recommending. I’ve flown it a lot since launch, and it continues to punch well above its size.

What makes the DJI Flip so appealing is the creative headroom it offers in such a compact frame. It weighs under 249 g, keeping it inside that easier-to-fly category in most regions, yet it carries a 1/1.3-inch CMOS sensor capable of 48MP stills and crisp 4K video at up to 60fps.

A wide f/1.7 aperture and 4-in-1 pixel binning help it cope in murkier conditions, while the three-axis mechanical gimbal does a superb job of smoothing out footage in flight. You also get up to 31 minutes of airtime per battery (almost double the Neo), plus long-range video transmission when paired with DJI’s compatible controller.

MasterShots, FocusTrack, Panorama and Hyperlapse are all on board, meaning you can polish impressive aerial clips directly in the app. Safety is well covered, too, thanks to return-to-home, helpful positioning sensors and optional prop guards on select bundles.

Small enough to stash in a daypack yet capable of producing cinematic results, the DJI Flip sits neatly between pocket drones and DJI’s pro-leaning camera platforms, and at this new price, it’s an absolute steal.

Boxing Day might be all about leftover turkey sandwiches and half-price chocolate, but DJI clearly didn’t get the memo, because some of the year’s best drone deals have quietly landed today.

From pocketable beginner drones to pro-grade flying cameras, there are genuinely brilliant savings across the lineup, and a few of them match (or beat) Black Friday prices.

If you’ve been tempted to finally take to the skies, this is a golden moment. Entry-level models like the Mini 4K and the super-cute DJI Neo make it incredibly easy to get started, packing stabilised video, simple controls and lightweight builds that slip straight into a jacket pocket.

At the other end of the scale, serious creators can score chunky discounts on flagship bundles, including FPV thrills with the Avata 2 and premium aerial filmmaking with the Mavic 3 Pro.

The best part: these aren’t dusty clearance leftovers. These are current, widely loved DJI drones with meaningful discounts. Below, we’ve handpicked the standout Boxing Day DJI deals worth grabbing before they disappear. Let’s dive in.

Best Boxing Day drone sales

• Amazon: up to 45% off on DJI and toy drones
• DJI: Mini 4K and Neo up to 25% off
• Drone Safe Store: deals on DJI accessories
• Currys: up to £280 off Mini 4 Pro and more
• Clifton Cameras: save £160 on the Avata 2 Fly More Combo
• Argos: money off Neo Fly More Combo, Mavic 3 Pro and more

Best Boxing Day drone sales

There were loads of brilliant DJI drone deals over Black Friday, so it was easy to assume the discounts were done for the year. I certainly did. But Boxing Day has proved otherwise.

While scrolling through Amazon’s sale, I had to double-check the page: the compact DJI Neo has dropped in price again, and it’s actually cheaper than it was during Black Friday.

For anyone curious about getting into drones, this is a seriously tempting offer. Small, easy to fly, and now back at its lowest price, the Neo is shaping up to be one of the standout Boxing Day bargains.

The DJI Neo is DJI’s smallest and lightest consumer drone to date, weighing just about 135 g, making it ultra-portable and easy to fly straight from your palm. Its compact size (roughly 130 × 157 × 48.5 mm) and light weight place it in a class that often avoids heavy registration rules in many regions, ideal for casual flyers, travellers, and social content creators.

At the heart of the Neo is a 1/2-inch image sensor capable of capturing 12 MP photos and 4K video at 30 fps, with ultra-stabilised footage thanks to DJI’s intelligent image processing. It also records smooth 1080p video at up to 60 fps. With 22 GB of internal storage, you can save many clips without needing an SD card slot.

Flight performance is solid for its class, offering up to about 18 minutes of airtime on a single battery and maximum speeds up to 16 m/s in Manual mode.

The Neo supports multiple control methods: smartphone app control via Wi-Fi for quick launches, voice commands, or traditional RC control with DJI’s controllers for longer range and precise handling.

Smart features like AI Subject Tracking and QuickShots make creative filming effortless, while Palm Takeoff/Landing keeps flying beginner-friendly.

If you’ve been holding out for a great DJI drone deal, today might be your moment. After seeing its lowest-ever price on Black Friday, this easy-to-fly 4K camera drone from DJI is now dropping back to record-low levels for Boxing Day shoppers, but it won’t stick around long.

This lightweight model has become one of DJI’s most popular entry-level drones thanks to its blend of simplicity, solid build quality and crisp video capture. It’s ideal for first-time pilots, travel footage, family trips and social-ready aerial clips without the complexity (or cost) of more advanced models.

Beyond the bargain price, this DJI Mini 4K deal is attractive because the drone’s feature set punches well above its budget tier. It uses a 1/2.3-inch CMOS sensor paired with a 3-axis gimbal to shoot crisp 4K video at up to 30 fps and 12 MP stills, giving you sharp, stable footage without shaking or blur even in breezier conditions.

Despite its compact size, this model boasts some capabilities usually found on pricier drones. A 31-minute maximum flight time per battery gives you plenty of airtime to frame shots or explore new angles, and the lightweight design, weighing under 249 g, means it skirts registration rules in many regions.

For connectivity, DJI’s OcuSync 2.0 video transmission lets you stream live HD footage back to your controller from up to around 10 km away in ideal conditions, with solid resistance to signal interference.

The drone also includes handy automated flight features like one-tap takeoff and landing, GPS-assisted hover and a Return to Home function, so it’s easier to keep flights under control while you focus on the shot.

If you’re after a sub 250 gram drone, but are after slightly advanced features than the Neo and Flip, then the Mini 4 Pro is a great choice. Even better, Curry’s has currently reduced the Mini 4 Pro Fly More Combo, which comes with the RC 2 controller, by £150.

FYI, we’re big fans of the Neo and Flip, however, if you’re a more advanced pilot, they may limit the quality of your content. The Mini 4 Pro, on the other hand, ups the ante – it shoots 4K HDR video at 60fps and 48MP stills, a longer flight time of 34 minutes, and intelligent features, like omnidirectional obstacle sensing.

As this is the Fly More Combo, you get more than just the drone – it comes with RC 2 controller, three intelligent batteries, extra propellers, charger and a bag to carry all your gear in.

T3’s resident drone expert, Derek Adams, even dubbed it "the world’s best-value high-end consumer drone" in his review, for how much 4K quality and safety tech it squeezes into that featherweight frame.

With £150 off, this combo deal is an absolute bargain. If you’re quick, you may still be able to have it arrive just before Christmas, or collect it in store. Either way, if you want it, don’t let it fly away.