The DJI Mini 2 must now be one of the most leaked gadgets in tech history, with the compact drone now almost completely revealed ahead of its imminent launch.
We’d been hearing rumors about a successor to the DJI Mavic Mini throughout October, but the big bombshell was when a YouTuber recently walked into a Best Buy store and just…bought a Mini 2.
Since then, a second YouTuber has done an unboxing video of the DJI Mini 2 ‘Fly More Combo’ and a German tech retailer has listed what appear to be the final specs.
Make Your Moments Fly | 11.4 | 8PM ESTDiscover more: https://t.co/2CbZDyMQS9 pic.twitter.com/LOkbz1iFbyNovember 2, 2020
So is there anything we don’t know about the successor to DJI’s smallest and cheapest drone? Right now, it’s really only the official pricing, because DJI has now posted some details of an official event (above) that are almost certainly for the Mini 2.
That “Make Your Moments Fly” event is scheduled for 8pm EST on 4 November, or 1am GMT / 12pm AEST on 5 November for UK and Australia drone fans. Until then here’s everything we’re expecting to see announced at one of DJI’s most exciting launches of 2020.
Cut to the chase
What is it likely to be? A small, 4K successor to the DJI Mavic MiniWhen is it out? Probably on 4 November (or 5 November outside the US)What will it cost? Likely in the region of $550 / £450 / AU$740.
DJI Mavic Mini 2 release date and price
DJI has now announced an official launch event for a new product – and while the “Make Your Moments Fly” event isn’t explicitly for the Mini 2, it’s almost certainly an announcement for the compact drone, given the recent leaks.
The event is scheduled for 8pm EST on 4 November, which works out as 1am GMT / 12pm AEST on 5 November in the UK and Australia.
The original DJI Mavic Mini launched on October 30 2019, so this fits an annual release cycle. Towards the end of the leaked video from Our Beatific World below (at around the 5:30 mark), he also discovers that the drone won’t connect to its controller as it’s not due to launch until November 5.
The leaked video above also gives us an idea of the DJI Mini 2’s likely price tag. The YouTuber Our Beatific World says he paid $699 for his DJI Mini 2 ‘Fly More Combo’, which includes accessories like spare props, an additional battery and a DJI Mini bag.
If true, this suggests that earlier rumors predicting the Mini 2 would be pricier than its predecessor are correct. The DJI Mavic Mini’s Fly More Combo costs $499 / £459 / AU$799, so this would mean the DJI Mini 2’s equivalent bundle could cost $699 / £650 / AU$1,150.
Applying the same increase to the DJI Mavic Mini’s base price of $399 / £369 / AU$599 means the DJI Mini 2’s base price could work out to around $499 / £459 / AU$799, although a recent from the German tech site WinFuture suggests it could come in slightly lower at €449 (around £415 / AU$760).
That’s a bit of a hike for an entry-level drone, so this could mean that the original DJI Mavic Mini might remain on sale as DJI’s truly entry-level option, with the DJI Mini 2 slotting in above it for those who want 4K video from a sub-250g drone. But we’ll find out soon enough at that official event on November 4/5.
DJI Mavic Mini 2 news and rumors
That original big leak from YouTuber Our Beatific World (above) has since been followed up by another unboxing from Roli Lerma, plus a listing from German retailer MediaMarkt.
Together, these leaks tell us pretty everything about DJI’s new contender for the title of best beginner drone. As earlier rumors predicted, the Mini 2 will be a 4K-shooting drone with a three-axis gimbal. According to the manual of the drone bought in the leaked video, it will be able to shoot 4K at 30p/25p/24p but the 2.7K mode will still top out at 30p, with no 60p option.
We also don’t yet know the bit-rate of the video or whether this has been increased from the Mavic Mini’s maximum of 40Mbps. That is likely one of the few details that will remain a mystery until the full launch.
Among the many other things we do know from the second Our Beatific World video above, though, is the fact that the Mini 2 has the same, 249g design as its predecessor (which means no obstacle-avoidance sensors) and that it will come with the same controller as the DJI Mavic Air 2.
The latter is significant because it means the the DJI Mini 2 will apparently have OcuSync 2.0 transmission. This is system is an upgrade on the Mavic Mini’s ‘Enhanced Wi-Fi’, which ensured you could only fly it within 1.5km. With OcuSync 2.0 on board the Mini 2, that range should extend to 10km, which is something that appears to have been confirmed in the MediaMarkt listing.
According to the mistakenly sold Mini 2’s box, the drone’s flight time will also be 31 minutes (a minute more than its predecessor) and it will have the same sensor-lens combo as the Mavic Mini. This means you’ll get a 1/2.3-inch 12MP sensor and with a 24mm equivalent focal length and an f/2.8 aperture.
As expected, there’s also now a USB-C port on the Mini 2, which replaces the dated microUSB on its predecessor, while the battery is apparently a 2,250 mAh affair. That’s actually slightly smaller in capacity than the 2,600mAh battery in the Mavic Mini, but presumably some optimization has helped improve the real-world flight time.
One slight disappointment, which appears to have been confirmed by Our Beatific World in the comments of his video and also its absence from the MediaMarkt listing, is that the DJI Mini 2 won’t have ActiveTrack subject tracking, which is a feature we’ve seen on higher-end drones like the DJI Mavic Air 2.
That is a slight shame if true, although the MediaMarkt post does appear to confirm that the Mini 2 will at least have a ‘Follow Me’ mode. If so, that would allow the drone to follow whoever is holding the controller via GPS. While this isn’t quite the same as ActiveTrack’s ability to follow any object that you draw a square around in the camera’s view, it would be a big bonus over the original Mavic Mini.
Another big addition suggested by the MediaMarkt leak is that the Mini 2 will be able to shoot DNG raw photos. The Mavic Mini can shoot JPEGs, which we’ve found to be fine in terms of detail and dynamic range, but the option of shooting raw for greater editing flexibility will again make the Mini 2 more appealing to photographers.
Prior to the incredible YouTube leaks, the main clue that a DJI Mavic Mini successor was coming was via an FCC (Federal Communications Commission) filing in the US, which was picked up by DJI drone pilot @OsitaLV on October 6.
So this is so called Mavic Mini 2, they share the same design.Oh, it has Bluetooth, 2.4/5.8G WiFi and 2.4/5.8G without the WiFi sign.P.S. the model name of original Mavic mini is MT1SS5 and MT1SD25 (sales in Europe and Japan). pic.twitter.com/nRm3ZwfxyLOctober 6, 2020
The filing revealed a model number that is very similar to the original Mavic Mini’s. But the bigger clue was a wireframe drawing showing the device’s battery, along with a placeholder name “Camera Drone”.
If you compared this drawing to the existing Mavic Mini (below), there was a strong similarity. The position of the ports, including a microSD slot, were identical. But these hints now pale into comparison when you consider the full reveal of the YouTube leak.
DJI Mini 2 early verdict
Those two huge YouTube leaks, plus the specs listed on Mediamarkt, mean there’s now very little we don’t know about the DJI Mini 2. And the announcement of a DJI event on November 4 or 5 (depending on where you live) ensures we won’t have long to find out the official news either.
So how exciting is the DJI Mini 2? It appears to fix two of our main criticisms of the DJI Mavic Mini, thanks to the inclusion of 4K video shooting and a USB-C port. We’re also glad to see that it might also include a ‘Follow Me’ mode and raw shooting, too, even if ActiveTrack subject tracking appears to be off the menu.
Combine these features with the same compact design as before, and the Mini 2 could be both an enticing upgrade for Mavic Mini owners and one of the most popular drones we’ve seen so far.
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