This week on the Weekly Buzz discussion, we delve into the recent surge of unexpected leaks. We finally have some details about the Air 3, and there's even a peculiar rumor circulating about a Mini 4.
Let's begin by addressing the abundance of leaks that have emerged. The Air 3, initially believed to be in development without much certainty about its release, has suddenly become imminent, and we can hardly contain our excitement.
If you take a look at our Air 3 guide, located at the top and/or bottom of our articles, you'll notice that the majority of the posts are quite recent.
Most of these leaks originate from Igor Bogdanov, with the most recent and significant leak coming from the WinFuture website. Initially, Bogdanov mentioned that the Air 3 might arrive as early as late June or early July. However, since we haven't received any news about a DJI event, it's highly unlikely that it will happen during this timeframe.
As of then, the only Air 3 details we've heard involve the inclusion of a dual camera. However, that single rumor wasn't enough to establish it as truth. Nevertheless, as more leaked photos surfaced, it became increasingly evident that there was something distinct about the camera gimbal, despite the low resolution of the images.
Pricing was also leaked early on, but it originated from Europe, making it challenging to determine the expected price in the US. However, it appears that it will likely fall just below that of the Mavic 3 Classic.
This is also where we found out about the DJI RC 2 and RC-N2. A shocking upgrade to controllers that either just came out or didn't seem like they needed any changes, however, we won't say no to them.
Last week, the biggest leak of all came from WinFuture, which obtained product photos of the Air 3. This leak confirmed that the Air 3 will indeed feature dual cameras, although we couldn't verify any specifications other than the apertures: F1.7 for the bottom camera and F2.8 for the top camera.
Yifei and I agree that the Air 3 won't be suitable for beginners just starting to fly drones. However, it would be an excellent option for beginners looking to venture into professional drone work.
While the Mini 3 Pro is capable of capturing impressive shots and can be used in certain professional scenarios, it isn't particularly well-suited for full-time drone photography and videography. The Mavic 3 Pro, on the other hand, serves as the flagship drone for such work. However, its starting price of $2,199 can be daunting for beginners, which is why the Air lineup exists.
Regarding the Mini 4 rumor, I'm at a loss for words. We weren't expecting something like this to surface anytime soon. DJI typically waits at least a year and a half before releasing an "s" variant of a drone and two to three years before advancing to the next generation.
Both Yifei and I suspect that this won't be a "Mini 4" but rather a "Mini 3S," as the design appears to be identical to the Mini 3 Pro. Apart from that, there isn't much else to discuss regarding this leak. Naturally, we'll have to wait and see if further leaks shed more light on the nature of this drone.