DJI unveils its latest FPV drone, the Avata 2, with new accessories for the most immersive flying experience yet
The biggest name in drones has launched its third ever FPV drone, the DJI Avata 2, alongside new accessories: the DJI Goggles 3 and Remote Controller 3. We’ve had our hands on the Avata 2 for several weeks now and, together with Met those accessories convinced us that this is the most immersive and easiest experience yet for the super challenging FPV category of drone pilots.
The second-generation model updates the Avata with a host of improvements, including improved image quality, longer flight time and quieter operation, and will replace its predecessor and the DJI FPV as the best FPV drone for aspiring pilots in our best drone review and best DJI drone guides.
The Fly More Combo kit costs $999 / £879 / AU$1,499 and includes the Avata 2 FPV drone, Goggles 3 and RD Motion 3 controller, while heavy users will likely look at the more expensive Fly More Combo kit with three batteries and two-way traffic. charging hub that costs $1,199 / £1,049 / AU$1,839.
DJI wants to be the first port of call for beginners looking to discover the thrill of flying FPV drones, and the Avata 2 certainly makes this notoriously difficult category of flying as easy as possible. Equipped with DJI’s O4 transmission protocol and combined with the new DJI Goggles 3 and RC Motion 3 controller, this is the most immersive FPV experience yet, quick to get started and packed with safety features.
The Avata 2 features DJI’s RockSteady and HorizonSteady for stabilized flight and video recording, and it’s also a much quieter drone than the notoriously loud Avata, equipped with a lighter and more agile propeller guard.
Safety features are useful, but not exactly sexy: people try out FPV pilots for the thrill of tricky flying maneuvers, and the Avata 2 has kick, drift and roll moves in spades. One-Push Flip performs 360 degree forward/backward flips, One-Push Roll performs a 360 degree roll to the left or right, while One-Push Drift is a fast lateral drift that spins 180° past objects and then quickly pulls away.
These automated maneuvers are great features for aspiring pilots. But thanks to the somewhat fiddly controls in manual mode, the Avata 2 is less attractive to experienced FPV pilots. But even those users will appreciate the Avata 2’s vastly improved flight time, up to 23 minutes on a single battery, with support for PD fast charging.
With DJI’s O4 video transmission, you get a clear image with virtually no delay over a huge distance range – for a transmission distance of up to 13 km, a latency of just 24 ms, 1080p/100fps image quality and a transmission bitrate of 60 Mbps. You can also share the fun in real time by syncing Goggles 3’s live feed with the DJI Fly app.
DJI’s latest 1/1.3-inch sensor – as in the Mini 4 Pro – is used for better image quality. It’s a larger sensor than the one in the Avata, capturing 4K video at up to 60 fps or slow motion 2.7K video at up to 100 fps, including DJI’s D-Log M Color Mode flat color profile that has greater dynamic range than a standard color profile – allowing you to capture more shadow and highlight details and greater flexibility in color correction.
There’s 46GB of internal storage – that’s enough for about 90 minutes of 1080p footage, and Wi-Fi connectivity to efficiently transfer those files to your smartphone for editing and sharing.
We’ve got plenty more to say in our DJI Avata 2 review, so check that out, while further details can also be found on the DJI website.