Time does not stand still in the drone world, especially because market leader DJI uses relatively short product cycles to deliver new models with more and more functions and functionalities.
The original DJI Mavic 3 was released in 2021, while the DJI Mavic 3 Pro was released in 2023. And while the Pro is fairly new, the series as a whole has gone through quite a long product cycle, so it’s pretty safe to say that a DJI Mavic 4 will hit the market soon, possibly as early as 2024.
The Mavic series of drones is DJI’s prosumer line, offering enthusiasts an entry-level model to some of the best drone technology available, while meeting the demands of professional use. The drones don’t even cost as much as the sensational DJI Inspire 3, and are also easier to use and quicker to deploy.
Whether it’s the triple-camera Mavic 3 Pro or the single-camera DJI Mavic 3 Classic, Mavic models beat the best drones for beginners in image quality, and they also offer advanced subject tracking and obstacle avoidance.
The question we have to ask ourselves is: how can DJI possibly improve on what is already one of the best drone series ever made? Rumors surrounding the DJI Mavic 4 are pretty scarce at the moment, but we still have a wishlist of features we’d like to see in the next iteration of the massively popular Mavic series, and we’ll update this page as more information becomes public.
Cut to the chase
- What is it? The DJI Mavic 4
- When is it out? Probably Q4 of 2024
- How much is it? Probably at least $2,199 / £1,879 / AU$3,099
DJI Mavic 4: expected release date and price
The DJI Mavic 3 was announced in November 2021, while the most recent model, the triple-camera Mavic 3 Pro, was announced in May 2023. Although this last model is quite recent, the series as a whole is ‘making a bit of progress’. in terms of DJI product cycles.
This suggests that a DJI Mavic 4 launch could be imminent, and we’d guess that the most likely and earliest time for this would be sometime in the fall of this year. However, with the fairly recent release of the Mavic 3 Pro, we’d also suspect that the Mavic 4, like the DJI Air 3, will feature a dual-camera design to differentiate it from its predecessor.
There’s a good chance that the Mavic 3 Pro will remain relevant and available for some time after the Mavic 4’s release. That’s not to say that a three-camera Mavic 4 Pro won’t release in the future, alongside a single-camera Classic model – if DJI’s approach to the Mavic 3 series is anything to go by.
The standard bundle for the original Mavic 3 and the Mavic 3 Pro with the DJI RC cost $2,199 / £1,879 / AU$3,099 at launch, while the Fly More bundle cost $2,999 / £2,549 / AU$4,199. So we expect the DJI Mavic 4 to launch at at least a similar, if not slightly more expensive price; but how much will likely depend on the new features it has to offer.
DJI Mavic 4: Confused Rumors
A low quality still from a video has appeared online, posted by Jasper Ellens on X, with many suggesting it could be a beta tester’s Mavic 4. This shows a DJI Air 3 type airframe with a larger camera, but chances are if this is indeed a beta model I’d put my money on a DJI Air 3S or Air 4 rather than a Mavic 4.
After the release of the DJI Air 2S, which used a 1-inch sensor, this image may show a DJI Air 3S with a larger Four Thirds camera like the DJI Mavic 3, but without the adjustable aperture that DJI’s previous product cycles for the Air series would follow. Of course, it could be a smaller and lighter Mavic 4, but the chances of this are slim as the Mavic and Air series drones are completely different propositions.
Whatever happens, it certainly seems like a new DJI drone is about to launch, possibly an Air 3S or Air 4 in late summer. And while the shared image suggests a new DJI Air model, that certainly doesn’t mean we won’t see the Mavic 4 release this fall as well.
DJI Mavic 4: what we want to see
- Main camera with larger sensor
- Dual cameras
The Mavic 3 Pro is the jewel in the crown of the Mavic 3 range, but as with most things, there’s always room for improvement and there are a number of key features we’d like to see when the Mavic 4 finally arrives. Some of these may be nothing more than wishful thinking, but others undoubtedly have the potential to be included in an upgraded model.
The Mavic 3’s Hasselblad main camera is fantastic with its adjustable aperture, 20MP sensor and 24mm equivalent focal length, but a higher resolution APS-C sensor would be the next logical step. This would also present some challenges in terms of what is possible and here we can use the dual-camera DJI Air 3 as a kind of template. This drone contains two small sensors in two cameras, but a larger and more powerful Mavic 4 could take this further.
Three cameras would realistically be unlikely in this situation, so a dual camera system with a second camera, possibly with the same sensor as the Mini 4 Pro and an optical zoom, would provide the flexibility that Mavic 3 Pro users have come to expect. A mechanical shutter in the main camera would also be useful for video, as it would eliminate the risk of jello/rolling shutter when capturing moving subjects.
Staying within the realm of the camera, another improvement here could be an increase in the dynamic range of the sensor, allowing pilots to capture a greater level of detail between the shadows and highlights. Currently, photographers can shoot HDR to increase dynamic range, but the ability to rely less on this technique and, more importantly, allow videographers to capture more detail in high-contrast scenes would be invaluable.
The DJI Air 3 offers vertical shooting without rotating the camera and gimbal, just like the DJI Mini 3 models and the DJI Mini 4 Pro, and this would be a very welcome feature. Rotating larger gimbals has understandably been a challenge due to the size and weight, so a sensor crop like the Mini 3 is the most obvious way to incorporate this feature into the Mavic 4.
The list could go on, but we have to be realistic about what’s possible beyond the number of upgrades DJI is likely to implement. So the final upgrade we’d like to see is longer flight time. Taking the Mavic 3 Pro as an example and ignoring real-world flight times, the maximum advertised flight time per battery charge is 43 minutes. That’s impressive, to be sure, but bumping it up to an hour or more would be a game-changer for enthusiasts and professional pilots alike.