DJI finally announced its most anticipated Air 3S drone in the “Chase the View” launch event. The company’s new flying machine is a successor to the Air 3, bringing impressive updates including improved 10-bit video across two cameras, a bigger 1-inch CMOS main sensor, better low-light performance, and much more.
The DJI Air 3S now features a 1-inch CMOS 50MP sensor as its primary camera with a 24mm lens capable of capturing video footage up to 4k/60 frames per second HDR and 4K/120fps. The drone also retains a 48MP telephoto lens from its predecessor with a 3x optical zoom.
DJI packs omnidirectional obstacle sensing via six vision sensors (two at the front, rear, and bottom), keeping the drone safe from obstacles even in darker conditions. The Air 3S is the company’s first drone to feature forward-facing lidar. According to the DJI, the drone can automatically identify and move around obstacles during its flight and return paths.
The Air 3S boasts DJI’s ActiveTrack 360-degree flight mode that keeps the subject in the frame. DJI also adds a new subject-focusing feature in the Air 3S that puts the subject in sharp focus when the subject moves off-center. You can expect 45 minutes of flight time on a single charge. Furthermore, the drone comes with 42GB of built-in storage, allowing you to capture the content directly out of the box. Interestingly, you can also send the files from the drone to a smartphone or computer when it is powered off.
The DJI Air 3S starts at $1099 for the drone only. The DJI Air 3S Fly More combo is priced at $1399 and includes DJI Air 3S, DJI RC-N3 remote controller, an ND filter set, two additional batteries, a battery charging hub, and a shoulder bag. DJI also offers an advanced Fly More Combo kit and includes everything available in the standard Fly More Combo plus a 5.5-inch 1080p 700 nits bright screen.
