DJI's 'Born to Fly' launch event, which will almost certainly see the announcement of its much-leaked DJI Avata drone, will kick off on August 25 at 9am ET / 2pm BST / 11pm AEST.
How long will the event last? DJI launches tend to be pretty brief, so the event will likely conclude within 15 minutes, which could be ideal for sneakily catching a glimpse of the new drone while you're at work.
Update: The DJI Avata has now launched – and we've already spent some quality time with the drone. Check out our in-depth DJI Avata review for our final verdict on this intriguing flying camera.
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DJI is hosting another major launch event today, with the drone giant expected to fully reveal its much-leaked DJI Avata – here's how to tune in and watch the FPV (first-person view) drone's take-off.
While DJI hasn't officially said that today's 'Born to Fly' event is a launch event for the DJI Avata, a number of huge leaks suggest we'll almost certainly see the new FPV drone. In recent weeks we've seen the Avata appear in hands-on videos, photos showing its retail packaging, and an FCC (US Federal Communications Commission) filing.
But what kind of drone will the DJI Avata be, and how much will it cost? The answer to that first question seems pretty clear, based on the leaks and the event's poster. As you can see above, DJI is preparing to reveal a cinewhoop-style drone – these are typically small models with built-in propellor guards, which make them suitable for flying in areas where there are people.
This means we can expect the Avata to be a drone that's capable of flying steadily and safely around crowds – for some impressive social media videos – as well as outdoors in tight spaces. In this sense, it's likely to be a different beast to DJI's Mavic series, hence the new name.
To find out all of the official details, including the crucial pricing and availability, it'll be worth tuning into the livestream. We've included all of the details below, along with more of our musings on what to expect from the drone itself.
How to watch the DJI Avata drone launch
The best way to watch the DJI 'Born to Fly' event is on the DJI YouTube channel. The livestream will start at 9am ET / 2pm BST / 11pm AEST on Thursday, August 25 and, if previous DJI launches are any guide, it shouldn't last much longer than 15 minutes.
We've also embedded the livestream above, so you can watch it with us on TechRadar.
If you want to set a reminder for when it's about to start, just click the 'Notify me' button in the YouTube video above and you'll get an email nudge when it's time to sneak off to a quiet spot at work.
What can we expect to see at the DJI Avata launch?
The arrival of the DJI Avata drone at today's event looks almost certain, but will there be anything else? Based on recent leaks, it seems DJI will also be releasing a new DJI Goggles 2 headset, which will be smaller and lighter than the current DJI FPV Goggles V2 headset.
Together, these new Goggles, a Motion Controller and the Avata itself will apparently create an "immersive flight experience", according to the leak below, which will give pilots an on-board view from the drone. But the main benefit of DJI's drone, compared to its rivals, will likely be its all-in-one convenience, including a camera with 4K stabilized video.
This video is likely to be smooth and crisp, allowing you to shoot cinematic videos in confined spaces with a (relatively) affordable drone. The Avata is also expected to be "palm-sized and agile", which should make it smaller and lighter than the current DJI FPV.
Feature of DJI AVATA：Immersive Flight ExperienceMotion Controller4K Stabilized VideoPalm-Sized and AgileBuilt-in Propeller GuardHD Low-Latency Transmission pic.twitter.com/PMkYODFvSFAugust 8, 2022
Despite the huge number of leaks, we still have a few unanswered questions about the DJI Avata. Who exactly is DJI targeting with the drone, given that FPV flying remains a tricky skill that takes a while to master? And will it deliver any new modes or features to make the learning curve easier?
We're also keen to see exactly how much the Avata will cost (rumors suggest somewhere in the region of $1,170 / £995 / AU$1,700 for an all-in-one bundle), and if it'll offer a full 'acro' (or manual) flying mode for more experienced pilots.
For the answers to these questions and more, we'll be tuning into the livestream above, which is now just hours away. We'll see you there – and we'll also be launching a livestream soon, so that you can follow the build-up to DJI's biggest launch since the arrival of the excellent DJI Mini 3 Pro.
