DJI Mavic 2 Pro might soon be retired, is a Mavic 3 Pro imminent?
Rumors suggest Mavic 2 Pro production is slowing
Is the end of the DJI Mavic 2 Pro drone nigh? According to new rumors, production of the compact drone is starting to wind down, which could pave the way for a new high-end model like the rumored DJI Mavic 3 Pro.
This potential news comes from @OsitaLV on Twitter, a source who’s been known to share reliable info in the past. The tweet claims that retail sources have said that “mass production for Mavic 2 is near”, according to "some local resellers".
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Other sources on Twitter provided some possible supporting evidence, such as heavy discounts for models like the Mavic 2 Zoom in China, indicating that a model refresh could be in the works with old stock is being run down.
Still, even though @OsitaLV has been correct in the past, it’s worth taking these rumors with a pinch of salt until anything is officially announced by DJI. We asked DJI about the rumors, but it declined to comment on them.
What do we want to see from a DJI Mavic 3 Pro?
The DJI Mavic 2 Pro, and its partner the DJI Mavic 2 Zoom, are certainly due a refresh. Both high-end drones were launched back in August 2018, which means they're heading towards their third birthdays.
We've also since seen the smaller DJI Air 2S arrive recently and effectively make the DJI Mavic 2 Pro largely redundant – aside from a few features like variable aperture, the Air 2S offers much of the same shooting power (including a 1-inch sensor) in a smaller, cheaper package.
If DJI is indeed planning a follow up to its Mavic 2 Pro, there are a few features we’d love to see it arrive with. Number one on our list is a larger sensor. It probably won’t be possible to include a Micro Four Thirds sensor on a compact drone, so we’d settle for a new 1-inch sensor that can shoot oversampled 4K video.
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We’d also like to see a Mavic 3 Pro come equipped with true 360-degree obstacle detection. This has been achieved in drones like the Skydio 2 already, and with rumors that the Mavic 3 Pro is taking some inspiration from its design, we might see this feature carry over.
Finally, a quieter DJI Mavic 3 Pro would be greatly appreciated. DJI does sell low-noise propellers, but we’d like to see a new and improved variant hit the market, or at least incorporated into the DJI Mavic 3 Pro. These would be particularly helpful for making the drone less intimidating and noisy at low altitudes.
We’ll have to wait to see if a DJI Mavic 3 Pro (or DJI Pro 3, as it may be called) brings any of these features, but we'll bring you all of the official news as soon as it lands.
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Hamish is a Senior Staff Writer for TechRadar and you’ll see his name appearing on articles across nearly every topic on the site from smart home deals to speaker reviews to graphics card news and everything in between. He uses his broad range of knowledge to help explain the latest gadgets and if they’re a must-buy or a fad fueled by hype. Though his specialty is writing about everything going on in the world of virtual reality and augmented reality.