Massive DJI Mini 3 Pro leak suggests it could be my dream drone

As is now mandatory for DJI launches, the DJI Mini 3 Pro has appeared in another huge leak that seemingly reveals everything about the incoming drone – and it's shaping up to be my ideal flying camera.

Just two days after a huge photo leak revealed the Mini 2 successor's design from every angle, the Dutch retailer TopRC accidentally published a listing (now removed) for the drone, which spills the beans on all of its specs and features.

The listing is pretty much a roll call of all the things I want in a drone, with the exception of its rumored price tag. My four main issues with the DJI Mini 2 are its lack of obstacle avoidance sensors, absence of ActiveTrack subject-tracking, its slightly small sensor and the limited battery life. 

The Mini 3 Pro will, according to the listing, fix all of those things, while somehow keeping the drone under the 8.8 ounce / 250g limit which means you won't need to register it in many countries (even if I will need to do that here in the UK).

Eyes in the sky

So what's new? The leak says that the drone will have tri-directional obstacle detection (that's forwards, backwards and downwards), which will be a big bonus, particularly for amateur fliers like me. I've had some pretty close shaves with branches and water with the Mini 3 Pro's predecessors, so those built-in smarts will be invaluable – particularly as it's likely to be a pricey drone that I'd rather didn't get clotheslined by a tree.

A lack of obstacle avoidance is also one of the reasons why the Mini series has traditionally lacked subject-tracking powers, outside third-party apps like Litchi. But those will apparently also come baked in with FocusTrack, a mode that'll include ActiveTrack 4.0 (for following subjects at a consistent distance), Spotlight 2.0 and Point of Interest 3.0 (for circling around larger focal points). Together, these should make the Mini 3 Pro a powerful tool for people who, like me, are more interested in shooting polished visuals than becoming a master pilot.

There's also the promise of improved image quality. According to the leaked listing, the Mini 3 Pro will have a 1/1.3in CMOS sensor with HDR powers and dual native ISO. The latter will effectively give the drone's sensor a second native sensitivity level at a higher ISO – combine that with the lens' bright f/1.7 aperture, and it should be far more usable in low light. 

Elsewhere, it seems the Mini 3 Pro will very much be a compact version of the aging Mavic Air 2. It'll apparently have a 4K/60p video mode (up from 4K/30p on the Mini 2), which should be handy for creating half-speed clips, and there's also apparently a 48MP raw mode. I'll be keen to try out the latter though, as the Mavic Air 2's similar mode was quite disappointing, producing washed-out, desaturated images.

According to the listing, we'll also get a few minutes of extra flight time compared to the DJI Mini 2 (up to 34 minutes, from 31 minutes), plus the promise of even longer battery life from a mysterious new Intelligent Flight Battery Plus. That's expected to produce an impressive 47-minute flight time, albeit with some extra weight that'll push the drone over the 8.8 ounce / 250g mark. 

Delays and doubts

So is the Mini 3 Pro a sure-fire hit? It's certainly piqued my interest, as someone who likes to travel light. This is one of the main reasons why I mainly use Fujifilm's X-series system, whose camera bodies and lenses tend to be lighter and less bulky than full-frame and ideal for the things I like to shoot (mainly street and landscapes).

With similar dimensions to my XF55-200mm lens, the Mini 3 Pro could slot neatly into my existing camera bag for trips to the great outdoors, with the only question being which controller to get with it. Given my commitment to lighter loads, the DJI RC-N1 (which hosts your phone) is likely more sensible than the new, leaked DJI RC controller and its built-in screen.

But there are still a few doubts surrounding DJI's next drone. Firstly, according to the reliable @DealsDrone, DJI may have delayed the Mini 3's release date to May, later than the previously expected April. It's not yet clear why this might be the case, but if it's related to the current lockdowns in China, then further delays and stock shortages certainly seem possible.

Then there's the drone's pricing. This latest leak had the Mini 3 Pro (with RC-N1 controller) listed for €829, which works out at around $789 / £749 / AU$1,399. If that's accurate, then it'll be a significant leap from the DJI Mini 2 ($449 / £419 / AU$749). That means the bean-counting part of my brain will start to wonder if it'll be better to wait for Mini 2 discounts during Amazon Prime Day or Black Friday.

The final question mark surrounding the Mini 3 Pro, for those in Europe, is its expected lack of 'CE Class' labeling. Some new European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) drone regulations are due to come into force on January 1 2024 (a year later than previously planned), which will leave drones launched prior to then in a slight limbo. It'll still be possible to fly these drones from 2024 and beyond, but they won't have the EASA's new category labels – and that creates some doubt about which category drones like the Mini 3 Pro will be permitted to fly in.

Still, despite all of these potential issues, I can't see them being complete deal-breakers for me. While I would prefer the DJI Air 2S' 1-inch sensor for still photography, the size and rumored features of the Mini 3 Pro make it, on paper, my ideal drone. Naturally, I'll wait until we've fully tested the drone before making any rash decisions, but the main question for me now is more when I'll be able to buy it, rather than if.

• Got a new DJI drone? Here's how to set it up to take great photos and video

• via DroneDJ