DJI Air
Compact foldable quadcopter series for aerial photography and videography.
The DJI Air, first sold as the DJI Mavic Air, is a line of compact quadcopter drones designed for remote-controlled aerial photography and videography, aimed at both personal and commercial users. Created by the Chinese firm DJI, it was built as a more portable alternative to the DJI Mavic. A licensed version, the Specta Air, is manufactured in Malaysia by Cogito Tech.
The original Mavic Air launched in January 2018. Its foldable arms and propellers tuck flush against the drone’s body, unlike the over-and-under folding style of the Mavic, making it half the size and 41% lighter (430 g) than the Mavic Pro. It carries a 1/2.3-inch CMOS camera with a 24 mm lens on a three-axis gimbal, recording 4K video at 30 fps or 1080p at 120 fps. A new panorama mode stitches 25 photos in eight seconds into a "Sphere Panorama." The drone includes SmartCapture hand-gesture control, a three-directional obstacle avoidance system with seven sensors, and a 2375 mAh battery for up to 21 minutes of flight. Antennas on its landing gear provide a 2.5-mile range.
The Mavic Air 2, announced on 27 April 2020, was redesigned to resemble the Mavic 2 Pro. It features a 1/2-inch CMOS camera supporting raw images, 48-megapixel mode, HDR video, and 240 fps slow-motion Hyperlapse. A larger 3500 mAh battery extends flight time to 34 minutes. The Wi-Fi transmission system was replaced by OcuSync 2.0, operating on 2.4 GHz and 5.8 GHz bands, reducing Wi-Fi interference and boosting range to 10 km. Obstacle avoidance uses APAS 3.0 with front, rear, and downward sensors, but no top or side sensors. Some units included an ADS-B aircraft warning system, though supply chain issues from the COVID-19 pandemic prevented its availability in all regions.
On 15 April 2021, DJI released the Air 2S, dropping the "Mavic" name. It upgrades to a 1-inch CMOS camera shooting 20 MP JPEG and RAW photos, plus 10-bit 5.4K video at 30 fps or 4K at 60 fps. Flight time drops to 31 minutes, and the transmission system is upgraded to O3, delivering 1080p video up to 12 km. New modes include SmartPhoto, Hyperlapse, and MasterShots. APAS 4.0 adds obstacle sensors on the front, back, top, and bottom, along with an ADS-B system.
The Air 3, released in July 2023, adopts a design similar to the Mavic 3 Pro and introduces a dual-camera gimbal with wide-angle and telephoto lenses.
Quick Facts
- Aircraft Type
- Unmanned aerial vehicle
- National Origin
- China
- Manufacturer
- DJI / Cogito Tech
- Construction Date
- 2018–present
- Introduction
- January 2018
- Developed From
- DJI Mavic
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The Mavic Air was announced in January 2018 as a more portable development of the DJI Mavic. Unlike the Mavic's over/under configuration, the Mavic Air's arms and propellers fold flush with the side of the drone, making it half the size of the Mavic Pro and 41% lighter at 430 g. It was equipped with a 1/2.3" CMOS camera on a 3-axis gimbal, a three-directional obstacle avoidance system, and a 2375 mAh battery giving 21 minutes of flight time. The Mavic Air also featured SmartCapture, allowing control by hand gestures.
The Mavic Air 2, announced in April 2020, introduced a redesigned form resembling the Mavic 2 Pro, with over/under folding arms, a 1/2" CMOS camera, OcuSync 2.0 transmission, and a 3500 mAh battery for 34 minutes of flight. Some units included an ADS-B safety feature, but supply chain issues during the COVID-19 pandemic meant this was not available in all regions. The Air 2S, announced in April 2021, dropped the Mavic name and upgraded to a 1" CMOS camera, O3 transmission, and APAS 4.0 obstacle avoidance.
The Air 3, released in July 2023, adopted a design resembling the Mavic 3 Pro and introduced a dual camera system with wide-angle and telephoto lenses, O4 transmission, and a 4241 mAh battery for 46 minutes of flight. The Air 3S, released in October 2024, upgraded the wide-angle camera to a 50 MP 1" CMOS sensor and slightly increased battery capacity to 4276 mAh, with flight time reduced to 45 minutes.
Reader's Guide
The DJI Air series represents a key evolution in portable aerial photography drones, balancing compactness with increasingly capable camera systems and flight performance. Starting with the Mavic Air's innovative flush-folding design that halved the size of the Mavic Pro, the series progressively adopted more powerful sensors, longer flight times, and advanced transmission systems. The shift from Wi-Fi to dedicated OcuSync transmission in the Mavic Air 2 improved range and reduced interference, while later models added dual cameras and higher-resolution sensors. The series also saw incremental improvements in obstacle avoidance, from three-directional sensors on the original to APAS 4.0 on the Air 2S and later models. A notable aspect is the licensed production of the Air 3 as the Specta Air by Cogito Tech in Malaysia, which, despite Cogito denying any connection to DJI, is virtually identical in performance and software and likely uses DJI's proprietary OcuSync system. The Air series has consistently been positioned as a more portable alternative within DJI's Mavic family, with each generation refining the balance between size, weight, and capability.
Did You Know?
- The original Mavic Air's arms and propellers fold flush with the side of the drone, unlike the over/under configuration of other Mavic models.
- The Mavic Air 2's ADS-B safety feature was not available in all regions due to COVID-19 pandemic supply chain issues.
- The Air 3S has a weight of 724 g and a battery capacity of 4276 mAh, giving a maximum flight time of 45 minutes.
- A licensed version of the Air 3, called the Specta Air, is produced in Malaysia by Cogito Tech.
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