Summary
- DJI just presented the Flip drone as a new, compact, and foldable product ideal for portability and aerial selfies.
- The DJI Flip features a 1/1.3-inch image sensor for high-quality video recording and innovative propeller protection.
- The DJI Flip offers various controllers and kits options ranging from $440 to $780 for enhanced functionality and battery life.
DJI is one of the forerunners of consumer-centric drones you can use for pro-grade video applications. It is no secret that the company has an expansive product range that covers most of the popular use-cases, but one untapped market for easy aerial selfies and ultimate portability was recently unlocked this year, when DJI unveiled the latest addition to its catalog — the Flip. This new design tries a new approach to foldability, making drones even more portable, and impact resistant too.
Related
Review: The DJI Neo a neat little flying camera designed to grab quick video clips with the press of a button
If only other drones could be so effortless
DJI has been chasing the pocketable form factor for drones with recent releases like the Neo and Mini 4 Pro, which mark a departure from the conventional DJI design where the propeller arms and blades tuck into the body for storage (via Engadget). The company touts the new Flip as an amalgamation of the Neo’s simplicity and the Mini’s camera prowess, resulting in a new design where the propellers and guards fold down like a unicycle under the drone’s body. The size when folded down is still larger than a mini, but the Flip delivers performance to offset this limitation.
Speaking of camera specs, the DJI Flip has a 1/1.3-inch sensor shared with the Mini 4 Pro, so it can record up to $K at 100 fps in slow motion, and 60fps in regular mode. The three-axis gimbal doesn’t support 4K vertical shooting and caps that at 2.7K, but you can choose between standard, HDR, and D-LogM quality settings. Your content is recorded onto an onboard microSD card you supply to offset the lack of internal storage, but the transmission to video-enabled controllers isn’t in full 4K.
The Flip uses the standard O4 system, limiting you to a 1080p transmission at 60fps within an 8-mile range in the US and 5 miles in Europe while Wi-Fi control is capped at 50 meters. You don’t need a controller since the app enables pre-programmed flight modes, but you could pair the Flip with a DJI RC2 or RC-N3 controller. Despite the small size, this isn’t one for FPV enjoyers, since DJI doesn’t advertise compatibility with the Googles N3.
Powerful features in a small package
Curious design decisions
While the controllers unlock full manual control, you also benefit from ActiveTrack, Spotlight, Point of INterest, and other tech, so tracking subjects in the frame is a cakewalk. Without a controller, you’re limited to six shooting modes where the drone takes off from your palm or the ground, completes a preset flight path while recording, and returns. In both modes, the onboard LiDAR tech helps avoid obstacles, so you’re less likely to break propellers even as a novice. This little drone also has 3D infrared to scan the underside, but the Flip cannot track obstacles behind it.
Speaking of propellers, they are usually the first to break if you crash, and can cause some serious damage when rotating. To safeguard people and the drone from prop damage, DJI’s Flip has innovative bicycle spoke-like carbon fiber rods on either side of the rotors with plastic shells going around the periphery. This design keeps the weight in check without hindering airflow or structural strength. The Verge notes that the props can get loud, despite the ducted design and large size.
Pricing, weight, and availability
The DJI Flip is surprisingly lighter than 249 grams, meaning, you can fly it without requiring a permit in most countries. Of that, the 3,110mAh batteries account for 84g, delivering around half an hour of real-world flying time, making the flip suitable for holidays and event shoots. A battery takes around the same amount of time (34 minutes) to recharge, but you can skip the wait time with a Fly More kit that includes two batteries for 70-minute flight times.
The standard DJI Flip costs $440 when accompanied by a RC-N3 joystick controller, approximately twice as much as the $200 DJI Neo which also supports FPV modes. For $640, you can get the drone with a RC2 controller. If simplicity wins you over, splurging $780 on the Fly More combo gets you three batteries, a carry case, and a better RC2 controller with a screen, so you don’t need to drain your phone battery simultaneously. The kits are $320 cheaper than the current-gen Mini 4 Pro, but if you’re looking for a more capable drone, you might want to wait until the brand announces the Mini 5. The Flip is already available for purchase on DJI’s website.
