Surprise: DJI releases O3 Air Unit FPV transmitter before leaker estimates

Global camera drone and tech giant DJI appears to have turned the tables somewhat on the most reliable leakers of its products by releasing its new O3 Air Unit for transmitting video from FPV flights today – a full 24 hours before the earliest prediction had expected.

As detailed in DroneDJ’s post earlier today, new images and a marketing document containing complete specs had pretty much dissipated any remaining doubts about what DJI’s upgrade of its original 2019 Air Unit would look like or contain. But with the earliest leaker anticipating launch of the O3 Air Unit sometime tomorrow – and others generally expecting an introduction in coming days or weeks – DJI has beat speculation by a full day or more with its rollout of the product this morning.

While the new O3 Air Unit is pretty much all that leaked material suggested it would be, the product promises to deliver enhanced 1080p/100fps, H.265 digital video transmission at 50 Mbps bitrate, and ultra-low latency 30 m/s over a 10 km range – all for a slightly higher $229 price tag than leakers expected.

“Equipped with DJI O3+ Video Transmission, the DJI O3 Air Unit provides a host of powerful video transmission capabilities,” says the DJI splash page announcing the product’s arrival. “Control your drone with snappy responsiveness and get a crisp, ultra-sharp live feed. The 2T2R omnidirectional antennas further ensure the stability and smoothness of video transmission within the signal coverage range.”

A must-have step-up for FPV enthusiasts, DJI says its O3 Air Unit provides a full range of upgraded imaging capacities. It comes with 20 GB of built-in storage, a 1/1.7-inch sensor, and supports 4K/60fps video with 155° super-wide FOV footage for crisp, clear, first-person content. 

The product’s D-Cinelike color mode allows for greater range for color grading, and with that increased editing and adjustment flexibility. The O3 Air Unit weights 36.6 grams and measures 32.1×30.5×14.5 mm, with the camera module of 21.2x20x19.5 mm.