Leaked DJI Mini 3 images suggest nearing launch of a step-down version of the Pro drone

Hot on the heels of the rollout of its more affordable Mavic 3 Classic last month, DJI looks poised to replicate the same step-down strategy of its drone development with a rumored Mini 3 launch.

Expectations of a looming Mini 3 introduction rose even higher Thursday with the tweet of two drone images by reliable DJI leaker DealsDrones. Though the message posted with those was laconic, it nevertheless stoked the excitement of enthusiasts eager to get their hands on a less expensive yet not-too-simplified version of the Mini 3 Pro.

Leaks and more official indicators have been suggesting DJI is working toward a Mini 3 release for a while.

Last month, reports noted information on the product had turned up in the Federal Communication Commission’s database. The newly leaked images, though apparently computer generated – combined with the promise from a typically knowledgeable source of DJI’s inner workings – have furthered heightened expectations that the new craft may take wing soon.

Meanwhile, the step-down logic behind a new Mini 3 drone has already been tried, tested, and apparently adopted by DJI. 

Launch of the Mavic 3 Classic last month made most of the tech on DJI’s top-of-the-line photography Mavic 3 drone more accessible to budget-conscious enthusiasts who until then had to go without it.

The result is a $1,469 basic offer that’s $580 cheaper than the original craft, with the only major loss being the dual-camera Mavic 3’s telephoto lens.

Read more: DJI launches Mavic 3 Classic: Mavic 3 chops, softer wallet bite 

Previously, DJI used the same thinking with its introduction of the Mini SE, a less expensive version of the Mini 2 once shorn of the RAW photography and fuller video capacities of the original.

But if a nearing launch of a new Mini 3 is now virtually a foregone conclusion, far greater mystery still surrounds the choices DJI is considering to make it more affordable than the company’s current $759 asking price­ – yet with sufficient tech additions for customers to pay more than the Mini 2 Pro’s $449 tag.

Going cheaper on the battery to reduce the drone’s 34-minute flight time is a non-starter, meaning the squeeze will presumably be made on the Pro version’s camera, which shoots 4K HDR video, 48MP RAW photos, and 1080p/120fps slow-motion video. Also on the block could be certain Pro features, including Tri-Directional Obstacle sensing, FocusTrack, and True Vertical Shooting.

Only time (and, more than likely, leakers) will tell what the company finally decides, and when word of that drops, DroneDJ will be there to pass it along.