There’s no holding a determined drone leaker back – or that would at least seem to be the case following another visual offering of the step-down Mini 3 that DJI is rumored to be developing as a more affordable option to its Mini 3 Pro.
As was the case with yesterday’s leak (and countless others offering clues on products DJI has been readying for release over the months), the new images came from reliable company sleuth @DealsDrone, who tweeted a quartet of shots featuring the yet-to-be-acknowledged Mini 3 drone.
Unlike Thursday’s “DJI’s Mini 3 coming soon” teaser text accompanying that tweet, today’s visuals include two images of what an unboxed drone and accessories would look like, as well as one each of the craft in simulated flight and immobile.
While it’s now a foregone conclusion among DJI fans that the Mini 3 will be announced relatively soon as another of the step-down versions of company drones – as the Mavic 3 Classic was to top-of-the-line photography Mavic 3, and Mini SE was to the Mini 2 – the big remaining questions are how much less will the new product cost, and what original features and hardware will be dropped as a result.
Read more: DJI launches Mavic 3 Classic: Mavic 3 chops, softer wallet bite
Apart from images indicating the Mini 3 will lack the obstacle detection tech on the Pro model, not much beyond that is very clear. Especially on cost.
DJI currently sells the Mini 3 Pro with RC-N1 for $759 – $909 with the DJI RC, and $699 for the drone alone – and the Mini 2 at $499; $599 as a Fly More Combo.
That only leaves a hundred bucks between the highest price Mini 2 and drone-only Mini 3 Pro. So how will DJI price a new Mini 3 in that relatively slim differential?
There seems to be a difference of evidence and opinion on that – with much of it rather confusing.
A tweet by @Güçlü Atamer features a screen capture from online retailer ithome.com with an advance order pager for a “DJI Mini 3 Drone Fly More Combo” with a new remote controller for £827, or nearly $1,013. His accompanying comment estimates that combo option will run about $1,120 in Europe and $1,000 in the US.
That doesn’t seem to make a lot of sense if the entire step-down strategy is to make new, scaled-back versions of existing drone more affordable – not pricier.
DroneDJ chum @Igor Bogdanov, however, weighs in with Mini 3 information (and images) of his own, including the tip the “price tag in stores is $858.” Which is lower than the above, yet still wouldn’t make a great deal of pricing sense for a craft he says will be a lesser-than option to the Mini 3 Pro.
Update:
Igor Bogdanov has this afternoon tweeted additional information about the obviously-not-merely-rumored DJI Mini 3 that further confounds notions the craft will serve as a less expensive step-down option to the existing Pro version.
In stark contrast to that strategy calling for a wallet-sparing new iteration and combo deals costing in the $600 to $780 range (add about 2% in Europe, though nobody knows why that’s always the case), Bogdanov posts information the price tags will run more in the range of €846/$890 to €1,048/$1,100.
Go figure, if you can.
No doubt more clarity on pricing, positioning, hardware, and features on the new Mini 3 drone will emerge with additional leaks – unless DJI can manage to take it to market before all questions about the drone are answered.
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