Down $90, DJI Mini 3 is the best beginner drone of 2024

So, you’re looking to get into the drone hobby with an affordable entry-level gadget? If you’ve done some research already, you’d know that the Mini 2 SE is the cheapest entry-level drone from DJI today. But this is 2024. And Mini 2 SE gets much of its tech stack from the Mini 2, which first came out in 2020. The most reasonable beginner drone you can grab today is the DJI Mini 3. And the best part? Mini 3 is currently on sale for $469, a significant markdown from its original retail price of $559.

The Mini 3 is an affordable, travel-friendly aircraft that features the same 1/1.3-inch CMOS sensor and f/1.7 aperture as the more expensive Mini 3 Pro. The sub-250-gram drone’s default photography mode churns out 12MP images, but DJI’s 4-in-1 pixel technology helps it to click 48MP photos, too. You can further record dazzling 4K/30fps HDR videos with true-to-life colors, both during the day and at night. And in the True Vertical Shooting mode, the camera can rotate 90 degrees to capture content that is perfect for TikTok and Instagram.

All these are substantial advancements compared to the Mini 2 SE whose video quality is capped at 2.7K/30fps.

Read more: Florida man who shot down sheriff’s drone gets 4 years in prison

So, if you’re 2024 bucket list contains aerial adventures and you don’t want to drop a wad of cash on an advanced model, grab the $90 discount that’s available across all variants of the Mini 3 today:

• Mini 3 with RC-N1 (remote controller without screen) was earlier priced at $559 but is available for $469 now.
• Mini 3 with DJI RC (remote controller with screen) has been marked down to $609 from its typical $699.
• The drone-only variant, without any remote controller, can now be bought for $379 instead of $469.

Buying only the aircraft is the most economical upgrade option for those who already own an RC-N1 controller. DJI Mini 3 uses the O2 digital video transmission system to deliver a 720p/30fps live feed from up to 10 km away. Still, the drone maker assures a more reliable connection throughout the flight, courtesy of improved anti-interference technology. Wind resistance, meanwhile, is capped at 10.7 m/s, which is good enough for the drone to hover steadily in place and deliver stable images in various conditions.

Also read: Mini 4 Pro vs. Mini 3 Pro: DJI drones compared (with 2024 prices)