7 big upgrades US buyers will miss without DJI Mavic 4 Pro

DJI just dropped its most advanced drone yet — the Mavic 4 Pro — and let’s be real, it’s a beast. It crushes the already impressive Mavic 3 Pro in nearly every department: from camera upgrades and obstacle sensing to flight time and video transmission. But there’s one major catch: you can’t buy it in the US.

Thanks to trade tensions and Trump-era tariffs, DJI says it won’t be selling the Mavic 4 Pro in the US, nor will it provide support or warranties for units purchased abroad. Nonetheless, authorized retailers like Adorama have the drone listed for preorder, indicating it may make its way to the US eventually. So what are American drone enthusiasts missing out on in the meantime? Let’s break down the seven major upgrades that US buyers are going to wish they had.

1. A Hasselblad camera that shoots 100MP photos

The Mavic 3 Pro’s 20MP main camera is no slouch. It shoots 5.1K video and offers a large 4/3 CMOS sensor — a big leap at its time.

But the Mavic 4 Pro goes next level, packing a next-gen 4/3 CMOS sensor with a new image processing platform. It captures 100MP stills and records 6K/60fps HDR video with a cinematic 16-stop dynamic range. That’s movie-quality output in a backpack drone.

2. A telephoto camera worth using

The Mavic 3 Pro introduced triple cameras, but the telephoto was limited by resolution and sensor size.

The 4 Pro answers that with a 168mm tele lens featuring a 1/1.5-inch sensor, wide f/2.8 aperture, and 50MP photo capability. It’s not just a zoom gimmick — it’s a serious second camera.

3. Wild new gimbal tricks

This one’s a game-changer for content creators: the Infinity Gimbal on the Mavic 4 Pro offers 70° upward shooting and full 360° rotation. That means you can shoot top-down, bottom-up, and everything in between.

The Mavic 3 Pro? Great stabilization — but no dramatic gimbal angles.

New: DJI Mavic 4 Pro takes flight in Europe with EASA C2 certification

4. Almost an hour of flight time

While the Mavic 3 Pro offers a solid 43 minutes of flight time, the 4 Pro pushes that to a jaw-dropping 51 minutes — the longest of any DJI consumer drone.

It’s not just about more time in the air — it means more time getting the shot, especially when flying in hard-to-reach places.

5. DJI O4+ transmission for insane range and clarity

DJI’s O3+ system on the Mavic 3 Pro gave pilots 15 km of range with solid clarity.

Now imagine 30 km of 10-bit HDR video transmission with enhanced anti-interference and better signal stability — that’s what the Mavic 4 Pro’s O4+ system delivers. Even casual users will notice crisper live feeds and smoother control.

6. Smarter obstacle sensing, even in the dark

The 3 Pro’s omnidirectional sensing is solid, but the 4 Pro introduces something new: forward-facing LiDAR and 0.1 lux nightscape vision, letting it detect and avoid obstacles even in low light.

That means safer flights in urban environments — day or night.

7. Satellite-free Smart Return to Home

In well-lit conditions, the 4 Pro memorizes flight paths and can return home safely even without GPS — a major upgrade from the 3 Pro’s Smart RTH system. If you’ve ever lost GPS signal mid-flight, you know how big this is.

Clearly, the Mavic 4 Pro is a leap ahead of the 3 Pro. But unless something changes on the trade policy front, US buyers will have to sit this one out, or risk going the gray market route with no DJI warranty or support. Until then, the Mavic 3 Pro is still a powerhouse — but the 4 Pro? That’s the future, and for now, it’s just out of reach.

More: Insta360 X5 vs. X4 camera: What’s really new?