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Flying the Autel EVO 2 – First impressions

Flying the Autel evo 2 drone

Yesterday morning we got up early and instead of going back to CES, Paul from Drone U and I went to an area right outside the controlled airspace of Las Vegas to fly the all-new Autel EVO 2 with the 8K camera. Here are our first impressions. Keep in mind that we were flying this foldable quadcopter with a beta version of the app. Autel Robotics told us that they will keep updating both the software and firmware before launching this drone by the end of January for $1,445.
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Autel Robotics will be at CES after all — possibly to unveil new Autel Evo 2

Autel Robotics will be at CES after all. Possibly to unveil new Autel Evo 2?

A little more than a month ago, we reported on the Autel Evo 2 and the amazing specs this new drone is expected to have. Then we reported that Autel would make an official announcement during the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas (CES). However, as some of our readers rightfully pointed out, Autel was not among the exhibitors listed to appear at CES.

And even now, when you go to the exhibitors’ list on the CES website, you won’t find Autel Robotics. However, an announcement on Instagram tells a different story. Autel Robotics will indeed be at CES. Maybe they’ll be unveiling the new Autel Evo 2?


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DJI Phantom 4 Pro V2.0 restocking – Pre-orders start January 7th, 2020

DJI Phantom 4 Pro V2.0 restocking - Pre-orders start January 7th, 2020

Many drone pilots were stunned by the FAA Christmas surprise this year. Hopefully, the following news will bring back a little bit of happiness to this year’s end. Based on a listing of an official DJI reseller it seems that retailers are now restocking the DJI Phantom 4 Pro V2.0 and pre-orders are set to start January 7th, 2020.


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The Revolve Thermal MK.III based on the DJI Mavic 2 drone

The Revolve Thermal MK.III based on the DJI Mavic 2

Remember the modified DJI Mavic 2 Zoom with the FLIR Boson thermal camera, that we covered earlier this year? Well, that was a prototype said Sheldon Holy from UK-based Drone Doctor and now also Revolve Drones. Now they’re back with a new and production ready version, the Revolve Thermal MK.III. The Boson 320 sensor has double the resolution of the sensor in the Mavic 2 Dual (320×240 resolution vs. 160×120), and a much narrower field of view (34° vs 57°). This allows the MK.III to detect a given heat signature at up to five times the distance that the Mavic 2 Dual is capable of, according to Revolve Drones. Keep reading for all the details but this may very well be the best drone for first responders right now, although it seems that new competition may be around the corner with the new Evo Autel 2 and Skydio 2 drones.


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Autel Evo 2 release date January 2020 – Official Announcement at CES

Autel Evo 2 release date January 2020 - Official Announcement at CES

The specs of Autel’s new drone are mind-boggling and they got many drone pilots very, very excited. We’ve even heard that when the specifications became public, they caused a bit of an earthquake at the DJI consumer drone division. Now, of course, the most urgent question on everybody’s mind is when will we be able to get our hands on one. Well, we have some good news for you. You won’t have to wait long as the Autel Evo 2 will be released in January of 2020 and the official announcement will take place at CES. Expect the Evo 2 to be available soon thereafter at retailers such as DroneNerds, B&H, Adorama, BestBuy, and Amazon.


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Ambarella processor inside Mavic Mini raises expectations DJI Mavic 3 Pro

Ambarella processor inside DJI Mavic Mini raises expectations for DJI Mavic 3 Pro

In a group on Facebook dedicated to the new DJI Mavic Mini (from DJI or Amazon), photos were shared that show the inside of the latest mini-drone from DJI. Now seeing the inside of this little aircraft is interesting for sure as it shows the length to which DJI went to bring the weight down to 249 grams. However, these photos also contain a clue. One of the photos shows an Ambarella processor inside the Mavic Mini and that is indeed very promising for the DJI Mavic 3 Pro, the successor to the very popular Mavic 2 Pro that is expected to be released in January 2020.

The article has been updated with new photos showing the processors inside the DJI Mavic Mini and the DJI Mavic 2 Pro.


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Autel Evo 2 specs – drone with 8K, 6K with 1-inch sensor, and thermal options

Autel Evo 2 specs and photos - Monster drone with 8K or 6K video with a 1-inch sensor

Today through industry insiders and an FCC filing we learn about the new and surprising specs of the upcoming Autel Evo 2 drone. This new foldable drone from Autel Robotics is a real monster and it will feature user-changeable gimbal modules that offer you the choice of an 8K video camera, a 6K video camera with a 1-inch sensor, or a dual-sensor gimbal with an infrared camera and an 8K video camera. And if that wasn’t enough to get your attention, it will fly for 35 minutes!


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Rumors: DJI Mavic 3 Pro and Inspire 3 expected in 2020

Rumors: DJI Mavic 3 Pro and Inspire 3 expected in 2020

Before we get into the DJI Mavic 3 Pro and Inspire 3 rumors, let’s take a step back and reflect a little on what has happened with DJI in 2019. Over the last few weeks, a lot of attention has been given to the DJI Mavic Mini (from DJI or Amazon), and rightfully so, as this new sub-250-gram can surely hold its own among the other DJI Mavic drones. But why is it that this capable mini-drone is all we got from DJI in 2019? What happened to all the other DJI drones that were rumored to be released, such as the DJI Phantom 5, the DJI Spark 2, the DJI Inspire 3 and even the temporary return of the DJI Phantom 4 Pro V2.0? Where are they? And, maybe more importantly, what does this mean for 2020? What can we expect from DJI next year?


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Ultra-light DJI Mavic Mini review on YouTube ahead of product launch

DJI Mavic Mini Video Review

Today, the Ultra-Light DJI Mavic Mini (from DJI or Amazon) shows up in a “video review” on YouTube ahead of the official product launch. After various online retailers such as Newegg and BestBuy already disclosed official marketing photos and specs of the new DJI Mavic Mini, we now get to see one of the first videos. Don’t get too excited; this is not one of those amazing reviews from iPhonedo. This is really just a series of short clips put together in one video. However, it still provides us with some new angles and gives us a better idea of the size of this new unmanned aircraft.


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DJI Mavic Mini specifications reconfirmed – 2.7k video, 30 min flight time and more photos!

DJI Mavic Mini specs reconfirmed

The specifications for the DJI Mavic Mini (from DJI or Amazon) have been reconfirmed in a public listing from yet another retailer that disclosed this information prior to the launch of this new DJI drone. The listing confirms that the DJI Mavic Mini will indeed weigh only 249 grams making it an ultra-light drone. Furthermore, it also confirms a 30-minute maximum flight time, which is incredible considering the size and weight of this little drone.


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DJI Mavic Mini: new photos and updated specs for palm-sized drone

DJI Mavic Mini: new photos and updated specs for palm-sized drone (good and bad)

New photos and updated specs for the palm-sized, DJI Mavic Mini (from DJI or Amazon). We’ve seen it before that when we get closer to a product’s release date more and more specifications and photos start to surface online. Sometimes the specifications are slightly different than what we have heard from industry insiders or have seen in pre-production models. And such is the case with the DJI Mavic Mini. We have some good and some less good news for you.


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DJI Mavic Mini $399 price tag confirmed — release ‘imminent’

DJI Mavic Mini $399

This morning, our old friend and DJI leaker OsitaLV tweeted a short video showing the DJI Mavic Mini (from DJI or Amazon) listed on a Chinese website with a confirmed price tag of $399. If that number looks familiar, it is probably because of our article more than two months ago. The listing also shows us a few new photos of the sub-250-gram foldable mini drone.


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Phantom 4 Pro V2.0 back in DJI online store – higher price and out of stock

Phantom 4 Pro V2.0 back in DJI online store - higher price and out of stock

Roughly two weeks ago we wrote this piece on the status and price increases of DJI drones in the official DJI online store. As a result of the trade war tariffs, DJI increased the prices on a range of its products, including the DJI Mavic 2, DJI Care Refresh, and batteries for the Mavic and Phantom series. At the same time, the Chinese drone maker also removed all of the DJI Phantom 4 series from their official online store. However, that has now changed. The DJI Phantom 4 Pro V2.0 returns to the DJI online store albeit at a higher price and unfortunately is still out of stock. The other Phantoms are still MIA.


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Remote controller would turn Skydio 2 into DJI Mavic 2 Pro competitor

Maybe Skydio does it on purpose. Maybe not. Either way, the marketing team that releases the teaser videos for the new Skydio 2 drone always put a little easter egg in there somewhere. The first video showed the shade of the drone, which revealed to us that there will not be a metal band or casing around the entire drone as was the case with the Skydio R1. The latest video shows somebody who presumingly is flying the drone and he seems to be holding a remote controller for the Skydio 2 drone. More control over the unmanned aircraft with a dedicated remote controller might just turn the Skydio 2 into a true DJI Mavic 2 Pro competitor.
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DJI Phantom 4 Advanced back in stock at official DJI online store

DJI Phantom 4 Advanced back in stock at official DJI online store

Yes, you read that correctly. The DJI Phantom 4 Advanced is back in stock at the official DJI online store. After months of being out of stock, as were many of the accessories, the DJI Phantom 4 Advanced is back for now. We do not know how many are available or for how long DJI will offer them online, but if you have been waiting for the iconic quadcopter’s return with its 1-inch sensor and mechanical shutter. Well, this is your chance.

Note: we expect the DJI Phantom 4 Pro V2.0 to make its return shortly as well. The latest news is that it will be back in September.

Update: less than one hour after posting this article the Phantom 4 Advanced was out of stock again.


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Photos of DJI Mavic Mini surface, is this the Spark 2 or even Mavic Air successor?

Photos of DJI Mavic Mini surface. Is this the Spark 2 or even Mavic Air successor?

So just this morning, we learned from our old friend that DJI might, after all, be introducing a new drone this year. Take a look at these photos that show some sort of a DJI Mavic Mini. Could this be the Spark 2 that was supposed to be introduced before the summer or is this a DJI Mavic Air successor? Let’s take a closer look.


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DJI OSMO Mobile 3 Quick Start Guide surfaces prior to product launch

DJI OSMO Mobile 3 Quick Start Guide

It was only a few days ago when we reported on the FCC filing that disclosed the DJI OSMO Mobile 3. Now, thanks to our old friend, we get to see the DJI OSMO Mobile 3 Quick Start Guide. It explains all the buttons and connections on the new foldable gimbal from DJI. It has been a busy year for the Chinese drone maker so far, although we still haven’t seen any new drones…


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