A teaser image reported to have been posted by DJI, teases an event in New York on July 18th, 2018. There’s no solid information on exactly what DJI will announce, but all signs point to an announcement for a possible DJI Mavic Pro replacement with the… Yup, you guessed it, the DJI Mavic Pro II. Some seem to think DJI may announce a Phantom 5, but with the recent Phantom 4 V2.0 announcement, I think that’s unlikely. Sure, it’s possible, but it’s unlikely. I can’t see them replacing the Mavic Air this quickly, and while the Spark could probably do with a refresh, too, I do think a Mavic II is most likely – assuming it’s a drone at all.
According to the latest rumours, here are the expected specs for the DJI Mavic Pro 2 as of June 2018…
DJI Mavic Pro 2 release date 2018 is now rumored to be July 18th, 2018 at a DJI event in New York titled “See The Bigger Picture”Mass production began in early FebruaryDJI Mavic Pro 2 price will be at least $1299 USD, maybe more. They will also offer “The FlyMore combo” which will obviously be more expensive.The Mavic II (2) will be substantially largerIts official name is “Mavic II”4820 mAh battery capacity and 15.2 V power (larger and more powerful than the current Mavic Pro)The battery design itself will be completely different and not compatible with older MavicsLonger flight time—rumored at 32 minutes—Mavic Pro is 27 minutes and Platinum will be 30 minutes.“Quiet” propellersImproved agility and precisionLarger motors will bring upgraded propulsionTop speed is 45 mph (72 kph) in sport modeNew and improved remote control similar to old Mavic Pro but betterWill use OcuSyncVideo transmission frequency is still a mysteryThe Mavic Pro II (2) will be controlled with the DJI GO 4 app as wellObstacle avoidance in all directions, 6 total including on top of the droneInfrared 3D sensing to avoid obstacles even in the darkAn improved vision processing system, faster than Mavic AirBinocular rear vision obstacle avoidance sensors
And as for the Mavic Pro 2’s camera, it looks pretty impressive, and the “bigger picture” thing would be in line with the slightly larger rumoured 1/1.7″ sensor over the current 1/2.3″.
12 MP Sony IMX226 CMOS 1/1.7″ STARVIS sensor (current Mavic Pro has 1/2.3” CMOS sensor) with 28mm (now 24mm) lens4K video at 60FPSH.265 video formatFaster bitrate (100 Mbps)Better low light performanceA sharper lens with less distortionBetter dynamic rangeLess Noise8.8mm lens which provides a 24mm field of viewVariable aperture of f/2.8-11No mechanical shutterNewly designed 3-axis gimbal
Whether or not it does end up being the DJI Mavic Pro II obviously remains to be seen, but with as long as the rumours of its existence have been around, chances seem above average. The Mavic Pro is a fine drone, but it’s starting to feel a little inadequate now compared to the Mavic Air, given the cost difference. I guess we’ll just have to wait until July 18th to find out for sure. [MyFirstDrone via Mirrorless Rumors]
