DJI Mavic Air 2 in April 2020 – Are the Rumors True?

Will There Be a DJI Mavic Air 2?

As per the latest industry rumors, the DJI Mavic Air 2 will be released in April 2020.

What are the Rumored Specs of the DJI Mavic Air 2?

Our good friend, the Chinese drone pilot OsitaLV recently released these images from his Twitter account. As per industry rumors, this could possibly be the new DJI Mavic Air 2.

Is that it, just that one? pic.twitter.com/Ap8rrzC71n

— OsitaLV (@OsitaLV) March 10, 2020

From the above images, it is evident that the DJI Mavic Air 2’s design has been inspired from its larger cousin, the DJI Mavic 2 Pro. The controller though, is quite different, design-wise from the original DJI Mavic Air. Unlike the original controller, your smartphone will now be mounted on the top of the controller.

From these leaked images, these are the rumored specs for the DJI Mavic Air 2:

• Better Design
• Longer Battery Life
• Better Quality 4K Video
• ADS-B Receivers
• 360 Degree Obstacle Avoidance
• LED Lights
• Dual Vision System
• Infrared Sensing System
• Bottom Auxillary Light Assists
• Ambarella Processor

We shall be updating this space as soon as we receive more updates.

How a DJI Mavic Air 2 Powered by an Ambarella Processor Could Result in Superior Flight Performance & Footage

Ambarella is a California-based semi-conductor design company that specializes in AI-Vision Processors for cutting edge applications. Apart from drones, Ambarella processors are used to power self-driving cars, security devices, industrial machinery, and robots.

Using an Ambarella processor could potentially result in:

1. Enhanced Autonomous Capabilities
2. Superior Video Quality

Let us talk about Flight Autonomy first.

Could the Mavic Air 2 Be Equipped with Autonomous Capabilities?

Possibly.

Our technologies make cameras smarter—enabling features like person detection, object classification, analytics, and more—performing complex data analysis in real time, delivering breath-taking imagery, and preserving vital system resources such as power and network bandwidth.

Ambarella Website

In simple words, a DJI Mavic Air equipped with a powerful Ambarella processor shall do a better job of reading the environment which will result in enhanced autonomous capabilities.

At CES 2018, Ambarella demoed a “super drone” featuring a CV1 chip. Like the Skydio 2, this super drone is adept in autonomous navigation, detecting and avoiding obstacles.  It remains to be seen whether the competition will force DJI (more on this later) to go all out and equip the DJI Mavic Air 2 with such powerful processors.

Will You Be Able to Grab Superior Footage with the New Mavic Air?

DJI’s flagship drone, the Mavic 2 Pro is an excellent drone with a 10-bit, Hasselblad sensor. But, while you can grab some stunning photographs with this drone, the video quality is lackluster at best.

Our friends at DroneDJ reported that this disappointing video quality could be because of DJI’s decision to replace an Ambarella processor with a non-branded processor. Thankfully, DJI seems to have realized their folly as they have gone back to using the Ambarella processor on the DJI Mavic Mini.

We expect this trend to continue. It is likely that DJI will use an Ambarella processor on the new DJI Mavic Air as well.

Will the Mavic Air 2 Be Significantly Better Compared to Its Predecessor, the DJI Mavic Air?

Absolutely.

As per industry reports, release of the Skydio 2 and the Autel Evo 2 has forced DJI to go back to the drawing board. Particularly, the American-made Skydio 2 which detects and avoids obstacles using both AI and GPS could potentially change the way we fly.  We flew the Skydio 2 right after its release and were truly blown away but this drone’s flying capabilities.

It is of little surprise that DJI is leaving no strings unattached when it comes to their 2020 releases – Mavic Air 2, DJI Mavic 3, and DJI Inspire 3.

Having said that, we expect the Mavic Air 2 to be far superior to its predecessor, the DJI Mavic Air.

We highlighted the drawbacks of the DJI Mavic Air when this drone was first released in early 2018. Some of the main drawbacks that we discussed:

• Absence of 4K60
• Poor Battery Life
• Absence of Atti Mode
• Poor Dynamic Range
• Issues with the Camera Gimbal

You can check out our comprehensive review here:

We certainly hope that DJI addresses these problems with the Mavic Air 2. We shall be the first to review this drone when it hits the market. Watch this space for updates!

Become a Drone U Member.

Do not forget to subscribe and listen to Ask Drone U, the #1 drone podcast on iTunes!