DJI Unveils Upgraded Models of Two Most Popular Drones

DJI, the world's largest drone manufacturer, announced the release of the two newest drones to join its lineup today, building on the current most popular models. The Mavic Pro Platinum and Phantom 4 Obisidian, as well as a new "sphere mode" operational feature for the DJI Spark, were revealed at the IFA consumer electronics show in Berlin. 

Mavic Pro Platinum

The newest member of the Mavic family, the Mavic Pro Platinum, is an upgraded version of DJI's popular small-form-factor drone, the DJI Mavic Pro. The Mavic Pro Platinum has received an upgrade promising operation that's up to 4db quieter than the previous model and flight times of up to 30 minutes. 4db is quite a big reduction that would make the Mavic Pro Platinum about 60% less noisy than the Mavic Pro. 

Credit: DJI

The technology behind the noise reduction is an FOC sinusoidal driver ESCs and 8331 propellers. The new electronic speed controllers (ESC) use increased aerodynamics to help reduce wind noise, while the improved speed controllers provide more stability in flight. The Mavic Pro Platinum continues to provide 4K video recording and 3-axis gimbal stabilization. 

Credit: DJI

Phantom 4 Obsidian

Mainly an appearance overhaul, the Phantom 4 Obsidian retains the large 1" CMOS sensor of the previous Phantom 4 Professional, 4K 60fps recording ability, 20MP DNG still images, and all the other features that make the Phantom 4 Professional so appealing. The Obsidian color-way offers an exterior described as "a sleek matte-gray Obsidian color shell featuring a magnesium, electroplated and anti-fingerprint coated gimbal which requires a higher standard manufacturing technique."

Credit: DJI

Sphere Mode for Spark

Lastly, the DJI Spark, DJI's smallest and most consumer-friendly drone to date got a new operational mode called "Sphere Mode" enabling the drone to make quick work of creating spherical panoramic photos and allowing users more photographic creative freedom. 

Tech Specs:

DJI Phantom 4 Obsidian - $1,499:

• AIRCRAFT

  • Weight (Battery & Propellers Included)1388 g
  • Diagonal Size (Propellers Excluded)350 mm
  • Max Ascent SpeedS-mode: 6 m/s
  • P-mode: 5 m/s
  • Max Descent SpeedS-mode: 4 m/s
  • P-mode: 3 m/s
  • Max SpeedS-mode: 45 mph (72 kph)

• CAMERA

  • Sensor1’’ CMOS
  • Effective pixels: 20M
  • LensFOV 84° 8.8 mm/24 mm (35 mm format equivalent) f/2.8 - f/11 auto focus at 1 m - ∞
  • ISO RangeVideo:
    • 100 - 3200 (Auto)
    • 100 - 6400 (Manual)

DJI Mavic Pro Platinum - $1,099:

AIRCRAFT:

• FoldedH83mm x W83mm x L198mm
• Diagonal Size (Propellers Excluded)335 mm
• Weight (Battery & Propellers Included)1.62 lbs (734 g) (exclude gimbal cover) 
• 1.64 lbs (743 g) (include gimbal cover)
• Max Ascent Speed16.4 ft/s (5 m/s) in Sport mode
• Max Descent Speed9.8 ft/s (3 m/s)
• Max Speed40 mph (65 kph) in Sport mode without wind
• Max Service Ceiling Above Sea Level16404 feet (5000 m)
• Max Flight Time30 minutes (no wind at a consistent 15.5 mph (25 kph))
• Max Hovering Time27 minutes (no wind)
• ESC(Electronic Speed Controller)FOC
• Max Flight Distance9.3 mi (15 km, no wind)
• Operating Temperature Range32° to 104° F (0° to 40° C)
• Satellite Positioning SystemsGPS / GLONASS

CAMERA:

• Sensor1/2.3” (CMOS), Effective pixels:12.35 M (Total pixels:12.71M)
• LensFOV 78.8° 28 mm (35 mm format equivalent) f/2.2 
• Distortion < 1.5% Focus from 0.5 m to ∞
• ISO Rangevideo: 100-3200 
• photo: 100-1600
• Electronic Shutter Speed8s -1/8000 s
• Image Size4000×3000
• Still Photography ModesSingle shot 
• Burst shooting: 3/5/7 frames
• Auto Exposure Bracketing (AEB): 3/5 bracketed frames at 0.7 EV Bias
• Interval
• Video Recording ModesC4K: 4096×2160 24p 
• 4K: 3840×2160 24/25/30p 
• 2.7K: 2720x1530 24/25/30p 
• FHD: 1920×1080 24/25/30/48/50/60/96p 
• HD: 1280×720 24/25/30/48/50/60/120p

DJI Spark - $499:

• AIRCRAFT
  • Takeoff Weight300 g
  • Dimensions143×143×55 mm
  • Diagonal Distance (propellers excluded)170 mm
  • Max Ascent Speed9.8 ft/s (3 m/s) in Sport Mode without wind
  • Max Descent Speed9.8 ft/s (3 m/s) in Auto Landing Mode
  • Max Speed31 mph (50 kph) in Sport Mode without wind

• CAMERA

  • Sensor1/2.3" CMOS 
  • Effective pixels: 12 MP
  • LensFOV 81.9° 25 mm (35 mm format equivalent) f/2.6
  • (shooting range: 2 m to ∞)
  • ISO RangeVideo: 100-3200 
  • Photo: 100-1600
  • Electronic Shutter Speed2-1/8000 s
  • Image Size3968×2976
  • 1440×1080 with ShallowFocus
  • 2300×1280 with Pano (horizontal) 
  • 960×1280 with Pano (vertical)
  • Still Photography ModesSingle Shot 
  • Burst Shooting: 3 frames 
  • Auto Exposure Bracketing (AEB): 3 bracketed frames at 0.7 EV bias
  • Interval: 2/3/5/7/10/15/20/30/60 s
  • Video ResolutionFHD: 1920×1080 30p
  • Max Video Bitrate24 Mbps
  • Supported File SystemsFAT32
  • Photo FormatJPEG
  • Video FormatMP4 (MPEG-4 AVC/H.264)