DJI's New Mini Drone Is So Small, Does Not Require FAA Registration

No payload capability, but excellent for inobtrusive observation and photography, with all that implies. JL

Rachel England reports in Engadget:

DJI's latest drone is its lightest and smallest model ever. The foldable Mavic Mini weighs in at just 249 grams, and comes with a bunch of features designed to make drone flying and aerial photography fun and accessible, without skimping on quality. And it's so small that you needn't bother getting FAA registration for it, either. The Mavic Mini boasts a maximum range of 4km, or  2.5 miles, and promises up to 30 minutes of flight time.

DJI's latest drone is its lightest and smallest model ever. The foldable Mavic Mini weighs in at just 249 grams, and comes with a bunch of features designed to make drone flying and aerial photography fun and accessible to everyone, without skimping on quality. And it's so small that you needn't bother getting FAA registration for it, either.

The Mavic Mini boasts a maximum range of 4km, or roughly 2.5 miles, and promises up to 30 minutes of flight time, which is pretty impressive for a drone of this compact size. GPS receivers and downward visual sensors mean precise hovering and stable flying, and a 2.7k video at 30fps puts it ahead of the Mavic Spark, which topped out at FHD.It doesn't come with the obstacle avoidance features of some of DJI's larger models, nor does it have quite as many options for Quickshots (pre-programmed flight maneuvers for cool photography), but that's the pay-off for its trim, palm-of-your-hand sizing -- plus it's designed for fun, everyday use, not as an intense aerial imaging workhorse. As DJI president Roger Luo says, "Most importantly, it's easy to fly, no matter your experience level with drones." The Mavic Mini is available for pre-order now in two options. The standard comes with the Mavic Mini, remote controller, one battery, extra propellers and all necessary tools and wires, and will cost you $399. Or there's the Mavic Mini Fly More Combo, which includes all of the components from the standard version with the addition of a 360-degree propeller cage, two-way charging Hub, three batteries in total, three sets of extra propellers and a carrying case – this is priced at $499.