The Role of Drone Technology in Crisis Management and its Impact on Communities In the wake of recent devastating earthquakes in Japan, the question arises: how can the drone community be best leveraged to respond to communities in crisis? This is not the first time drones have been deployed in disaster response. They were first […]
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NestGen ’24: Elevating Drone Autonomy to New Heights with Global Industry Leaders and Cutting-Edge Technologies FlytBase, Inc. has announced the return of NestGen, the virtual drone autonomy conference. Scheduled for February 24, 2024, this extensive 11-hour event will showcase cutting-edge technologies, solutions, and best practices crucial for the expansion of autonomous BVLOS docked drone operations. […]
The post FlytBase, Inc. Announces NestGen ’24 – The World’s Largest Virtual Drone Autonomy Conference appeared first on DRONELIFE.
SkyDrive and Cyient Forge Groundbreaking Partnership in Advancing Urban Air Mobility In a move towards moving concepts of Urban Air Mobility (UAM) forward globally, SkyDrive Inc., a prominent Japanese eVTOL aircraft manufacturer, and Cyient, a global Intelligent Engineering and Technology Solutions company headquartered in Hyderabad, India, announced a historic memorandum of understanding (MoU) and a […]
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The latest in our occasional column on bringing products to market in emerging technologies, by industry marketing expert Amy T. Wiegand: Go-to-Market Propeller. Here, the deep dive on the questions organizations should be asking to ensure that their 2024 marketing programs ignite revenue generation. By Amy T. Wiegand Start-ups often must move fast, and feeling the […]
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Next up in our “Ask Drone Girl” series is about the DJI Mini 3 Pro vs Mini 4 Pro pricing, as well as possibly exchanging the Mini 3 in favor of a better drone. If you have a question for Drone Girl, contact her here.
I was generously gifted a DJI Mini 3. It was just the base kit with the regular controller, the drone, and one battery, etc, and it cost less than $400.
My concern: without obstacle sensors, am I setting myself up to fail?
I can exchange it (and pay the difference) for a DJI Pro 3 Bundle, which comes with 3 batteries, the standard controller, and DJI’s charging hub, and MicroSD card for $700 on sale. Is it worth it? Is it too much for an entry drone?
Also confounding me further is that the Mini 4 Pro has been out now for three months yet is priced similarly to the Mini 3 Pro.
I would greatly appreciate any insight and recommendations, as I am at my wits end after reading so many reviews and watching test videos.
Ah ha! The Christmas and Black Friday 2023 drone sales were good this year, and it sounds like Santa got you a Mini 3 at a great price. After all, the DJI Mini 3 is usually $469 with the RC-N1 remote controller without screen. Since you got it for less than $400, that’s great!
But it sounds like you’re second-guessing this deal — and for good reason.
Now you’ve laid out tons of good questions here, and I’ll tackle them in order. But before I do, I’ll point you to two great guides:
It really seems like you’re debating between the following three drones, the DJI Mini 4 Pro, Mini 3 Pro and Mini 3. So let me lay out a quick comparison table here:
| DJI Mini 4 Pro | DJI Mini 3 Pro | DJI Mini 3 | |
| $759 | $759 | $469 (or $379 with no RC) | |
| Takeoff Weight | 249g | 249g | 249g |
| Wide Angle Camera | 1/1.3 inch CMOS, 48 MP, 24mm, f1.7 | 1/1.3 inch CMOS, 48 MP, 24mm, f1.7 | 1/1.3 inch CMOS, 48 MP, 24mm, f1.7 |
| Video Resolution | 4K/100fps | 4K/60fps | 4K/30fps |
| Transmission System | O4 | O3 | O2 |
| Max Transmission Distance | 20 km | 12 km | 10 km |
| Obstacle Avoidance Tech | APAS 5.0 | APAS 4.0 | N/A |
| Obstacle Sensors | Omnidirectional Obstacle Sensing | Tri-Directional Obstance Sensing | Downward Vision Sensing |
| Max Flight Time (standard battery) | 34 minutes | 34 minutes | 38 minutes |
| Max Fight Time (Intelligent battery) | 45 minutes | 47 minutes | 51 minutes |
The questions you call out specifically are super interesting though, so let’s dive in individually.
The Mini doesn’t have any sort of obstacle avoidance sensor. It merely has a downward vision sensing system, which really only aids with landing. For a $469 drone (or sub-$400 in your case), that’s to be expected.
The two “Pro” versions, the Mini 3 Pro and Mini 4 Pro, are superior in this department.
The Mini 3 Pro’s tri-Directional Obstacle Sensing provides forward, backward, and downward vision. Should you fly straight toward a tree, it’ll simply stop and hover in place.
The Mini 4 Pro does one better with Omnidirectional Obstacle Sensing. Now it can see even beyond those points without any blindspots, making it truly crash proof.
The biggest decision you’re facing here is the importance of obstacle sensing. Is obstacle sensing worth the extra $300? Alas, this is really a personal question based on how impactful $300 is to you — and how risk-averse you are.
Now to be clear, the Mini 4 Pro’s obstacle sensing is far superior to the Mini 3 Pro’s. Given that, let’s just rule out the Mini 3 Pro as an option. Your real consideration here is between the Mini 3 vs. Mini 4 Pro.
If $300 won’t make a dent in your budget, then go for the Mini 4 Pro. Consider it the ultimate insurance policy in protecting your drone from ending up in your neighbor’s tree.
But just as people opt out of insurance for financial reasons, you might opt out of the Mini 4 Pro and stick with the Mini 3. How likely is it that you would crash into a tree? If you’re frequently flying in forests, then it feels more likely than if you’re primarily flying over open fields or water.
Consider it this way: you could buy a second Mini 3 for not much more than the price of one Mini 4 Pro. Alas, I recommend you start your drone journey on a cheap, toy drone just to understand what kind of pilot you are.
Aside from my recommendation that you always just start on a toy drone to get the hang of flying before you put many hundreds of dollars in the air, the DJI Mini 3 Pro is a great entry-level drone.
The image quality is excellent. You’ll want to use it again and again to take photos that you can then show off to your pals via social media or physical prints. It’s simple to set up, and it’s safe and stress-free to fly. (It’s truly one of the easiest possible drones to fly).
It’s also incredibly small and light, which is great for portability. And that’s not the only good reason. Because it weighs just 249 grams, it doesn’t fall under the purview of the Federal Aviation Administration when you fly it for hobby purposes. Yep, that means no need to register, nor do you need to comply with complicated Remote ID rules. It’s true. Drones under 250 grams are a big deal.
Unlike cars, where you’d never put a first-time driver in a BMW (start them off with the old, beat-up Toyota Corolla), the more expensive drones tend to be far easier and safer to fly versus the cheap ones. (The car analogy doesn’t kick in until you start to handle the $1,000+ drones with enterprise functions. We’re not talking about those here.) Don’t be afraid to be a new pilot with a Mini 3 Pro in your hands.
You mentioned being confused how the Mini 4 Pro has been out now for three months yet is priced similarly to the Mini 3 Pro. I am confused too.
The Mini 4 Pro is better than the Mini 3 Pro by every metric. When the Mini 4 Pro launched in March 2023, we wrongly predicted that the Mini 3 Pro would quickly drop in price. Yet months later, it hasn’t (on DJI’s website, both go for $759 with the base model controller).
The 4 has upgraded camera capabilities and intelligent features. It’s easier to use and more stable. Both the battery and range are more powerful.
In short, my whole spiel above about the DJI Mini 3 Pro being a good entry-level drone is true. But, it’s even more applicable to the Mini 4 Pro.
If you’re already thinking about upgrading your Mini 3 to the Mini 3 Pro, go all the way and just upgrade your Mini 3 to the Mini 4 Pro.
The only reason you might go for the Mini 3 Pro is if you can find it on sale (which it sounds like you have) through third-party sellers. If you can find it for, say, $100 less, then the Mini 3 Pro suddenly does become more appealing than the Mini 4 Pro.
Purchase the DJI Mini 4 Pro now from:
Purchase the DJI Mini 3 now from:
How would you compare the DJI Mini 3 vs. Mini 4 Pro drones, especially given the cost? Share your thoughts below!
The post DJI Mini 3 vs. Mini 4 Pro: is it worth the upgrade? appeared first on The Drone Girl.
Betavolt, a Chinese tech company, is claiming with its newly unveiled miniature nuclear battery that it says can keep working for up to 50 years. The Beijing-based company claims to have entered the “pilot stage” for the battery, which is smaller than a coin and will soon put it into mass production. This product combines […]
Airbus Helicopters and Aerovel have signed an agreement regarding the acquisition of Aerovel and its unmanned aerial system (UAS), Flexrotor, as part of a strategy to strengthen its portfolio of tactical unmanned solutions. Flexrotor is a small tactical unmanned aerial system designed for intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance (ISTAR) missions at sea and over […]
Yevgeny Fomichev, the head of a company that makes navigation systems for Russia’s space program, was arrested in Moscow in December and charged with major fraud. TASS news agency quoted an unidentified law enforcement official as saying that Fomichev had been arrested, interrogated and charged with large-scale fraud, which carries a potential prison term of […]
The TAPAS (Made in India Drone) had to go! Thankfully, it has gone! The mission mode project will reportedly not be funded by the Indian MoD anymore. The decision to defund the project was objective and based on logic for the following reasons: Performance shortfalls were substantial. The gaps were too wide and beyond redemption. […]
Skyports Drone Services in collaboration with Makutu has successfully completed maiden test flights for a new drone inspection service set to help water companies monitor and improve the quality of river and coastal water. The new service, which combines Skyports Drone Services’ expert remote drone operations and winch technology with Makutu’s water testing solution, has […]