DJI may already be working on the next Air-series drone, and an early regulatory sighting suggests the company could be heading in a very different direction this time. According to drone leaker Igor Bogdanov (@Quadro_News), a new listing spotted inside a Chinese compliance-related app references the DJI Air 4. More interestingly, the categorization shown in the app appears to place the drone in the sub-250g class. If that ends up being accurate, it would be a pretty major shift for the Air lineup.
For context, the current DJI Air 3S weighs around 724g, including the batteries, which puts it well above the lightweight Mini series. A sub-250g Air model would basically blur the line between DJI’s compact beginner drones and its more advanced enthusiast lineup.
In many regions, including parts of Europe, drones under 250g face fewer restrictions and simpler registration requirements. That’s one of the biggest reasons DJI’s Mini series has become so popular among casual users and travelers.
The Air series, meanwhile, has traditionally focused more on higher-end imaging and advanced flight features. So if DJI really manages to combine Air-series capabilities with a sub-250g body, it could end up being a pretty compelling middle ground.
This also isn’t the first time the Air 4 has surfaced. Earlier this year, photos of what was reportedly a crashed prototype appeared online, showing a redesigned body with additional sensors mounted around the frame. At the time, it was difficult to tell how far along development actually was, but the newer regulatory listing makes the project feel a lot more real.
The current Air 3S already includes a dual-camera system with a 1-inch primary sensor, a telephoto camera, omnidirectional obstacle sensing, and strong flight times. DJI will likely need to make some careful compromises if it wants to shrink the platform below 250g while keeping the Air branding meaningful.
Still, newer battery tech, lighter materials, and more compact sensors could make that possible. DJI has also been releasing products at a pretty aggressive pace lately, including the Osmo Pocket 4 lineup, Osmo Mobile 8P, Mic Mini 2, and the new Lito drones. So another major launch later this year honestly wouldn’t be surprising.
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