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DJI could soon launch its cheapest drone yet at just $299
- A leaked Walmart retail card depicts a DJI Mini SE, an as-yet-unreleased budget drone from the company.
- The specs and features suggest this is a “lite” version of the original Mavic Mini, not the Mini 2.
- If it lands with the leaked $299 price, it could be the cheapest-ever entryway into the DJI ecosystem.
In 2019, DJI launched the Mavic Mini. This fully-featured drone was its cheapest ever, starting at just $399. Its 249g weight also made it light enough that you weren’t required to register it with the FAA (although you should still do that anyway).
In 2020, DJI launched the Mini 2, which, despite the name change, is the upgraded follow-up to the Mavic Mini. Now, according to a leak from a Walmart retail store (via Twitter, h/t The Verge), it looks like a new device in the line could be on the way, known as the DJI Mini SE.
Do note that DJI’s alleged naming here is confusing. Despite the lack of “Mavic” in the name, the SE appears to be a slightly different version of the Mavic Mini and not a “lite” version of the Mini 2, as one might think it would be. The leaked specs suggest it will have nearly identical hardware and features of the Mavic Mini and lack a lot of the newer aspects of the Mini 2.
Unfortunately, that would mean 2.7K instead of 4K support, less wireless range, Micro-USB connectors instead of USB-C, and others.
If that’s all true, what’s the point of the DJI Mini SE? The price! The leaked materials suggest this drone could land at $299, which would make it DJI’s cheapest ever. This would make the Mini SE the best entryway into the DJI ecosystem leaving the Mini 2 as being the best small-scale drone for more experienced flyers (or just those with deeper pockets).
The fact that the DJI Mini SE appeared in a Walmart store already suggests we should have a formal announcement for this product very soon.