Thanks to a recent tweet, the 2022 announcement lineup has been leaked. According to DealsDrone, there are multiple drones headed for stores this year, from updates to the Mini and the reveal of the newest Inspire. More details are below.
Leaks:
There has been a couple of rumors floating around about the DJI drones coming out this year. One rumor, from OsitaLV, included sketches of a DJI Mini 3 – with probable specs as well. The DJI software development kit is being updated to allow developers better access to core drone functionalities.
Thus making third-party apps more compatible, according to some third-party manufacturers. The big leak, however, is the alleged timeline posted on DealsDrone Twitter from December 9th. That leak names the timeline that DJI will be announcing 3 new drones and 2 new camera accessories.
DJI Mini 3:
Coming in hot in 2022, the DJI Mini lineup is looking to be updated. Two different leaks show both when and how the DJI Mini will be updated to the Mini 3. Potentially being released in April, the Mini 3 will come with some nice upgrades while keeping under the 250-gram weight limit for classification purposes in the US and EU.
Expectations are high for the Mini 3, with many sources claiming a larger image sensor with 4K 60 fps video. Possibly more onboard sensors for obstacle avoidance and follow-me functionality. One source claims the arms on the Mini 3 will be more angled to allow for larger propellors on the same sized frame. This could increase top speed and flight times with minimal additional weight.
Overall, the Mini 3 is not likely going to outshine the larger Air or Mavic lines but continue to be the lightweight champion of the sub-250-gram market.
FPV Mini:
A fun surprise was the inclusion of an “FPV Mini ?” in the second column 7th row of the leaked schedule. It appears DJI is looking at a smaller FPV drone to bring out in July. However, it’s not clear what the different rows mean. This drone seems to have the least amount of information and speculation available of the DJI leaks.
Is it an FPV version of the Mini 3? Or is it a mini version of the DJI FPV? Only time will tell, plausibly in July. What we hope to see in the FPV Mini is a better-designed frame that is easier to repair. FPV drones are much more likely to crash and get damaged just by their nature, so making the FPV Mini more user repairable might start to make a real dent in the FPV scene. While the original DJI FPV has style, the style falls short in use. Let’s all hope the Mini FPV doesn’t follow that pattern.
Inspire 3:
This would be the headlining drone – if the rumors are true. The DJI Inspire line hasn’t been updated since 2016, an eternity in the tech sphere. The Inspire 3 release has been rumored on and off since 2018, with a series of sketches similar to the new DJI Mini 3 rumor sketches. However, if this schedule is to be believed, the Inspire 3 may finally come to light this September.
Being the professional drone offering from DJI, with swappable payloads and heavy-lift capabilities, the Inspire 3 will no doubt follow suit and offer some insane specifications. The DJI Inspire 2 ranged from $2,999 to over $20,000 with top-end accessories when new. So that price point is likely where the Inspire 3 will sit.
Rumors in 2018 stated an 8K camera option on the top end, that could very easily be a 10k or 12K camera top-end offering now. Hopefully, DJI will keep the same iconic design of the previous Inspire line, with some small frame redesigns for weight reduction, but that could go either way. With such a long pause in the update cycle, the Inspire could have been undergoing a complete redesign! Either way, it will be great to see a new Inspire drone released.
Phantom 5:
While not on the list in these recent rumors, the DJI Phantom line was looking like it was being left to rot until early 2020. Rumors have been flying wild since, with no official information and only alleged photos to go on. Will we hear more this year and see an update on the Phantom 4?
SDK Update:
A new SDK (software development kit) update promises to let third-party apps have more access to core drone functions, making companies like Drone Harmony and Litchi revamp their platforms. While there are no official release dates for these third-party company’s, they’ve told sources the IOS SDK support is still being planned but Android updates are already out. Typically, these updates are released at the same time. Speculation is the SDK updates will be out this month.
Camera Accessories:
Also on the leaked timeline, the DJI Pocket 3 and the DJI Ronin 3. The DJI Pocket is their stabilized pocket camera that is essentially a Mavic camera on a stick instead of a drone. I’d bet the Pocket 3 will be the same specs as the DJI Mavic 3. Rumored to be released in November.
It seems the Ronin line is getting an update as well. The leaked schedule has RS3 and RSC3 to be released in June. Updates here are likely to be lighter weight, more stable, and maybe even heavier camera capacities. With high-end cameras becoming more accessible, the RS3 might be designed to carry larger, high-quality cameras (ie BlackMagic URSA Mini or RED Komodo).
DJI Drone Rumours For 2022, Conclusion:
It looks like it’s going to be a big year for DJI. Releasing potentially three new drones, the Mini 3, FPV Mini, and Inspire 3, and 2 updates to their cinematography accessories. The Mini 3 is allegedly scheduled for release in April, with the FPV Mini following in July, and the Inspire in September. While the Ronin 3 is scheduled for June and the Pocket 3 is out in November. Be on the lookout for DJI announcements to confirm these rumors!