DJI MINI 4K

The market leader's beginner drone now offers 4K video

- Adam Juniper

www.amazon.​com £269/$299

DJI is the biggest brand in consumer drones, but it has held out against offering 4K

video at the entry-level for a bit longer than some. Instead DJI had settled on three tiers in the ‘ultralight’ (below 250g) class, where the entry-level Mini 2 SE offers only 2.7K video, compared with the 4K of the Mini 3 and the Mini 4 Pro. The new Mini 4K signals a departure from that strategy.

The Mini 4K is not so different from the Mini 2 SE in terms of design; the airframe is the same, and it takes the same batteries. If it wasn’t for the name on the side, you probably wouldn’t be able to tell the difference between the two. Switch it on, however, and you soon spot that the Mini 4K has a good few more options in the camera resolution menu.

In essence, then, DJI is improving its offering for the beginner. Why? Well, time moves on and, perhaps cynically, I might point out that other companies have made some serious inroads into DJI’s space – not least the Potensic Atom, which didn’t shy away from 4K.

Now that DJI, which is still the leading drone brand, has brought 4K to the table, the question is whether it’s enough to stay ahead of those rivals – is the Mini 4K now the natural choice for a beginner’s drone?

Build and handling

In the hand, the drone is necessarily lightweight – it has to be to meet regulations – which can make it feel cheap. DJI offsets this initial sensation a little with some extra packaging – a thick rubber-like belt that can be used to protect the drone’s propellers when folded. This came with the Mini 2 SE as well, and is no less welcome here.