Article from the Mundo Drone archive, published 11 March 2020 and updated 30 June 2020. Text merged on 28 October 2026 from all its 2020 versions; specifications, availability and regulations may have changed since.
The DJI Mavic Air is a portable drone with high-end performance and functionality. Spherical panoramic 32 Mp, Stabilizer in 3 axes, 4k, tridirectional detection of the environment, 21 minutes flight. Foldable and portable. Let's discuss it in more detail.
Analysis and features of DJI Mavic Air
Since the arrival of the consumer drone (not long ago, really), making a purchase decision around a new flying machine has involved weighing a list of pros and cons. You want high-quality images? You'll have a big drone that's hard to maneuver. You want something portable? Your images and videos will look like garbage. You want something easy to fly? Well, the options you had was to get a drone too light that couldn't fly outdoors if it blew more than a slight breeze.
DJI, the world's leading manufacturer of consumer drones, tried to resolve all those doubts in due course with the DJI Mavic Pro. While that easy-to-fly folding drone marked many of the above-mentioned checks, the camera was not extraordinary. However, with Mavic Air, DJI finally came to a product design with the perfect combination of flight capacity, portability and image quality. In other words, DJI Mavic Air was the reference point for what the starting point standard should be when buying drones, and it is also where most of them should end.
Let's get to it.
The Mavic Air is smaller than the Mavic Pro: it is 17 cm long, 8 cm wide and 5 cm high. It is approximately 2.5 cm more compact in length and height. Given the name, you should not be surprised to know that it also weighs much less; just over 425 grams, compared to the almost 740 grams of Mavic Pro. The result is a drone that fits in the pocket of a jacket and does not interfere there. The remote control, which uses your smartphone as a screen, is also slender; complete with joysticks that can be removed and stored inside the remote control body.
But don't let the name fool you. Unlike the MacBook universe, where Pro is the best in the line and Air is the code for "unpowerful", Mavic Air is the most professional utility machine. Both drones have cameras that film 4K videos, but if you zoom in on Mavic Pro's footage, the image doesn't hold up. The drone tries to compensate for this lack of detail by digitally sharpening the image. With Mavic Pro, you should also tap to focus on the screen, or you can get blurry images. You might not want to do that while you're trying to keep both hands on the wheel, so to speak.
However, Mavic Air's images look great without you really having to do anything. It has a slightly wider angle lens (24 mm vs. the 28 mm Pro) which is best for capturing landscapes. You don't have to play to focus. And yes, it records 4K videos at 100Mbps compared to the 60Mbps of Mavic Pro, so you have more image data and more general details.
Eyes that see everything
The Mavic Air also outperforms the Pro in terms of sensors and intelligent functions. While the Mavic Pro aims to avoid obstacles forward, the Air Obstacle Detection eyes look forward and backward. The anti-collision system usually works really well. Obstacle detection technology is especially important for some of the intelligent functions that the drone has, such as active tracking, where it can follow you. Or lead you from the front. If you trust him to fly alone, then you really want to know that he's not going to hit anything.
DJI Mavic Air can also obey gestures with hands. You can tell him to take off by extending your hand directly to him with your palm perpendicular to the ground. Move that same flat hand up, down and side by side to change its position. Separate the two hands and the drone recedes for a wider shot. Make a frame with your forefinger and thumb to start recording videos. It's great because it makes you feel like a Jedi, but I think the gesture is largely a trick. You still need to have the remote on hand to put it in gestual mode, and you also need to have it in your hand in case something goes wrong.
Limited exposure
The Mavic Air has a complete set of camera functions that you can use, but depending on the circumstances, the results can be mixed when trying to use them. This means that the following functions described above usually work very well, but the Artificial Intelligence of the drone is not perfect and sometimes can be mistaken.
Other intelligent functions such as Orbit mode (which causes the drone to fly in a circle around you) sometimes do not work for any apparent reason. It is also often necessary to recalibrate the compass each time before turning on the drone, which requires you to hold the drone and move it in a series of spirals. It's not a big problem, but if you're chasing a sunset or a humpback whale and you're trying to lift the drone now, having to pause to recalibrate it can be very frustrating.
Perfect landing
Leaving aside those inconveniences, this drone is fantastic. The portability is definitive; to throw it in a small bag of hiking hardly occupies or weighs. You probably forget he's even there. Now, the Phantom 4 Pro DJI certainly captures better images, they are incredibly kinematic and clear, thanks to its larger image sensor, but that drone was so big and cumbersome compared to the Mavic Air that gives you more laziness to put it behind your back on your excursions. Paraphrasing Chase Jarvis: the best drone is the one with you. And you're more likely to have Mavic Air with you than any other drone you've ever used. It has a good set of accessories available from external companies, such as excellent neutral density filters for example. Screwing one of those into the camera allows you to slow down the shutter speed and get an even more similar look to a movie.
While the Air has a slightly shorter flight time than the Pro (it reaches a maximum of 21 minutes compared to the Pro's 27 minutes), it can fly just as fast and far away. The Air also has better slow motion capabilities (120 frames per second instead of the 96 fps Pro). The improvement of the avoidance of obstacles makes it much safer for beginners to fly it, although it has been only with the arrival of the DJI Mavic 2 when we have been able to enjoy the avoidance of obstacles in all directions.
Honestly, the Mavi Air is that midpoint drone between ultralight initiation drones and the heavy professional drones that we love so much, as their footage is excellent for the vast majority of consumers and its portability is amazing.
Technical specifications Aircraft
Takeoff weight 430 g Dimensions Folded: 168×83×49 mm (Length x Width x Height) Extended: 168×184×64 mm (Length x Width x Height) diagonal distance 213 mm Max. 4 m/s (mode S [1] ) 2 m/s (mode P) 2 m/s (mode Wi-Fi) Max. in descent 3 m/s (mode S [1] ) 1.5 m/s (mode P) 1 m/s (mode Wi-Fi) Maximum speed (near sea level, wind free) 68.4 km/h (mode S [1] ) 28.8 km/h (mode P) 28.8 km/h (mode Wi-Fi) Height max. service on sea level 5000 m Max. time. Flight (no wind) 21 minutes (at a constant speed of 25 km/h) Max time. in stationary flight (no wind) 20 minutes Max. Flight (no wind) 10 km Wind resistance max. 29 – 38 km/h Maximum inclination angle 35° (mode S [1] ) 15° (mode P) Max. angular velocity. 250°/s (mode S [1] ) 250°/s (mode P) Operating temperature range 0 °C – 40 °C Operating frequency 2,400-2.483 GHz 5.725-5.850 GHz Power transmission (PIRE) 2,400 – 2.4835 GHz FCC: ≤28 dBm EC: ≤19 dBm SRRC: ≤19 dBm MIC: ≤19 dBm
5.725 – 5.850 GHz FCC: ≤31 dBm EC: ≤14 dBm SRRC: ≤27 dBm GPS GNSS + GLONASS Vertical Stationary Flight Accuracy Range: ±0.1 m (with visual positioning) ±0.5 m (with GPS positioning)
Horizontal: ±0.1 m (with visual positioning) ±1.5 m (with GPS positioning) Internal storage 8 GB
Detection system
Front Accurate measurement range: 0.5 – 12 m Detection range: 0.5 – 24 m Effective detection speed: ≤8 m/s Field of vision (FOV): Horizontal 50o, Vertical ±19° Rear Accurate measurement range: 0.5 – 10 m Detection range: 0.5 – 20 m Effective detection speed: ≤ 8 m/s Field of vision (FOV): Horizontal 50o, Vertical ±19° Lower Height range: 0.1 – 8 m Operating range: 0.5 – 30 m Front operating environment: Surfaces with clear patterns and appropriate lighting (lux>15)
Rear: Surfaces with clear patterns and adequate lighting (lux>15)
Bottom: Detects surfaces with clear patterns and adequate lighting (lux>15) and diffuse reflection (>20%)
Remote control
Operating frequency 2,400-2.483 GHz 5.725-5.850 GHz Max. transmission (no obstacles, no interference) 2,400 – 2.4835 GHz: FCC: 4000 m EC: 2000 m SRRC: 2000 m MIC: 2000 m
5.725 – 5.850 GHz: FCC: 4000 m EC: 500 m SRRC: 2500 m Operating temperature range 0 °C – 40 °C Power transmission (PIRE) 2,400 – 2.4835 GHz: FCC:≤26 dBm EC: ≤18 dBm SRRC: ≤18 dBm MIC:≤18 dBm
5.725 – 5.850 GHz: FCC: ≤30 dBm EC: ≤14 dBm SRRC: ≤26 dBm Battery 2970 mAh Operating current 1400 mA 3.7 V (Android) 750 mA 3.7 V (iOS) Compatible mobile device size Max length: 160 mm Compatible thickness: 6.5 – 8.5 mm Supported USB ports Lightning, Micro USB (Type-B), USB (Type-C)
Stabilizer
Mechanical range Inclination: -100° to 22° Rotation: -30° to 30°(portrait mode) Turn: -12° to 12° Controllable range Inclination: -90° to 0° (default configuration) -90° to +17° (extended) Stabilization 3 axes (inclination, rotation and rotation) Maximum control speed (inclination) 120°/s Angular vibration range ±0.005°
Camera
Sensor 1.2/3′′ CMOS Effective pixels: 12 MP Objective FOV: 85° Format equivalent to 35 mm: 24 mm Opening: f/2.8 Focus distance: 2 m to
Photo: 100 – 1600 (automatic) 100 – 3200 (manual) Shutter speed Electronic shutter: 8 – 1/8000s Photo size 4:3: 4056×3040 16:9: 4056×2280 Photo modes Single HDR shot Shot in a gust: 3/5/7 frames Automatic exposure in fork (ABA), 3/5 forks exposure to 0.7 EV bias Range: 2/3/5/7/10/15/20/30/60 s Pano: 3×1: 42-78°, 2048×3712 (Wide x High) 3×3: 119-78°, 4096×2688 (Wide x High) 180°: 251-88°, 6144×2048 (Width x High) Sphere (3×8+1): 8192×4096 (Wide x High) Video resolution 4K Ultra HD: 3840×2160 24/25/30p 2.7K: 2720×1530 24/25/30/48/50/60p FHD: 1920×1080 24/25/48/50/60/120p HD: 1280×7p 24/30×120p 100 Mbps Video Storage Supported File System FAT32 JPEG/DNG Photo Formats (RAW) MP4/MOV Video Formats (H.264/MPEG-4 AVC)
Videos of DJI Mavic Air
Capacity 2375 mAh Voltage 11.55 V Voltage max. Charge 13.2 V Battery type LiPo 3S Power 27.43 Wh Net weight 140 g Charge temperature range 5 °C – 40 °C Charge power max 60 W
Pros and cons of this Drone
- Excellent design and portability
- 3-axis Gimbal for the stabilization of the chamber
- Construction quality and materials
- Agile and fast
- Defining range of the radio signal
- Battery autonomy a little short
- No advanced video profiles
Conclusions
The DJI Mavic Air It's a whole in one, and as it usually happens with things that serve everything in general, it's not great in any of them in particular, but it's hard to be able to ask a drone this size more. It's a definitive purchase bet, if we want to have a good portable machine with endless functionalities.
2026 update: the DJI Mavic Air today
This review dates from 2020. The updated DJI Mavic Air spec sheet covers specifications, real flight time and pros and cons (data checked 28 October 2026).
Mundo Drone rating (28 October 2026): 7.4/10 · First pocket drone with real power: introduced the 4K video at 100Mbps into a chassis that fit in the palm of the hand.