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With the DJI Mavic Air 2, DJI has finally introduced the successor to the DJI Mavic Air. We have already put the drone through its paces and want to introduce it to you in this short article.
With a RRP of 799,- Euro the Mavic Air 2 is not as expensive as other top models from DJI.
Thus, the drone is worth a look for anyone who does not want to invest 1,000 euros or more in a drone, such as the Mavic 2 Pro or Mavic 2 Pro Zoom.
Design of the Air 2 in detail
After the DJI Mavic Mini, a real enthusiast drone from DJI is finally back on the market. The DJI Mavic Air 2 has not much in common with the old DJI Mavic Air.
The foldable design has of course been kept, but the Air 2 reminds us more of a DJI Mavic Pro than its successor, the DJI Mavic Air. The modified design means that the quadrocopter’s rotors stand out further, giving the drone greater stability in the air. Especially in windy conditions, the stability is significantly increased.
A big disadvantage of the old Mavic Air was always that it is so loud. DJI finally got a handle on that with the Air 2. The brushless motor makes the drone significantly quieter than its predecessor.
This provides a more pleasant and naturally smoother flight feeling.
Scope of delivery of the drone
DJI was generous with the Mavic Air 2. So the compact drone comes with all kinds of accessories:
- DJI Mavic Air 2 drone
- Remote control
- Battery (2400mAh)
- Charging Cable
- one replacement propeller complete
- Screwdriver
- Propeller protection
- Cable for connection to the smartphone
- Manual in English language
Additionally you can purchase the Fly-More Combo package. The Fly-More package costs 100 Euro and includes a grey bag with DJI inscription, three pairs of spare propellers and the DIY Kit from DJI. With the DIY (Do-It-Yourself) Kit you have several stickers which you can paint and stick on the drone.
Technology of the DJI Mavic Air 2
Technically, the DJI Mavic Air 2 has changed a lot. The weight is a bit higher, but this is due to the construction and the stronger, as well as larger and heavier battery.
Despite the better energy supply the drone flies like its predecessor still maximum 68.4 Km/h in sport mode.
This is due to the higher weight and the powerful microcontroller, which is responsible for recording and storing videos and images, as well as the smartphone live transmission. In addition, the flight time has been greatly increased.
The big highlight of the DJI Mavic Air 2 is the 4K/60p camera. The 0.5 inch 12 MP CMOS sensor also takes great pictures, even in low light conditions. It is possible to take photos with 48 MP resolution and save them as JPG or RAW.
The quality of the live broadcast has also been greatly improved. While the Mavic Air only had a 720p/30fps transmission, the Air 2
The 4K/60p recordings are only made possible by the increased RAM and more powerful processor in the drone. The DJI Mavic Air 2 has 16 gigabytes of memory instead of 8 gigabytes, as the DJI Mavic Air.
Sensor technology of the drone
The sensors, on the other hand, have not changed much. There are two obstacle detection sensors for automatic positioning in the air. There are also two infra-red sensors for altitude determination and for landing.
The only new feature is a LED light which is switched on during landing. In practice, this light has proven to be very practical for landing in the dark or at dusk.
Unfortunately, a sensor on the top is missing, so the obstacle detection system does not provide full protection.
Nevertheless, the sensors have of course been improved, as the DJI Mavic Air is already two years old.
The DJI Mavic Air 2 comes with the new Active Track 3.0 and improved obstacle detection using the latest sensor technology.
The DJI Mavic Air 2 now detects obstacles better and is less confused if it has to fly over or under something to overcome an obstacle.
The Advanced Pilot Assistance System (APAS) has also been improved, making Mavic Air’s somewhat choppy obstacle detection system a thing of the past.
Also the tracking bugs, like the “Track of Death”, where Mavic Air flew against an obstacle during the active track, have been fixed. In our practical test, the Air 2’s intelligent flight functions performed very well. In addition to Active Track, the drone is of course also capable of the other well-known flight modes, such as QuickShots, SmartCapture and TapFly. Of course Asteroid is also back on board. A new QuickShot mode is unfortunately not available with the Mavic Air 2.
In return, the Mavic Air 2 gets a feature of the big Pro and Zoom Pro. Namely hyperlapse or also called “timelapse” by DJI.
The timelapse function comes in four different settings. Namely Free, Circle, Course Lock and Waypoint.
In free mode you can control the drone as normal while a timelapse recording is running. In Circle mode, the drone will circle the target, just like in the intelligent flight mode Orbit.
Course Lock keeps the target always in the middle of the picture during the flight and in Waypoint mode you define a distance to fly while the timelapse recording is running.
Mavic Air 2 range, flight time and battery
DJI has given the Mavic Air 2 a battery with a much higher capacity.
While the DJI Mavic Air was in the air for a maximum of 20 minutes, the DJI Mavic Air 2 can now be in the air for up to 34 minutes.
We were also able to achieve this value in practice. In adverse conditions, however, it is possible that the flight time may drop to 28 to 30 minutes.
The range of the Mavic Air 2 is 8 kilometers. In practice, we could confirm a high range. However, you must comply with the legal regulations.
If you want to fly a drone in Germany, you must always fly within visual range. You will also need a liability insurance and, from a weight of 250g, also a sticker for the drone.
Remote control of the drone
The remote control is the well-known DJI remote control, which was first released in 2016 and is now used again. It is very easy and intuitive to use, but we think it could be more precise.
Large RC remote controls are simply the better choice for advanced and professional pilots. On the other hand, the remote control is especially good for beginners and is by no means bad. The joysticks have been manufactured to a very high standard and offer a good grip.
Ocu Sync 2.0
The DJI Mavic Air comes with the new OcuSync 2.0 radio transmission protocol.
With OcuSync 2.0, Mavic Air can provide 1080p dual-band transmission on the smartphone for up to 5 kilometers. The latencies are very low and range from 150 to 180 milliseconds (at 1080p). At lower resolutions the latency is correspondingly lower. For a 480p live transmission the latency is about 50ms, ideal for a flight with FPV drones.
In contrast to other transmission protocols such as Lightbridge, OcuSync does not require an FPGA module, which causes additional costs and higher power consumption of the drone.
Conclusion about the Mavic Air 2
With the new Air 2, DJI has once again launched a battleship among drones. With 4K and 60 FPS, as well as the high flight time, compact size and a weight of only 570 grams, the Mavic Air 2 has become much better and beats the competition on several levels.
Due to the many comfort functions and the good sensor technology, the drone is suitable for beginners and professionals alike.
The improved sensor technology is clearly noticeable. Be it take-off, landing, QuickShots, ActiveTrack or any other intelligent flight function. All this works a little better than on the predecessor of the Air 2.
Our only criticism of the Air 2 is the remote control, we would have liked a bigger and more handy model, but this is just a personal preference.
With a price of 799,- € the Mavic Air 2 will not cost much more than its predecessor. The price is more than justified for the technical equipment, especially the 4K 60FPS camera and the sensor technology.
If you have less high expectations and demands on your drone, you should take a look at the DJI Mavic Mini. The Mavic Mini is a very nice entry-level model and offers a good image quality with moderate resolution. Which in our opinion is more than sufficient for private recordings or social media contributions.
