DJI Mini 4 Pro vs DJI Air 3S
These two sit on opposite sides of the 250-gram line, which is usually where the decision ends rather than begins. The DJI Mini 4 Pro needs no FAA registration to fly recreationally; the DJI Air 3S needs registration and Remote ID. The DJI Mini 4 Pro is the cheaper of the two at ~$1,099.
| Drone | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bundle price | ~$1,099multi-battery bundle | ~$1,399multi-battery bundle |
| True first-year price | ~$1,099 | ~$1,508 |
| Flight min per $100 | 3.1 | 3.2 |
| Rating | No cited rating | No cited rating |
| Takeoff weight | 249 g | 724 g |
| FAA registration | Not required | Required |
| Remote ID | Built-in | Built-in |
| Sensor size | 1/1.3" | 1" |
| Sensor area | 69.1 mm² | 116.2 mm² |
| Megapixels | 48 MP | 50 MP |
| Max video | 4K/60fps HDR, 4K/100fps slow motion | 4K/60fps HDR, 4K/120fps slow motion |
| Colour depth | 10-bit | 10-bit |
| Log profile | D-Log M | D-Log M |
| Gimbal | 3-axis | 3-axis |
| Obstacle sensing | Omnidirectional | Omnidirectional + LiDAR |
| Claimed flight time | 34 min | 45 min |
| Tested flight time | — | — |
| Battery | 18.96 Wh | 62.5 Wh |
| Transmission | O4 | O4 |
| Max range | 20 km | 20 km |
| Max speed | 36 mph | 47 mph |
| Wind resistance | Level 5 (10.7 m/s) | 12 m/s |
| Service ceiling | 4000 m | 6000 m |
| Internal storage | 2 GB | 42 GB |
| Controller | DJI RC-N2 (phone required); DJI RC 2 with built-in screen at extra cost | DJI RC-N3 (phone required); DJI RC 2 with built-in screen at extra cost |
| Return to home | Yes | Yes |
| Geofencing | Yes | Yes |
| Care plan (1 yr) | Not in our snapshot | ~$109 |
| US availability | Limited | Limited |
| Released | 2023 | 2024 |
| Flight claim measured at | DJI's 34 minutes is measured flying forward at a constant speed in windless conditions on the standard 18.96 Wh battery. The 45-minute figure printed elsewhere needs the 28.4 Wh Intelligent Flight Battery Plus, which pushes takeoff weight past 249 g and cancels the registration exemption in the US. | 45 minutes measured at a constant 32.4 kph forward flight, at sea level, in windless conditions. Hovering, filming and any headwind all come off that number. |
DJI Mini 4 Pro
Omnidirectional sensing on a 249-gram airframe is the trick nothing else in this catalog fully matches. Binocular vision on all sides plus a downward 3D infrared sensor means the Mini 4 Pro will stop for a branch it is backing into, which matters far more than it sounds once you fly near trees. The 1/1.3-inch 48MP sensor records 4K/60 HDR and 4K/100 slow motion at 150 Mbps in 10-bit D-Log M, so the footage grades rather than just plays. O4 transmission is rated to 20 km in FCC regions, which is far beyond any legal line-of-sight flight but does mean a clean 1080p feed at the distances people actually fly. The caveat is the one everyone trips on: the 45-minute battery is a separate, heavier pack that takes the aircraft over the registration threshold, so the honest number for a registration-free flight is 34 minutes.
Full spec sheet →DJI Air 3S
Where the Air 3 gave you two matched 1/1.3-inch cameras, the Air 3S puts a one-inch 50MP sensor on the wide and keeps a 1/1.3-inch 48MP for the 70mm tele. That is the upgrade almost everyone wanted, and it comes with forward LiDAR bolted onto the omnidirectional vision system, which is the first time DJI's sensing has genuinely worked after dusk. Forty-two gigabytes of internal storage, a 6,000 m ceiling and 12 m/s wind resistance round it out. It sits in a strange spot in 2026: it is the best all-round camera drone DJI has FCC clearance to sell in the US, and the Mavic 4 Pro that beats it never officially arrived here. If you want one aircraft that handles wind, low light and long flights without a caveat, this is the shortest answer in the catalog.
Full spec sheet →