DJI Officially Launches New FPV Drone—and It Was Worth the Wait

It’s official—after lots and lots of leaks, DJI finally launched its new FPV drone today.

And it looks like the wait was worth it.

Although we already know quite a bit about this drone, it’s still nice to see it officially live and presented as the company had planned.

As suspected, the DJI FPV is a hybrid drone made for both cinematic FPV flying and for FPV racing.

DJI FPV combines the best available technology for a hybrid drone like no other. It can fly like a racer, hover like a traditional drone, accelerate like a homebuilt project and stop faster than any of them. DJI FPV lets the world experience the absolute thrill of immersive drone flight without being intimidated by the technology or spending hours building a system from scratch.

– Ferdinand Wolf, Creative Director, DJI Europe

With this new drone, DJI has created an entry point for FPV flying, allowing even those who have never flown FPV before to dive right in without needing to build a custom drone or learn specialized piloting skills.

The new drone comes in two different color palettes—Void Grey and Eternal Green:

Photo credit: DJI

Photo credit: DJI

Quick note—you might want to consider buying now

If you think you might want DJI’s new FPV drone, you may want to think about buying it now.

There’s no telling how many DJI has created, but based on internet buzz it looks like the first round of production for these drones may be snapped up fast.

The demand can be seen in part by the fact that DJI has limited the number of purchases to just one per person:

What’s in the box?

Think you might want to go ahead and get DJI’s new FPV drone?

Here’s a list of what you get in the box to help you make a decision:

• The FPV drone
• V2 FPV Goggles
• Remote control (not the motion-controlled controller, which costs extra—more on that below)
• AC charger and cables,
• Two sets of propellers + a spare canopy

The cost is $1,299.

At that price you get everything listed above. If you want the motion controller (shown below) instead of the regular r.c. that comes with the drone, that’s selling for an additional $199.

Photo credit: DJI

The DJI FPV is available for shipping now—shop for it now on the DJI website.

About the DJI FPV

While it’s true that all the leaks have revealed a lot about the DJI FPV, it’s still well worth doing a recap of its top features and specs now that DJI has officially released it.

Photo credit: DJI

Specs

• Camera. 4K/60fps Super-Wide 150° FOV with 120 Mbps + RockSteady Stabilization to ensure smooth footage.
• Speed. 0-62 mph (100 kmh) in two seconds.
• Transmission. DJI’s Ocusync 3.0 allows for 6.2 mile (10km) transmission range, with a video transmission latency of 28 ms and a video transmission bitrate of 50 Mbps.
• Battery life. Up to 20 minutes.

Standout Features

• Hybrid drone. Can be used for both FPV racing and FPV aerial cinematography.
• New motion controller. It comes with an optional motion controller that lets you control the drone with just hand movements.
• Immersive experience. Combining 6.2 mile (10km) HD Low-Latency Video Transmission and the new motion controller, you might feel like you’re actually flying through the sky yourself when you pilot the DJI FPV.
• Flights modes. 3 intuitive flight modes: N mode for new users, M mode for manual FPV racing, and a new S mode for capturing cinematic FPV footage. In addition, Audience Mode allows others with DJI FPV goggles to watch your flight in real time.
• Adjustable lights. Front LEDs and aircraft arm lights come in customizable colors.
• Safety. Emergency Brake and Hover allow you to stop on a dime and hover at any moment. Other safety features include an auxiliary bottom light, Smart and Low Battery Return to Home, and both forward and backward obstacle sensors.

What’s the difference between DJI’s FPV drone and other FPV drones?

Here’s what DJI has to say about this:

DJI FPV has a built-in imaging system, high-definition, low-latency transmission with a range of up to 10 km (6.2 miles), and a battery life of approximately 20 minutes. The integrated, ready-to-fly design means users don’t need to assemble the drone themselves. DJI FPV is also equipped with advanced safety features such as emergency brake hovering, intelligent return to home, and DJI Care Refresh service for added flight protection and greater peace of mind during flight.

– From the DJI FPV webpage

New Motion Controller

In addition to being a hybrid FPV racing/aerial cinematography drone, DJI’s new drone does in fact come with a motion-controlled controller, confirming industry rumors that it would come with a revolutionary new type of remote control.

Photo credit: DJI

The controller uses somatosensory control (i.e., body movement control), allowing the pilot to control the drone by moving the controller in space.

This compact device allows the aircraft to maneuver based on your natural hand motions. This isn’t just an FPV innovation. It’s an entirely new way to fly.

– DJI

Patent Lawsuit

We should note that there is some controversy about who actually holds the U.S. patent for the motion controller design.

Minnesota-based QFO Labs, Inc. has brought a lawsuit against DJI, claiming that the motion controller uses a patent that it owns.

QFO Labs, Inc. has brought lawsuits against other big drone manufacturers, including Parrot. To date, the U.S. Patent Trial and Appeal Board has invalidated eight of QFO’s claims against Parrot.

DJI has asked that QFO Labs, Inc. be blocked from suing, but the case is still pending a final decision as DJI goes to market with its new motion controller.

Think you might buy the DJI FPV? Share your plans on this thread in the UAV Coach community forum.