DJI Mavic Air

Price £769 / stuff.tv/mavicair

What’s the story? Move over, seagulls: DJI’S quest to become the ruler of the skies continues with its latest ’copter.

Combining the best parts of DJI’S previous drones, such as the Mavic Pro’s 4K camera and the Spark’s beginner-friendly software, the Mavic Air can shoot epic travel videos, even if you have less-than-epic piloting skills. And all of this tech has somehow been squeezed inside a device that can be folded down to the size of a water bottle. „at is nothing short of miraculous.

„e most noticeable upgrade over the Spark, though, is the

inclusion of a controller. „is is crucial for flying your drone properly and boosting its range beyond 80 metres. „e sticks give you far greater control than any touchscreen could.

Is it any good? „e Mavic Air offers the best video and stills performance of any drone you can buy right now. In bright conditions the 1/2.3in sensor really picks up sharpness and detail that’s a match for the Mavic Pro. „e 3-axis gimbal keeps things super-smooth too, even in windy conditions.

How is it to fly? An absolute joy, even for novices. Its auto flight modes and many sensors (particularly the new ones on the back) mean it rarely feels out of your control.

Two final bits of good news are the 8GB internal storage and the 21-minute battery life. „at might not sound long, but it’s a big improvement on the Spark and not far off the 27 minutes promised by the Mavic Pro.

TECH SPECS Camera 12MP 1/2.3in CMOS Video 4K @ 30fps Gimbal 3-axis Max speed 43mph Flight time 21 mins Dimensions 168x184x64mm, 430g