The DJI Mini 2 SE went on sale this week, providing an extremely low-cost, but decently-high high quality digicam drone. However whereas the DJI Mini 2 SE is actually one of many greatest digicam drones beneath $500 (particularly extra so now with the additional $30 low cost) — there’s a brand new DJI Mini 3 low cost that’s doubtlessly way more tantalizing:
Between now and Friday, April 7, 2023 the DJI Mini 3 is on sale for 15% off from most retailers, together with Amazon and DJI itself.
That brings the DJI Mini 3 drone with the usual, RC-N1 distant controller down from $559 to simply $469. In the event you go for the configuration with the improve DJI RC (that’s the distant controller with the built-in display screen), you’ll owe simply $609 versus $699.
And should you don’t want a distant controller in any respect (say, you have already got a suitable distant controller as a result of you’ve a unique DJI drone already), this DJI Mini 3 low cost deal means you’ll owe simply $379, versus the same old $469.
Yep, that’s solely $40 greater than the $339 DJI Mini 2 SE — assuming you may choose out of the distant controller (there is no such thing as a cheaper possibility to purchase the DJI Mini 2 SE sans distant controller). But even should you want the distant controller, this DJI Mini 3 low cost sale means you’ll owe $130 extra versus the DJI Mini 2 SE, which is relatively not that rather more given how way more it affords.
Right here’s how the pricing shakes out:
The most cost effective drone is the DJI Mini 2 SE, which was introduced in February 2023 as a stripped-down model of its older (and fancier) sister drone, the DJI Mini 2. But tremendous astute readers would possibly discover that $339 determine on the Mini 2 SE. When it was introduced final month — it was set to price $369, however right here’s wildly excellent news: DJI dropped the value by $30 to simply $339.
In the event you’re on a super-tight finances, then the extra $40 – $130 for the Mini 3 is likely to be make or break. However for most individuals, paying the additional cash to improve to the DJI Mini 3 vs the DJI Mini 2 SE is price it, and right here’s why:
The DJI Mini 3 vs DJI Mini 2 SE
Sort of like how the DJI Mini 2 SE is a less expensive model of the DJI Mini 2, the DJI Mini 3 launched in December 2022 as a stripped-down model of the DJI Mini 3 Professional drone.
And with the Mini 3, DJI created an ideal candy spot drone: it affords newer, spiffier options than the Mini 2 drone, but it surely’s not as fancy (nor as costly) because the DJI Mini 3 Professional. So with that, listed below are the highest two the reason why the DJI Mini 3 is much superior than the Mini 2 SE (notably for only a $130 value distinction):
Higher battery life: The DJI Mini 2 SE will get you 31 minutes of battery life which isn’t unhealthy. However the DJI Mini 3 affords 38 minutes. A 7-minute distinction may not really feel like a ton, but it surely’s truly 23% extra.
And the DJI Mini 3 truly affords the potential for an unimaginable 51 minutes of battery life should you go for the fancier Clever Flight Battery Plus.
Higher digicam: The DJI Mini 3 affords an even bigger sensor at 1/1.3-inch CMOS, versus the 1/2.3-inch CMOS on the Mini 2 SE. A much bigger sensor means higher high quality photographs.
The Mini 2 SE delivers 2.7K video, which a reasonably severe downgrade from 4K video on the Mini 3. Don’t sweat the lesser picture high quality in case your objective is to shoot Instagram movies that you simply share with your folks. However should you’re desirous about utilizing your photographs for one thing extra, such as you wish to make prints or launch a YouTube channel (or in any other case air your footage on an even bigger display screen) then the $130 additional for higher picture high quality is completely price it.
Fortunately, each drones weighs 249 grams (properly, assuming you’ve the usual battery versus the Clever Flight Battery Plus. Drones beneath 250 grams are an enormous deal as a result of many federal drone rules (throughout many nations, even) don’t apply to drones that dimension or smaller. Within the U.S., drones beneath 250 grams don’t must be registered with the FAA for leisure operations, nor do they to be Distant ID compliant.
Right here’s a full comparability of the DJI Mini 2 SE vs DJI Mini 3:
| DJI Mini 2 SE | DJI Mini 3 | |
| Takeoff Weight | < 249 g | < 249 g |
| Dimensions | Folded (with out propellers): 138×81×58 mm (L×W×H)
Unfolded (with out propellers): 159×203×56 mm (L×W×H) |
Folded (with out propellers): 148×90×62 mm (L×W×H)
Unfolded (with propellers): 251×362×72 mm (L×W×H) |
| Max Flight Time | 31 minutes | 38 minutes (with Clever Flight Battery) 51 minutes (with Clever Flight Battery Plus *) |
| Max Horizontal Velocity (at sea degree, no wind) | 16 m/s | 16 m/s |
| Max Ascent Velocity | 5 m/s | 5 m/s |
| Max Descent Velocity | 3.5 m/s | 3.5 m/s |
| Max Takeoff Altitude | 4000m | 4000m (or simply 3000m with Clever Flight Battery Plus) |
| Max Wind Velocity Resistance | 10.7 m/s (Degree 5) | 10.7 m/s (Degree 5) |
| Picture Sensor | 1/2.3-inch CMOS | 1/1.3-inch CMOS |
| Efficient Pixels | 12 MP | 12 MP |
| Video | 2.7K HD | 4K HDR |
| Video Transmission System | DJI O2 | DJI O2 |
Why the DJI Mini 3 low cost is such an enormous deal
The DJI Mini 3 has by no means been this low-cost. Particularly as inflation runs rampant all through the remainder of the economic system, it’s shocking to have DJI drop the DJI Mini 2 SE in value earlier than it even went on sale. However it’s much more shocking to see one other, higher drone getting a value low cost that places it in a much more reasonably priced realm.
The $500 barrier appears to be a psychologically vital barrier for many individuals because the cap on how a lot they’re prepared to spend on a drone. Up till now, the DJI Mini 3 by no means made the lower of drones beneath $500. However provided that this 15% DJI Mini 3 low cost brings your price all the way down to $469, it lastly matches right into a wider attain of budgets. And if for some motive you don’t want a controller (say, as a result of you have already got one from a earlier drone), then you definately’ll solely owe $379.
When DJI introduced its DJI Mini 2 final month, I referred to as it the greatest drone beneath $400. However with this sale, the precise (properly, briefly) greatest drone beneath $400 (once more, assuming no controller) isn’t truly the DJI Mini 2 SE — it’s the DJI Mini 3.
Buy the DJI Mini 3 now from:
