DJI Reimagines Drone Design with the Eye-Catching Flip
posted Tuesday, January 14, 2025 at 3:02 PM EST
If you thought you knew what drones looked like, DJI is out to prove you wrong with the DJI Flip introduction.
The Flip is an eye-catching “vlogging” drone. Its propeller blades are encased in a rigid cage that prevents them from snagging on anything.
When not in use, the Filp folds into a shape that looks more like what a Dyson personal fan might be rather than a drone. To Star Wars fans, the DJI Flip is a dead-ringer for D-O, the droid pal of BB-8 that was introduced in Episode 7.
As someone who has used dozens of drones, I think the design choice is possibly more about style than portability. While it is unique, I’ve sent countless hours with small video drones in bags (and sometimes in pockets) and have never had a propeller snag on anything.\
That’s thanks to the excellent folding abilities of most DJI drones. The blades tuck neatly against the sides of the body, preventing most damage.
For example, DJI’s Mini 4K weighs the same but folds more compactly than the Flip.
The Flip has a claimed weight of just under 250 grams and can shoot 4K video and capture 48-megapixel photos. The strength of DJI drones has always been video quality rather than still capture, but we’re looking forward to testing both stills and videos.
DJI says that the Flip is full of AI and subject recognition technologies similar to their larger drones, though we would be surprised if it didn’t. DJI’s in-device subject and object recognition features have set DJI apart from other drone manufacturers.
Specs
The Flip brings a 1/1.3 sensor, which is impressive for a drone of this size. As mentioned above, the Flip can capture 4K/60p in HDR and 100p in non-HDR 4K, capturing in 10-bit D-Log.
In other words, DJI has put incredibly advanced 4K capture into one of the lightest video drones on the market.
Pricing and purchase
The DJI Flip is available for order now on the DJI website, and on Amazon.
The Flip comes in several bundles.
The DJI Flip with the entry-level controller RC-N3 controller is $440. The RC-N3 lacks the built-in screen of the DJI RC 2 controller.
A Flip configuration with the DJI RC 2 controller costs $640. The DJI website also lists a “Fly More” bundle with extra batteries, but it is currently out of stock.