- Reports claim that DJI’s first 360 drone weighs below 250 g
- It is reportedly based on similar 8K camera technology as OSMO 360
- The launch is tilted by the end of 2025
DJI is expected to release a new ultra-lightweight drone this year with the warmly expected DJI Mini 5 Pro apparently ready for a 2025 launch. But if recent online rumbles are to believe, however, the company can actually advertise two models by the end of the year – with one is a brand new type of drone based on a 360 camera.
We have already had official confirmation that Antigravity is preparing its own light 360 drone powered by Insta360 camera technology – although just via a teaser, with details unknown to now. And if a report at NoteBookcheck is accurate, it will have a competitor right from bats.
The report describes rumors coming out of China who claim that DJI is working on a similar lightweight drone (below 250 g to make sure it stays in the regulation-dodging sweet spot), which will also offer 8K 360 video recording using a mechanical three-axis gimbal to hold its camera.
The camera will apparently build on similar foundations as hardware inside the newly released DJI Osmo 360, the company’s first 360 action camera.
A Flying Osmo 360?
The Osmo 360 is an excellent 360 camera (I know because I have tested it for our DJI Osmo 360 review) using two 1/1.1-inch sensors married with two ultra-encompassing fishye lenses and a trick of smart software tricks to create panoramic 8K videos with a minimum of effort.
These videos can then be transformed into DJI’s accompanying apps (either DJI MIMO MOBILAP OR DJI Studio Desktop app) before being exported for sharing or use in other editing programs.
A flying version of Osmo 360 that manages to stay below 250 g sounds almost too good to be true, especially if it wants two large sensors on board. I suppose we can see smaller sensors on the drone to keep weight under the key 250 g mark.
If the reports are correct, DJI looks to have a busy few months ahead. The company is also the tip of releasing DJI MIC 3, a new model in its popular wireless microphoma, as well as DJI Osmo Nano, a small modular action camera and DJI Romo, the company’s first robot quarry cleaner ever.
