We saw it rumoured not long ago and now it’s official — the DJI Air 2S is a thing and it’s actually dropped the Mavic title. We’re not sure what the means for the company’s product lineup but it’s interesting nonetheless.

DJI is punting the drop as an all-in-one but it looks more like an upgrade of the Mavic Air 2, something that the Air 2S title is also suggestive of. But the visual similarities can’t be denied either. In terms of shape, it’s just a few lines off from last year’s versatile consumer-accessible drone.

Deep inside the DJI Air 2S

Inside the DJI Air 2S, you’ll find an improved 20MP camera sensor. DJI says its 595g drone is their smallest to pack a 1in sensor (which uses 2.4μm pixels). It’ll snap 20MP stills, either singly or in bursts, and video scales right up to 5.4K at up to 30fps. If you’re ‘just’ after 4K video, you’ll get a max of 60 frames per second, which rises to 120fps for standard HD.

There’s a 3,500mAh battery inside, which will give you 31 minutes of flight time. That’s a little less than the Mavic Air 2, but the drone’s packing a heavier chassis and a larger camera so… deal with it, we guess? The extended 12km range and additional collision sensors will probably help to soften the blow, at least a little.

Pricing and availability is only know for overseas (where it’s out now). The stock drone will cost at least R14,500, while the ever-present Fly More bundle will push that price up to around R18,500. We’re sure there’s bound to be a South African markup on that price when it launches here.