The DJI Avata has been touted as the Chinese company’s next drone, but its takeoff may have been delayed, according to the latest rumors.
We were expecting to see DJI’s version of the indoor ‘cinewhoop’ drone arrive sometime this month. But according to quite reliable @DealsDrone (opens in new tab) on Twitter, the original source of this possible July release date, the release of the DJI Avata has apparently been delayed.
The source unfortunately didn’t give a new estimated timeframe for the Avata release, simply saying it’s related to a “factory expansion” and production moving “to a new location”.
But drone fans who are eager to see DJI’s 3-inch cinewhoop model, which would likely be designed to fly indoors around people in confined spaces, hope the wait won’t be too long.
BAD NEWS: I know a lot of people are waiting for news from Avata, but it looks like Avata is going to delay the release. I heard about the related factory expansion and moving to a new location…July 22, 2022
Growing rumors about the DJI Avata gained extra credence in May when we saw what appeared to be the first leaked footage of the drone.
‘Cinewhoop’ drones are typically small, agile flying machines with built-in propeller guards, allowing them to fly safely indoors. And the leaked photos we saw two months ago seemed to confirm rumors that DJI was working on this type of drone.
DJI’s current drone ranges – the Mavic, Air and Mini series – are all largely designed for shooting epic outdoor footage. So the idea that the drone giant could be working on a Cinewhoop-style model equipped with its own camera and electronic image stabilization would certainly make sense.
Unfortunately, the alleged delay also means that we’ll likely have to wait a little longer to see DJI’s new FPV Goggles, which should also arrive alongside the drone. But if the slowdown is due to production and logistics, rather than product-based issues, then we hope they won’t cause significant delays.
Analysis: Expected takeoff delay to be shorter
It’s been a busy few months for DJI, with the DJI Mini 3 Pro arriving in May and its new professional gimbals – the DJI RS 3 and DJI RS 3 Pro – landing last month. In April, the Chinese company also said (opens in new tab) would “temporarily suspend all business activities in Russia and Ukraine” and there were limited lockdowns in Shenzhen (where DJI’s GQ is based) in June due to a new Covid outbreak.
There’s no indication that the latter has any direct link to delays for new DJI products, with @Dealsdrone suggesting that the Avata delay is due more to a “factory expansion” and a “move to a new location”, the which may refer to the imminent move to a new headquarters in Shenzhen this year.
Either way, the DJI Avata would certainly not be the first product to be delayed this year and we expect it to arrive in 2022. A cinewhoop drone would certainly make sense for DJI, considering many of the existing ones (like the setup used on Tesla’s Gigafactory tour). above) use the DJI HD FPV system, which consists of a receiver, FPV camera, FPV glasses, and a remote control.
The latest rumors suggest that the DJI Avata will effectively be a full version of this technology, with some new FPV Goggles and of course the sub-500g drone itself. The concept certainly looks good, let’s hope we don’t have to wait much longer to see it in the flesh.