Now that Skydio has withdrawn from the consumer drone market, depriving me of the opportunity to acquire the miniature self-flying drone I've always desired, my attention has turned to DJI. The recently unveiled $759 DJI Mini 4 Pro, with its sophisticated marketing campaign, suggests that we are making progress in this direction, as it boasts omnidirectional obstacle sensing capabilities. Although the Mini 3 Pro introduced forward, backward, and downward vision, we quickly crashed it into a tree. The addition of binocular vision in all directions could prove to be a significant improvement if it functions effectively. Furthermore, the smaller wingspan, when compared to the Air model, may facilitate maneuvering between trees and branches.

While I cannot personally attest to its ability to dodge trees just yet, Vjeran now has one to put to the test. By and large, the Mini 4 Pro brings the Mini 3 Pro up to par with its larger and more costly counterpart, the $1,099 DJI Air 3. It already shared a similar main camera (1/1.3-inch, 48-megapixel, f/1.7 with 82-degree FOV) and a comparable battery life of over 40 minutes. However, the Mini 4 Pro now incorporates omnidirectional obstacle avoidance, 100fps 4K shooting (and 200fps 1080p shooting), and Ocusync 4 video transmission, which provides a range of 20 kilometers (an increase from 12 km), features that were already present in the Air model. Similar to the Mini 3 Pro, one can expect a solid 30-minute battery life using the included battery or nearly 40 minutes with the larger "Intelligent Flight Battery Plus." However, the latter is no longer available in Europe due to exceeding the weight limit of 249 grams. Moreover, while DJI heavily promotes "True Vertical Shooting" as a key selling point for the Mini 4 Pro, this feature is already present in the Mini 3 Pro (and even the $469 Mini 3).

The Mini 3 boasts the title of DJI's affordable battery champion, offering an extra four to six minutes of battery life, depending on the battery used. If speed is a priority, it is advisable to choose the Air model or a superior option, as it ascends and descends twice as fast as the Mini, which has a rather sluggish speed of five meters per second. Additionally, the Air is equipped with a second f/2.8 70mm-equivalent telephoto camera, providing greater versatility.

I highly recommend visiting DJI's side-by-side comparison website to evaluate the Mini 4 Pro, Mini 3 Pro, and DJI Air 3 together, as it offers a convenient way to directly compare the differences between them.

For those who already own a Mini 3 Pro or are interested in stocking up on accessories, it is worth noting that the Mini 4 Pro utilizes the same batteries. However, due to the upgraded Ocusync 4 video transmission, a new controller is required.