DJI Avata 360 Drone leaks before official unveiling and arrives just in time

Photo credit: Igor Bogdanov
As December arrives, bringing with it all the Christmas cheer and red tape we’ve come to expect this time of year, DJI is throwing another curveball into the mix. The Avata 360, their most ambitious attempt yet to combine the thrill of FPV with the all-round video recording capabilities we’ve come to love, has cleared the last hurdle in its quest to enter US markets. Leaks from FCC filings, rumors from the supply chain, and new photos of the packaging have all but revealed what’s in store: a drone as capable of switching between high-powered aerobatics and silky-smooth spherical imagery as it is dodging the ban hammer swinging on December 23.

The Avata 360 reportedly weighs just 377 grams, making it light enough to handle quickly, but not so heavy that it’s difficult to pull off the shelf. But this is not a fragile thing; the frame is a solid, complete sphere of carbon fiber and flexible TPU that absorbs the impact of those inevitable mid-air scratches. Try barrel rolls, inverted loops, or even falling headfirst into a narrow crevasse; those props will barely get a whisper from the prop wash, as the enclosed design does its best to keep them out of harm’s way. The color palette leans towards nondescript black with bursts of brilliant orange, giving it a distinctly sharp look that makes it stand out in the sky. When unfolded, it fits neatly in your bag just like any other Avata; Nevertheless, when you take it out and unfold it, you can’t help but notice the difference.

So the real showpiece is up front: a dual-camera setup that houses two 1/1.1-inch CMOS sensors (yes, you read that right – TWO of them) fit into a rotating chassis that rotates a full 90 degrees. With the press of a button on the joystick, the camera flawlessly transitions from capturing every last detail in stunning 360-degree glory to locking straight ahead for classic FPV action. You won’t have to fiddle with software later to get the most out of your footage; everything flows seamlessly and is ready to go. These sensors can process 8K film at 50 frames per second in spherical mode, but slow down to 4K at 120 fps when using the more common front-facing perspective. And if you want to take a photo, the resolution is a reasonable 38 megapixels, giving you plenty of room to be creative with your panoramas.
Photo credit: The new camera
Power comes from a beefed-up battery, which addresses one of the Avata line’s long-standing issues. With a capacity 26% greater than the Avata 2 and a 38.67 watt-hour battery at 14.32 volts, flights on a full charge should take between 25 and 31 minutes, depending on how fast you drive the drone. The motors are also 34% more efficient, giving you more power during both hovers and sprints. The landing gear folds away easily, but the sphere also acts as a crumple zone, so you can put it down in quite rough places without worry. FCC documents also indicate that an extended battery option is on the way.

Safety gets a big boost here, turning reckless dives into calculated risks. Four sensors point forward, two of which are video cameras with LiDAR for accurate depth readings, while the other two are slung to the sides to monitor anything coming from the side. When the drone is in the air, it will track and focus on moving targets, such as cyclists or cars, while avoiding trees and other obstacles in its path. The ability to scan in all directions reduces the chance of being overwhelmed at high speeds, and even when the camera is rotating, the technology functions flawlessly. When combined with the new DJI Goggles N3 and RC Motion 3 controller, OcuSync 4.0 provides a view of up to 20 km on a clear day, and the signal remains strong even when flying over trees or water.

Flying this thing starts to feel like an extension of your brain, especially if you’ve already flown the Avata 2. In manual mode the drone can reach speeds of up to 100 km/h, and there is a ‘tortoise mode’ that helps recover from a somersault. The software allows you to choose from normal, sporty and manual flying styles, as well as pre-programmed ‘cinematic courses’ for automatic tracking. The stabilization is all thanks to DJI’s RockSteady technology, and they recently added HorizonInfinity to keep your horizon level even when the drone is doing some pretty wild rolls. You can edit 360 footage directly in the app, turning it into a standard image or turning it into a VR experience on the go. For creatives, this means you can take an entire shot with a single battery, chase a surfer in FPV, and then stitch the waves together to get a full 360-degree view without changing a thing.

According to leaked prices, the Fly More Combo will cost $999, which is only $79 more than the full Avata 2 bundle. The bundle includes three batteries, a charging hub, and a pair of glasses and motion controller. If you just want the drone, it will cost around $920, and the top version of the “Ultimate Creator” is expected to cost $1,799, including ND filters and editing software licenses. The Avata 360 is slightly cheaper than the Insta360 Antigravity A1, which will be available next month for $1,599, and has the flip-to-FPV option, which the A1 doesn’t have. Just don’t expect built-in legs; the cage is designed to withstand hard landings.
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