DJI hints at Mavic 3 drone launch date (and teases two other launches too)

DJI is teasing three upcoming launches on social media
(Image credit: DJI)

While it has not been DJI’s style to extensively trail product launches, DJI seem to have acknowledge the swirling rumors around the Mavic 3 drone with a tweet which reads “Good Things Come in Threes,” followed by three slightly ambiguous icons and dates underneath them. The teaser (above), which was posted on Twitter and Instagram tells us that DJI is launching new products on 20 October, 27 October, and 5 November.

In other words, the company is admitting that one or two of the Mavic 3 leaks we’ve reported on recently might not only be true, but are giving us some dates to guess what might be coming on them.

We at DCW think that we’re looking at dates for a new product in the Ronin professional camera stabilizer range which, on 20 October. It is represented by the word ‘REC’ in a red circle, though, and since DJI and recording video are harmonious bedfellows we have to admit we might be wrong here (the only products we’d definitely rule out are the very recent OM 5 and Pocket 2).

The eight by two pattern of dots surrounded by a rectangle which forms the second image is immediately reminiscent of a magnetic charging connector. Eight seems a lot of connections though, enough for a data connection like USB.

Since DJI seem to be suggesting three product launches are on their way, we’re going to agree with many of the swirling rumors and agree that this hints of an impending Osmo Action 2 (a successor for the DJI Osmo Action action camera) for the 27 October launch date.

For evidence, you can look back to this spot by twitter user Moe K, who appears to have caught out Peter McKinnon breaking a DJI NDA, spotting some unknown DJI products and boxes. It’s interesting because the admittedly blurry box art appears to show a camera and detachable screen section which – if it was a dramatically new update to the Osmo Action – would require a form of connection like the one discussed. 

It’s interesting to consider the possibilities here; a camera and a rotatable screen component? A camera with an entirely detachable screen component ending up like a GoPro Session? 

Finally, on November 5th, we see four green lights rectangles next to a larger rectangle, which are hard not to interpret as DJI’s classic Smart Battery design which forms the switch on so many of their drones. Since there have been so many instances of the same product design appearing, all of which appear to be a progression of the Mavic design with a larger camera housing, the two tie together neatly and it seems we can now confirm the release date of the Mavic 3.

We’re now pretty sure the Mavic 3 will have a Micro Four Thirds camera with 20MP resolution as part of a dual camera system inspired by modern mobile phones, rather than interchangeable mirrorless cameras as some had hoped. The arrangement of lights on the battery in DJI’s rumor image exactly matches a circulating rumor image put out by JasperEllens.

That suggests that the rumored new flight time of 40-46 mins might well be right, too. 

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Chris George

Chris George has worked on Digital Camera World since its launch in 2017. He has been writing about photography, mobile phones, video making and technology for over 30 years – and has edited numerous magazines including PhotoPlus, N-Photo, Digital Camera, Video Camera, and Professional Photography. 

His first serious camera was the iconic Olympus OM10, with which he won the title of Young Photographer of the Year - long before the advent of autofocus and memory cards. Today he uses a Nikon D800, a Fujifilm X-T1, a Sony A7, and his iPhone 15 Pro Max.

He has written about technology for countless publications and websites including The Sunday Times Magazine, The Daily Telegraph, Dorling Kindersley, What Cellphone, T3 and Techradar.