The DJI Avata has been tipped to be the Chinese company's next drone, but its take-off may have been pushed back, according to the latest rumors.
We had been expecting to see DJI's take on the indoor ‘cinewhoop' drone arrive this sometime this month. But according to the pretty reliable @DealsDrone (opens in new tab) on Twitter, the original source of that possible July launch date, the DJI Avata's release has apparently been delayed.
The insider sadly hasn't given a new estimated timeframe for the Avata's release, simply saying that it's been related to a “factory expansion” and production moving “to a new location”.
But drone fans who have been looking forward to seeing DJI's rumored 3in cinewhoop model, which would likely be designed for flying indoors around people in confined spaces, will be hoping the wait isn't too long.
BAD NEWS: I know a lot of people are waiting for Avata news, but it seems that Avata is going to delay the release. I heard about the related factory expansion and moving to a new location…July 22, 2022
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Growing rumors about the DJI Avata were given extra credibility in May, when we saw what appeared to be the first leaked images of the drone.
‘Cinewhoop' drones are typically small, nimble flying machines with built-in propellor guards, which allows them to fly safely indoors. And the leaked photos we saw two months ago appeared to back up rumors that DJI was working on this kind 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 rumored delay also means we'll likely have to wait a little longer to see DJI's new FPV Goggles, which have also been tipped to arrive alongside the drone. But if the slowdown is due to production and logistics, rather than any product-based issues, then they hopefully won't cause any significant delays.
Analysis: Take-off delay should hopefully be minor
It's been a busy couple of 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) it 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 have any direct link to delays for new DJI products, with @Dealsdrone suggesting that the Avata holdup is more down to a “factory expansions” and a “move to a new location”, which could refer to DJI's impending move to a new HQ in Shenzhen this year.
Either way, the DJI Avata certainly wouldn't be the first product to have been delayed this year and it'll hopefully still arrive in 2022. A cinewhoop drone would certainly make sense for DJI, given many of the existing ones (like the setup used in Tesla's Gigafactory tour above) use the DJI HD FPV system, which consists of a receiver, FPV Camera, FPV Goggles and a remote controller.
The latest rumors suggest that the DJI Avata will effectively be an all-in-one version of this tech, with some new FPV Goggles and, of course, the sub-500g drone itself. The concept certainly sounds like a good one, let's hope we don't have to wait too much longer to see it in the flesh.
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