2026: WHOAH!!! All those cool new features! I gotta have an Air 6!

[Droning on and on...]

...but am I actually going to use them? Are these features really going to become regular tools that I reach for, add real value to my hobby?

That's my dilemma. I have not yet availed myself of the Mavic 3 line, Air 3, or Mini 4 Pro. The title of this thread has been screaming in my head now for two years. Finances have gotten tighter, so I'm not reflexively pulling the trigger any more like I used to. Now, Active Track 360 is really bugging me. I want to try it, play with it... and then what? Do I really need it? Use it?

Do I just stuff money in the pickle jar for another 6 months or so and go for it all and get a Mavic 4 Pro whenever it comes out?

I've sold off my bigger drones, M2P, A2S, A2. Right now I'm down to a Mini3P for camera applications, and an Avata and FPV for fun, and fly them the most. Mavic Air doesn't get flown except out of curiosity/nostalgia now and then.

Anyone else suffering the same brain damage I am over this?

 

[mavic3usa]

When faced with this dilemma, I realized the best features are must have and there's no way around it; the features will drive the purchase and there is plenty of room to grow. As soon as 5G cellular is introduced, I'll buy it. The next drone that integrates with Apple Vision Pro, I'll buy it. Whenever the new drone has a 5T SSD with 8k/12k camera, I buy it. For the smaller upgrades, I'm on the every other drone for camera drones but I'm still on every model for FPV drones since it's still early. Imagine Avata 3 with O6 and 60-min battery and spatial video using Apple Vision Pro with an 8k/120 camera, top speed 99mph in GPS sport mode, whisper quiet performance propellers, and DJI-Skydio branded OA 3d cameras all over it for $1999 along with DJI's new AI-assisted FPV free-style mode for 2026.

 

[DARKSeifer]

Just like the DSLRs in around 2012, we've arrived to the point where further iterations will suffer from diminishing returns.

I'm only really interested in better connection, better cameras (specially a longer telephoto, like a 300-600mm) and more flight time, everything else is quite meh to me.

I have the M3, the Avata and the Mini 2, also had the Air2S and the Autel Evo Lite+ and atm I'm just waiting to see the specs of the Mavic 4, if it doesn't come with a longer telephoto, I'm just going to buy the Mavic 3 Thermal instead, second hand, probably.

PS: When the M3 released I thought the 160mm was just a gimmick, but exploring around it's really addictive and never gets old, It's basically a flying binocular, and you can never have too much zoom

 

[SmilingOgre]

In the last round of birds I purchased for the MFT sensor, D-log footage, and cruise control. The rest of the features I really didn't care about much at all. So what could be better? A super 35 sensor with a raw output? For under 4 grand, I don't think so. Now we're getting into cfast cards to handle the bitrates let alone the extra weight of the camera. I wouldn't bet the farm on this but I don't see any meaningful "features" that would sell me in the near future. My next bird will probably come when the current bird is no longer serviceable.

 

[GFields]

In the last round of birds I purchased for the MFT sensor, D-log footage, and cruise control. The rest of the features I really didn't care about much at all. So what could be better? A super 35 sensor with a raw output? For under 4 grand, I don't think so. Now we're getting into cfast cards to handle the bitrates let alone the extra weight of the camera. I wouldn't bet the farm on this but I don't see any meaningful "features" that would sell me in the near future. My next bird will probably come when the current bird is no longer serviceable.

Same here. The only reason that I purchased the Air 3 was for the cruise control and waypoints. Both of which have made it a great investment.