I will present the other side of the argument.
Can you yourself identify something that the
Mini 3 can do that the likes of a
Mini 2, at half the price or, if you bought second hand, less, can not?
If not why not consider the likes of the
mini 2?
Yes a back up is handy so I can not fault wanting another drone but the
Mini 3 IS expensive.
If money is no object and if, as has been stated, you are in the USA where weight is not a factor, then it would make sense to me, for the mutual compatibility of batteries and props etc., to get another
Mavic 3 rather than getting a different model.
You pose some interesting questions that as a
Mini 2 owner and a newly annointed
Mini 3 owner I can answer from my standpoint. The
Mini 2 is a great drone in many respects, much better than the
Mini 1, which I also owned. (I have a
M2P as well).
1) Rapid deployment (with the DJI RC controller). Fire up the controller. While that's booting, unfold the
Mini 3, push the start button and put it on the ground. Go back to the RC and put the sticks on while the Fly App comes up. Wait for the sats and fly. The longest part of deployment of the
MIni 2 is hooking up a phone or tablet. In general not a big deal.
2)
Significantly improved smoothness and response, at least with the DJI RC. As you may know, instead of the "balls" that the sticks attach to in the RCN1, the contruction of the control area (I don't know what to call it), has a completely different configuration with two "barrels"(?) that each stick attaches to that move up and down and side to side separately. I've only had the
Mini 3 for about a week and have been more than surprised to be able to make smooth multi-directional moves that I struggled with flying my
Mini 2.
3) Improved flight times. Being in the US and weight not being an issue, in addition to the standard battery I have two extended batteries.
I could cite the other features such as obtacle avoidance, 4k/60fps and other features, but I don't think think they are quite as important as the the three that I mentioned above. I still believe that the RCN1 controller was a mistake; a brick that offers no functional advantages over the smaller controllers of the
Mini 1 and
Mavic 2 (loaded with everthing the RC Pro has except a screen). The DJI RC, brings back some of the programmable buttons missing on the RCN1 which I find very helpful.
I apologize in advance for the following digression....
One thing that is often cited for the Minis is the "portability". And it's true- but only to some extent. If you compare the difference between the
Mini 2 and the
A2s, the
M3 the real difference in portability is the drone size itself as the oversized RCN1 controllers are all the same size and weight, and is solely the reason that larger cases are needed. While a bit heavier, because of the reduced controller size I can transport my
Mavic 2 Pro in a bag only slightly larger than the
Mini 2/3 FMC bag. [See illustration.
Mini 3 bag turned it's side for size comparison] I suspect the RCN1 or the RC Pro with the
Mavic 3 makes the portability issue of the
Mini 2 and 3 more valid.