First impressions of the DJI Air 3 Fly More Combo (DJI RC 2) bundle

[Thmoore]

Was the Air 2/2s the only drones to come with filters?
None of the 9 DJI drones I have purchased came with filters.
The tone this discussion has taken is ridiculous, btw.
No need to be like this over simple opinions. We all have them...

Oh, that's interesting.... My v1 Mavic Mini didn't have them, my Mavic Air 2 did, my Air 3 does not. Those are the only models I can speak to.

 

[Droning on and on...]

Not sure why this conversation is getting adversarial. I think you may be lumping together responses from several people.

I totally agree with your point, above, that we are starting to have plenty of Power Delivery power bricks around, and it wasn't key for DJI to include one. The only reason I mentioned it is because it's a change from past practice, and I didn't want people to be surprised, like I was. (I am super delighted that we can charge with USB, which just makes everything so much easier.)

To your point about the charger: The Air 2/2S Fly More packages included a wall plug and things like ND filters and extra control sticks. The Air 3 Fly More package does not. From the 2/2S to the 3, DJI saved costs on those things, spent more on the aircraft's innards to give it new capabilities, roughly maintained the price on the package and, likely, kept their margins about the same. I don't mean to be implying any sort of conspiracy in stating this.

As I said in response to another comment: "I don't begrudge DJI what they've done here. I'd gladly trade everything they added to the aircraft's capabilities for the stuff they left out of the package."

I'm sorry I sounded adversarial or offensive. That wasn't my intent. Looking the post over, I can see how you thought that. Trying to be funny with the alien Crack, it could easily be taken very differently.

A mistake I make far more often than I'd like. Please accept my apology.

In terms of the things missing between the two generations, yeah, I'm quite disappointed about that too, with the exception of the charger, as I don't need one.

However, IMO inflation over the last two years plays the largest role in these seeming penny-pinching things like no extra joysticks. It's more about their increased cost shrinking margins than increasing those margins.

After all, DJI didn't increase their prices on the A2S or the next generation A3 comparatively by 15-20% over the last two years. But their material costs did.

 

[GadgetGuy]

Of course. Only businesses determined to fail give things away, unless part of a limited promotional campaign.



And you know this how?

Based on my decades of experience participating in these discussions and decisions at HP, Intuit, and AWS what you describe here is nonsense.

Do you have inside information about these decisions for the Air 3? I'm actually hoping to be surprised, a good session of bashing DJI Marketing for being idiots would be fun.

Far more likely this is simply another step in DJI's adoption of the universal PD standard, just as smartphone manufacturers and others are doing.

Manufacturer's cost savings not passed along to the purchaser is not nonsense.
Every manufacturer saves every possible penny in the manufacturing process, because it is pure profit! Forcing Air 3 purchasers to buy the charging brick separately is pure profit! I've never found I had too many 100W DJI chargers!

Apple is doing the same thing, deliberately depriving the purchaser of the charger that has ALWAYS been included in the past, while spewing some nonsense about saving the planet from electronic waste by reducing the number of chargers because everyone allegedly already has plenty! Have they reduced prices to offset the cost of the now missing charger? Heck no!

All previous DJI drones have ALWAYS been sold with the necessary charging brick! The Air 3 is the first DJI drone to ever exclude it, even from the Combo pack! Everyone else, except you, has asserted that the Air 3 purchase prices are deceptive because they ALL exclude the $100 cost of the necessary 100W DJI charger to take full advantage of the faster charging capability. $69 if you cheap out and only get the 65W charger.

Here is what DroneDJ has to say about the matter:

"On the topic of charging, there’s one crucial item missing from the Fly More Combo: a charging block. Although DJI provides a USB-C cable for charging and data purposes, they don’t include a wall plug. This isn’t just DJI, many consumer electronic companies have begun removing these from their products in the name of reducing e-waste.

DJI does offer 65W and 100W charging block options for separate purchase, but not including one in the box is a significant omission for a package that’s supposed to give you everything you need to fly."

 

[Droning on and on...]

All previous DJI drones have ALWAYS been sold with the necessary charging brick!

Yes, precisely because they were necessary. They no longer are.

I'll depart the conversation with the following... The reason I speak up when these [Rude comment removed by ADMIN, We are better than this.] theories are leveled about greed-driven product composition and pricing decisions is because it's grossly unfair and insulting to the dozens of serious professionals, good ethical people, who are actually carefully making these decisions.

I know because I've been there. I've been one of those people. I know how the sausage is made. And it looks nothing like simplistic profit-only goal the critics here describe. The teams that work on product structure and pricing incorporate many factors in the decision that are not driven by profit margin as the only important factor. In fact overall customer satisfaction is usually to dominating principle.

After all, that's how you sell more product, and how you make more profit. Nickel and diming customers by leaving out accessories is not a consideration, and creates bitterness and resentment with repeat, loyal customers. I'm 100% dropping the extra sticks, ND filters, etc. was not an easy decision. I'm 100% certain inflation in materials costs is the reason, and the product team went back and forth about increasing the price significantly over the previous generation, or reducing the inflated cost by taking things out that might bug loyal customers, but keep the price attractive. Keeping the price down was what they decided, and IMO it was the right decision.

I've offered my opinion regarding why the charger was left out. Others have implied it's out of greed. Those reading can make up their own minds.

 

[thispilothere]

Yes, precisely because they were necessary. They no longer are.

They are definitely still necessary for practical use. Most power blocks people have will be in the 10-20W range. I have one that's 60W - it charges my phones and tablets great but it's been trying to charge one battery for 2 hours and it's gone from 2 lights to 3. At this rate, it'll take over a day to charge all 3 batteries.

 

[Droning on and on...]

They are definitely still necessary for practical use. Most power blocks people have will be in the 10-20W range. I have one that's 60W - it charges my phones and tablets great but it's been trying to charge one battery for 2 hours and it's gone from 2 lights to 3. At this rate, it'll take over a day to charge all 3 batteries.

You did not understand my use of necessary.

They were necessary because they were proprietary. If not included, there was no approved way to charge the product at all.

That's not the case with PD.

As for your situation, I'd recommend going down to BestBuy, etc., and getting a more powerful charger. It's inconvenient, but no more so than picking up a gallon of milk.

 

[thispilothere]

My first impressions coming from the Air 2.

1. The video feed is excellent.

2. The 3X tele is a let down. Things I wanted to video, like the wildlife in a local field, are just a little closer. It's not anywhere near as impressive as I'd hoped.

3. The drone seems quieter with a more pleasant tone. At 250ft, I can barely hear it while the A2 was still loud at that height.

4. The pictures and video are improved but not dramatically. In mid-day sunlight, I could get similar results from the A2 with post processing. We'll see how it goes at night.

5. The range is improved but not radically so. I fly around a lot of trees and other interference so my range is usually limited. From the A2, I would get down to 1 bar at 2,500 feet out when I fly to a local pond, the A3 gives me about 3,000 feet.

6. It's a lot bigger and heavier.

7. It climbs and descends scary fast. Probably twice as fast as my A2.

8. The battery life is a lot better but my A2 batteries were getting older and I was only getting 15-20 minutes out of them. We'll see how these last.

9. The gear bag is usable but no charger.

10. I can't think of a 10th one.

 

[GadgetGuy]

Yes, precisely because they were necessary. They no longer are.

I'll depart the conversation with the following... The reason I speak up when these ignorant conspiracy theories are leveled about greed-driven product composition and pricing decisions is because it's grossly unfair and insulting to the dozens of serious professionals, good ethical people, who are actually carefully making these decisions.

I know because I've been there. I've been one of those people. I know how the sausage is made. And it looks nothing like simplistic profit-only goal the critics here describe. The teams that work on product structure and pricing incorporate many factors in the decision that are not driven by profit margin as the only important factor. In fact overall customer satisfaction is usually to dominating principle.

After all, that's how you sell more product, and how you make more profit. Nickel and diming customers by leaving out accessories is not a consideration, and creates bitterness and resentment with repeat, loyal customers. I'm 100% dropping the extra sticks, ND filters, etc. was not an easy decision. I'm 100% certain inflation in materials costs is the reason, and the product team went back and forth about increasing the price significantly over the previous generation, or reducing the inflated cost by taking things out that might bug loyal customers, but keep the price attractive. Keeping the price down was what they decided, and IMO it was the right decision.

I've offered my opinion regarding why the charger was left out. Others have implied it's out of greed. Those reading can make up their own minds.

I never said it was a conspiracy nor greed. Just a new for DJI way to increase profits, by excluding needed components for first time purchasers! It is absurd to say that chargers are no longer necessary! The 100W charger required for fast charging has never been sold by DJI before unless you bought the Mavic 3 Pro Combo, in which case you certainly won't also be buying an Air 3! The fact that you own one independently is irrelevant.

Your internal knowledge of how DJI operates is astounding. Your 100% certainty is admirable, but naive. The Chinese march to the tune of a different drummer. Are you Chinese and also an employee of DJI, deeply immersed in their business culture?

One thing we agree upon is that the price was artificially kept down by excluding the necessary charger from all kits! The true cost of the drone requires spending an extra $100 for the 100W DJI charger, or an extra $70 if you don't care about speed.

 

[GadgetGuy]

You did not understand my use of necessary.

They were necessary because they were proprietary. If not included, there was no approved way to charge the product at all.

That's not the case with PD.

As for your situation, I'd recommend going down to BestBuy, etc., and getting a more powerful charger. It's inconvenient, but no more so than picking up a gallon of milk.

It's definitely costs more than a gallon of milk!

 

[GadgetGuy]

My first impressions coming from the Air 2.

1. The video feed is excellent.

2. The 3X tele is a let down. Things I wanted to video, like the wildlife in a local field, are just a little closer. It's not anywhere near as impressive as I'd hoped.

3. The drone seems quieter with a more pleasant tone. At 250ft, I can barely hear it while the A2 was still loud at that height.

4. The pictures and video are improved but not dramatically. In mid-day sunlight, I could get similar results from the A2 with post processing. We'll see how it goes at night.

5. The range is improved but not radically so. I fly around a lot of trees and other interference so my range is usually limited. From the A2, I would get down to 1 bar at 2,500 feet out when I fly to a local pond, the A3 gives me about 3,000 feet.

6. It's a lot bigger and heavier.

7. It climbs and descends scary fast. Probably twice as fast as my A2.

8. The battery life is a lot better but my A2 batteries were getting older and I was only getting 15-20 minutes out of them. We'll see how these last.

9. The gear bag is usable but no charger.

10. I can't think of a 10th one.

Sounds like what you really need is the 7x telephoto found on both the Mavic 3 and Mavic 3 Pro, both of which include the necessary charger, for not a whole lot more that your true all-in cost on the Air 3!

 

[Droning on and on...]

I never said it was a conspiracy nor greed.

Keep in mind there are others participating in this discussion as well.

 

[Droning on and on...]

Just a new for DJI way to increase profits, by excluding needed components for first time purchasers!

Wrong.

 

[Droning on and on...]

Your internal knowledge of how DJI operates is astounding. Your 100% certainty is admirable, but naive. The Chinese march to the tune of a different drummer. Are you Chinese and also an employee of DJI, deeply immersed in their business culture?

No need to get snide.

 

[Torque]

Wrong.

Opinion. That is all you have.
You'll drone on and on until we agree with your opinion.

EDIT: I am of the opinion that this is a cost saving maneuver. Move on.

 

[thispilothere]

Sounds like what you really need is the 7x telephoto found on both the Mavic 3 and Mavic 3 Pro, both of which include the necessary charger, for not a whole lot more that your true all-in cost on the Air 3!

It came down to the M3 or A3. I went with the A3 for cost, what I thought was crazy range and newer tech. I guess I'm just being picky.

 

[GadgetGuy]

Keep in mind there are others participating in this discussion as well.

There are, but neither greed nor conspiracy is necessary to justify increasing profits by cutting costs. That's just business.

 

[GadgetGuy]

It came down to the M3 or A3. I went with the A3 for cost, what I thought was crazy range and newer tech. I guess I'm just being picky.

Air 3, by the time you get the equivalent of a Mavic 3, after buying the charger separately, is more than you would pay for a lightly used Mavic 3, assuming you meant Mavic 3 by M3.

 

[GadgetGuy]

No need to get snide.

Anyone who thinks they can be 100% certain about anything is 100% wrong. Being 100% certain about an opinion, other than that it is your own opinion (Rush Limbaugh's favorite phrase) does not make your opinion right.

 

[Droning on and on...]

There are, but neither greed nor conspiracy is necessary to justify increasing profits by cutting costs. That's just business.

Have DJI's costs increased?

 

[GadgetGuy]

Wrong.

Because you say so?