MA2 Misnomer??

[Scottalmas]

I am struggling with the idea of upgrading my Mavic Air to the Mavic Air 2 and I realized that, while the MA2 has some serious upgrades to the MA, it is also missing quite a bit of what I love about my MA (Smart Capture and the portability of controlling with my phone). It got me thinking; the MA2 is really more of a smaller version of my Mavic 2 Zoom. In truth, isn't the MA2 really a "Mavic 2 Mini"?

In the end, because I have a Mavic Air and an Anafi for remote free flying, I may wind up selling my Spark and picking up the MA2. It's strange to think about the MA2 as being the upgrade path from my Spark. Even stranger is that, because you cannot control the Mini with just your phone and it also doesn't have Smart Capture, and has the same color, look, and much more similar battery life as the Mini, now I wonder the MA2 is really a "Mavic Mini Pro." Whatever it is, the MA2 just doesn't seem to be descendant of the Air.

 

[Deleted member 94047]

It is not just the missing features (the Mavic 2 line doesn't have phone or gesture control either), the design and look of the MA2 is in line with the Mavic 2 line up. So yeah, absolutely; the MA2 naming is a misnomer. this thing is more of a Mavic 2 than an Air. In fact, it is not an Air at all. I am not saying that makes it a bad drone, just saying it is not at all like the Mavic Air.

 

[Lastrexking]

It's a shame they left these features off. Also agree with everything else said here, and bewildering that they only put in one IMU.

 

[naiku]

I definitely see where you are coming from, the name, shape etc. does not bother me but I do on some level wish they had retained some of the curvier lines on the MA1 rather than trying to make it fit in exactly with the Mini, Mavic 2 Zoom/Pro looks.

 

[swooshdave]

It's a shame they left these features off. Also agree with everything else said here, and bewildering that they only put in one IMU.

One excuse I’ve seen is maybe the current reliability of those components has reached a state where they don’t feel the need for redundancy? I doubt it’s cost.

If the next higher level drones don’t have the redundancy then we’ll know if it was that.

 

[Scottalmas]

What I miss most is the ability to leave the remote at home, travel lightly. and get the bird up in the air quickly for selfies and low altitude action videos. It's a major flow in the Mini. I don't expect that out of the Mavic 2, but to leave it out of something called "Air" seems a bit nutty to me.

 

[swooshdave]

What I miss most is the ability to leave the remote at home, travel lightly. and get the bird up in the air quickly for selfies and low altitude action videos. It's a major flow in the Mini. I don't expect that out of the Mavic 2, but to leave it out of something called "Air" seems a bit nutty to me.

With a middle tier drone they are going to pick and chose features from both ends but they can’t include everything.

Small and light seems to now for the Mini and less the Air.