• Home
  • News
  • Fortune 500
  • Tech
  • Finance
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
TechInternet of Things

This New Drone Is Small Enough to Carry in a Backpack

By
Lisa Eadicicco
Lisa Eadicicco
and
TIME
TIME
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Lisa Eadicicco
Lisa Eadicicco
and
TIME
TIME
Down Arrow Button Icon
September 27, 2016, 12:03 PM ET
DJI

Chinese drone company DJI unveiled Tuesday a new model that it claims is nearly as compact as a water bottle when packed up. The Mavic Pro, shipping on Oct. 15 for $999, is debuting a week after action camera company GoPro unveiled its long-awaited Karma drone, which also folds up for easy transportation.

The Mavic Pro’s arms and propellors fold alongside its body, making it possible to fit in a backpack or purse, DJI says. DJI’s focus on portability extends to the Mavic’s controller as well, which is smaller and can be used with or without a smartphone to display live video from the aircraft. DJI will be selling the Mavic Pro without its controller for $749 and a combination package which includes the drone, two extra batteries, extra propellors, a charging hub, an adapter, and a shoulder bag for $1,299. Those who just want the drone and its controller can opt for the $999 deal.

The Mavic Pro can stay airborne for 27 minutes on a single charge. That’s about a minute shorter than the company’s Phantom 4, but seven minutes longer than the flight time on the Karma.

Like the larger and more expensive Phantom 4, the Mavic Pro uses a combination of sensors and processors to avoid obstacles and lock on to moving subjects. DJI’s newer drone, however, includes more sensors and processing cores than the Phantom 4, allowing for some new features and flight modes. One such addition is Gesture Mode, which lets pilots use hand signals to command the Mavic Pro to take an aerial selfie, or “dronie.”

The Mavic Pro’s tracking capabilities are also slightly more advanced than those on the Phantom 4. While the Phantom 4 detects and tracks whichever subject the pilot specifies in the green box on the controller’s screen, the Mavic Pro goes a step further by analyzing what’s in that box and matching it to the profiles of people, cars, animals, or bikes. And once the Mavic Pro locks on to a target, it can follow it from behind, zoom in front of it, fly alongside it, or circle the subject. That allows for different kinds of creative video shots.

Get Data Sheet, Fortune’s technology newsletter.

DJI’s new drone comes with a 12-megapixel camera that can record 4K video at 30 frames per second and 1080p footage at 96 frames per second. The camera can also be flipped to shoot photos and videos in a vertical portrait mode. GoPro’s drone, comparatively, is designed to work with its 10-megapixel Hero5 Session camera, 12-megapixel Hero5 Black, and 12-megapixel Hero4 Black and Silver cameras.

The Mavic is also getting two other modes not found on DJI’s previous models: Terrain Mode and Tripod Mode. The former is capable of following a subject from a fixed, constant height, even while that subject is moving up a sloped surface. The latter slows the Mavic Pro down to 2.2 miles per hour or under and reduces the sensitivity of the controls, which DJI says makes it easier to fly the vehicle in indoor spaces. The Mavic’s ability to sense and avoid obstacles is part of what distinguishes it from competitors like the Karma, although GoPro’s drone does have some semi-autonomous capabilities that allow it to do things like land in the same spot it launched from.

That the two foldable drones were unveiled within days of one another will no doubt invite comparisons. But they’re intended for different buyers. The Mavic Pro, with its higher price point, is aimed more at the “prosumer” videographer and drone enthusiast set. GoPro (GPRO), meanwhile, is marketing the more affordable Karma as part of a complete action camera lifestyle setup, complete with a removable camera and stabilizing grip for crisp handheld shots on the ground.

For more about GoPro’s new Karma drone, watch:

Differences aside, the Mavic Pro and Karma are signs that drone makers are increasingly focused on making high-quality drones that are more portable and accessible than ever before. Expect more easy-to-pack models to start popping up in parks and ski slopes soon.

This story was originally published on Time.com.

About the Authors
By Lisa Eadicicco
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
By TIME
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Tech

SuccessWealth
Meet Luana Lopes Lara: The 29-year-old ballerina spent summers working for Ray Dalio—now she’s the youngest female self-made billionaire
By Orianna Rosa RoyleDecember 4, 2025
2 minutes ago
christmas
Arts & EntertainmentSpotify
From Spotify Wrapped to YouTube Recap to Amazon Delivered, the holidays are becoming a time of year for our tech to tell us who we are
By The Associated PressDecember 4, 2025
15 minutes ago
Matt Rogers
CommentaryInfrastructure
 I built the first iPhone with Steve Jobs. The AI industry is at risk of repeating an early smartphone mistake
By Matt RogersDecember 4, 2025
42 minutes ago
work
Future of Work
AI is reshaping the rhythm of the workweek–and leaders need to pay attention
By David ShimDecember 4, 2025
47 minutes ago
Venmo
CybersecurityVenmo
Venmo says it’s ‘back up and running’ after hours of trouble sending and receiving money
By Audrey McAvoy and The Associated PressDecember 4, 2025
47 minutes ago
Huang
Big TechWhite House
Nvidia’s Jensen Huang meets behind closed doors with Trump, then Republican senators
By Matt Brown and The Associated PressDecember 4, 2025
54 minutes ago

Most Popular

placeholder alt text
North America
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez Bezos commit $102.5 million to organizations combating homelessness across the U.S.: ‘This is just the beginning’
By Sydney LakeDecember 2, 2025
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Economy
Ford workers told their CEO 'none of the young people want to work here.' So Jim Farley took a page out of the founder's playbook
By Sasha RogelbergNovember 28, 2025
6 days ago
placeholder alt text
North America
Anonymous $50 million donation helps cover the next 50 years of tuition for medical lab science students at University of Washington
By The Associated PressDecember 2, 2025
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Economy
Two months into the new fiscal year and the U.S. government is already spending more than $10 billion a week servicing national debt
By Eleanor PringleDecember 4, 2025
3 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Economy
Scott Bessent calls the Giving Pledge well-intentioned but ‘very amorphous,’ growing from ‘a panic among the billionaire class’
By Nick LichtenbergDecember 3, 2025
21 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Innovation
Google CEO Sundar Pichai says we’re just a decade away from a new normal of extraterrestrial data centers
By Sasha RogelbergDecember 1, 2025
3 days ago
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Leadership
  • Success
  • Tech
  • Asia
  • Europe
  • Environment
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Health
  • Retail
  • Lifestyle
  • Politics
  • Newsletters
  • Magazine
  • Features
  • Commentary
  • Mpw
  • CEO Initiative
  • Conferences
  • Personal Finance
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map

© 2025 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.