This controller is larger than the older foldable Mavic 2 controller, but the advantage is improved battery life of up to six hours. The RC Pro controller (above) that comes with the Cine version of the Mavic 3 is essentially a new Smart Controller with a 5.5in touchscreen and offers several other advanced features compared to the standard controller. If you're feeling particularly flush, there's also the Cine Premium Combo, which sees the drone's storage bumped to 1TB and includes all of the Fly More Combo accessories, plus the new DJI RC Pro controller and two sets of ND filters. The Mavic 3's Standard version and Fly More Combo cost almost 40% more than their Mavic 2 Pro equivalents did at launch, which suggests the Mavic 3 is more of a professional drone than a consumer model. The DJI Air 2S replaces the Mavic 2 Pro at the top of the consumer line with a 1-inch sensor, while the Mavic 3 features a Four Thirds sensor in the main camera. Design and controller The Mavic 3's second camera is much more limited and can only shoot images in JPEG and standard video (not raw) at 4K 30fps. This hybrid camera only offers basic functionality and Auto shooting, with the ability to view distant scenes with ease. The standard controller that comes with the Standard version and Fly More Bundle is the same as the one you get with the DJI Mavic Air 2 and DJI Air 2S.

The Mavic 3 is a nimble drone that’s much more responsive in flight than its Mavic 2 predecessors. In this respect, it's actually more like the DJI Phantom 4 Pro V2.0. The controls are simply much more sensitive in both Normal and Sport Modes, while Cine Mode offers reduced control sensitivity and speed for smoother flights and more cinematic video footage. The folded dimensions of the Mavic 3 are 212×96.3x90.3mm, while its unfolded size is 347.5×283x107.7 mm. This makes it similar to the Mavic 2 Pro when folded, with the unfolded size being slightly larger. This new DJI RC Pro controller only comes with the Cine Premium Combo, with the Standard and Fly More bundles instead coming with the DJI RC-N1 pad. (Image credit: Future) Another feature that sits in the area of safety is the Mavic 3's new positioning algorithm, which claims to improve hovering precision with less drifting by connecting to GPS, GLONASS, and BeiDou satellites. This is, of course, welcome, but it’s impossible to see a difference between the Mavic 3 and previous-generation models when the drone is hovering. The main difference between the Standard and Cine versions of the Mavic 3 is that the Standard version provides 8GB of internal storage, while the Cine features an impressive 1TB SSD with support for Apple ProRes 422 HQ video recording. Features and flight

The Mavic 3 is now the fully-featured drone it should have been at launch. And while the features available when it first arrived were more than enough for professionals and experienced drone pilots who typically use manual controls, the arrival of the missing features also makes the Mavic 3 much more beginner-friendly. The Mavic 3 is now the best prosumer drone you can buy, and one that could provide many years of service, thanks to the advanced features and fantastic image quality it offers. DJI Mavic 3 release date and price This works well in what you might call standard environments and when set to move around obstacles such as trees, fluid flight is maintained and you can be confident that your video footage will remain constant with little chance of crashing. When flying in more complex environments such as woodland, however, APAS can become overwhelmed and cause the drone to fly erratically. The December firmware update came with improvements to obstacle avoidance, but when tested in the same highly complex environment as our original test the drone performed the same way. When flying within a tight avenue of trees, the Mavic 3 flew erratically and may have crashed into tree branches if it wasn’t stopped. Still, this was an incredibly tough test and when APAS was turned off, the drone was able to fly much more smoothly, albeit with a much greater risk of crashing. With the impressive onboard technology, it would be great to see further improvements to obstacle avoidance in future firmware updates. While the Mavic 3 is an absolute powerhouse in terms of features and image quality, DJI is well-known for producing both safe and easy to fly drones and this drone, despite the high price tag, could present a fantastic option for first-time drone pilots. This is certainly a drone that you can grow into as your flight skills and requirements improve, and investing in a higher level model can ultimately save money over the long term because it can reduce the need to upgrade at a later date. Although for many, the DJI Mini 2 and Air 2S models provide compelling alternatives.