DJI Avata 2 drone fully revealed in leaked unboxings – here's what's new

• Several DJI Avata 2 unboxing videos have now appeared on X (formerly Twitter)
• The leaks hint at a more streamlined design and new rear sensors
• DJi Goggles 3 headset also appears to have passthrough cameras

In what is now a tradition for new DJI drones, the incoming DJI Avata 2 has been fully leaked in a new unboxing video – which presumably means the FPV (first-person view) flying machine will be officially landing soon. (Update April 2, 2024: DJI has now announced a launch event for what is likely to be the DJI Avata 2).

The original DJI Avata, which launched in 2022, was designed to be a beginner-friendly introduction to FPV flying. It mostly succeeded in that goal, but was held back by some design niggles, and missing features like obstacle-avoidance sensors. The new Avata 2 leaks suggest it's going to go some way towards fixing those issues.

There are actually several unboxing and hands-on videos doing the rounds on X (formerly Twitter), with the best one coming courtesy of the ever-reliable Quadro_News (below). This follows some leaked images of the Fly More Combo's retail packaging.

In the video, we see the Avata 2 drone itself (which looks more compact than its predecessor), plus the new accessories you'll get in its Fly More Combo bundle – the DJI Goggles 3 headset, DJI FPV Remote Controller 3, and RC Motion 3 joystick controller. All of these recently appeared in FCC filings.

So what's new? The unboxings give us a few more hints of what's coming, beyond the rumored specs, which include a larger 1/1.3-inch CMOS sensor that'll apparently shoot 4K video and 48MP photos, plus DJI's latest stabilization tech including RockSteady 3.0+ and HorizonSteady.

The original Avata was renowned for being one of DJI's loudest drones in flight, but an 81db rating on the underside of the box suggests that its successor could be a quieter affair. Interestingly, the new DJI Goggles 3 headset has two cameras on the front, which hints at some new AR powers – we're particularly keen to see what DJI does in that department.

Some earlier leaks suggested that the Avata 2 could be a little heavier than the current model, weighing 458g rather than 410g – although the design does look more streamlined, with a smaller body. Despite the extent of these leaks, the latest predictions on X (formerly Twitter) suggest that the Avata 2 won't be officially launched until mid-April.

Analysis: a more refined FPV drone

While we enjoyed our time with the original DJI Avata, we also found it much harder to fly than its trailers suggested – but these Avata 2 leaks suggest the new drone will go some way towards improving that experience.

Some other leaked still images from Quadro_News show that the drone will likely have some rear sensors. While some forward-facing sensors would also have been nice, this should boost the drone's automated safety features, and lower the chance of tree-based incidents. 

We're also liking the look of the Avata 2's more streamlined design, and little touches like the SD card slot being moved to the side of the drone (instead of its infuriating placement inside one of the blade rings on the original model).

FPV drones are undoubtedly still a niche market, and the Avata 2 is unlikely to rise to the top of our guide to the best drones for most people. But FPV machines are also capable of capturing unique videos while offering an incredible flying experience –and the Avata 2 could be one of the best we've seen for hobbyists (rather than the genre's traditional tinkerers).

One detail we may have to wait for is pricing, but as a guide the original Avata (without any accessories) cost £499 / $629 / AU$799, with the Pro View bundle (including the Goggles 2 and Motion Controller 2) costing £1,229 ($1,388 or AU$1,989) back in 2022.

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