DJI Flip leak gives us our first glimpse of tiny foldable drone – and it's a mysterious flying object

The DJI Neo (above) only arrived in September, but a new foldable cousin called the Flip is already on the horizon according to new leaks. (Image credit: DJI)

A new DJI Flip drone could be imminent, according to new leaks
Leaked video suggests the Flip will be a tiny, foldable drone
It could be another affordable rival for the HoverAir X1

If you thought a complete lack of competition plus the looming threat of US ban might slow down DJI's drone-making powers, you needn't have worried. A leak has just revealed that a tiny new DJI Flip is coming – and it could potentially be a DJI Mini series successor.

The reliable DJI leaker @JasperEllens revealed a DJI Flip video on X (formerly Twitter) that shows how the foldable drone packs down into an incredibly compact, perhaps even pocketable, form. The design is reminiscent of the HoverAir X1, which is effectively a flying point-and-shoot camera.

We don't know how the DJI Flip's camera setup might compare to the X1, but a recent Federal Communications Commission (FCC) filing in the US (picked up by @Quadro_News) has given us a few more hints.

Breaking: Thanks to my friend YueYue this is the worlds first view of the #DJIFLIP. The Flip will be the next gen #foldable DJI drone (video). If you were waiting on a Mini 5. This is it. It will have O4 and probably LiDAR. Prop guards are like FPV carbon fiber. Cheers! Jasper pic.twitter.com/uhumLWXLupDecember 1, 2024

That filing suggests the Flip will have a 3,110mAh battery (that's bigger than the DJI Mini 4 Pro's 2,590mAh cell), while separate rumors suggest the drone will have the Lidar-powered obstacle avoidance sensors plus the latest OcuSync 4 (O4) transmission to make it compatible with DJI's RC 2 and RC-N2 controllers.

Overall, this makes the DJI Flip a curious little drone, and it isn't clear yet where it might sit between the new DJI Neo and existing DJI Mini series. As always with DJI, expect new leaks to reveal more soon...

Analysis: Who might the Flip be for?

The DJI Neo on a rock next to a hand holding the DJI Mini 4 Pro — The DJI Neo (left) and DJI Mini 4 Pro (right) are already compelling compact drone options for different reasons, so the Flip would have strong competition just within the DJI stable. (Image credit: DJI)

As the happy owner of a DJI Mini 3 Pro, I don't quite know what to make of these DJI Flip leaks.

The recent DJI Neo is predominantly an FPV (first-person view) drone, so that new model with its fresh design made sense. But the DJI Mini series, which the Flip appears to compete with, is already tiny and fits into the sub-250g weight class that gives pilots more flying freedom in some regions.

This means it's quite difficult to see how the DJI Mini series and DJI Flip could co-exist – unless the Flip is a more beginner-friendly, DJI Spark-style model that sits beneath the likes of the DJI Mini 4 Pro.

That scenario could make sense, as DJI has been keen to corner the market for drones that are built for social content creators. Like the Neo, the Flip appears to have the propellor guards needed for indoor flight or hovering around people, so it could act like an aerial selfie stick with accurate, Lidar-powered obstacle avoidance to keep it out of trouble.

That said, the leaked DJI Flip image shows that it has a gimbal-stabilized camera, so it's no toy like the Ryze Tello either. For now, my money is on the Flip being a successor to the standard DJI Mini 3 (which it still sells), leaving the Mini 4 Pro as a higher-end travel option. But I'm certainly looking forward to see more of those inevitable leaks to help fill in the gaps.

Mark is TechRadar's Senior news editor. Having worked in tech journalism for a ludicrous 17 years, Mark is now attempting to break the world record for the number of camera bags hoarded by one person. He was previously Cameras Editor at both TechRadar and Trusted Reviews, Acting editor on Stuff.tv, as well as Features editor and Reviews editor on Stuff magazine. As a freelancer, he's contributed to titles including The Sunday Times, FourFourTwo and Arena. And in a former life, he also won The Daily Telegraph's Young Sportswriter of the Year. But that was before he discovered the strange joys of getting up at 4am for a photo shoot in London's Square Mile.