Leaked DJI Mavic 4 image hints at a key camera upgrade for the next flagship drone

The DJI Mavic 3 Pro drone on a blue background
The DJI Mavic 3 Pro launched in 2021 (Image credit: DJI)

The DJI Mavic 3 is undeniably a great drone, but it's also three years old at this point, and a newly leaked image supposedly showing off the DJI Mavic 4 suggests that a newer model is on the way in the not-too-distant future.

This leak comes from @Quadro_News on X (via Notebookcheck), a tipster with a solid track record for DJI leaks. The picture shows what seems to be a redesigned camera housing for the Mavic 4, right next to a DJI Mavic 3 Pro.

We can't tell too much from the image, but @OsitaLV on X has spotted what looks like 90-degree pitch capabilities for the camera – potentially giving users even more flexibility when it comes to capturing the perfect footage. There are potentially sensor upgrades here too, it looks like.

What we don't get are any indications of camera specs. For reference, the Pro version of the DJI Mavic 3 that's also visible in this shot offers a main Four Thirds 20MP Hasselblad camera, plus two telephoto cameras.

DJI Mavic 4 launch date

The next question is when are we going to see the DJI Mavic 4 break cover? The company has already launched the compact DJI Neo this year, as well as the DJI Osmo Action 5 Pro GoPro rival, and the signs are that the DJI Mavic 4 will launch in 2024 too.

That would make it a very busy few months for DJI, but perhaps with the shadow of a US ban on DJI looming, the company feels it needs to push out as much hardware as it can before any kind of restrictions are put in place.

The only real DJI Mavic 4 leak of note that's come our way previous to this one also involved a picture of the camera setup, though we're still mostly in the dark when it comes to the sort of specifications and capabilities of these cameras.

Meanwhile, we've seen several leaks around the DJI Air 3S mid-range drone, pointing towards big camera upgrades and showing off the drone in flight. This is another model that might make an appearance in the next few months.

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David Nield
Freelance Contributor

Dave is a freelance tech journalist who has been writing about gadgets, apps and the web for more than two decades. Based out of Stockport, England, on TechRadar you'll find him covering news, features and reviews, particularly for phones, tablets and wearables. Working to ensure our breaking news coverage is the best in the business over weekends, David also has bylines at Gizmodo, T3, PopSci and a few other places besides, as well as being many years editing the likes of PC Explorer and The Hardware Handbook.