More DJI Air 3S Leaks Surface—Could a Release Be Soon?
BY Zacc Dukowitz
7 August 2024It’s looking more and more likely that DJI will release the Air 3S some time this year.
In a recent leak from drone industry insider OsitaLV we see what looks like a marketing image of the drone, making it look like DJI is getting ready for a launch.
A small upgrade of Air 3 pic.twitter.com/PlbE5TWDHk
— OsitaLV (@OsitaLV) August 3, 2024
@Quadro_News backed this up with a tweet on the same day, adding momentum to the idea that the Air 3S could be coming out soon.
Thanks to my subscribers for the information. DJI Air 3S in detail image#dji #djiair3s pic.twitter.com/1Q8RLuyomB
— Igor Bogdanov (@Quadro_News) August 3, 2024
Air 3S Leaks
The first purported leak of the Air 3S came out back in May—but many insiders rallied to call that one a fake.
All … Fake pic.twitter.com/jBluD6dmtR
— 航拍世家 打手 (@DealsDrone) May 21, 2024
This was an unusual development in the world of DJI leaks.
These leaks come out all the time, and some seem kind of sketchy at times. But it’s rare for a leak to be called out as fake, as @DealsDrone—themselves a reliable source of insider info—did here.
Nonetheless, there must have been something to the idea that DJI was working on a new version of the Air 3, because about a month after this so-called fake leak @Quadro_News shared what appeared to be a real one.
Here’s the video #dji #djiair3s https://t.co/Kp3dda5hkw
— Igor Bogdanov (@Quadro_News) June 20, 2024
Since then even more leaks have surfaced, including this video:
A video of the DJI Air 3S flying. Cyber goddess spoils me#dji #djiair3s pic.twitter.com/dbiOdQOXCz
— Igor Bogdanov (@Quadro_News) July 25, 2024
What We Know about the Air 3S So Far
No official specs have been leaked yet for the Air 3S, so everything we know so far is based on scrutinizing leaked images combined with some informed guesswork.
Combining the Air 2S and Air 3
The biggest rumor about the Air 3S is that its camera system will combine the best aspects of the Air 2S and the Air 3.
What does that mean? While the Air 2S has a single 1″ camera, the Air 3 has a dual-camera system with smaller 1/1.3″ sensors.
So some are speculating that the Air 3S will combine these two, adding a camera with a 1″ sensor to the drone’s dual payload (the second camera would stay a 1/1.3″ sensor).
This combination would make the Air 3S a potent tool for those doing high-end aerial photography, essentially giving pilots two cameras in a single platform.
A LiDAR Sensor?
There’s also some rumors that the Air 3S could carry a LiDAR sensor to assist with tracking and obstacle avoidance.
If the LiDAR rumor is true, the Air 3S would be the first consumer drone to come with LiDAR. Although LiDAR drones have become less expensive over the last few years, LiDAR is still only commonly found on expensive prosumer drones, which typically start at around $10,000.
The Air 3 currently sells for about $1,550, and the Air 3S will probably sell for a similar price point. If it comes with LiDAR at that price, this would be a big breakthrough in terms of making LiDAR more accessible to drone pilots.
Of course, a lot of this is still speculation. But if the Air 3S is going to come out soon then we’re sure to see more leaks before too long, which means we’ll probably get a lot more information in the near future.
