Leaked Photos of a Crashed Inspire 3 Seem to Confirm that DJI Will Extend the Series

In early February DJI sent out a notice that it would be discontinuing the Inspire 2, driving speculation that the company was getting ready for an Inspire 3 launch.

Other rumors have backed up this idea, including a list shared by @DealsDrone toward the end of last year that supposedly contains the major DJI products planned for launch in 2022.

Despite these rumors, we haven’t seen substantial evidence to support the idea that an Inspire 3 will come out this year, or even that DJI is planning to continue the Inspire line.

Until now.

A new leak from drone industry insider @OsitaLV claims to show a crashed Inspire 3, presenting the first time an Inspire 3 rumor is backed up by photos.

Never crash an unannounced prototype or it will become a breaking news if someone else pick it up.
Yeah, it’s Inspire 3! pic.twitter.com/wjCAisZOW0

— OsitaLV (@OsitaLV) April 11, 2022

Of course, this kind of leak raises questions, since it doesn’t seem like it was the pilot test flying the drone who found and photographed it. So who found this crashed drone? And how did they know what it was?

Nonetheless, it does look like the drone in the pictures has many of the same design elements as the Inspire 2. If we run with the idea that this is, in fact, an Inspire 3 prototype, one of the biggest details that stands out is that it has foldable propellers (the Inspire 1 and 2 don’t have foldable propellers).

Because the payload isn’t visible, there unfortunately isn’t a lot more that can be gleaned from the photos—we can’t see the camera or even the drone’s batteries here.

But the leak does seem to support the theory that DJI will continue the Inspire series, and that the Inspire 3 will most likely launch this year.

What Will the Inspire 3 Look Like?

The Inspire 2 came out way back in 2016. To put that in perspective, that was the same year the FAA released the Part 107 rules.

DJI’s Inspire 2

Since then there has been nonstop speculation about what an Inspire 3 might look like—here are all the features we might see with the Inspire 3:

• Improved camera—8K at 75fps, 6K at 100fps, 4K at 200fps + a larger CMOS sensor.
• Updated airframe—could be lighter than the Inspire 2, helping to extend the drone’s battery life.
• Longer flight time—5-7 minutes or more.
• Better obstacle avoidance—improved omni-directional obstacle avoidance, including rear sensors.
• Better transmission technology—O4 video transmission with less latency + an increased flight range.
• New remote control—most likely the new RC Plus, which comes with DJI’s new Matrice 30.
• ABS—Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast System, which is now standard on new DJI drones.

Other Inspire 3 Leaks

Although there haven’t been any leaked photos of the Inspire 3 prior to the one we’re reporting on here, there have been several leaks hinting at what we might expect with the Inspire 3. Keep reading for a roundup of all of them.

Sketch of the Inspire 3

Here’s a leaked drawing from @OsitaLV showing what the Inspire 3 might look like, along with possible specs.

RC Plus Compatibility

In a tweet that came out last month, we see speculation that the RC Plus will be compatible with the Inspire 3, as well as apparent confirmation that the Inspire 3 is in the works (because the letters “WM” are supposed to signify the Inspire line).

The new RC Plus with 7″ screen.
PM320 should be this upcoming new enterprise drone, WM630 should be Inspire 3.
Inspire series always have the codename with WM. pic.twitter.com/5os1bmamp2

— OsitaLV (@OsitaLV) March 16, 2022

Possible Price Point

Other speculation about the Inspire 3 has focused on its potential price, which everyone believes will be quite high.

According to rumors, it looks like the Inspire 3 may cost 1.5 times the Ronin 8K’s $11,499 price tag, making the price around $17,000.

When Will It Come Out?

According to the DJI product timeline leaked last year, the Inspire 3 is slated for launch this September.

That being said, these leaked launch dates don’t always seem to line up with reality—but we wouldn’t be surprised if the new, much anticipated Inspire were to launch before the end of 2022.