What Will DJI Release in 2023? The Inspire 3 Is on the List—See All the DJI Predictions Drone Industry Insiders Are Making for 2023

2022 was a huge year for DJI.

On the drone front, it released the DJI Avata, the Mini 3 Pro, and the Matrice 30, not to mention several new up- and down-scaled versions of existing drone models like the Mavic 3 Enterprise, the Mavic 3 Classic, and the Mini 3.

The DJI Avata | Credit: DJI

But when we look back at the 2022 predictions for DJI circulating at the end of 2021, only some of them were right.

Those rumors said 2022 would see the launch of:

• The DJI Mini 3 Pro—true
• The DJI RS3—true
• The FPV Mini—false
• The Inspire 3—false
• The Pocket 3—false

So what can we learn from last year’s false predictions? And how can we interpret the predictions coming out now from industry insiders about what DJI might have in store for 2023?

One Insider’s Predictions for 2023

DJI insider @DealsDrone has been a reliable source of DJI leaks and information for a while now.

They recently shared a list of predictions for what DJI will release in 2023. Here are the drones that were listed:

• Inspire 3—March
• Air 3—May
• Matrice 350T—June
• Mavic 3S—July

this is just guesswork for 2023 pic.twitter.com/f5Jd92VrHX

— 航拍世家 打手 (@DealsDrone) January 9, 2023

Of course, they do say “this is just guesswork”—but given their track record, their guesswork means a lot more than that of your average drone enthusiast.

2023 Is the Year for the Inspire 3

One thing that jumps out from the list is the Inspire 3, the only drone that was—wrongly—predicted for 2022. (The FPV Mini was also predicted for 2022, but we don’t see it on the @DealsDrone list.)

The Inspire series hasn’t had an update since 2016, when the Inspire 2 came out.

The DJI Inspire 2 | Credit: DJI

Similar to the Mavic 2, the Inspire 2 has been a reliable and beloved DJI model. But, also like the Mavic series, it’s now beyond time for the Inspire series to get an upgrade or to just be phased out.

2021 was the year of the Mavic 3—and 2022, arguably, since the Mavic 3 came out late in 2021, and then we saw the Mavic 3 Enterprise and Classic come out in 2022.

And now it’s looking like 2023 will be the year of the Inspire 3.

There are several good reasons to believe the Inspire 3 will come out this year. In 2022, we saw leak after leak about the Inspire 3, including several images and videos. And when you see that many leaks, it’s always a sign that DJI is getting ready for a launch.

Here’s a quick roundup of all the Inspire 3 leaks that came out last year.

Leaked Crash Photos

In April, these leaked photos came out showing a crashed Inspire 3 prototype.

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

Two Models Shown in Leaked Photos

In June, this leaked photo seemed to indicate that two models of the Inspire 3 could be in the works, similar to the Mavic 3 and Mavic 3 Cine that were launched at the same time in late 2021.

Inspire 3 ready to take off. pic.twitter.com/ddoVFUW3B2

— OsitaLV (@OsitaLV) June 18, 2022

Inspire 3 in the Wild

In August, more photos came out of the Inspire 3 in flight, further substantiating rumors of its existence.

It’s flying! pic.twitter.com/by8ySYwDRP

— OsitaLV (@OsitaLV) July 28, 2022

Secretly Recorded Leaked Video

In September, this video was tweeted out purporting to show test flights of the Inspire 3.

DJI Inspire 3 testing pic.twitter.com/E9Oo4du0CN

— 航拍世家 打手 (@DealsDrone) September 19, 2022

That’s a lot of leaks. In fact, the sheer number of them seems to back up the idea that DJI is working on a new Inspire drone, and that its release is imminent.

And March seems like a reasonable guess for when it could come out. Based on all these leaks, it seems like DJI has been working on the Inspire 3 for some time, and it’s probably getting close to ready for the big launch.

What about the Other Predictions?

The Air 3, the Matrice 350T, and the Mavic 3S were also predicted for 2023.

For the Air 3, the prediction makes a lot of sense.

The Air 2 came out back in April of 2020, followed by the Air 2S about a year later. (The Air 2S is one of the DJI drones that was accidentally leaked by being shelved at a Best Buy before its official launch—always love when that happens!)

Given the amount of time that’s passed, it makes sense that DJI would be working on a new version of this mid-level prosumer drone.

The Matrice 350T prediction also seems likely to come true.

DJI is definitely keeping the commercial market in mind while maintaining its dominance in the consumer space. And the release of a new heavy-lift commercial model in the Matrice series would be well in line with its efforts to keep and grow its presence among first responders, inspectors, and others who look to the Matrice line for heavy duty commercial solutions.

As for the Mavic 3S, we have no idea what to think of that prediction.

DJI has already released the Mavic 3, Mavic 3 Cine, Mavic 3 Enterprise, and Mavic 3 Classic. Do we really need another version?

Well, I guess we’re just going to have to wait to find out.