DJI Avata 360 Combines FPV Flight with 360 Capture—But U.S. Buyers Will Have to Wait

DJI has launched the Avata 360, the first ever 360 FPV drone.

Hold on, you might be saying. We thought the Antigravity A1 was the “first ever” 360 drone.

But that’s the thing: both Antigravity and DJI have managed to make 360 drones that are unique.

Here’s the difference between the Avata 360 and the A1:

• The Antigravity A1 is the first drone with a natively-integrated 360 camera—it has a 360 camera embedded in the airframe as part of its design.
• The DJI Avata 360 is the first ever 360 FPV drone—it has both an FPV camera and a 360 camera, letting you switch between the two depending on how you want to shoot.

( Note: Before the A1, 360 drones were drones that people had attached 360 cameras to—the A1 is the first drone that comes with a 360 camera.)

Through all the build up to the Avata 360 launch, we thought it was going to be the “second ever”—a follow-up to the A1.

But now that it’s out, we know that it has its own unique claim to make as the first drone that lets you fly and shoot FPV and capture immersive 360 footage.

And that makes its launch even more exciting.

The Avata 360 Isn’t for Sale in the U.S.—Yet

Here’s the catch.

Despite months of buzz and lots of build up—and the impression that DJI planned to launch in the U.S. this week, on March 26—the Avata 360 isn’t available yet.

Right now, if you go to DJI’s Avata 360 page you’ll get a 404 error.

 

When DJI launches drones in other countries but not here, it doesn’t usually share any marketing materials in the U.S. No YouTube video, no devoted page.

But with the Avata 360, there’s a YouTube video live right now (the one embedded above).

And if you Google “DJI Avata 360” there’s a page that comes up—the page that gives you the 404 error when you click on it:

So What’s Going On?

It’s unclear.

DJI hasn’t issued any official statements about the delay.

Right now, a banner on the DJI Amazon page points to March 30 at 8 a.m. EST as the new release date—later than the March 26 date originally promoted for the launch.

So for now, we’ll just have to wait and see.

The First Ever 360 FPV Drone

The Antigravity A1 introduced the idea of a true 360 camera drone.

The Avata 360 pushes the concept further, letting pilots shoot immersive 360 footage and then switch into a more traditional forward-facing flight mode instead of treating the drone as a 360-only tool.

Credit: DJI

Here are the main specs and features for the Avata 360:

• Dual-lens 360 camera. Two lenses combine to capture up to 8K 360 video, with support for 60fps recording.
• Traditional FPV option. The camera system can also be oriented for a more standard single-lens FPV shooting mode.
• Flight time. Up to 23 minutes.
• Transmission range. Up to 20 km, or about 12 miles, in ideal conditions.
• Weight. About 1 pound (455 grams).
• Built-in propeller guards. Like other Avatas, the frame is designed for flying in close indoor spaces, which is helpful for shooting cinewhoop-style fly throughs.

DJI Is Putting Up a Strong Fight in the 360 Drone Race

Looking at specs alone, the Avata 360 is more capable than the A1.

It flies faster, has a longer range, and gives pilots more ways to control the aircraft.

It’s also designed for two different kinds of users: people who want to capture everything and reframe later (i.e., those who want 360 footage), and people who still want the familiar feel of an Avata-style FPV drone.

Credit: DJI

On top of that, it looks like the Avata 360 will be cheaper than the A1.

On Amazon, the cheapest A1 bundle is currently $1,279. And that’s at a 20% price reduction from its usual $1,599 price.

A1 bundles go up from there, with the most expensive one priced at $1,999 (though also currently reduced by 20%, to $1,599).

Compare that to these leaked Avata 360 prices:

• About $500 for the drone itself
• About $900-$1,200 for bundles

When the A1 launched, it looked like Antigravity had a strong chance of elbowing out some space in the consumer drone market, where DJI has long dominated.

And that may still be true.

But for now, it’s clear DJI has a lot of fight left. And that fight continues with the Avata 360.