DJI Flip Leaked! Leaks Reveal New DJI Drone with Compact Folding Design

A leaked video from Jasper Ellens reveals that DJI is working on a new drone with a flip design.

Breaking: Thanks to my friend YueYue this is the worlds first view of the #DJIFLIP. The Flip will be the next gen #foldable DJI drone (video). If you were waiting on a Mini 5. This is it. It will have O4 and probably LiDAR. Prop guards are like FPV carbon fiber. Cheers! Jasper pic.twitter.com/uhumLWXLup

— Jasper Ellens | X27 (@JasperEllens) December 1, 2024

Called the DJI Flip, the drone looks like it’s another selfie drone similar to the recently-released Neo.

The leaked drone has prop guards similar to the DJI Neo and folding arms with a “flip” design similar to the HoverAir X1.

In the folding designs used in recent DJI Mini models like the Mini 4 Pro, the drone’s arms fold toward its body. But the DJI Flip uses a different approach, with its arms seeming to fold down and piling on top of each other, making it small and compact. (Watch the video in the post above for an illustration of this.)

What We Know about the DJI Flip So Far

Based on leaked information and the technical specs included in its FCC filing, here’s everything we know so far about the DJI Flip.

1. Camera—48MP, 1/1.3″ Sensor

The camera is positioned at the front of the drone, and is speculated to have a 1/1.3″ sensor with 48MP resolution.

Also, from what we can tell in leaked video and images, the Flip’s camera appears to be mounted on a three-axis gimbal.

2. Flight Time—35-40 minutes

The DJI Flip will have an 3,110mAh battery, which is larger than the Neo’s 1,435mAh battery, and also larger than the 2,590mAh battery on the DJI Mini 4 Pro.

Given that the Mini 4 Pro’s flight time is 34 minutes, it seems safe to assume that the Flip’s flight time will be a little longer given that it has a somewhat larger battery.

3. Transmission and Control—O4 + Smartphone

It looks like the Flip will come with the O4 video transmission system, which is the most up-to-date version of DJI’s OcuSync transmission technology. That means it will have a long transmission range of up to 12.4 miles (20 km) and support a real-time live feed at 1080p 60fps.

For control, it seems likely that the Flip will be controlled via smartphone and not a controller, but that’s just speculation right now.

4. Cinewhoop-Like Features

The DJI Flip has larger propellers outfitted with prop guards, as well as a ducted design, similar to what you see on cinewhoops like the DJI Avata. These features will make the DJI Flip easier to fly, since it won’t get damaged as easily if it collides into things.

The ducted design could also make it quieter, which may be appealing for people flying in populated areas. Or, honestly, for anyone who just prefers not to hear the loud whine a drone typically makes in flight.

5. LiDAR?

It looks like the DJI Flip may come with LiDAR, based on what we can see in leaked images.

The recently-released DJI Air 3S comes with LiDAR, supporting nighttime flying.

It’s surprising that this much less expensive model would also include LiDAR, especially given that people are speculating the Flip will sell for around $300—if DJI has found a way to include LiDAR at such a low price point, that alone would be pretty revolutionary.

FCC Filing for the DJI Flip

Things may move fast with the release of the DJI Flip.

It’s already appeared in an FCC filing, which included some technical details that we’ll cover in the next section. These kinds of filings usually take place shortly before a launch, indicating DJI may be getting ready to launch the Flip soon.

At this point I don’t even understand #DJI anymore. The #DJIFLIP looks like a Frankensteined Mini 2, purely designed to be a 30 minute flight 4K micro drone that may or may not #FLIP or fold in two like the Hover AIR. What do you guys think? Cheers. pic.twitter.com/yHBoVOR1pG

— Jasper Ellens | X27 (@JasperEllens) November 29, 2024

Between the FCC filing and the amount of information that’s been leaked—something that often happens shortly before a DJI launch—we wouldn’t be surprised if the DJI Flip gets launched within the next month.

Some are saying the annual CES tradeshow could be the target launch date, given that it happens very close to the beginning of the year. The conference starts on January 7, which would make it almost exactly a month from today for the launch.