Secretly Recorded Footage Shows DJI Mavic 4

The Mavic 4 leaks keep coming, making it clear DJI is hard at work on the next generation in its iconic Mavic line.

The latest leak is a video secretly recorded outside of DJI’s headquarters in Shenzhen. Zooming in, we can see people working on what appears to be a Mavic 4 prototype.

Check it out in this post from Jasper Ellens:

Well hello #Mavic4. Someone searched the DJI building long enough to have a peek at the developers. First we see the big lens #M4pro getting charged up and later in the video there appears to be the normal M4 on a stand. Interesting. Cheers Jasper pic.twitter.com/tSf9VxXiaA

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

Although the footage isn’t the best quality, the fact that someone was able to record this level of detail from outside the building is remarkable.

So remarkable that one commenter on Ellens’ post doubted it was legitimate, saying “This is the most obvious example of DJI planting its own leaks as I’ve ever seen.”

In response, Ellens wrote, “Doubt. If it was intentional they would offer better image quality . . . I see these kind of spy pictures regularly around the DJI buildings. In the full video we see other new DJI products, intentional leaks don’t do that.”

But he did acknowledge that DJI seems to be involved in at least some of its own leaks, writing in another comment: “The boxes at Best Buy and clear pics from early Chinese users are the best example from possible #planted leaks before release.”

Which makes sense—there are so many leaks ahead of a DJI launch that it seems like at least a few of them have to be plants.

All the Mavic 4 Leaks So Far

Here are all the major leaks that have come out so far about the Mavic 4.

July 19, 2024

New gimbal pic.twitter.com/1BlMQoAjyA

— OsitaLV (@OsitaLV) July 19, 2024

Images and video of a potential Mavic 4 prototype surface, showing a new gimbal design and triple camera setup.

September 22, 2024

So. A wild #Mavic4 popped up in China yesterday, notice the absence of sensors on the front and the camera being a perfect sphere making it possible to even photograph straight up. Will we see this before Christmas? Cheers! pic.twitter.com/GvHPtlKjP6

— Jasper Ellens | X27 (@JasperEllens) September 22, 2024

@JasperEllens on X shares an image of the Mavic 4 spotted in public, mounted on a camera rig alongside other equipment.

September 28, 2024

I am positive this is the #Mavic4 FCC registration. We see a bigger battery, indicating flight time improvements and a #double registration like previous Cine and Pro versions. DJI is trying to hide the FCC names but it doesn’t matter. Hello #Mavic4. pic.twitter.com/qB3IvfQooZ

— Jasper Ellens | X27 (@JasperEllens) September 28, 2024

FCC listings for two new DJI models (JV31 and JV32) are discovered, hinting at a larger 99.5 Wh battery for the Mavic 4.

November 1, 2024

A leaked video allegedly shows the Mavic 4 being tested inside DJI’s headquarters (this is the leak we’re reporting on today).

What We Know about the Mavic 4 So Far

As you can see, the Mavic 4 leaks have been pretty sparse so far, and mainly consist of images without a whole lot of actual spec information.

That being said, there’s still a fair amount of information we can glean from these leaked images.

Here’s everything we know so far about the Mavic 4.

Camera and Gimbal

The most significant leaked information yet about the Mavic 4 has to do with its camera and gimbal system.

• One of the leaked photos shows a redesigned camera housing with a spherical shape, mounted on what seems to be a more flexible gimbal.
• The new gimbal appears to offer 90-degree pitch capabilities, potentially allowing for greater versatility in capturing footage.
• The camera housing looks similar to that of the Mavic 3 Pro, suggesting possible sensor upgrades.

Battery and Flight Time

The FCC filing also gives us some information—the documentation is thin on details, but it does hint at a substantial battery upgrade.

• Both rumored models (JV31 and JV32, likely Mavic 4 Cine and Mavic 4 Pro versions) are expected to feature a 99.5 Wh battery (14.76V/6,471 mAh).
• This is a significant increase from the Mavic 3 series’ 77 Wh (15.4V/5,000 mAh) battery.
• The larger battery could potentially extend flight times beyond the Mavic 3’s 46-minute limit.

Design and Body

Leaked images also suggest some changes to the Mavic 4’s overall design.

• The fuselage appears to have a more cylindrical shape, aligning with the spherical camera housing.
• Two motors are visible above the camera housing (this is consistent with previous Mavic designs).

Additional Speculation

While not confirmed, there is also speculation that the Mavic 4 might:

• Come with LIDAR technology, potentially for 3D modeling or for sophisticated RTH. The new DJI Air 3S has a LiDAR sensor, which could back up this theory.
• Come with an upgrade to a Micro 4/3″ sensor.

When Will the Mavic 4 Come Out?

No rumors have started circulating yet about the Mavic 4’s potential release date. Given how close we are to the end of the year, we’d guess it won’t be released until some time in early to mid-2025.