DJI has officially added a new member to their drone family – Phantom 4 Advanced. After announcing the termination of Phantom 4, it seems it got a decent replacement. Phantom 4 Advanced has some similarities to the rest of the series, like its sleek and elegant look and some of the features. But it has some advantages and improvements over its terminated predecessor. It seems that a new and improved version of Phantom 4 is ready for takeoff.
If you’re thinking of upgrading, you may wonder what the differences are between Phantom 4, Phantom 4 Pro and Phantom 4 Advanced. Here’s what DJI points out:
The main differences between the Phantom 4 and Phantom 4 Advanced
The Phantom 4 Advanced’s uprated camera shoots 4K/60 fps video at a bitrate of 100 Mbps and stills at up to 20 megapixels. It can be used with an optional integrated monitor for even more reliable transmission. Operators are empowered with a new suite of Intelligent Flight Modes.The maximum flight speed of the Phantom 4 Advanced is slightly higher than the Phantom 4 when flying in P-mode. The maximum flight time is extended to 30 minutes, the transmission range is extended to 7 km, and the obstacle sensing range is increased from 15 m to 30 m.
The main differences between the Phantom 4 Pro and Phantom 4 Advanced
The Phantom 4 Advanced inherits most of the functions of the Phantom 4 Pro. However, in order to increase affordability, unlike the Phantom 4 Pro the Phantom 4 Advanced does not have rear vision sensors and two infrared sensors in its FlightAutonomy system. Also, its remote controller does not support the 5.8 GHz frequency band and Tapfly Backward has been removed.
What accessories can be used with both the Phantom 4 and Phantom 4 Advanced?
Propellers, Intelligent Flight Batteries, chargers, power cables and micro USB cables can be used with both the Phantom 4 and Phantom 4 Advanced.
Here are more differences between the two drones, as well as the rest of the specs of Phantom 4 Advanced:
- The Phantom 4 Advanced’s camera has a wide-angle lens specially designed for aerial photography, with an aperture range of F2.8 to F11 and a 24 mm equivalent focal length. It’s also equipped with a mechanical shutter and auto focus support.
- The Phantom 4 Advanced camera is able to record UHD 4K (4096X2160) at 60 fps, at a maximum bitrate of 100 Mbps using the H.265 codec. It also allows you to capture still images while filming. The Phantom 4 Advanced camera sensor is also larger than the Phantom 4 camera sensor, ensuring clearer images.
- The mechanical shutter eliminates rolling shutter distortion, which can occur when capturing images of fast moving subjects with an electric shutter.
- Phantom 4 Advanced’s camera supports focus adjustment. You should tap a point on the display to focus at that point after switching from metering to focus mode. Auto focus can also be triggered by half-pressing the shutter button, before fully pressing the shutter to capture an image. Focus can be set between 1 m and infinity.
- The obstacle sensing range of the Phantom 4 Advanced front vision sensor has been increased to 30 m.
- “Compared to the Phantom 4 Pro, the Phantom 4 Advanced remote controller doesn’t support the 5.8 GHz frequency band.
- The Phantom 4 Advanced+ remote controller has a built-in screen.”
- The new Phantom 4 Advanced Intelligent Flight Modes include Draw, Gesture, an upgraded TapFly, Tripod, Terrain Follow and an upgraded ActiveTrack.
- The maximum flight speed of the Phantom 4 Advanced in P-mode is 14 m/s.
According to DJI, Phantom 4 model will officially reach its End of Life on April 30, 2017. However, DJI will continue to provide after sales support to Phantom 4 customers and they can continue to enjoy flying their aircraft using the DJI GO 4 app. So if you own a Phantom 4, this information may be valuable to you.
You can get Phantom 4 Advanced for $1,349 and Phantom 4 Advanced+ for $1,649 on DJI’s website or Amazon. You can preorder now, and shipping begins soon – on April 30, 2017. Will you be upgrading?
So if P4 is going away I wonder if that means a a P5 is on its way. If released as normal a P5 would be out end of this month. Also there is an event April 23rd, where the Spark will be announced, but I wonder if P5 will be out then too.