Meet Spark, DJI’s Smallest Drone to Date – and it’s only $500

DJI has recently released a teaser for their latest drone, and it’s finally revealed. Meet Spark, DJI’s smallest drone so far. This compact aircraft practically fits into your palm, and it weighs only 0.66 lbs. Despite the price of their previous models, the latest part of DJI family costs half of, say, Mavic Pro. Spark features some pretty powerful features for a tiny drone like this, but it has certain drawbacks as well. Let’s take a closer look.

The first and the most obvious adventure of DJI Spark is its compact size and small weight. But other than this, it features an integrated camera with motorized stabilization. It achieves 31 mph top speed, and up to 16 minutes of flight time. It has a GPS- and vision-based navigation and a 3D obstacle-detection system. When it comes to image quality, there is an info that may be problematic for some users. DJI Spark captures 12MP still images, like Mavic Pro. But unlike its big brother: Spark shoots Full HD videos instead of 4K.

Let’s take a look at more detailed specs and features:

Performance
Maximum Takeoff Weight	10.6 oz / 300 g
Maximum Speed	31 mph (50 km/h) in Sport Mode without wind
Maximum Ascent Speed	9.8 ft/s (3 m/s) in Sport Mode without wind
Maximum Descent Speed	9.8 ft/s (3 m/s) in Auto Landing Mode
Flight Ceiling	13,123′ (4000 m)
Flight Time	16 minutes (no wind at a consistent 12.4 mph (20 km/h))
Hover Time	15 minutes (no wind)
Hovering Accuracy	Vertical: ± 0.3′ / 0.1 m (when Vision Positioning is active) or ± 1.6′ / 0.5 m”Horizontal:  ± 0.3′ / 0.1 m (when Vision Positioning is active) or ± 4.9′ / 1.5 m”

Flight Control System
Supported Satellite Positioning Systems	GPS / GLONASS

3D Object Detection
Operating Range	1 to 16′ / 0.2 to 5 m
Operating Environment	Surface should be larger than 7.9 x 7.9″ (20 x 20 cm) and enable diffuse reflection, with reflection rate >20%

Vision Positioning System
Velocity Range	≤22.4 mph (36 km/h) at 6.6′ (2 m) above ground
Altitude Range	0 to 26′ / 0 to 8 m
Operating Range	0 to 98′ / 0 – 30 m
Operating Environment	Surface with clear patterns, enables diffuse reflection with >20% reflection rate

Flight Control System
Wi-Fi	Frequency: 2.412 to 2.462 GHz / 5.745-5.825 GHz
Transmit Power	2.4 GHz: 25 dBm 5.8 GHz: 27 dBm

Radio Controller
Maximum Transmission Distance	2.4 GHz: 1.2 miles / 2 km (unobstructed, free of interference) 5.8 GHz: 1.2 miles / 2 km (unobstructed, free of interference)
Transmit Power	2.4 GHz: ≤26 dBm 5.8 GHz: ≤28 dBm
Battery	Capacity: 950 mAh Voltage: 3.7 V
Mobile Device Holder	Thickness Range: 0.3 x 0.3″ / 6.5 x 8.5 mm Max length: 6.3″ / 160 mm

Camera
Sensor	Type: 1.2/3″ CMOS Effective Pixels: 12 MP
Lens	FOV 81.9° Focal Length: 25 mm (35 mm-format equivalent) Aperture: f/2.6 Focusing Distance: 6.6′ (2 m) to ∞
ISO Range	Video: 100 to 3200 Photo: 100 to 1600
Electronic Shutter Speed	2 to 1/8000 second
Video Resolution	1920 x 1080 (Full HD) at 30p
Photo Resolution	3968 x 2976
Photo Modes	Single Shot Burst Shooting: 3 frames Auto Exposure Bracketing (AEB): 3 bracketed frames at 0.7 EV bias Interval: 2/3/5/7/10/15/20/30/60 seconds
Maximum Video Bitrate	24 Mbps
File Formats	Photo: JPEG Video: MP4 (MPEG-4 AVC/H.264)
Recording Media	Type: microSDHC/SDXC card up to 64 GB Format: FAT32 / exFAT Note: Class 10/U1/V10 or faster card required (64 GB maximum size)

Gimbal
Number of Axes	2-axis (pitch, roll)
Control Range	Pitch: -85° to 0°

Flight Battery
Chemistry	Lithium-ion polymer (LiPo)
Capacity	1480 mAh / 16.87 Wh
Voltage	11.4 V
Configuration	3S
Maximum Charging Voltage	13.05 V
Charging Temperature	41 to 104°F / 5 to 40° C
Weight	0.2 lb / 95 g

Charger
Power Requirements	100 to 240 V; 50/60 Hz at 0.5 A
Output Power	5 V / 3 A 9 V / 2 A 12 V / 1.5 A

General
Diagonal Size	6.7″ / 170 mm
Overall Dimensions	5.6 x 5.6 x 2.2″ / 143 x 143 x 55 mm
Operating Temperature	32 to 104°F / 0° to 40°C

Considering the size and the price, it seems DJI Spark has a lot to offer. Although, it does lack 4K and even some cheaper drones have it. Still, those of you who are fine with Full HD can still get a lot from DJI Spark in a small package. The drone is available for preorders, and you can choose one of five colors: Alpine White, Lava Red, Meadow Green, Sky Blue, and Sunrise Yellow. The price is quite affordable: $500, and it’s expected to start shipping on June 15, 2017.

[DJI Spark via The Verge]