Review on DJI 📷 Mini Fly More Package by Steve Douglas

Rather than list all the new features, here are the practical differences that struck me the most compared to the original Mavic Mini. I did this on a very windy day with gusts >30mph. In this video, the Mini 2 holds steady in strong winds. Most importantly, the range is better with OccuSync 2.0. I use this to monitor abandoned railroad tracks. The original Mini 1 lost video reception about 1200 feet down the trail, hovering low among dense trees. The new Mini 2 continues to operate about 40% in this dense environment, only losing signal when blocked by a concrete bridge. However, the difference in range is most noticeable when flying higher with line of sight, where the distance should be more than double (10km is a lot farther than I want to test). There are third-party Yagi signal boosters that can increase the range even further. After the range increase, my next favorite novelty is the greatly improved remote control. The Mini 1 has a poor design: larger phones like the iPhone Plus or Max series don't fit on the mount, and the cable doesn't reach all the way to the phone's body. The Mini 2 phone holder is much better! The antenna also works like a spring clip so the phone is placed on top in the best viewing position and large phones fit easily. Another great design improvement is the cable storage in the antenna bay, so you can just grab and carry just the controller and quad without having to carry a small cable separately. The controller now has a reset button and a film/normal/sport selector switch right on the controller. This is nice as it reduces panic when trying to find my way home on my phone screen when someone is trying to call me from my iPhone. Another new feature I like is the ability to record videos in 4K in widescreen format. Angular, 180° and spherical panoramas (vs. 2.7K on Mini 1). It makes your hair stand on end when you see video results played back on a computer. It's like cinema-quality video in a cute little thing that fits in the palm of your hand. If you look closely at the two models side-by-side, both models are physically identical, so the Mini 1 was designed with the same physical accessories, such as: B. the propeller guard that works on the Mini 2. I was curious to know the difference in weight, so I weighed them on a precision lab balance. Mini 1 without battery: 5.27 oz. Mini 2 without battery: 5.56 oz. Mini 1 with battery: 8.68 oz. Mini 2 with battery: 8.37 oz. DJI has balanced the slightly increased weight of slick new internals with a lighter battery design. What do I not like about the updated model? Only one very small point - the kit comes with a soft case, similar to a case for a camera or a case for binoculars with a shoulder strap. I prefer the semi-hard case that came with my original Mavic Mini Fly More Combo. The gray semi-hard case looks better, packs faster, and offers better protection. However, this doesn't really matter as there are many third-party accessories. Overall I HIGHLY RECOMMEND the Mini 2 even if you already own an original Mini. (Save time, stop reading a million reviews and click the BUY button). Also, it would be a great gift for "the one who has everything" if they have never tried drones before. Flying is very easy due to the self-correcting stabilization (just before this test I accidentally hit a branch and he recovered from a somersault and came back home - hooray!)