Can say i'm exactly happy about this new launch, just bought a spark on blackfriday and now its been superdeeded in less than 2 months......
Why are the camra specs exaclty the same yet the mavicAir records in 4k..........? I cant help feel we spark owners are being royally mugged off!!!!!!!

Word is, the Spark needs the extra camera power to compensate for only having 2 axis gimbal, it uses some digital stabilization in place of the 3rd axis.
The Mavics don’t have this problem, so they are able to use the whole sensor.

And I feel that fixing the spark problems has been abandoned for a long time and fear it still will, mavic air taking all the resources.

DJI have become the Apple of the drone world..... all they want to do is keep new punters entertained with new toys! To release this just a few short months after the last product is so out of order. I badly wanted 4k but took the hit because of the size of the spark. I compromised and have now been taken for a ride....

I like the Spark, and I will also be buying the Mavic Air. I don’t regret buying the Spark, even though it’s only a few week ago.

I swear, I will never understand this logic, but I see it all the time.  Your Spark fly's the same as it did yesterday, does it not?  Would it make folks feel better if DJI held off on this announcement because YOU just bought a Spark a short time ago?  I just do not get how some folks feel "wronged" when a company releases a new product.  Don't you want a company to innovate and bring out new products to give consumers more choices?  I just don't get it - and this is coming from someone who just bought a Spark at Christmas!

I feel wronged because I wanted 4K, if i was presented with this choice today I would get the mavicAir... so yes I now feel like I wasted my money

Grmachine Posted at 2018-1-23 10:58
I like the Spark, and I will also be buying the Mavic Air. I don’t regret buying the Spark, even though it’s only a few week ago.

And you are exactly the kind of mug they need to bump up those profits........

Well it took me a long time to decide on buying the Spark, regret is a harmful emotion, they won’t be getting my money for at least another month. Not like I jumped on pre order.

Iʻve never experienced Buyerʻs Regret... until now. I cannot help but feel like sucker. Well played, DJI, well played.
I like my Spark, I canʻt fault a company for enterprising, that is all fine. DJI has a drone line like a car company has different models, with trim levels. Although, if I knew this was in the pipe, I would have waited. Who doesnʻt like 4K? What burns is, Iʻll end up likely buying from DJI again, at a higher product. Nice.

And,in a few months it’ll be something new. Your Spark still does what it does when you bought it.

mr_spark Posted at 2018-1-23 11:05
I feel wronged because I wanted 4K, if i was presented with this choice today I would get the mavicAir... so yes I now feel like I wasted my money

You could have had a 4K it’s called a Mavic Pro, but you really didn’t need 4K that’s why you bought a Spark.
If you have a 4K screen then you should have bought a 4K drone, if you don’t then you don’t need a 4K drone.
Spark is a great little drone for the money.

Well, I would have preferred a Mavic Air with the foldable arms and 4 k camera and longer flight time.  ...but I got my Spark for $350.  I can't exactly complain.

I would like to know why they chose to call it a Mavic air and not a Spark 2
Would it be all the teething problems with the spark ?
Or just that the Spark name is already dirt in the drone community.
I would bet our Sparks have just lost at least half of there resale value and they haven't even been out for a year yet!
I would give odds that the spark will no longer be available or hugely discounted by the end of March. And that your chance of getting a new replacement under DJI refresh after that point will be highly unlikely.
I for one wont be jumping in early again. Let someone else have the teething troubles this time. (I purchased mine as soon as they where available in the UK)
If DJI had any respect for the people that had purchased the spark they should have at least stuck with the name or offered spark owners a trade in or discount (and I mean a big discount) on Mavic air as it is without question a Spark replacement .
Don't get me wrong, I love my little spark,
I just hope that DJI do the wright thing by Spark owners and strive to Improve the product that they sold to us. My main concern is that development of the firmware and app for the spark will be secondary to the new model.

heliman Posted at 2018-1-23 10:37
And I feel that fixing the spark problems has been abandoned for a long time and fear it still will, mavic air taking all the resources.

That's nothing new, just ask the guys who bought a Phantom 4.  Probably the shorted lived model in the DJI store, support what. . .

brian_b Posted at 2018-1-23 11:19
Iʻve never experienced Buyerʻs Regret... until now. I cannot help but feel like sucker. Well played, DJI, well played.
I like my Spark, I canʻt fault a company for enterprising, that is all fine. DJI has a drone line like a car company has different models, with trim levels. Although, if I knew this was in the pipe, I would have waited. Who doesnʻt like 4K? What burns is, Iʻll end up likely buying from DJI again, at a higher product. Nice.

For the record - they are making the next Mavic right now... The presenter even said that they started planning this drone the day after they shipped the original Mavic (end of 2016). It is hard when you buy something and something better is released weeks later but that is how tech works - your Spark is exactly what it was when you bought it so enjoy it!

For the record, I still adore my Spark and think especially at the current price (half of the Mavic Air) its a fantastic little bird.  A pioneer of sorts.

The spark is a great drone I still love it I just don’t appreciate how less than a year after it comes out they lower the price and release some other better product, yes it’s great that it’s cheaper now but they should have released the Mavic air and spark at the same time then their wouldn’t be ppl unhappy like me

I'm super happy. I bought the spark to practice with and learn until I got a better one. When the mavic platinum drops 25% I'll snap one up and right away. Win-win.

If you are going to be dissappointed every time a new version of the next tech, you probably should stop buying tech.   Do you think DJI will stop developing products now ?  There will never be another announcement ? Upgrade ? New model ?   

Someone already said that your Spark flies exactly the same as yesterday, nothing stopped working overnight.  It was good enough then, but today all of sudden it’s not good enough.   

Guess what.....it will happen again.  With your drone, with your phone, with your TV, with your camera...etc.

I saw the exact same comments when they announced the Osmo Mobile 2.  People unhappy they released a new product, and even incensed they dropped the price !!!  Lol.   Apparrently DJI need to respect their customers by making things cheaper for them.... smh

mr_spark Posted at 2018-1-23 10:43
DJI have become the Apple of the drone world..... all they want to do is keep new punters entertained with new toys! To release this just a few short months after the last product is so out of order. I badly wanted 4k but took the hit because of the size of the spark. I compromised and have now been taken for a ride....

I got the Spark for Christmas. I would have hoped for at least a month of feeling happy with what I had. (Especially after I tricked it out with the new charging station and PolarPro Cinema filters. None of it moves forward to the Spark II ...  I mean the MavicAir.)   

JxckSweeney Posted at 2018-1-23 12:37
The spark is a great drone I still love it I just don’t appreciate how less than a year after it comes out they lower the price and release some other better product, yes it’s great that it’s cheaper now but they should have released the Mavic air and spark at the same time then their wouldn’t be ppl unhappy like me

Well, put yourself in the shoes of someone who bought a Phantom 4 in say October 2016 - they unexpectedly released the Phantom 4 Pro the following month which was so successful that they completely discontinued the original Phantom 4 in Jan '17 rendering it completely obsolete. At least the Spark is still on the shelf.

Geez people.

You all act like your drones fall out of the air once a new model is released ?   What is wrong with you people ?

You can’t be happy anymore because you don’t have the latest model now ?  Seriously ?

Howabout I post various youtube videos of mavic footage, spark footage, inspire footage.etc.  You tell me which is which then I’ll believe you have a point.

wonder if the Spark remote control works with this

Oh look the Mavic Air comes with RC cables... just like the spark should have,

Its pretty clear now that  killing off the OTG cable for the spark was a clear agenda to make it a distinguishing feature for the Air.   The quoted ranges for the Air are attainable with the spark when OTG could be used back in 4.1.15.      Check out the details for the Air Flymore combo for reference.

The guys playing with the modded app have already shown they can safely unlock features for the spark.  This is very disappointing behavior to have the spark neutered for the sake of this Spavic....

El Diablo Posted at 2018-1-23 13:38
So the Magic Air is using a similar WiFi transmission system as the Spark... I wish they have used the Mavic’s... I wonder if this means we will have the same problems in EU. I was about to sell my Spark until I rode the specs.

Ya you will be restricted on the CE powers,    But look, with the RC cables for the Air you get 2000m on the 2.4Ghz band in CE....   Funny that.... could do that do with the Spark when the OTG cable worked with apps back in 4.1.15...   cynical I know...   

mr_spark Posted at 2018-1-23 11:05
I feel wronged because I wanted 4K, if i was presented with this choice today I would get the mavicAir... so yes I now feel like I wasted my money

If you wanted 4K you shouldn’t have bought the Spark. That’s your fault not DJI's.

Other than 4k (which to some is big, I get it) - I think the Air is not worth the change. The still camera is pretty much the same, and the flight time is not much of an improvement over Spark.  Gimble is cool, but 2-Axis has been manageable.  The fold-able unit is cool, but the props don't fold and are on both top and bottom of the unit, so storage of this thing while protecting the props will be a challenge.   I'll wait for a real upgrade, not just something half-way up from Spark, but a downgrade from Mavic. Too much hype here, I don't think the Air was a good move by DJI.  They should have put more time into a real upgrade.  They missed the boat here.  

Beejay81 Posted at 2018-1-23 13:30
Oh look the Mavic Air comes with RC cables... just like the spark should have,

Its pretty clear now that  killing off the OTG cable for the spark was a clear agenda to make it a distinguishing feature for the Air.   The quoted ranges for the Air are attainable with the spark when OTG could be used back in 4.1.15.      Check out the details for the Air Flymore combo for reference.

I do understand your cynicism here, but to be honest, I think that's a coincidence.  I think that will be fixed in an up coming release.   I am still on 800 and an older go4 version (on iOS) so I don't have any OTG issues.  Works great for me.

I hope i'm right, and would be dissappointed with DJI if you you were right.   Time will tell

The irony of this thread is that for months people have been talking about what is wrong with the Spark.   It isn't 4k, it's only 2 axis, flight time is not enough, only 30fps.

DJI now release a unit that addresses all that in a slightly bigger form factor and now everyone is annoyed?

If this thing uses the same remote as the Spark I may buy it.  I can't find any details about the remote, although since it is using the safe Wifi it might be the same for both units.  

............

JCStorbeck Posted at 2018-1-23 14:38
If this thing uses the same remote as the Spark I may buy it.  I can't find any details about the remote, although since it is using the safe Wifi it might be the same for both units.

Problem is you can’t purchase Mavic air without RC.

Is Mavic air the newest product?

hallmark007 Posted at 2018-1-23 14:55
Problem is you can’t purchase Mavic air without RC.

I guess you are right, on the surface it looks like they were selling these like Spark, but they swapped things up a bit and the Fly More Combo doesn't have the controller in it.  
They show the Mavic Air at $799 and the Mavic Air Fly More Combo on sale at $999 down from $1,112.[img][/img]

SOUNDWAVE439 Posted at 2018-1-23 14:58
Is Mavic air the newest product?

Yes, it seems you have missed a few threads in this Forum ;-) It was launched today.

From what I can tell, Mavic Air is plagued pretty much with the same issues as Spark, at least for European market.
Limited range (I guess 500m will be max in Europe as connection over 5.8GHz Android to RC has not been sorted out in Spark so also probably not on Mavic Air, too) and unreliable video link (Wifi instead of Occusync or Lightbridge). I am eager to see how Mavic Air will do regarding the fly-aways, especially "free" devices and how it will be handled. The good point is there are finally proper frame rates available (24, 25fps).

If I was buying for the first time tomorrow I'd still go with the Spark. Best "bang for buck". The Air lacks Ocusync which would be the only reason I would seriously have considered changing.

4K - Who actually finalises a project in 4K? File sizes too big for real world applications and social media etc. I, like most I would presume, am not producing professional projects that are being charged for. And if I was I would be getting a completely different drone anyway.
Its Faster - Big Whoop - Spark goes plenty fast. I'm not racing anyone
3 Axis - OK, thats pretty good, but the Spark does fine.
Built in 8GB - I can manage fine without that.
Longer flight time - So I buy an extra battery for 50€
Its smaller than the Mavic - but not smaller than my Spark

All in all, I see no reason to "upgrade" to the Air - and if I was going to upgrade I'd just go straight to the orginal Mavic with Ocusync, its not even that much more expensive than the Air.
Still delighted with the Spark and even with the Air now on the market, I'd still buy the Spark again given the price difference. I just don't see anything to justify spending all that extra loot for the Air - for me its a Spark or straight up original Mavic. I can't see the appeal of this middle ground.

In fact, I would go so far as to say that if it was the other way around I would be more annoyed. If the Air was out first and I bought that and then today they released the Spark, I'd be fuming at the money I could have saved!

I see it as a fail. Given the choice I’d still pick the Spark.
The Maivic Air still uses WiFi but now has a warning for the EU market about 5.8.
21 max flight time under ideal conditions so realistically 16?
I paid 550 for the Spark flymore so no regrets here.