Hi, longtime lurker almost ready to buy my first drone.
I have been contemplating on finally biting the bullet and purchasing the Mavic Air. The price is OK, video specs are OK but unfortunately every other aspect is compromised not only in hardware but in software as well.
Hardware compromises are USB charging, No portrait mode, no low noise propellers or FOC ESC's etc probably in order to reach the lower price point required.
BUT flight modes are compromised as well.
No Course Lock ..... for me as a total noobie is a huge disadvantage....Almost every toy drone has a headless mode....And this doesn't!!!
No Home lock....same as before.
No Follow me .... this is also huge since this is supposed to be a beginners selfie drone....and active track is not as reliable.
Cannot fly it without remote as you can do with the Spark......WHY? Isn't portability one of its biggest advantages. I thought I could take it with me and use hand gestures to take basic shots ..... But noooo this is not possible....
And Quickshots although boomerang and asteroid was introduced I think that has some other shots dropped ....
I cannot comment on other features missing such as terrain follow...since I expect that the MA will do that while in active track....

Are there any plans on introducing them via firmware or things will remain as they are.....If the latter is the case I am not sure whether finally 2018 will be the year to get my first drone....

You could wait for Mavic PRO 2 it will have more features

I would and would greatly appreciate the 1inch sensor BUT if you consider pricing things get out of hand pretty quickly. I do not thing that it will retail for less than the MPP. This is almost a 50% stretch in budget (and although it would be probably deserved due to the sensor), I would be very happy with the MA and the specs it has. Portability is huge for me and this is where I think DJI dropped the ball.
They compromised portability by making it unable to take off take pics/video and land by hand gestures only as does the spark
And FOR ME (I have tried flying toy drones and headless mode is a HUGE plus in a steep learning curve) they compromised on beginner friendliness by removing Course lock and follow me and some quickshots.
And this has made an almost certain buyer, VERY sceptical. I'm sure others like me will probably be thinking the same.

obviously you have read the forum and found out how much the air is "lacking" so why start the 100th post on the same subject matter?

the only thing lacking on the drone is waypoints which the data sheets said the drone had.  if you want all the things you posted, buy a pro.

I’m a little bit mixed up by your comments, you say it’s a beginners drone selfie, yet you are looking for portrait mode course lock home lock follow me active track is not good enough for you (yet it has the best AT in any dji drone).
It can’t fly without RC (it can with just phone) nobody leaves home without phone.

I don’t know what year you will be buying a drone for this price with all you need to have on it, but it won’t be soon. It’s usually a good sign when people are Not going to buy a drone, when all they can see is what is not there rather than what is there.
Sometimes a little knowledge can be a dangerous thing.

Maybe I was not clear .... I posted this in order to ask more seasoned users as to how likely these features are to be implemented in future updates given DJI's previous track record which I obviously ignore....BTW the MP is not the same price (in Europe) nor is the DJI refresh price the same (and the replacement fees) and the fragile looking camera mount is not very reassuring for a beginner.

ggeorgis Posted at 2018-2-7 05:47
Maybe I was not clear .... I posted this in order to ask more seasoned users as to how likely these features are to be implemented in future updates given DJI's previous track record  which I obviously ignore....BTW the MP is not the same price (in Europe) nor is the DJI refresh price the same (and the replacement fees) and the fragile looking camera mount is not very reassuring for a beginner.

I would get the Air then if I were you

I said that portrait mode is NOT a requirement and that I understand the reason it was dropped (reduces cost)

Course lock on the other hand.....I do not see how this is a PRO feature....I consider this the same as extra wheels when learning to ride a bicycle. A useful feature until you acquire confidence and more knowledge.

@hallmark007 On the fact that it at least you can fly it with your phone...I forgot this tbh....Not as convenient but ok, doable....

I believe removing features happens because they are not tested with every particular bird.
That saves a lot of resources on testing and makes profit margins even higher which is a holly grail of every company.

I see also that Litchi is mentioned as an alternative that implements the features that are missing. If you crash when using it and wreck the drone can you use DJI refresh to get a new drone?

Mavic Pro user here, owned for a year, and fwiw I've never used course/home lock or Portrait mode, you have things backwards with Follow Me, which is the unreliable of the two, and when it does work, isn't anywhere near as useful as Active Track, which performs great on my Mavic Pro and is apparently improved in the Air. Can't speak to the rest of your issues.

I think it's fair to expect improvements and new features in future firmware releases, but my rec is to base your buying decisions on what is actually available now.

well it sounds like mavic pro 2 is in mass production now, so wait another month or so. I am holding off for this reason alone since it's not that far away.

ggeorgis Posted at 2018-2-7 05:31
I would and would greatly appreciate the 1inch sensor BUT if you consider pricing things get out of hand pretty quickly. I do not thing that it will retail for less than the MPP. This is almost a 50% stretch in budget (and although it would be probably deserved due to the sensor), I would be very happy with the MA and the specs it has. Portability is huge for me and this is where I think DJI dropped the ball.
They compromised portability by making it unable to take off take pics/video and land by hand gestures only as does the spark
And FOR ME (I have tried flying toy drones and headless mode is a HUGE plus in a steep learning curve) they compromised on beginner friendliness by removing Course lock and follow me and some quickshots.

Flying a DJI drone with GPS and vision systems is nothing at all like flying a toy headless drone -- if you are concerned as a beginner that an Air or Spark will be hard to fly, don't be.

Control by hand gesture is a fun trick, but it gets old, fast, and after using hand gestures a couple times, you'll want to use the remote going forward, anyway -- it's just so much more fun and satisfying to fly with physical joysticks and controls.

I believe course lock has been removed from the mavic pro too..

Ex Machina Posted at 2018-2-7 07:24
Mavic Pro users here, owned for a year, and fwiw I've never used course/home lock or Portrait mode, you have things backwards with Follow Me, which is the unreliable of the two, and when it does work, isn't anywhere near as useful as Active Track, which performs great on my Mavic Pro and is apparently improved in the Air. Can't speak to the rest of your issues.

I think it's fair to expect improvements and new features in future firmware releases, but my rec is to base your buying decisions on what is actually avaialble now.

Agreed - practically pointless flight modes and hardly a PRO option given that course lock is available on the P3S which you can buy now for £200.

....No doubt  , the price says it all

Ex Machina Posted at 2018-2-7 07:24
Mavic Pro users here, owned for a year, and fwiw I've never used course/home lock or Portrait mode, you have things backwards with Follow Me, which is the unreliable of the two, and when it does work, isn't anywhere near as useful as Active Track, which performs great on my Mavic Pro and is apparently improved in the Air. Can't speak to the rest of your issues.

I think it's fair to expect improvements and new features in future firmware releases, but my rec is to base your buying decisions on what is actually avaialble now.

Nothing to do with the original post but your Active Track feature works as intended? I tried following golf carts, bicycles and people but it simply wouldn't work. It would lose track of the subject all the time.

Maybe I was too high? At what altitude were you using the AT?

MFPullen Posted at 2018-2-7 08:00
I believe course lock has been removed from the mavic pro too..

Are you sure about that? I don't see why DJI would remove a perfectly working Course Lock from the MP.

If you are so concerned about crashing your drone, buy a cheap 20$ drone at your local Walmart and get used to flying. The DJI drones are incredibly easy to fly and I think that you are being way too cautious.

All the features you stated are pretty useless honestly. Intelligent Flight Modes are just cool to have features you'll use once in a while. Portrait mode? Unless you're a social media addict who only buys a drone to impress friends, then it really isn't that useful.

MiniPalourde Posted at 2018-2-7 11:26
Nothing to do with the original post but your Active Track feature works as intended? I tried following golf carts, bicycles and people but it simply wouldn't work. It would lose track of the subject all the time.

Maybe I was too high? At what altitude were you using the AT?

Since Active Track works using visual recognition tech, you need to be close enough for the object to be "recognized," so yeah, you might have been too high, though with the right lighting and object/background contrast conditions, you can still get pretty high, as you can see towards the end of this vid:



But, your subject can also "outrun" Active Track if you are too close and the subject moves too quickly, still, it does a pretty good job chasing the erratic movements of this kite, though I do have to reacquire lock a couple times as it goes out of frame:

MFPullen Posted at 2018-2-7 08:00
I believe course lock has been removed from the mavic pro too..

No, it's still there - swipe to the 3rd screen and the CL icon is on it's own.

A CW Posted at 2018-2-7 12:06
No, it's still there - swipe to the 3rd screen and the CL icon is on it's own.

THanks...I will check that.  I hope it is there because I love that thing!

ggeorgis Posted at 2018-2-7 06:00
I said that portrait mode is NOT a requirement and that I understand the reason it was dropped (reduces cost)

Course lock on the other hand.....I do not see how this is a PRO feature....I consider this the same as extra wheels when learning to ride a bicycle. A useful feature until you acquire confidence and more knowledge.

I would actually like Course Lock on the MA.  

Any DJI representative would like to comment on this?

they have commented in many threads.  pretty much "this is how it is, thanks, will relay your concerns"

Ex Machina Posted at 2018-2-7 11:40
Since Active Track works using visual recognition tech, you need to be close enough for the object to be "recognized," so yeah, you might have been too high, though with the right lighting and object/background contrast conditions, you can still get pretty high, as you can see towards the end of this vid:

https://youtu.be/pI8ZJMCW3cg

Thats cool!   

Doesn't MA have FOC ESC's?

Not so sure about course lock but home lock is great for flyby shots. Also helps newbs bringing back their bird once rth button dies because of too much use.

A CW Posted at 2018-2-7 13:06
Thats cool!

Thanks, Active Track is a pretty awesome feature!

It is - I like Active Track spot light and tripod mode and for kicks hitting 40MPH in Sport mode then switching to fixed wing.

ggeorgis Posted at 2018-2-7 05:47
Maybe I was not clear .... I posted this in order to ask more seasoned users as to how likely these features are to be implemented in future updates given DJI's previous track record  which I obviously ignore....BTW the MP is not the same price (in Europe) nor is the DJI refresh price the same (and the replacement fees) and the fragile looking camera mount is not very reassuring for a beginner.

I've been flying the P3 standard for several year, and if you think the camera mount is flimsy on the air, try the Phantoms. In fact I"m attracted to the air because of its well protected camera and gimbal.n thjere is a youtube video of a ma being flown at speed into a tree with no apparent damage.

ggeorgis Posted at 2018-2-7 06:05
I see also that Litchi is mentioned as an alternative that implements the features that are missing. If you crash when using it and wreck the drone can you use DJI refresh to get a new drone?

Litchi is not supported by the air as of this date. If you crash and wreck the drone its usually the pilots fault. I have not heard of DJI not covering warranty issues while using Litchi.

Ex Machina Posted at 2018-2-7 11:40
Since Active Track works using visual recognition tech, you need to be close enough for the object to be "recognized," so yeah, you might have been too high, though with the right lighting and object/background contrast conditions, you can still get pretty high, as you can see towards the end of this vid:

Slightly OT, yes, but nevertheless extremely beautiful footage you snagged Active Tracking that kite. Mesmerizing, very nice! Thanks for sharing.

Spaceman_66 Posted at 2018-2-7 14:23
Slightly OT, yes, but nevertheless extremely beautiful footage you snagged Active Tracking that kite. Mesmerizing, very nice! Thanks for sharing.

Thanks, I appreciate that! Active Track is a pretty impressive tech.

Mavic air has same esc's as mavic pro platinum fyi

Flight modes will most likely be introduced in later upadates. You can also wait for Litchi to update their software to compatible with the Air. IMO Litchi is better for automatic flight modes anyway.

You're wrong about the FOC ESC's. It has them.

braddahjosh808 Posted at 2018-2-7 22:54
Flight modes will most likely be introduced in later upadates. You can also wait for Litchi to update their software to compatible with the Air. IMO Litchi is better for automatic flight modes anyway.

I really hope so...

Although most have pointed out that I should expect a much different flying experience compared to toy drones and that the modes missing are not actually a huge loss, I still feel strongly about the fact that DJI chose to release this product (while targeting the "first timers") with software limited options for whatever reason (lack of testing, product differentiation, rushed release).

OT: On the upside I will be surely getting a Tello to see how I can incorporate it in a classroom. So after all, this will surely be the year I will be getting my first drone!!!

FYI - It will fly without a controller or a phone/tablet. It is pretty cool to pull it out, power it up, and take videos and photos. I never used course lock and home lock on my P4.

Acenspades Posted at 2018-2-7 12:45
I would actually like Course Lock on the MA.  

Any DJI representative would like to comment on this?

Try Tap Fly > Free
It's the virtually same thing, with a new name. You have gimbal and yaw control during flight in a straight line.

See it here, starting at 3:20  

lovec1990 Posted at 2018-2-7 05:21
You could wait for Mavic PRO 2 it will have more features

Mavic 2 pro missing lots of flight modes, pretty crap