Phantom 4 Pro revealed by DJI

DJI just announced two new drone models, the Phantom 4 Pro and the Inspire 2. Both model promise incredible new features and longer flight time.

In terms of design, there are not many differences between the Phantom 4 Standard and the Phantom 4 Pro+. It looks like the manufacturer decided to keep the same elegant lines.

At first look, this upgraded DJI Phantom 4 Pro offers over its predecessor not just longer flight time and extended control range but also an improved camera. The P4 Pro+ comes with a 20Mp camera with 1″ CMOS sensor.

In order to allow a much safer autonomous flight mode, the DJ P4 Pro drone comes with 4 direction obstacle avoidance. This feature is also very useful when “Auto return to home” is engaged.

Together with the Phantom 4 Pro, DJI introduces a new flight mode called “Gesture Mode”. Selfies can be captured simpler than ever using just a few gestures without operating the transmitter. Computer vision technology allows the drone to take instructions through gestures. The subject simply lifts their arms when facing the camera and the quadcopter will recognize this movement by locking on and placing the subject in the center of the frame. When ready for a photo, the subject holds his arms out to signal the aircraft. A 3 second countdown will begin making time to strike a pose :)

DJI Phantom 4 Pro Highlights

• Remote controller with 5’5″ 1080p FPV screen;
• Multiple flight modes (“Sports mode”, “Gesture mode”, “Tap to fly”, “Active Track” and “Draw”);
• Sensor redundancy;
• Four directions of Obstacle Avoidance;
• Intelligent flight positioning (both GPS and GLONASS);
• Top speed of 72 km/h in Sport Mode;
• About to 7 km control and FPV range;
• Up to 30 minutes of flight autonomy;
• 1″ 20MP CMOS Sensor;
• 3-axis brushless gimbal;
• 20Mp/4K camera for aerial filming.

Camera with 20Mp 1″ CMOS Sensor

Sensor size (pixel size) is often more important for the image quality than the number of pixels because a larger sensor has dynamic range, better signal-to-noise ratio, and boosted low light performance.

The 1″ 20MP images sensor from the Phantom 4 Pro is almost four times bigger than the Phantom 4 Standard has (1/2.3″). The DJI P4 Pro uses larger pixels and has a maximum ISO of up to 12,800 which is extremely useful in low-light conditions.

Compared to its predecessor, DJI P4 Pro features a more powerful video processing which supports H.264 4K@60 fps or H.265 4K@30 fps, both recorded in a 100 Mbps bitrate.

Phantom 4 Professional promo video

Transmitter with 5.5″ Full HD 1080P FPV display

The remote controller comes with a 5.5″ Full HD display which has 1000 cd/m² of brightness, more than twice brighter compared to conventional smart devices (smartphones and tablets). It makes bright, vivid colors easily visible in direct sunlight.

Thanks to this FPV display, a mobile device is not required anymore, simplifying pre-flight preparations. The DJI GO app is built into the 5.5″ screen, and hardware and software can be fully optimized, further reducing video lag. Integration of a HDMI port (required by FPV Goggles), micro SD card slot, microphone, embedded loudspeaker, and Wi-Fi connection allow images to be edited inside the DJI GO and to be shared almost instantly.

DJi Phantom 4 Pro vs Phantom 4 Standard

• $1500 vs $1200;
• 4-direction obstacle avoidance vs frontal obstacle avoidance;
• Larger image sensor 1″ vs 2/3″;
• 20MP vs 12MP photo mode;
• 4k@60fps vs 4k@30fps;
• Longer flight time, 30 minutes vs 28 minutes;
• Extended FPV range, up to 7 KMs;
• Built-in FPV screen, mobile devices are not required anymore;
• And probably many more….

Included with the DJI P4 Pro quadcopter

• Remote controller (optional 5.5″ 1080P FPV display);
• Flight battery;
• 2 sets of propellers;
• Instruction manual.