DJI Mavic Mini Purchase Review

Disclaimer: The following blog was made for the purpose of classwork at Purdue University,  for the course AT 219.

Note: Due to the Global Covid-19 epidemic, the majority of images used in this blog post will be images in the public domain due to lock-down orders restricting the authors access to images and data collected on previous dates. This is not a professional review, and as such an individual looking to obtain a DJI Mavic Mini should look into other reviews. Thank you for your understanding. 

An Unofficial DJI Buyers Guide

Figure 1: DJI Mavic Mini UAV

Introduction:

Buying your first drone can be confusing, due to the many different brands, applications, prices and general confusion when getting into something new. Finding something that is a decent prices, while preparing you for using UAVs of higher complexity can be a challenge. I recently underwent this process and ending up purchasing, you guessed it, a DJI Mavic Mini (Figure 1). In the following blog I will be going over the different purchase options and ease  of access of the DJI Mavic Mini. Keep in mind that some of this is up to personal opinion, and I recommend that you do your own research and merely use this blog as a reference. 

Items Included in Kit:

Figure 2: DJI Mavic Mini Fly More Combo.

You have two options when buying the Mavic Mini; either buy just the drone, or the fly more combo (figure 2).

Just the Drone comes with:

• The Aircraft x 1
• Intelligent Flight Battery x 1
• The Remote Controller x 1
• Pair of spare Propellers x 1
• Micro USB cable x 1
• Gimbal Protector x 1
• RC Cable (Micro USB Connector) x 1
• RC Cable (USB-C Connector) x 1
• RC Cable (Lightning Connector) x 1
• Pair of Spare Control Sticks x 1
• Spare Screw x 6
• Screwdriver x 1

The Fly More Combo comes with:

• The Aircraft x 1
• Intelligent Flight Battery x 1
• The Remote Controller x 3
• Pair of spare Propellers x 3
• Micro USB cable x 2
• Gimbal Protector x 1
• RC Cable (Micro USB Connector) x 1
• RC Cable (USB-C Connector) x 1
• RC Cable (Lightning Connector) x 1
• Pair of Spare Control Sticks x 1
• Spare Screw x 18
• Screwdriver x 1
• 360 Degree Propeller Guard set x 1 
• Two-Way Charging Hub x 1
• DJI 18W USB Charger x 1
• Carrying Bag x 1

The Difference Between the two kits is around 100$, The base kit being ~400$ and the fly more combo being ~500$

Which Option Should I purchase?

In my opinion, if you are going to buy the Mavic Mini, buy the Fly More Combo. The First Major Benefit of buying the Fly More Combo, is that it comes with two extra Intelligent Flight Batteries. If you were to buy the batteries separately, they are 45$ each, meaning that if you just wanted the extra batteries it would only be 10$ cheaper than the Fly More Combo. The other major pro for me is the charging hub. You can charge all three batteries and the Remote Controller off of the Hub without having to unplug anything. The Batteries charge one at a time in order, and then the Remote Will Charge. When on the go, the Hub also works as a battery bank, meaning that you can charge your Remote Controller, or personal device, off of the Flight batteries. 

In short, if you are going to buy the Mavic Mini, buy the fly more combo for the following reasons:

• It is more cost effective than buying separate batteries.
• It comes with more extra parts in case of damage.
• The Charging hub is very useful.
• The Carrying case is nice and professional looking.

Pros of Buying:

• Easy to Purchase: The kit is sold on so many different online retailers for the same price that it's almost comical.
• Well Discussed: There are plenty of reviews, tutorials, and demonstrations of the Mavic Mini online.
• Economical: If you're looking for something that is light, easy to fly, familiar, has a halfway decent sensor, a gimbal, but won't break the bank, this is the UAV to buy.
• Doesn't Need to be Registered: One of DJIs main selling points of this UAV is that it is 249 grams, just light enough to technically not be registered with the FAA. Though I would recommend registering it anyway.

Cons of Buying:

• No Micro-SD Card: The inattentive buyer may fail to notice that for some reason, neither purchase option comes with a Mirco-SD card. You may notice, that a Micro-SD card is a little important when filming and taking photos. You would think that an SD card would at least be included in the Fly More Combo, but there is not one.
• Bad Instructions: There is very little instructions included in the kit, you are given a tiny leaflet (smaller than a credit card) that doesn't really give you the information you need to know. Nothing clearly states what app to install to use the Remote Controller. Irritatingly, there are multiple different manuals for every different major component, without a single consolidated Manuel. 
• The Brand Problem: Since this UAV is a major brand name drone, trying to repair it or modify it in any way violates warranty.

In Conclusion: 

If you are looking for a decent starter drone that will help you learn the basic functionality of UAV Photography, this is a great vehicle to buy. It is very easy to buy, set up, and fly for the first time. There are many different companies to buy from, should you choose to avoid certain retailers. There are a few cons, but for the price they are not a major problem.