Verdict
With strong camera performance, flexible control options and a generous amount of flight time on a full charge, DJI’s latest ultralight drone is yet another tempting prospect for first-timers, casual users and anyone interested in entering the world of aerial photography and videography without having to spend too much money.
This drone’s clever folding design, palm take-off/landing capability and ability to fly without a dedicated controller make it the perfect companion for last-minute road trips or days out.
Pros
- Weighs under 250g
- Front-facing sensor
- Good flight performance
- Solid photo and video performance
Cons
- No omnidirectional obstacle avoidance
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Multiple ways to controlSmartphone, remote controller or controller-free gestures -
1/1.3-inch image sensorSupports 4K/60p video and 48MP still photo capture -
Lightweight folding designPalm launchable and under 250g in weight
Introduction
Weighing under 250g and folding down to a small size despite its integrated propeller guards, the Flip is the latest entry-level camera drone from global market leader DJI.
Coming in somewhere between the ultra-affordable, ultra-simple DJI Neo and the small yet hugely capable DJI Mini 4 Pro, the lightweight Flip offers 4K video and 48MP photography, subject tracking, obstacle avoidance and up to 31 minutes of flight time on a single battery. This is all while sporting a new folding design that allows the drone to benefit from the added protection of prop guards.
I’ve spent a few days flying the Flip, so read on to find out if this is the best new entry-level drone on the market.
Price and availability
The DJI Flip is available in three different packages which are all available to order from the release date of 14 January 2025.
The drone can be purchased solo (i.e. with no controller and a single battery) for $439/£369/€439/A$699, or in one of two bundles. The first bundle includes a DJI RC 2 twin-stick touchscreen remote controller and a single battery and costs $639/£549/€639/A$949, while the deluxe ‘Fly More Combo’ bundle comes with the RC 2, three batteries, a battery charging hub and a carrying bag with room for everything. This package (which is the one I was sent for the purposes of this review) costs $779/£659/€779/A$1159.
Design and build quality
- 249g in weight and 136 x 62 x 165mm folded dimensions
- Integrated propeller guards
- USB-C port and microSD card slot
The vital thing to know about the DJI Flip’s design, especially for UK-based would-be drone pilots, is that it fits in the ultralight category.
Under UK law, a drone under 250g (this one weighs 249g) can be flown in public places and within 50m of uninvolved people by anybody who has passed a basic online exam and paid for an operator ID (currently £11.13 per year). Heavier drones are subject to far more restrictions, almost to the point where I’d advise any ‘casual’ user against buying one in this country.
To get the Flip’s weight down, DJI has employed some clever design tricks. The folding design, where all four prop motors end up stacking on top of each other, is one I haven’t seen before; I suspect I’ll see it a lot in the future though, ingenious as it is. It’s allowed the drone width to be greater than most ultralight models, all while incorporating prop guards into the design. These prevent the propellers from colliding with objects (or people) and make the Flip suitable for indoor flight, all without adding significant weight.
Despite its lightweight build though, the Flip feels well made. The spokes on the prop guards are made from carbon fibre, for example, while the plastic that forms the bulk of the build is suitably tough.
Like many consumer drones, there’s a camera located at the nose (here mounted on a 3-axis gimbal to help keep it level), while the removable battery securely fixes to the back. A USB-C port on one side allows for recharging and data transfer, and a microSD card slot allows users to bolster the slightly stingy 2GB of built-in storage space. On the opposite side of the Flip is the power button and battery life bar, providing a visual indication of the remaining power via four green dots.
For those who buy the RC 2 or Fly More Combo, the additional items are also of good quality. The RC 2 controller isn’t new, having been available with previous DJI drones, and is an excellent twin-stick touchscreen controller that feels great in the hands and gives a crisp, bright view via its screen.
The battery charging hub houses up to four batteries, charging them one after the other via USB-C (when using a 48W connection, it can recharge an empty battery in around 45 minutes), while the carrying bag accommodates all the Fly More Combo elements snugly and safely while leaving a bit of extra room for cables, spare propellers and other accessories.
Flight performance
- Up to 31 minutes of flight time
- 50m range via Wi-Fi or 8km range via O4
- 3D infrared object sensing system
I’m happy (but not surprised) to report that the Flip is easy and safe to fly, and despite its size and weight, it offers impressive battery life.
On a full charge, the drone can stay in the air for up to 31 minutes, although my real-world tests suggest the true figure (once you’ve factored in wind speed, manoeuvres, camera use and the like) is closer to 20 minutes. That’s still very respectable in my view, and the extra two batteries provided by the Fly More Combo means you can get a good hour of flight in before needing to hunt down a wall socket or power bank.
For flight, you can use the RC 2 controller (which offers a theoretical range of up to 8km via its O4 transmission system), your smartphone running the DJI Fly app (up to 50m range via Wi-Fi) or, as with the DJI Neo, by using simple hand gestures in lieu of a controller. The latter method isn’t much fun in my experience, due to the lack of control it gives you, but in its defence, it enables you to capture quick shots in a pinch without needing to pack the RC 2 or even pull out your phone.
As with the Neo, the Flip can also take off from your hand and, thanks to its downward sensors, land safely back on an upturned palm. That’s very handy when launching it in a tricky location without flat, level surfaces.
While you’ll have to go up the DJI range for full omnidirectional object sensing (the only ultralight model that features it is the DJI Mini 4 Pro), the Flip does feature a forward-facing sensor that allows it to detect objects in front and auto-brake the drone to prevent collisions. I tested it and found it wouldn’t let me fly into a hedge – and I think, while obviously not as fool-proof as a proper all-direction avoidance system, when paired with the prop guards it makes for a safe, largely stress-free flying experience.
I did notice a couple of things with my review sample that I wasn’t entirely happy with, though.
At one point the Flip, which DJI claims is level 5 wind resistant, almost got carried away by the coastal blows near my home, only returning to an easy-to-control state when I brought it closer to the ground. I can probably chalk this up to unusually strong winter winds, though – and think any lightweight drone would struggle in similar conditions.
The second black mark was some very occasional but very heavy tilting of the camera during sideways movement to about 45º. I’ve never noticed this on other DJI drones with 3-axis gimbals, so it could be a pre-release glitch in the flight system that will be ironed out via firmware updates. Further, more extensive testing is required here, but it’s something to bear in mind.
The sensor also enables the ‘AI-assisted’ subject tracking, which works in much the same way as the Neo’s. It’s basically aimed at content creators who want to create quick shots of themselves for social media or vlogs, and not as reliable or clever as the obstacle-dodging pathing system used by DJI’s pricier drones. However, it does work well for the shooting modes supported.
Camera performance
- 48MP 1/1.3in CMOS sensor
- Video capture up to 4K/60p quality
- Several special shooting modes
Anyone familiar with DJI’s recent Mini drones will recognise the camera performance here.
I believe the Flip uses the same 4:3 aspect 1/1.3-inch CMOS sensor as the DJI Mini 4 Pro, allowing it to capture 4K HDR video at up to 60fps (or 100fps when recorded for the purposes of slow-motion playback), 2.7K vertical video at photos at a resolution of 12MP or 48MP.
I recorded the above footage in the D-Log M colour profile, colour correcting and grading the footage in post-production using DaVinci Resolve. Photos, meanwhile, can be captured in JPEG and/or DNG RAW. The samples you see below were captured in RAW, and then processed using Adobe Lightroom.
While the camera on a recent premium drone like the DJI Air 3S delivers far superior results, I’m more than happy with the Flip’s photo and video performance. This is a small, lightweight drone that sits in the same weight class as literal toys, but it produces excellent footage and photos in the right conditions. You do need good lighting to get good results, it’s true, and the lack of an optical zoom does limit your composition options – but these have always been issues with smaller, more affordable drones, and it would be unfair to expect the Flip to fix them.
The Flip also comes with the usual special shooting modes you’d expect from a DJI drone. There’s the aforementioned slow-motion video, as well as Hyperlapse video, panoramic photos and, via the MasterShots option, some engaging camera moves that create instantly shareable video clips for social media.
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Should you buy it?
You want a small vlogging drone that’s better than the Neo
The DJI Neo was full of limitations, but the Flip doesn’t feel that way thanks to better flight and camera performance.
You want true pro-level video and photos
If you’re looking for the best consumer drone camera quality and low-light performance, you’ll have to look at bulkier models like the DJI Air 3S.
Final Thoughts
The DJI Flip sits comfortably between the Neo and Mini 4 Pro in DJI’s range, offering much of the pick-up-and-play user-friendliness of the former along with similar camera performance to the latter – all while hitting that all-important sub-250g mark.
It definitely doesn’t beat the Mini 4 Pro, due to its lack of omnidirectional object sensing, but for people who want an affordable lightweight drone for grabbing quick shots while on holiday or for vlogging purposes, the Flip makes a lot of sense.
Don’t forget to visit our guide to the best drones for more great options for shooting aerial photography.
How we test
We thoroughly test every drone we review. We’ll always tell you what we find and we never, ever, accept money to review a product.
Tested the camera quality
Reviewed the flight safety features
FAQs
Yes, the DJI Flip weighs 249g. This means it falls under fewer restrictions than drones over 250g in the UK.
The DJI Flip features a 1/1.3-inch image sensor and a 24mm equivalent lens.
Jargon buster
USB-C
The modern USB connector you’ll find on most Android phones, new laptops, cameras and games consoles. It’s reversible and used for charging along with data-transfer.
mAh
An abbreviation for milliampere-hour and a way to express the capacity of batteries, especially smaller ones in phones. In most cases the higher the mAh, the longer the battery will last but this isn’t always the case.
