Is this the best drone for content creators? The DJI Flip is an affordable 249g folding drone that is great for beginners and prosumers alike. It’s easy to learn, fast to take off and can be flown completely hands-free. With built-in prop guards, easy hands-free controls, and a 1/1.3-inch sensor borrowed from the more expensive Mini 4 Pro, the DJI Flip bridges the gap between affordability and performance. Add to that its excellent subject tracking, safety prop guards, and one game-changing feature for vlogging, and this is one of the best drones under $500.
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00:01Give me the countdown.
00:03And take off.
00:04So to have a drone that not only sets up
00:08and takes off within a few steps,
00:11but that can also automatically recognize me, track me,
00:14have the audio directly synced within the video file,
00:16that's huge.
00:18And it's not just for content creators,
00:19even if you're just a beginner drone pilot
00:21and you wanna quickly unlock
00:23these cool advanced AI tracking features,
00:26this is a really great way to do it.
00:30Without having to pay a fortune.
00:32This is the DJI Flip, a mid-range 259 gram folding drone
00:37that offers a lot of performance, value,
00:39and can appeal to both the beginners and prosumers really well
00:42if you understand what it's good at doing.
00:44With its built-in prop guards
00:45and excellent hands-free controls,
00:47the Flip offers many of the same conveniences
00:48that we saw on the $200 DJI Neo,
00:51but with a much sharper one over 1.3 inch image sensor
00:55that's found on the more expensive $759 DJI Mini 4 Pro.
00:58There's a lot to like with the new DJI Flip,
01:00including faster setup, added safety,
01:02and one feature which I think could make it incredible
01:05for vlogging, but is it worth $439?
01:10Now before talking about its video and photo quality,
01:12which I'll definitely do,
01:13I wanna start by showing you
01:14what makes this little drone so special.
01:16I find the Flip's folding design
01:18to be much more convenient than the Mini Series in one way.
01:22Although it does take up more space,
01:23and isn't nearly as pocketable,
01:26once its arms are unfolded,
01:27the DJI Flip powers on and automatically is ready to fly.
01:31And you have three ways of flying this,
01:33either with its controller,
01:35the DJI Fly app on your phone,
01:37or completely hands-free.
01:38And weighing just 249 grams is important,
01:40as it allows you to fly this unregistered
01:42for recreational use.
01:44Similar to the $200 DJI Neo,
01:46the Flip's propellers are encased in guards,
01:48which helps you fly it indoors or closer to other obstacles
01:52a little bit more safely.
01:53Accidentally bumping into walls, poles,
01:56or even people at slower speeds
01:57has less risk of harming others or the drone itself.
02:00And while its guards do make it bulkier
02:02than the Mini when folded up,
02:03that added ruggedness could be a worthy trade-off
02:06for anyone who likes added peace of mind
02:08when flying their drone.
02:09But like I was saying,
02:10although the base Flip includes
02:11the standard RCN3 controller,
02:13you don't actually need to use it to get the Flip flying.
02:16On its front right-hand side,
02:17there's this small button here,
02:19I don't know how well you can see that,
02:20that's just right beside its USB-C and micro SD card slot
02:23that lets you cycle between
02:25different quick shot modes.
02:27In addition to that audio feedback
02:28that you just heard from its speakers
02:30that tells you which mode you're in,
02:31you'll also notice the change between green icons
02:34on the front display,
02:35which also houses its front infrared forward collision sensors.
02:38And with the drone opened up and facing you,
02:41it can identify you as the subject to track.
02:43Auto take off from your palm,
02:44fly and record that quick shot movement,
02:46and then when it's done,
02:47return back to where it took off from.
02:49And if your palm is held out,
02:50it can even land right back in your hand.
02:53I mean, that couldn't be easier.
02:55And if you want with the DJI Fly app,
02:57you can actually connect directly to the drone
02:59and change certain, but not all settings.
03:01And you can actually use virtual joysticks to fly the drone.
03:04Although the app won't replace a physical controller,
03:07it's another way that the drone makes flying more fun,
03:10fast and accessible for everyone.
03:12You can also upgrade to the RC two controller,
03:14which I have here,
03:16which has this really nice 5.5 inch 1080p touch screen
03:19and is available either as a $200 upcharge
03:21or as part of the $779 fly more combo.
03:25But let me show you one other really cool feature
03:27you can unlock with the DJI Fly app.
03:29In addition to connecting directly to the drone via wifi
03:32and controlling it, like I said earlier,
03:34you can now actually get audio sync directly to the drone
03:36using the brand new DJI mic mini,
03:39which is then connected to your phone,
03:40which is then connected there.
03:42You have synced audio directly with your drone's footage
03:45that you don't have to edit in later.
03:46So that saves you a lot of time.
03:47It's actually a really cool feature.
03:48And as someone who is always looking for the fastest
03:51and most convenient ways to make content on the go,
03:53especially as a solo creator right now.
03:56And although it looks like I might have someone else here,
03:58I've actually got the DJI Osmo Pocket 3 following me.
04:01And now I can actually do something very similar.
04:03I can have the DJI Flip follow me
04:07and now also have the microphone synced as well.
04:11We're going to hit follow.
04:12Medium, follow, three, two, one.
04:19Okay, you see me, right?
04:21I'm getting on my bike.
04:25Turning my bike on.
04:33And this is what I mean about having a drone
04:37that in just a few seconds can take off,
04:40recognize you, follow you,
04:43and on top of that, have audio synced directly in its file.
04:48That to me is a huge game changer as a content creator.
04:54The DJI Flip packs a lot of specs and value,
04:57especially compared to DJI's other recent drones
04:59like the DJI Mini 4 Pro.
05:01The Flip starts at just $439
05:04and goes up to $779 for the Fly More Combo,
05:07which includes the two additional batteries
05:09with a charging hub,
05:10as well as the upgraded RC2 controller,
05:13as well as a shoulder bag.
05:14Now compare that to the Mini 4 Pro,
05:16which starts at $759 or $1099 for its Fly More Combo,
05:20and you're saving about $320 here.
05:22So let's say you're looking to upgrade from the DJI Neo
05:25or even the DJI Mini 3,
05:27but you don't want to spend over $700 to get the DJI Mini 4 Pro
05:31video quality.
05:32And the DJI Flip is worth a strong consideration.
05:34The Flip shares a lot of the same specs
05:36with the Mini 4 Pro,
05:37including a 3-axis gimbal
05:39and that 1 over 1.3-inch image sensor
05:41that can shoot 4K 60 HDR or 4K 100 slow motion,
05:46as well as take 48-megapixel raw images
05:48or 12-megapixel with up to three times digital zoom.
05:51And aside from those quick shots that I already shared,
05:53just as with DJI's other drones,
05:55the Flip also supports the usual other shooting modes,
05:57including Master Shots that has a lot of really cool
06:00programmed cinematic movements
06:02that the drone can fly automatically with just one click,
06:04creating your own custom flight path,
06:06hyperlapses, panoramas,
06:08and even digitally cropped vertical videos.
06:10While two gigabytes of storage is not a lot,
06:12so great to have some internal storage on these drones
06:15in case you ever forget your memory card
06:17or it's already filled up.
06:18And I can't tell you the amount of times
06:19that this has saved me when I was already out
06:21in the middle of nowhere, and this was the only way
06:23to save my photos and smaller video clips.
06:25If you're curious about learning more about the DJI Flip,
06:28we've got our full review linked below,
06:30along with the best deals for this
06:32and every other drone that I've shared so far in this video.
06:34But before picking up one of these
06:36or one of those other drones,
06:37here are a few reasons you may want to give this a skip.
06:42While the DJI Flip is a big upgrade from the DJI Neo
06:45in terms of video quality, stabilization,
06:47and flight performance, it comes with added bulk
06:49and higher price tag.
06:51For $200 without a controller,
06:52the Neo offers many of the core smart features
06:55and easy hands-free controls
06:57that you find here on the Flip.
06:58So I think for absolute beginners or more casual users
07:01who primarily want a drone that's just fun to fly
07:04for a few minutes at a time,
07:05and they don't really care as much
07:06about high quality video or photos,
07:09the DJI Neo might be all you really need.
07:12Although the DJI Flip uses that same camera sensor
07:14found on the more expensive Mini 4 Pro,
07:17it has some downgrades that you'll want to consider,
07:19especially if you're comparing between the two.
07:21First, the Flip only has 31 minutes of max flight time,
07:24which is three minutes shy of the DJI Mini 4 Pro
07:27with its standard battery.
07:29And I mean, let's be honest,
07:30in most real world tests,
07:31that's probably not gonna make too big of a difference.
07:33But for those who do need extra flight time,
07:36the Mini 4 Pro also supports
07:38the larger capacity battery plus,
07:40which pushes its max flight time to about 45 minutes.
07:44And those extra 50 minutes could be the difference
07:46between capturing all the shots you want in one go,
07:49versus needing to come back, land the drone,
07:51swap out a battery, and fly back out.
07:54And as of now, it doesn't look like DJI
07:55is going to offer a larger battery for the Flip,
07:58so that could potentially limit
07:59where and how you fly this drone.
08:02Here's another one.
08:03While the DJI Flip is technically safer
08:05because of its prop guards,
08:06it actually lacks 360 degree obstacle avoidance,
08:10which is found on newer drones like the DJI Mini 4 Pro.
08:13The Flip instead uses that front infrared sensor
08:15that I mentioned earlier for forward obstacle avoidance,
08:18as well as sensors at the bottom
08:20to help you descend or land.
08:22And while those additional sensors found on the Mini 4 Pro
08:25don't make it uncrashable,
08:26it'll help you be more aware of obstacles
08:28that aren't directly in your line of sight.
08:30Those extra sensors found on the Mini 4 Pro
08:32also offer more advanced controls
08:35over the drone's position
08:36relative to the subject that you're tracking.
08:38Because again, it doesn't have those rear sensors,
08:41it won't be able to move backwards.
08:43It can only follow me going this one direction.
08:47It'll turn and follow me this way.
08:50So provided I'm also walking backwards,
08:53it can track me.
08:54The other limitation, whoa.
08:57So between wanting not only to keep the drone itself safe,
09:01but also getting more unique track shots,
09:03this is probably the biggest reason
09:05that you'd want to spend the extra cash
09:07on the Mini 4 Pro if you have the budget for it.
09:10Okay, but let's say I didn't have any drones
09:12and I needed to buy one today.
09:14Would I get the DJI Flip?
09:16It's going to be a tough one
09:17because for more casual content needs
09:19like capturing quick
09:21but really nice looking videos and photos,
09:23I think this drone does everything I need
09:25and it gives me that extra peace of mind
09:27when I'm trying to intentionally fly closer
09:29to my subjects or people.
09:31That said, I'm someone who frequently also uses my drones
09:34as professional tools.
09:36And while the Flip's video and photo quality
09:38is on par with the more expensive Mini 4 Pro,
09:40I think having that extra speed,
09:42omnidirectional obstacle avoidance
09:44and the more advanced object subject tracking
09:46would come in handy and be worth the extra $320
09:49if you can relate to me.
09:51But what do you think of the new DJI Flip
09:52and who do you think this drone is best for?
09:54Let me know in the comments.
09:55Like I said, we've got the best deals
09:57for all the drones and the reviews linked down below
09:59if you want to learn more.
10:01You can find us everywhere at Tom's Guide
10:02and you can follow me to see
10:03what other cool tech I'm reviewing.
10:05And until the next one, I'll catch you later.