DJI Flip compact drone has one-tap flight modes and 4K video

(credit: Kevin Lee / The Shortcut)

• 🚁 DJI introduces the Flip, a new compact drone with flip-out rotors

• 🪶 Compact and lightweight with a weight of under 249 grams

• 📸 48MP camera captures 4K 60fps video & 4K 100fps slow-motion

• 🔋 Long-lasting 31-minute battery life and 13-kilometer range

• 🏷️ On sale now for $439 for the drone with an included controller

The DJI Flip is possibly the most interesting-looking and feature-loaded drone I’ve ever seen, and I got to go hands-on with it last week.

First off, just look at this thing when it's all folded up; it looks like the front half of a Victorian bicycle. The top half of the drone reminds me of 80s sci-fi designs. Surprisingly, the design of the two halves of the drone melds together well, and I love it.

(credit: Kevin Lee / The Shortcut)

The DJI Flip isn’t just a looker; it’s lightweight and fully capable. It weighs under 249 grams, meaning it can fly under specific FAA regulations. It’s also equipped with a 1/1.3-inch CMOS sensor camera that can shoot 48MP photos and 4K/60fps videos.

Image quality looks really good based on my short hands-on time with the drone at a secret meeting with DJI during CES 2025. DJI provided below some sample images below. Of course, we’ll be flying the drone around New York and New Jersey soon in our full DJI Flip review on The Shortcut.

(credit: DJI)

The DJI Flip also inherits all of the $199 DJI’s Neo simple on-tap flying controls. You can quickly set up the drone to fly around and track you with all the preset QuickShots modes, including Dronie, Circle, Rocket, Spotlight, Helix, and Boomerang.

Flight time on the DJI Flip should last up to 31 minutes, and you can fly out as far as 13 kilometers with the compatible DJI RC-N3 or RC 2 remote controllers paired to the drone. You also get front- and downward-facing obstacle detection, which is better than nothing, as on the DJI Neo, but it’s not omnidirectional like the big and more full-featured DJI Mini 4 Pro.

DJI is basically positioning the Flip as a step-up drone for DJI Neo owners who want a quadcopter that can fly farther and take better photos/video.

(credit: Kevin Lee / The Shortcut)

The DJI Flip is available starting now for $439 with a basic DJI RC-N3 controller, $639 when bundled with the DJI RC 2 screen-equipped controller, and $779 for the DJI Flip Fly More Combo that comes with two extra batteries and other accessories.

• Up next: DJI Goggle N3 lowers the pricey barrier of FPV drone flying to $229

Kevin Lee is The Shortcut’s Creative Director. Follow him on Twitter @baggingspam.