The 2020 Consumer Electronics Show (or CES) will see several drone companies releasing a new flagship drone.
Both DJI and Autel Robotics are expected to launch a response to the much-hyped Skydio 2 and even newcomer XDynamics is releasing a follow up to its Evolve aerial platform.
Let’s take a closer look at the leaks and rumors.
DJI Mavic 3
This past year saw DJI releasing the fewest amount of new drones since 2014 (only the lone Mavic Mini in November), so you know DJI is eager to get 2020 started with a bang.
Though there any confirmed specs for the Mavic 3, it is widely expected that DJI will introduce ActiveTrack 3.0 for obstacle avoidance that could rival the Skydio 2.
Other expected improvements include better battery life, improved video quality (on par or better than the Phantom 4 Pro), and of course the ADS-B receiver which DJI announced in 2019 to enable real-time detection/communication with nearby aircraft.
While it is almost certain that DJI will be launching the Mavic 3 in January of 2020, it is still unclear whether they will do this at CES or at a separate event. If it is anything like the Mavic Air launch in 2018 though it will be a separate event.
Autel Robotics EVO 2
DJI might be the industry leader in drones, but that doesn’t appear to have slowed Autel Robotics’ ambitions.
A leaked FCC filing for its upcoming EVO 2 drone revealed plans for a swappable gimbal module with a 6K, 8K, and thermal camera option.
Other improvements from the existing EVO include a 16-mile range, 35min battery life, and full 360° obstacle avoidance sensing.
The only thing we don’t know currently is the price, but if Autel can continue to be competitive on pricing (while simultaneously offering the first drone with 6K recording) then DJI might finally have a worthy challenger.
X-Dynamics Evolve 2
Founded in 2015 and based out of Hong Kong, X-Dynamics is a relative newcomer to the prosumer drone market.
Their only drone at this point, the Evolve, hasn’t garnered much attention likely due to its $2,499 price tag and lack of availability through 3rd party retailers.
With the ability to carry a micro 4/3 sensor-sized camera, the Evolve almost compares closer to the Inspire 2 rather than the Mavic 2 Pro, however, its slightly outdated Phantom-drone style design (i.e. no folding legs) make it neither portable nor able to get 360° shots.
The Evolve 2 will keep the same basic fixed-leg design as the Evolve but looks far more streamlined and advanced.
While there is no word on specs yet (partially due to the lack of coverage by mainstream tech blogs), X-Dynamics has teased a few sneak peeks on their Instagram.
From these photos/posts we can glean the following info about the Evolve 2:
- Like the Evolve, it will be made using an all-carbon-fiber body
- It will use 4 four 530KV motors with 3.7lbs of thrust each for a top speed of 57mph
- The downward-facing LiDAR altimeter sensor will be extremely accurate to (+/- 2.5cm) for precise take-off and landing
- The ground-station (aka controller) will feature two large touchscreens, an 8″ FPV viewfinder and a 5.5″ control panel both with 1000cd/m2 luminance capacity
Given that the Evolve is $2499, the chances the Evolve 2 will be priced anywhere under $2000 are very small.
This puts keeps it in an odd space between the Mavic 2 Pro & Inspire 2 —though all this will be changing when DJI launches the Mavic 3 Pro & Inspire 3.
Guess we’ll just have to wait and see.
Stay tuned for all the latest CES releases — we’ll be updating the post throughout the week as all the new cameras, drones, phones and more are announced.
