DJI Air 3S
The best all-round camera drone DJI sells in the United States: a 1-inch main sensor, a 70 mm telephoto, 45 minutes and forward LiDAR, at a price that undercuts the Mavic line by half.
- Rating
- 4.6/ 5
- Weight
- 724 g
- Flight time
- 45 min
- Price
- $1,099
- Launched
- Oct 15, 2024
- Made by
- DJI
The DJI Air 3S is a 724 g folding camera drone with a 1-inch 50 MP main camera and a 70 mm 48 MP telephoto, 45 minutes of flight time, and forward-facing LiDAR, launched on 15 October 2024 at $1,099. It replaced the Air 3, keeping the two-camera layout and the airframe and swapping the main sensor from 1/1.3-inch to 1-inch.
It is on sale in the United States, which in 2026 is the first thing to say about any DJI aircraft. Its FCC equipment authorisation predates the December 2025 Covered List addition, so DJI still lists it and American retailers still stock it.
Aircraft Specifications
| Specification | DJI Air 3S |
|---|---|
| Takeoff weight | 724 g |
| Folded dimensions | 214.19 × 100.63 × 89.17 mm |
| Unfolded dimensions | 266.11 × 325.47 × 106.00 mm |
| Max flight time | 45 min, forward flight at constant speed |
| Max hover time | 41 min |
| Max horizontal speed | 21 m/s in still air; 27 m/s with a 6 m/s tailwind |
| Max wind resistance | 12 m/s |
| Max takeoff altitude | 6,000 m |
| Operating temperature | -10° to 40°C |
| Obstacle sensing | Omnidirectional binocular vision, plus forward-facing LiDAR |
| Internal storage | 42 GB |
All figures are DJI’s published specifications. FlightBrief has not flown the aircraft.
Cameras
| Item | Wide | Medium telephoto |
|---|---|---|
| Sensor | 1-inch CMOS, 50 MP | 1/1.3-inch CMOS, 48 MP |
| Equivalent focal length | 24 mm | 70 mm |
| Aperture | f/1.8 | f/2.8 |
| Specification | Value |
|---|---|
| Max video | 4K 3840 × 2160 at 24/25/30/48/50/60/120 fps |
| Max bitrate | 130 Mbps |
| Colour | 10-bit 4:2:0 H.265 in D-Log M |
The wide camera is the upgrade over the Air 3, whose main sensor was the same 1/1.3-inch unit the Air 3S now uses for the telephoto. The telephoto itself is unchanged.
Transmission and Battery
| Specification | Value |
|---|---|
| System | DJI O4 |
| Max range | 20 km (FCC), 10 km (CE) |
| Battery | 4,276 mAh, 62.5 Wh |
| Charging | About 80 min with a 65 W charger; about 60 min with the 100 W adapter |
Use Cases
The general-purpose camera drone for someone who has outgrown a Mini and does not need a Mavic: travel, real estate, small commercial jobs. Low-light work, where the 1-inch sensor and the LiDAR both earn their place. Anyone in the United States who wants DJI’s best current image quality from an aircraft that is actually on sale there.
Market Context
The Air 3S is the drone the Mini 5 Pro is measured against on image quality — both carry a 1-inch 50 MP sensor — and the Mini is the answer where the 250 g limit matters. Where it does not, the Air 3S adds the telephoto, nine more minutes of flight and stronger wind resistance for 724 g and registration.
Above it sits the Mavic 4 Pro with a Four Thirds sensor and a 168 mm telephoto, which DJI does not sell in the United States. That gap is why the Air 3S is the top of DJI’s US range in practice, and the buying guide treats it that way.
The Section 232 tariffs in force since 3 September apply a 25 percent duty to imported aircraft at or below 25 kg, which includes the Air 3S; what that does to the street price is for the retailer to decide.
Compared
| Specification | DJI Air 3S | DJI Air 3 | DJI Mavic 4 Pro |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weight | 724 g | 720 g | 1,063 g |
| Flight time | 45 min | 46 min | 51 min |
| Price | $1,099 | $1,099 | Not sold in US |
| Where to buy | Out of stock at DJI's US store (29 Sept 2026); Amazon sellers | Out of stock at DJI's US store (29 Sept 2026); Amazon sellers | Not sold by DJI in the US; third-party sellers |
| Launched | Oct 15, 2024 | Jul 25, 2023 | May 13, 2025 |
Figures are the manufacturers' published specifications, as on each product's page.
Coverage
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