DJI Avata 2 Review: It’s Still the Most Fun Drone on the Market, and It Just Got Better!
The Avata series just got better
If you've ever flown the first DJI Avata , you will understand how easy it is to take control and quickly go from beginner flight to full-speed flight. When flying with DJI's motion controller, the movements to fly Avata are natural, which means anyone can do it.
Right after you put on the goggles, turn everything on for the first time, and go through the tutorial, DJI puts you into Beginner mode, a bit like the cinematic flight mode on traditional drones.
Build quality
While crashes with Mavic, Air or Mini drones are usually not positive, FPV drones are expected to have some crash resistance. Clipping branches, walls and yes, the occasional metal probe, is not unheard of, so DJI Avata 2 it must be built to handle it.
Overall the quality is great, the rotor guards protect the rotors from damage if you graze a wall, clip some leaves or fly a little too low in tall grass.
The Avata 2’s turtle mode also lets you flip the drone over and keep flying after a crash. And yes, I had to use it a few times. I wish there was a shortcut for this and not hidden behind three clicks in the menu, but it works pretty well. Maybe a normal pilot doesn’t need it that often and it’s just me who keeps crashing it.
When it comes to most obstacles you might encounter, the Avata 2's body can take a pretty good beating without any noticeable damage.
However, I wouldn’t suggest going full speed into something difficult. As I mentioned before, my first flight ended after I clipped a metal survey at a child’s playground. While the drone was intact and had no issues flying again, the plastic bottle was slightly dented, meaning the rotor blades were slightly touching the guard.
So even if the blades eventually shaved off a bit during the next flight so that they were no longer touching, you will probably want to have this fixed as this likely affects the flight profile of the Avata 2 in some way. Although I haven't noticed anything drastic since.
DJI Goggles 3: The Real Highlight of the Show
O4 Transmission
While there’s nothing to complain about with the Avata 2, the real improvements for me are with the new DJI Goggles 3. First and foremost, the Goggles 3 enhance DJI’s new O4 transmission system, increasing the strength and stability of your feed to the drone. O4 originally came out with the Air 3 and is almost a night and day difference between even the O3+ that was on the DJI Goggles 2 and the original Avata.
The addition of this new system also means a new manual flight controller, the Flight Controller 3. Virtually identical to previous versions, it will be compatible with the Avata 2 and O4 transmission.
Transition into the real world
The most notable addition, however, is real-world passthrough. DJI has added two cameras to the front of the Goggles that allow you to look around your environment. With a simple double-click on the scroll wheel on the Motion Controller 3 or a double-tap on the side of the Goggles 3, you’ll be taken out of the flight view and able to see the world in front of you.
While it won't compete with Apple's Vision Pro, it's good enough to check your surroundings, find your controller, or even look at your phone! DJI sees this as a great safety feature, and I agree. I've used it a few times when I've heard voices and noticed a group of kids walking behind me. Although I have to admit, I've used it to check my phone and respond to texts a lot.
The rest
The DJI Goggles 3 are overall a great pair of FPV goggles. The battery has been moved to the back of the headband, balancing out the front weight a bit. The headband also now features a dial tightening system, similar to Apple's Vision Pro strap, which is great and hasn't slipped so far.
It’s not too heavy either, I haven’t noticed any discomfort while wearing it or any neck strain after long flight sessions. While it can take a little while to get into position so you can see all four corners of the internal screens, moving the diopter to focus and view the screens is fairly easy. The real trick I wish DJI would mention is the fit of the goggles on your face. There’s a small adjustable hinge between the goggles and the forehead rest, this helps get the goggles to fit snugly on your face. It’s easy to move around when you take it off or put it in your bag, so you usually have to readjust it every time.
Once in place, adjust the diopters using the dials at the bottom of the glasses. It only takes a minute or two to get it right and it should feel solid and clear, just like you would if you were looking at the screen of any other controller.
Compatibility
I have yet to try this due to firmware limitations (I have to wait for the public firmware for my Mini 4 Pro) but the Goggle 3 and Motion Controller 3 will be compatible with the Air 3 and Mini 4 Pro out of the box. Obviously the updated transmission system makes it difficult to use backwards compatible controllers and glasses, we saw this with both the Air 3 and Mini 4.
This sadly means we'll have to wait for the Integra 2 glasses for a cheaper package.
Avata 2 shows an overall increase in all specifications
The Avata 2 arrived with the expected spec bump that any new generation would get. A larger camera for sharper photos and videos, slightly increased flight time, and some new features like Easy ACRO which gives Motion Controller 3 flyers the ability to flip, roll, and drift.
While the gains mostly come from the goggles, if you are an avid FPV pilot, a larger camera will be welcome. The Easy ACRO is more suited to casual pilots like me and is fun to play with. I have yet to try the regular Flight Controller for manual flight, but I figure there is no better time than the present.
Overall the Avata 2 is another great DJI product. It has everything you would expect from the industry leader and even on the pre-release firmware I have not encountered any bugs or unexpected software crashes.
If you need a new take on drone flying fun or a simple FPV drone to expand your customer offerings, the Avata 2 is for you.
