DJI Air 4 vs DJI Air 3S: Should You Wait or Buy Now?

DJI Air 4 vs DJI Air 3S is a choice between a real drone and a rumor. If you need a drone this year, buy the DJI Air 3S. The DJI Air 4 has not been announced, and nothing reliable is known about its camera, weight, battery, price or launch date. Waiting only makes sense if you already own a capable drone, have no important shoots coming up, and can live with an open-ended timeline and the chance that the rumored upgrades never appear.

If you already own an Air 3S, keep it at least until DJI officially announces the Air 4 and publishes full specs. There is no verified evidence yet that the upgrade will justify selling a capable drone in advance.

DJI Air 4 vs DJI Air 3S on paper

What is actually known about the Air 4

As of 22 October 2026, there is still no DJI product page, spec sheet, teaser, manual or price. The evidence is two reported sightings.

In May 2026, the Air 4 name reportedly appeared in a Chinese flight-reporting app, in a selectable aircraft list alongside the Air 3S and other current drones. A model name inside flight-compliance software means more than an anonymous spec list or an AI concept image, but it revealed no camera, battery, weight, transmission or date, and does not show the drone is ready for retail.

A July 2026 report then claimed the Air 4 had appeared in a Chinese certification database. The listing disclosed no specs, and the report did not reproduce the original entry, so it is a reported certification listing, not a verified one. The same report linked the drone to possible improvements in aerodynamics, low-light imaging and obstacle sensing; the listing confirms none of them.

Nothing so far confirms a launch month or even a 2026 launch, dual 1-inch cameras, a larger main sensor, the weight (or a sub-250 g version), O4+ or a newer transmission system, a flight time, a new controller, pricing or US availability. More on the leaks in our Air 4 rumors tracker.

The Air 3S you can buy today

The Air 3S launched on October 15, 2024 as a dual-camera travel drone. Both cameras record 4K at up to 120fps in slow motion and support 10-bit D-Log M and HLG. The 24 mm camera covers scenery, establishing shots, architecture and property work; the 70 mm medium tele compresses backgrounds and frames distant subjects without flying closer. That second camera is still the Air 3S’s biggest strength, and an Air 4 with only a modest main-camera bump would not make it obsolete.

DJI also lists a 41-minute maximum hover time, 12 m/s wind resistance, a 6,000 m maximum takeoff altitude and a 21 m/s top horizontal speed under test conditions. These are lab figures; wind, temperature, altitude, recording settings, battery age, speed and return-to-home reserves all cut real endurance.

It was DJI’s first drone to combine forward LiDAR with its nightscape omnidirectional sensing: forward LiDAR, downward infrared time-of-flight sensors, and front, rear and downward vision sensors. DJI says this supports obstacle detection and next-generation Smart Return to Home, including in low light when surface and lighting conditions allow. So an Air 4 sensing upgrade would need to be substantial to matter. Adding LiDAR would not be new.

Where an Air 4 could improve

These are reasonable guesses, not specs.

• Main camera. A newer 1-inch sensor with faster readout, more dynamic range, less rolling shutter, better low-light processing, a brighter lens, higher-resolution video or new color profiles. A bigger sensor is possible but adds weight, heat, lens size and cost.
• Tele camera. Probably the more valuable upgrade: a larger sensor than the current 1/1.3-inch, a wider aperture, better low light, focus and edge sharpness, and a closer match to the main camera.
• Airframe. Secondary reports suggest a redesigned body, which could help efficiency, wind handling, cooling, noise, speed, endurance and folded size. There is not enough evidence to say.
• Obstacle sensing. Longer low-light detection range, better side and rear coverage, detection of thin branches and wires, smarter return-to-home routes.
• Flight time. A moderate gain over 45 minutes would help, but weight, charge time and battery cost matter as much as the headline number.
• Transmission. The Air 3S already does 20 km (FCC) with 1080p/60fps live view. With visual line of sight required, interference resistance, latency, urban reliability, live-view quality and faster transfers matter more than range.

Dual 1-inch cameras are the most repeated rumor. Upgrading the 70 mm camera to 1-inch would help low light and make the two cameras match better, but it would add weight, lens size, power draw, heat and cost, and push the Air toward the Mavic range. Without a spec sheet, product image or filing, it is speculation. So is a sub-250 g Air 4: the Air 3S weighs 724 g, and a drone that light would need a very different design and would overlap with the Mini range.

How long could you be waiting?

The two sightings suggest the project is further along than a typical forum rumor, but products often appear in regulatory or operational databases before manufacturing, packaging, firmware, regional approvals and dealer stock are ready. A launch later in 2026 is possible. So is a slip into 2027, or a release in some regions but not others.

US buyers face extra uncertainty. In December 2025 the FCC added foreign-produced drones and critical components to its Covered List, blocking new equipment authorizations. Drones already bought legally can still be used, but new foreign models face a harder path. DJI has petitioned the FCC to reconsider parts of the decision, and the proceeding was still active in 2026. That does not mean the Air 4 will be unavailable in the US, only that a global announcement would not guarantee normal US sales. Our guide to buying DJI in the US has the background.

Who should buy the Air 3S now

Travelers with a trip coming up. Waiting for an unannounced drone can mean missing the trip. The Air 3S already has two cameras, a 45-minute rating, LiDAR, omnidirectional sensing, ActiveTrack 360° and 42 GB of storage.

Anyone with paid work. If the drone would earn money from property videos, events, inspections, stock footage or client content, it may pay for itself before the Air 4 ships.

Buyers who find a real discount. Successor rumors often bring Air 3S deals, and new DJI models tend to launch near full price, before batteries, hubs and accessories. A discounted Air 3S Fly More Combo can be better value than an aircraft-only Air 4 at launch.

People who prefer a mature platform. Settled firmware, available batteries and accessories, tutorials, known weaknesses and repair information. New models sometimes bring early firmware bugs and short stock.

Who should wait

Air 3S owners. Selling now risks a delayed or modest Air 4, high launch pricing, limited regional stock, incompatible accessories and a falling resale price before you have a replacement.

Air 3 owners have a harder choice. The Air 3S adds a 1-inch main camera, better low-light potential, forward LiDAR, improved night sensing, 42 GB of storage and updated processing. Buy it if those fix a specific problem; otherwise wait for a bigger generational jump.

Air 2S owners already get a major upgrade in camera flexibility, flight time, sensing, tracking, transmission and storage from the Air 3S. Wait only if the Air 2S is still reliable, you don’t need a second focal length and nothing important is coming up.

People who always want the newest model. That is a fair personal preference, not a performance reason.

The Air 3S is not a stopgap. Wait when waiting costs you nothing, and don’t put off a trip or a paid job for a spec list nobody has confirmed.

Air 3S specs were checked against DJI’s product pages, spec sheet and launch announcement. Air 4 details come from published reports of the flight-app and certification sightings; Drone Ranker did not retrieve the underlying database record. Last verified July 31, 2026.