DJI just launched a new drone for the Malaysian market, the DJI Mavic Mini. As its name suggests, the Mavic Mini is DJI’s smallest and lightest drone yet. Despite its small size, it’s actually quite a capable drone, and it doesn’t cost all that much either.

Obviously, one of the “biggest” appeals of the Mavic Mini is its portability. Weighing only 249g, it is light enough to be categorised under the safest category of drones. In fact, it doesn’t even need to be registered under the Federal Aviation Administration in the US.

On top of that, the legs of the Mavic Mini can also be folded, making it a lot easier to store in your backpack.

Given the lightweight nature of the Mavic Mini, flight time of the portable drone is quite impressive. On a single battery pack, the Mavic Mini can return up to 30 minutes of use. Besides that, you can control the drone either with the dedicated remote controller or the DJI Fly app.

Unfortunately, the Mavic Mini doesn’t offer 4K video recording. Instead, it can capture 2.7K videos at 30fps. If you want to shoot in 1080p instead, the drone can shoot at that resolution at 60fps. Still photos, on the other hand, are limited to 12MP shots. Of course, the camera on the drone is stabilised with a three-axis motorised gimbal.

Let’s talk about the DJI Fly app. According to the drone maker, the app allows you to do a couple of neat tricks with the Mavic Mini, making it easy to “create stunning cinematic content.” These are called QuickShots, which are pre-programmed flight manoeuvres.

DJI outlined a number of QuickShots you can do with the Mavic Mini. One of them is Helix: the drone will fly upwards and away, “spiraling around your subject” as it does that. It’s a neat shooting mode for those who want an overall shot of their surroundings, and you can even set the height limit of the shot to 40, 60, 80, or 120 feet.

The DJI Mavic Mini is now available for pre-order in Malaysia from VSTECS’ resellers and DJI authorised retailers. The drone is offered in two packages: the standard bundle offers the Mavic Mini itself, the remote controller, one battery, and one set of extra propellers for RM1,599.

But if you want more value for money, it’s worth going for the Fly More combo. It adds on a 360-degree Propeller Cage, the Two-Way Charging Hub – it can charge up to three batteries at once – two additional batteries, three sets of extra propellers, and a carrying case for RM1,999.

Those who pre-order the Mavic Mini will receive the drone as early as next week. Accessories for the drone, on the other hand, will be available for pre-order at the end of this month.