DJI Avata 360 review: How does this drone compare to the Antigravity A1?

DJI officially launched the Avata 360 in March, expanding its camera drone lineup with the company’s first 360-degree offering. The latest addition to DJI’s popular Avata series, the Avata 360 is a direct competitor to the Antigravity A1 360-degree drone released last December. But while Antigravity is just getting off the ground, it’s still the new kid on the block. DJI has been a favorite of drone enthusiasts for years, with many eagerly awaiting the brand’s first 360 drone.

Now that the DJI Avata 360 is finally here, the question is whether the wait was worth it.

DJI Avata 360: Build

At first glance, the Avata 360’s design has a strong resemblance to the DJI Avata 2 released in 2024. Both sport sturdy, lightweight bodies made of high-quality gray plastic, with few moving parts aside from their camera gimbals and four propellers. Guards around these propellers help protect them from damage, adding another layer of protection over the Avata 360’s obstacle avoidance system. Measuring 246 millimeters x 199 millimeters x 55.5 millimeters, the Avata 360 is longer but thinner than the Avata 2, with three anchor points to attach its propellers to the body instead of two.

The Avata 360 feels sturdier than the much smaller Antigravity A1, and the latter has folding arms and unshielded propeller blades. While the A1 is no slouch, the Avata 360 looks like it could hold its own in a head-to-head clash. It also has a removable lens protector to protect it during storage.

However, this high durability comes at the cost of the weight and separation of the Avata 360. Unlike the Antigravity A1, DJI’s 360-degree drone requires registration with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to fly, as it weighs 455 grams. Meanwhile, the A1 just comes in under the FAA’s 250-gram limit — no doubt a choice intended to make life easier for budding pilots.

The Avata 360 is portable enough that it’s no more of a burden than a portable A1. Each drone can be combined with a bag with slings, although the Avata 360’s aren’t big enough to fit neatly into a folded seat and the optional DJI Goggles N3 (more on this below).

However, signing up for Avata 360 is a hassle. Whether the hassle is worth it will depend on what you want from your drone. Newbies and hobbyists may not want to bother with such issues, while veteran drone users are unlikely to be put off by the extra step required to fly the Avata 360.

DJI Avata 360: Image quality

The appeal of the Avata 360 is obviously its 360-degree video capabilities, with a maximum resolution of 8K at 60fps (although it is downgraded to 4K when rendered in 2D in the DJI Fly app). The drone also allows you to switch to single-lens mode to shoot traditional video, up to 4K at 60fps. In comparison, the Antigravity A1’s highest 360-degree video resolution is 8K at 30fps — half the frame rate of Avata 360. DJI’s high frame rate is particularly attractive for producing smooth, beautiful motion pictures, which is a remarkable strength of a drone camera that captures a wide area.

Both drones use two lenses and two sensors to achieve their 360-degree recording. However, the Avata 360 has a larger 1/1.1-inch square CMOS sensor compared to the A1’s 1/1.28, enabling greater dynamic range and low-light performance.

The video quality of the Antigravity A1 is already impressive enough for the average person, and there is nothing to complain about. However, for professionals and prosumers who want more compression in their images, the DJI Avata 360 offers a welcome slight upgrade.

As always, 360-degree video is a double-edged sword. It allows you to frame and edit after the fact, meaning you don’t have to decide what to focus on while filming. However, this also makes editing recordings very difficult and time-consuming. Avata 360 aims to simplify this process with the DJI Fly app, which allows you to crop, add keyframes, apply filters, and otherwise edit your footage.

DJI Fly also includes an in-app tracking feature, which will allow you to draw a box around a subject and the frame will follow automatically. Although it lost track of the bird when it flew above the Avata 360, Mashable found that the DJI Fly app’s tracking did an excellent job of keeping the subject in focus. It’s not exactly an auteur’s eye, but it gets the job done with little fuss, leaving you free to fine-tune other aspects of your video.

DJI Avata 360: Controls and operation

While the Antigravity A1 can only be operated using its included headset and motion controller, the DJI Avata 360 offers two control options. Pilots can use the DJI RC 2 remote control, which has two joysticks and a screen that shows the drone’s point of view, or connect the Avata 360 to the DJI Goggles N3 and RC Motion 3 controllers. Released a few years ago, both options can be purchased separately or in a bundle with the Avata 360. They are also compatible with previous DJI drones, offering more flexibility for those interested in building a ship.

Flying the DJI Avata 360 with the RC 2 controller is straightforward. Touchscreen options allow you to automatically launch and position the drone, while buttons on either side enable quick recording. Two joysticks control the Avata 360’s altitude, orientation, and flight path, allowing for smooth flight.

Mashable was surprised to find that, although we found the Antigravity A1’s motion control to be more intuitive for users who don’t have much experience with drones, we actually preferred the RC 2 controller to DJI’s motion controller and glasses. While earphones have the advantage of providing a clear, flicker-free viewing experience, they can be difficult to put on and take off. Importantly, they can also block line of sight, which is an FAA requirement when flying drones for fun. The RC 2 is a quick grab-and-go option, can be used without a display, and at 700 nits the screen is bright enough to be clearly visible even in direct sunlight.

It’s also worth noting that the DJI Goggles N3 can’t be adjusted for prescription glasses, though luckily it’s big enough to fit over glasses. In contrast, the Antigravity A1 headset has a diopter adjustment that supports prescriptions ranging from +2.00 to -5.00, as well as interpupillary distance adjustment.

Both Antigravity and DJI’s goggle designs are easy to wear. The A1’s mirror setup is admittedly more awkward than DJI’s, requiring you to hang the battery around your neck like a necklace and run the cable to the headset. However, this setup makes the A1 headset delightfully light, and easily forgettable during operation. DJI’s more streamlined design doesn’t look like a doll, mounting its battery on a strap behind the head to balance the weight of the front, but it’s heavy and can be slippery.

At 42GB, the Avata 360 has more than double the A1’s 20GB of internal storage. Both also offer a microSD card slot if you want more space – which, if you’re shooting a significant amount of 360-degree video, you’ll probably need.

DJI says the Avata 360’s replaceable batteries handle about 23 minutes of flight per charge, though Mashable found this to be a good estimate. Fortunately the drone will automatically return to its launch pad to land if its power gets too low, but you’ll probably want spare batteries on hand if you want a long flight time. We quickly chewed up our instruments during testing, finishing flight sessions faster than we would have liked – although this is a testament to how much fun the Avata 360 was to fly.

Interestingly, the DJI Avata 360 had trouble sticking to the landing during Mashable’s testing. Although it was positioned in the center of its bright orange stop for departure, it repeatedly missed being told to return home. Instead, the hovercraft would slowly lower itself from its launch point, landing on the grass near the landing site. In contrast, Antigravity A1’s self-landing brought it back to its smallest landing zone every time, also ejecting the landing gear.

It is not a convincing indicator about the navigation accuracy of Avata 360, and it gives us a moment to rely too much on the automatic anti-collision or home features. However, landing a drone outside of the area isn’t a fatal mistake, as you’ll generally want a safe, clear area for your entire launch site no matter what. You should keep your drone within visual line as well, so you can intervene if it chooses the wrong landing spot.

DJI Avata 360: Price

Although DJI Avata 360 has been streaming worldwide since April, it is not yet available on the company’s official US website. The US government’s stance towards DJI has severely disrupted the company’s business, making it difficult for those in the country to use many of its devices. So, getting the DJI Avata 360 in the US will require you to sign in with an illegal third party right now.

This availability issue gives the Antigravity A1 a significant edge over the DJI Avata 360 for US consumers. However, the large difference in cost does much to reduce this apparent advantage.

While there’s no official US pricing, in Australia the DJI Avata 360 costs $AU799 ($574) for the bare drone and one battery, and $AU1,159 ($833) for that and the DJI RC 2. The $AU1,619 ($1,164) Fly More Combog includes the More Combob, and some buzzing sounds. The Fly More Combo is similar but swaps out the RC 2 for the DJI Goggles N3 controller and the RC Motion 3. Meanwhile, the basic Antigravity A1 bundle with headset, motion controller, and one battery costs $1,599 — a few hundred dollars more than the more expensive Avata 360 bundle.

The A1 is still a good choice, especially for new or casual pilots, and its low weight means it’s subject to fewer flight limitations than the Avata 360. But if you’re looking for an affordable, heavy-duty 360-degree drone that’s good for prosumers and professionals, hunting down the DJI Avata might be the 360 ​​for you.