By combining the DJI Mavic Air 2's compact design and the Mavic 2 Pro's image quality, the Air 2S is now the best all-round drone you can buy. It delivers several new features over the Mavic Air 2, including a large 20MP 1-inch sensor and digital zoom, and squeezes all of this into a folding design that weighs just 595g. While it's slightly pricier than its predecessor, it's well worth the extra cost.

1-inch 20 MP sensor; Great image quality; Small and lightweight;

Controller isn’t foldable; Image edges slightly soft; No adjustable aperture

For all intents and purposes, the $999.99 DJI Air 2S is last year's Mavic Air 2 with an upgraded camera and obstacle sensors, expanded automatic camera movements, and the robust safety features and quality that have made DJI the market leader in aerial imaging. The larger camera sensor and 5.4K recording are worthwhile upgrades for professional photographers and videographers alike, though we think most pilots starting out with a drone will be just as happy with the Mavic Air 2 for $200 less, which is more of a crowd-pleaser and remains our Editors’ Choice winner. If you want more than 4K, however, the Air 2S is worth it. A Mavic No More This is the second drone release from DJI in a row to drop Mavic from the product name, so it's safe to say the company is moving away from clever branding. Instead it gets right to the point here—this is the DJI Air 2S, a bit bigger than the DJI Mini 2, and with a different camera than the otherwise similar DJI Mavic Air 2. OK, so it's still a ...

The DJI Air 2S is a small folding drone with a premium 1-inch sensor camera, 5.4K video, and a number of automated flight and safety features, making it a pro-minded alternative to the more affordable Mavic Air 2.

1-inch sensor camera; Video at up to 5.4K quality; Robust safety features; Obstacle detection and avoidance; Automated camera shots; HDR, Log, and Standard video profiles; AirSense transponder; Half-hour flight time

Doesn't offer in-camera filtered looks; 8GB internal storage isn't much; Remote doesn't include EV control wheel; App-based editing limited to 1080p output; HDR HLG workflow for pros only; Raw images don't transfer to smartphones and tablets automatically

I think the Air 2S may be DJI’s best drone yet – an almost perfect balance of portability, performance and price that delivers stunning image quality from a tiny and easy to fly quadcopter. It’s perfect for beginner pilots, packed to the gills with safety features but still able to produce nigh-on pro-level results when it comes to photos and videos, and it’s small enough to carry around with you on the off chance that you spot something you’d like to film from the air. It’s the first drone I’ve reviewed in ages that I would consider buying with my own money, and I think a lot of aerial photographers and filmmakers may well be ditching their drone collections and replacing them with just the Air 2S. It’s one drone to shoot them all, in other words.

Excellent camera; Compact and portable design; Simple setup and controls; Packed with safety features;

Rotors creep into shot sometimes; No aperture adjustment; Slightly lower battery life than Air 2;

Great fun, and quick, which also means it is easy to lose.

Ive own phantoms, Mavic Pro and air 2 but this Air2s is amazing and the capabilities of this drone will not disappoint drone flyers. My tip but one.

The previous Air 2 sought to bring high-end features into a smaller form factor - and the Air 2S ups the ante further. Its 1-inch sensor offers great stills photography, while video capabilities outshine some more expensive drones.

1-inch sensor offers super pictures; Advanced obstacle avoidance; Portable and easy to carry around; Great battery life; ND filters in the Fly More combo are a nice touch;

Rolling shutter effect is quite bad when moving quickly; 4K/60 crops heavily into frame; QuickShot shoots at Full HD; It's not exactly cheap;

A new image sensor and upgraded object avoidance make the DJI Air 2S our favourite drone of all time

Fabulous camera with 1in sensor; Upwards facing object avoidance; 5K video recording at 30fps and 150Mbits/sec;

No C classification yet;

Superb image quality; Portable and lightweight; Easy and safe to fly; Good battery life;

Non-adjustable aperture; Rotors sometimes in shot;

Excellent camera; Compact and portable design; Simple setup and controls; Packed with safety features;

Rotors creep into shot sometimes; No aperture adjustment; Slightly lower battery life than Air 2;

1-inch sensor; HDR & Log profiles; Great safety features;

App limited to 1080p output; More expensive;