The DJI Mavic Pro (Platinum) is currently one of the better small drones for sale.
The foldable drone can easily be stored and has a special remote control that is also fairly compact. The flight performance is of the highest level, with matching 4K video, and built-in safety functions such as ‘return to home’ and avoiding obstacles.
Design
The Mavic Pro Platinum is the second version of the Mavic Pro drone, which I previously reviewed for GearLimits. That is why I will not describe all specifications and possibilities again, such as operation, flight modes, the DJI Go 4 App, film/video and flight behaviour.
DJI has not made any changes to the basic design – apart from a lighter, silver finish, but it is indistinguishable from the Mavic Pro (which is dark grey). When folded, the dimensions are:
- Height 83 mm
- Width 83 mm
- Length 198 mm
A drone recording can add serious production value to a vlog, review or film project. The beauty of a handy drone like the Mavic Pro is that it is easy to carry and you have it in ‘no time’ in the air. The propellers of the Mavic can be folded (two propellor sets included), so you do not have to remove them for storage.
Noise
With the Pro Platinum, DJI promises two upgrades to its predecessor; longer flight times and quieter operation. Both are the result of refinements in engine and propeller design. The sound is significantly reduced, as you can hear in the video below. Both drones were recorded from the same position with an iPhone 6.
Propeller noise reduction
The sound of drones will not make the experienced drone pilot much more, but a large number of people find the sound of a drone disruptive. A noise reduction is, therefore, a big advantage of the Mavic Pro Platinum. With this model, DJI mainly had the reduction of the sound in mind and was able to realise a reduction of 4 dB. This amounts to 60% less noise. At first, 4dB does not look like much, and a noise reduction of 60% seems completely unlikely.
I could not figure that out myself, but dronewinkel.eu (Dutch) did. Below is an excerpt from their research.
To measure a decibel; a decibel scale is used, based on a logarithmic scale. This means that when the number of decibels increases by ten the power and energy increases by a factor of 10, a gain of 20 dB means an increase of factor 100. In other words, more sound volume is required to go from 70 dB to 80 dB that it is necessary to go from 40 dB to 50 dB.
DJI Mavic Pro Platinum Noise Reduction
A decrease of 4dB is indeed a big difference, and hear that difference well when you are going to fly with both drones at the same time. The difference in sound is possible because of the new silent 8331 propellers and the new ESC in the DJI Mavic Pro Platinum. ESC or Electronic Speed Control are electronic circuits that determine the speed of the motors. The new ESC are more efficient and run less fast. The aerodynamic design of the 8331 propellers also ensures a sound reduction.
If you are already in possession of a Mavic Pro and is the purchase of a new drone a bit too much? Then the good news is that the new 8331 Low Noise propellers can also be used on the Mavic Pro.
Flight-time
The Platinum does longer with a battery. During our battery tests, an average flight time of 28 minutes was measured with a fully charged battery. It is not 30 minutes, as DJI claimed, but certainly, a significant improvement compared to the 24 minutes that we get on average with the original Mavic Pro. A few extra minutes in the air can relieve the pressure if you try to make that final blow. It is still a good idea to take a spare battery (or two) with you.
Costs
An extra battery costs € 97 per piece (Coolblue) and for the Mavic Pro Platinum Fly More bundle you pay € 1369 (Coolblue). Two extra batteries It adds two (total three), as well as a carrying bag, an extra spare propeller set, a car charger and a loading hub. The hub can handle four batteries at the same time. It does not charge them at the same time, but in order, first charging the least depleted batteries.
Specific!
What exactly is the difference compared to the DJI Mavic Pro?
Three points have been ‘improved’ with the Mavic Pro Platinum:
- Platinum coloured finish
- Longer flight time (30 minutes)
- Significant noise reduction (4dB)
Conclusion
The DJI Mavic Pro Platinum is currently the best small drone on the market. The foldable design makes it possible to fly anywhere and is easy to store and carry. The Pro Platinum is slight ‘quieter’ and flies longer than its predecessor; the Mavic Pro. You pay a little more for that. However, do not exclude the first version, especially if you have a limited budget and do not mind having a few minutes less flight time.
