The DJI Mini 2 could be the light, feature-packed drone you’ve been waiting for

DJI, the global leader in civilian drones and creative camera technology, launched the DJI Mini 2, a high-performance camera drone that packs impressive new features into a small, portable design in the safest drone category weighing less than 249 grams. The successor to DJI’s original Mavic Mini, DJI Mini 2 is easy to fly, with improved imaging capabilities, powerful flight performance, and significantly enhanced transmission technology for a longer and more reliable connection.

Intelligent, pre-programmed modes have been optimized so that you can capture eye-catching footage with just a few taps while beginner tutorials and learning tools help get new pilots up to speed on how to fly this fun new drone. Supported with a wide array of fun, safe, and creative accessories, DJI Mini 2 users can make the system their own with personalized items or show it off with the illuminated display case.

“Mavic Mini was a monumental breakthrough for DJI and for drone pilots across the world, as its unprecedented combination of weight, safety, performance, and overall value became the entry point for countless new drone pilots and fans,” said DJI President, Roger Luo. “DJI Mini 2 enhances those key aspects, packing larger drone performance in an approachable, small design in the safest drone category that is perfect for beginners and will also impress more experienced pilots.”

Mini design, impressive results

Just like the original Mavic Mini, DJI Mini 2 features the iconic folding design that makes traveling with a drone incredibly easy. The lightweight system adds minimal weight to your bag and can easily be brought with you in case the opportunity to fly arises. Small yet mighty, DJI Mini 2 has impressive upgrades to vital flight performance features compared to the original version. OcuSync 2.0 transmission technology has now been incorporated.

OcuSync 2.0 is DJI’s world-renowned transmission technology responsible for ensuring stable, long-distance, and reliable connection between the remote controller and the drone. Dual-frequency technology1 automatically switches between channels to help against interference. DJI Mini 2 has a maximum transmission range of 102 km3, which is a 150% increase in transmission range when compared to the original Mavic Mini. Upgraded motors provide up to 31 minutes of flight time, faster acceleration and speed, along with the ability to withstand winds up to 38 km/h.

Surprisingly easy to fly, reassuringly safe

DJI Mini 2 was made to be fun to fly, simple to operate, and safe for everyday use, whether that is daily life or an exciting adventure. A live feed from the drone’s camera is sent to your mobile phone so that you can see exactly where Mini 2 is and what it sees. Simplified buttons and functions keep things streamlined and easy to understand compared to more advanced drones. Like all DJI drones, high-grade positioning and vision sensors help Mini 2 hover precisely in place. GPS keeps track of where the drone is while the vision sensors on the bottom map out the ground below it and assist automated landing.

DJI drones are renowned for their safety features so that both new and experienced pilots can enjoy the flying experience. Some of these features include GEO fencing, which keeps drones out of sensitive areas like airports, Return to Home, a feature that can be activated so the drone returns to the pilot, and Altitude Lock, an adjustable limit on how high the drone can fly. Together, these modes and features make DJI Mini 2 not only a thrill to fly but safe for all skill levels.

Vivid Photos, Steady Video Footage All At Your Finger Tips

Capture every moment in stunning details with the help of the 1/2.3-inch sensor capable of recording 12-megapixel images and a maximum video resolution of 4K/30fps @100 Mbps. Additionally, images can be saved in standard JPEG as well as RAW for advanced users who want to edit footage further. Shake-free, smooth footage is possible because of the class-leading 3-axis gimbal, which compensates for drone movement, wind, and more.

While recording in 1080p resolution, pilots can get closer to their subject without actually having to move the drone thanks to the 4X Zoom (2X lossless in quality) option. Pre-programmed intelligent modes mean the drone does the hard work of capturing beautiful footage with set movements and imaging features.
Make your content stand out with just a tap thanks to these pre-set modes including:

QuickShots: Pre-programmed movements and image capture modes.

  • Dronie: DJI Mini 2 flies backward and upward, with the camera tracking your subject. Set a height limit of 40, 60, 80, 100, or 120 ft.
  • Helix: DJI Mini 2 flies upward and away, spiraling around your subject. Set a height limit of 40, 60, 80, 100, or 120 ft.
  • Rocket: DJI Mini 2 flies straight up into the air with the camera pointing downward following your subject. Set a height limit of 40, 60, 80, 100, or 120 ft.
  • Circle: DJI Mini 2 will circle around your subject at a constant altitude and distance.
  • Boomerang: DJI Mini 2 flies a boomerang-like oval flight path around your subject, starting and stopping video in the same place.

Panoramas: Capture a wider perspective with select pano modes.

  • Sphere: DJI Mini 2 automatically captures twenty-six images and stitches them together for a crystal-clear image.
  • 180°: Captures seven photos for sweeping landscape images.
  • Wide-Angle: Captures a wide 3×3 image consisting of nine images.

 

Image modes: Different photo modes for different scenarios.

  • AEB Triple Shot: Auto Exposure Bracketing (AEB) takes three images of varying exposure and merges them for a vivid image. This can be edited further to bring out a High Dynamic Range (HDR) image in post-processing.
  • Timed Shots: Give yourself a few extra seconds before taking that photo with timed shots.

Easy to create, easier to share with the world
Sharing is caring, and the DJI Fly app and DJI Mini 2 have a ton of enhancements that make sharing immediately on social media easy and intuitive. Now, your cell phone can connect directly to the drone without the remote controller, and after capturing those amazing footage, download images at a high-speed rate of 20 MB/s once landed safely.

Once the images are downloaded to your phone, apply your own edits with the dedicated editing tools in the DJI Fly app or use the new Enhanced Photo option, which applies edits automatically to make you story stand out. Video footage can take up a lot of space, so now pilots can choose to trim it before downloading using Trimmed Download. DJI Mini 2 is not only simple to fly and fun to operate, the footage you record can be shared with all your family and friends in a matter of seconds.

Add-Ons To Make DJI Mini 2 Your Own

New and updated accessories for DJI Mini 2 help get the most out of its size. These accessories include:

– 360° Propeller Guards: Make the DJI Mini 2 even safer with propeller guards that completely cover the full propellers.
– DJI Mini Bag +: Functional and fashionable, the new carrying bag adds flair to your outfit.
– Charging Display Case: Show off your DJI Mini 2 in an illuminated clear bell jar that also charges your drone.
– DIY Creative Kit: Personalize your DJI Mini 2 with custom stickers or design your own to make your drone stand out.
– Snap Adapter: An adapter that snaps on to the top of the Mini 2 that allows for the attachment of a small LED screen that messages can be written on.

Price and availability
DJI Mini 2 is available for purchase from store.dji.com and from authorized retail partners across Asia. DJI Mini 2 can be purchased in two options. The standard package includes DJI Mini 2 aircraft, remote controller, and one battery for the retail price of US$ 449. The Fly More Combo is also available, which includes three batteries, charging hub, DJI Mini 2 aircraft, a carrying case, and a remote controller for the retail price of US$ 599.

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Best bang for the buck: Huawei Band 7 vs Mi Band 7 comparison

07/01/2022

We all know that keeping an active and healthy lifestyle is key to boosting your immune system which is important especially these days when we couldn’t afford to get sick. 

And if you’re serious about monitoring your lifestyle and daily habits, a fitness band really helps in staying on top of your daily activities. 


In this article, we compare two newly released activity trackers both targeted to be affordable solutions for consumers. We have the Huawei Band 7 and the Xiaomi Band 7 or Smart Band 7 as it is known globally, but the question here is this – which of these two offers a better bang for your buck? 

We find out in this comparison.

Display and Design

Let’s start with both their designs. As you can see, display shape is one of the main differences between these two gadgets. The Huawei Band 7 comes in this rectangular FullView display compared to the Xiaomi Band 7 which carries a more traditional capsule screen. 

Both carry AMOLED panels so colors are vibrant for both devices and can easily be seen even under direct sunlight. 

On paper, Xiaomi’s Band 7 appears bigger at 1.62 inches vs Huawei’s at 1.47 inches, but since Huawei goes for a smartwatch look, users get to enjoy a bigger screen real estate which fits more elements when navigating through the device. 

Personally, having been able to fit more options and elements on the screen makes for a more efficient experience as you’re presented with more options that eventually mean less swiping. 

Talking mainly about aesthetics, it’s also a plus for me that the Huawei Band 7’s form factor resembles a smartwatch more than a simple fitness tracker.

As for the device itself, the body of Huawei Band 7 comes in the same color as its strap so while the straps are easily interchangeable, you’d have to consider a color that goes well with the frame of the device. This is not the case with Xiaomi Band 7 since the strap wraps around the device itself. By changing the strap, you can easily change the overall look of the device.

In terms of form factor, Huawei is proud that its Band 7 is the company’s lightest and thinnest smart band yet with only a 9.9mm thin body (compared to 11.45mm of Xiaomi Band 7) and is lightweight at 13.5g (vs 16g of Xiaomi Band 7). 

While a few grams don’t really make a world of difference, you can definitely see that Huawei is really pouring its efforts to outdo itself and its previous generations and even outdo the competition. 

Another noticeable difference is the fact that Huawei Band 7 has its own physical button to bring up the menu and perform other functions, while the Xiaomi Band 7 skips this and relies on gestures to show more details. 

This is not a total disadvantage for Xiaomi but in my experience, it’s faster and more reliable to accomplish tasks with a simple press of a button – whether checking your activity records or going back to the main screen – rather than using gestures. 

Additionally, when worn, Huawei Band 7 feels and looks more of a snug fit as the device’s lug-to-lug distance is shorter compared to Xiaomi Band 7 which leaves gaps around your wrists. 

But as far as water resistance goes, both these devices are sealed up to 5ATM so you can wear them while swimming or if you’re caught in the rain while jogging, for example. 

Health and Fitness

While Xiaomi Band 7 kind of left us wanting more in the design aspect, it makes up for it when it comes to fitness features. It’s equipped with 120 workout modes including your usual activities like running and doing yoga, to even more obscure ones like playing chess. 

Huawei tops out at 96 workout modes which is still a lot. Although, in my experience, it’s easier to access all of Xiaomi’s 100+ workout presets with its UI layout than Huawei’s which requires you to dig through more tabs when looking for certain workouts. 

Both are proud to offer all-day health monitoring which is one of the things you should look for in these types of devices. 

They come with heart rate and blood oxygen trackers that are key measurements for one’s health and alert you when either falls out of the safe zone. Really useful.

Sleep tracking is also present for both and accurately logs your nightly schedule. It then shows your sleeping patterns so you’re able to adjust and achieve better rest especially if you’ve been logging irregular sleeping schedules. 

Stress monitoring is something that I personally thought I didn’t need (because who wants to be told that they’re currently stressed out, right?), but something that I definitely appreciated during my time with both these devices. 

With stress monitoring, I was able to pinpoint my stressors and, in turn, was able to do something about them. It’s not about totally avoiding stress, but learning how to handle them better when you see your stress levels rising. 

Both also come built-in with breathing exercises to help calm you down that, again, turned out to be a welcome feature I initially thought I didn’t need. 

Additionally, Xiaomi Mi Band 7 has support for women’s health tracking while Huawei Mi Band 7 has alerts to remind you to drink water and even take your meds. 

As fitness trackers, both are capable as well and come with Training Load to better understand fatigue in athletes. Huawei can also show your recovery time, post-training analytics, and even your maximum oxygen uptake or VO2Max – all while coming equipped with Running Ability Index that deducts valuable information when running based on heart rate and speed data.

Based on these features, both are helpful and address certain needs of athletes or fitness enthusiasts so it’s a matter of going for a device that suits your active lifestyle better – if you’re more of a runner, Huawei has its array of features dedicated to improving your runs. On the other hand, Xiaomi targets a more general group of athletes. 

Other features

Apart from monitoring your fitness and tracking your activities, both the Huawei Band 7 and Xiaomi Band 7 come with a handful of other features. 

To give it a more personal touch and look, Huawei boasts more than 4,000 watch faces available to download that spans different designs and specific purposes in mind. Xiaomi is a little modest on this aspect and only offers 100+ watch faces for its Band 7. It’s nice to have a lot of choices and this will easily appeal to users who prefer to change things up once in a while. 

App and call notifications are present on both devices and delivers messages, calls, and other notice straight to your wrist. This way, you wouldn’t miss an important message or a call. And once you’ve received a message, Huawei has a quick message reply so you can send messages from the watch and you can even customize your very own special reply.

For compatibility, Huawei also boasts that the Band 7 works with Huawei’s HMS platform, Google’s GMS service, and Apple’s iOS to ensure that the wearable can easily pair and sync information and data across devices with no hassle. 

Indeed, this made connecting to the Huawei Health app effortless. The phone actually detected the Huawei Band 7 automatically without my command to pair which I think should be the standard across the border for all wearables. After granting permission to pair and receive data to the device, the band is all ready to go with a neat UI that shows all important info in one glance. 

Pairing Xiaomi’s Mi Band 7 with the Mi Fitness app, however, wasn’t as smooth. Creating an account was easy and straightforward but when it came to linking two devices together, I ran into issues regarding verification of device ID which caused me to troubleshoot the problem before successfully pairing them together. 

WATCH: Huawei Watch Fit 2: A worthy upgrade!

Now, this could easily be an isolated case but apart from that, I still found Huawei’s Health app slightly more complete and easier to get information from. Xiaomi’s app isn’t bad, but could still use some fine tweaking to improve user experience, in my opinion.

Both have an always-on display if you want info and details seen all the time, but of course expect this to reduce battery life for both devices.

Speaking of batteries, they both have a two-week life from a single charge so that’s really good news. You wouldn’t have to keep on charging your device every so often and when it comes to charging, Huawei can fully top up the Band 7 in just an hour whereas Xiaomi needs a little less than two hours to fully charge its wearable.

Apart from that, you get the usual support for music playback, alarm, weather, and other standard functions on both watches.  

Final thoughts 

With all these considered, it’s a pretty close matchup between Huawei and Xiaomi’s Band 7. They come with the same essentials like all-day monitoring for heart rate and blood oxygen and reliably track your sleep to help improve quality. 

Fitness trackers are also very capable for both, albeit Xiaomi’s Band 7 comes with more workout modes. But if we’re talking about their differences that make them special, I would say that the fact that Huawei’s Band 7 comes with a bigger FullView screen makes it a more ideal everyday watch since you can see more in one glance and requires less swiping to accomplish tasks. 

Of course, pricing is also a consideration. The Xiaomi Band 7 is priced in the Philippines at PhP 2,399 while the Huawei Band 7 has a price tag of PhP 2,599. This means that Huawei kept the same price tag from its predecessor, Huawei Band 6, but now comes with better design and functionalities. Meanwhile, Xiaomi’s Band 7 increased in price from the previous Band 6 priced at PhP 1,999. 

While Xiaomi offers more workout modes, you do get a larger screen with a convenient physical button for Huawei’s Band 7, over 4,000 available watch faces, quick message replies, and all its fitness and health tracking features. 

I personally think that having a smartwatch-like form factor while enjoying a bigger display on top of it being really thin and lightweight more than justifies the PhP 200 price difference. 

The Huawei Band 7 can be purchased through the following links and is available with a special 7.7 offer:

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