DJI Air 4: Release Date, Leaked Specs, and US Availability Tracker
When is the DJI Air 4 coming? Every confirmed sighting from the first 2024 leaks to the 2026 Chinese registry appearance, the leaked camera specs, and the FCC problem that decides whether Americans can buy one. Updated as it happens.
Last updated September 7, 2026 · Kept current by the DroneXL newsroom
The Air 4 is the most anticipated drone DJI has not announced, and “dji air 4 release date” is a question people have been asking Google since 2024. Here is the honest state of it: no date exists, the sightings are getting steadily more official, and for American buyers the release date may matter less than an FCC list most people have never read. This page is the continuously updated record.
Sighting timeline
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| May 18, 2024 | First detailed spec leak: dual 48MP cameras, 46-minute flight time, O4 at 12.4 miles |
| May 18, 2024 | Our analysis of DJI’s launch cadence argued the Air 4 could beat the Mavic 4 to market. It didn’t |
| June 3, 2024 | Early rumors sharpen the question: if the Air 4 gets this good, who needs a Mavic? |
| June 12, 2024 | A leaked image surfaces claiming to show the new Air |
| February 1, 2025 | A leaked prototype shows design language borrowed from the Mavic 4 |
| May 11, 2026 | The Air 4 appears by name in a Chinese flight-filing app, listed between the Air 3 and the Antigravity A1, the first registry-level sighting |
| July 8, 2026 | The mystery N610BS clears Chinese radio certification as DJI’s 2026 pipeline keeps moving without US dates |
Why does the registry sighting matter more than the leaks?
Factory photos and renders can be faked or killed; a regulatory dropdown is different. The May 2026 screenshot came from an app built around China’s CAAC flight-filing rules, showing the Air 4 as a selectable aircraft alongside every shipping Air model. It was posted by Igor Bogdanov (@Quadro_News), who accurately previewed the Air 3, Air 3S, Mini 4 Pro, Avata 360, and Osmo Pocket 4 before their launches. Models tend to appear in this kind of system when launch preparation is real, not hypothetical.
The cadence math points the same way. Air 2 arrived in April 2020, Air 2S in April 2021, Air 3 in July 2023, Air 3S in October 2024. By DJI’s own rhythm, the Air 4 is due.
What the leaks describe
The May 2024 spec leak remains the most detailed: a 24mm wide camera and a 70mm telephoto with 3x optical zoom, both on 1/1.3-inch 48MP sensors, at f/1.7 and f/2.8. Flight time up to 46 minutes and O4 transmission out to 12.4 miles. An industry insider separately told DroneXL the sensor could grow beyond that, with a mechanical shutter under discussion, which would push the Air line toward territory the Air 2S once owned. The February 2025 prototype leak added that the airframe borrows from the Mavic 4’s design. Two years is a long time in DJI’s planning, so treat every number as provisional until the launch event.
Will Americans be able to buy it?
Here the Air 4 story stops being about DJI and starts being about the FCC. The Covered List cutoff in December 2025 froze new DJI equipment authorizations. The Osmo 360 II squeaked its paperwork through the day before the deadline and DJI still chose to skip the US launch. The Air 4 has no known authorization filed in time, which means a US release is blocked at the regulatory layer, not merely delayed by DJI’s tariff caution.
The Avata 360 already ran the resulting playbook: a global March launch at $499 while the US date slipped for months. Expect the Air 4 pattern to look similar at best. For the full background, read our continuously updated DJI ban explainer.
What to do while you wait
If you need a drone now, the Air 3S is the practical answer and the drone the Air 4 has to beat; our Air 3S vs Mini 5 Pro comparison covers whether you even need an Air-class drone at all. Every confirmed Air 4 development lands on the DJI hub and gets added to the timeline above.
Frequently asked questions
When will the DJI Air 4 be released?
DJI has not announced a date. The strongest signal yet came on May 11, 2026, when the Air 4 appeared by name in a Chinese flight-filing app's aircraft dropdown, the kind of regulatory-adjacent sighting that has historically landed within months of a launch. The Air 3S shipped in October 2024, so the Air line is due on DJI's own cadence.
Will the DJI Air 4 be available in the United States?
This is the hard part. The FCC's Covered List cutoff in December 2025 froze new equipment authorizations for DJI, and unlike the Osmo 360 II, no Air 4 authorization is known to have made it in before the deadline. Without that paperwork, a US launch cannot happen no matter what DJI wants. This page tracks any change.
What are the leaked DJI Air 4 specs?
The most detailed leak describes a dual-camera setup: a 24mm wide camera and a 70mm telephoto with 3x optical zoom, both on 1/1.3-inch 48MP sensors at f/1.7 and f/2.8, up to 46 minutes of flight time, and O4 transmission reaching 12.4 miles. An industry source separately told DroneXL the main sensor could grow larger still, with a mechanical shutter discussed. Treat all of it as unconfirmed.
Should I buy the Air 3S now or wait for the Air 4?
If you need a drone this season, buy the Air 3S: it is a mature, excellent drone and the Air 4 has no announced date anywhere, let alone in the US. If you are in the US, waiting carries double uncertainty, because the FCC freeze means an Air 4 launch elsewhere would not automatically reach American shelves at all.
DroneXL uses automated tools to support research and source retrieval. All reporting and editorial perspectives are by Haye Kesteloo and the credited author.