DJI Avata 360 Released and it Might Be Our New Favourite

There is a new drone in town, and unlike most launch-day promises that arrive wrapped in marketing glitter and vanish the second you push them into a crosswind, this one actually looks like the real deal.

The DJI Avata 360 has officially landed, and on paper it sounds faintly ridiculous. In a good way. It shoots 8K 360-degree footage, uses 1-inch-equivalent sensors, packs DJI’s O4+ video transmission system, and adds omnidirectional obstacle sensing to the sort of FPV machine that normally expects you to fly first and panic later. It is, in other words, the kind of drone designed for people who want immersive flying thrills without also needing a clean pair of pants every time a tree branch appears in the goggles.

And after spending time testing it ourselves, we’ll say this, the DJI Avata 360 might just be our new favourite drone.

That is not something you say lightly in 2026, because drone launches now tend to arrive with the same script. Bigger number, smarter app, new mode, more confidence, more creativity, more everything. Usually what that means in the real world is you get ten brilliant minutes and one feature you’ll never use again. The DJI Avata 360 feels different. This thing has been built around a genuinely useful idea, capture everything in one pass, then decide later what story you want to tell.

That is the magic here.

A drone that lets you stop worrying about framing

Traditionally, getting great aerial footage has involved a fair bit of precision. You fly the line, you aim the camera, you hope your subject stays where you want it, and if they don’t, too bad, because the moment has gone and so has the battery. The DJI Avata 360 turns that whole process on its head.

With its 360-degree lens setup, the drone captures the full scene in one hit. That means you can reframe in post, shift your angle later, follow a different subject, rotate the horizon, and effectively pull multiple creative cuts from a single flight. For anyone shooting travel, automotive, action, outdoor adventure, or social content, that is enormously useful. Instead of trying to nail one perfect perspective while flying, you can focus on the shot itself and sort the composition after the fact.

That alone makes the DJI Avata 360 interesting. But DJI hasn’t stopped there.

8K 360 footage is the headline, but the flexibility is the real story

The numbers are the obvious attention grabber. The DJI Avata 360 records 8K/60fps HDR 360-degree video and can shoot 120MP photos, which is, frankly, absurd for something that looks like it wants to spend the afternoon threading itself through tight gaps and zipping past trees. The large 2.4 μm pixels and improved dynamic range should also help with contrast-heavy scenes, where harsh sunlight, dark shadows and mixed conditions often turn airborne footage into a washed-out mess.

There is also a Single Lens mode, which gives you more traditional Avata-style shooting in 4K/60fps. So if you do not need the full 360 treatment for every flight, you can still use it as a more conventional creative drone. That matters because it broadens the appeal of the DJI Avata 360 beyond hardcore FPV fans or niche 360 creators. It is not just a trick pony. It is trying to be both an immersive FPV machine and a practical aerial filming tool.

And based on what we’ve seen while testing it, that combination is exactly why this drone feels so compelling.

It still feels like an Avata, just much smarter

One of the reasons the Avata line has been popular is that it gives you a sense of speed and involvement that more traditional camera drones do not. It feels more alive. More direct. More exciting. The trouble is that FPV flying can also feel like juggling chainsaws while blindfolded if you are new to it.

DJI appears to have tackled that head-on with the DJI Avata 360.

The inclusion of omnidirectional obstacle sensing is a big deal, especially for a drone designed to encourage confidence and creativity in motion. It means the DJI Avata 360 is not simply a wild little camera missile. It is trying to be approachable. Safer. Less likely to turn your brilliant cinematic ambition into several hundred dollars of tiny plastic sadness.

Nightscape obstacle sensing also suggests DJI is thinking about real-world creators, not just spec sheet shoppers. Plenty of people shoot in lower-light conditions, particularly at sunrise, sunset, events, city scenes or moody travel locations. A drone that helps you manage that environment with more confidence is a drone that gets used more often.

And that is the point. The best tech is not the most complicated tech. It is the tech that makes you want to keep using it.

O4+ transmission should make FPV flying less stressful

DJI’s O4+ video transmission system is another major part of the DJI Avata 360 package. It offers 1080p/60fps live feeds and up to 20 km of range, alongside stronger anti-interference performance. Now, yes, the headline range figure is always one of those numbers that sounds marvellous in a launch document and slightly theoretical in the real world. But the more relevant bit is stability.

A cleaner, more reliable live feed matters enormously when you are flying FPV. It is the difference between feeling connected and feeling like you are watching your drone through a microwave. If the signal remains strong and the image stays crisp, the entire flying experience improves. You react better, frame better, and frankly enjoy it more.

During testing, that is one of the things that stood out to us about the DJI Avata 360. It does not merely promise immersion, it actually feels like it has been engineered around it.

Clever software features that might actually get used

Normally this is the point in a product launch where you get a list of software tricks that sound impressive and then disappear into the digital attic, never to be touched again. But several of the DJI Avata 360’s features look genuinely useful.

Spotlight Free can lock onto a moving subject and help with camera movement, making it easier to get polished, cinematic shots without needing the coordination of a fighter pilot and a film director at the same time. ActiveTrack 360 automatically chooses tracking modes depending on the situation, which should be handy for anything from people and pets to bikes and cars.

FPV mode is especially interesting because it can add a natural roll effect in post-production, giving footage more of that fast, aggressive FPV feel without demanding that less experienced pilots fly like maniacs. Intelligent Tracking, powered by DJI’s algorithms, also aims to keep people, vehicles and other subjects locked in smoothly, even in 360 footage.

Then there is GyroFrame, Virtual Gimbal, and one-tap editing in the DJI Fly and DJI Studio apps. Some of that sounds like classic DJI jargon, but the overall idea is clear, shoot first, shape later. That is the whole philosophy of the DJI Avata 360, and it is what makes it so appealing.

Built for creators, not just drone nerds

The DJI Avata 360 also gets a practical boost with 42GB of internal storage, enough for around 30 minutes of 8K 360-degree footage without needing a microSD card. That is helpful, especially if you are the sort of person who has arrived on location with batteries charged, controller ready, perfect light overhead, only to realise the memory card is sitting at home on your desk like a smug little idiot.

Wi-Fi 6 transfers at up to 100 MB/s are another strong move. DJI says 1GB of footage can be transferred to the DJI Fly app in 10 seconds, which should make moving clips to your phone or editing setup much less of a chore.

Even the replaceable front lens element is a thoughtful touch. Instead of sending the drone away for every minor front-end mishap, users can swap the old lens themselves using a replacement kit and tools. That makes sense for a drone like this. People are going to fly it in interesting places. Interesting places tend to contain things you can hit.

FPV thrills and practical shooting in one package

What really makes the DJI Avata 360 stand out is that it appears to bridge two worlds. With DJI remote controllers such as the RC 2, RC-N2 and RC-N3, you can use it for more precise, deliberate camera work. Pair it with goggles and motion controllers, though, and it transforms into something far more immersive.

This is where the Avata DNA remains strong. DJI says the drone supports 1080p/60fps immersive 360-degree flying, and like the Avata 2, even beginners can attempt aerial acrobatics such as drifting with the DJI RC Motion 3. That should make it appealing not only to experienced FPV users, but also to creators who want the sensation of FPV without committing to the full chaos of traditional manual rigs.

That balance is why the DJI Avata 360 could end up being such a hit. It is not trapped in one niche. It is a toy for enthusiasts, a tool for creators, and a genuinely versatile bit of kit for people who want more from aerial content.

Pricing in Australia

DJI has confirmed Australian pricing ahead of April 2026 shipping, with pre-orders open now.

The DJI Avata 360 drone-only package starts at $799 AUD.

The DJI Avata 360 with DJI RC 2 is priced at $1159 AUD.

The DJI Avata 360 Fly More Combo with DJI RC 2 comes in at $1619 AUD.

The DJI Avata 360 Motion Fly More Combo also lands at $1619 AUD.

There is also DJI Care Refresh, with one-year and two-year plans available, covering accidental damage including collisions, water damage and flyaway incidents, which is probably not the worst idea in the world if you plan to embrace the FPV side of this thing with real enthusiasm.

Early verdict

We’ll save the full verdict for the full review, but after testing it, one thing is already pretty clear. The DJI Avata 360 is not just another drone launch with a flashier number on the side. It feels like a genuinely fresh idea, and in a category where so many products are just iterative shuffles, that matters.

The ability to capture an entire scene in 8K, reframe it later, and still enjoy the speed, fun and immersion of FPV flying makes the DJI Avata 360 one of the most exciting drones DJI has launched in quite some time. It looks smart, capable and unusually flexible, and that flexibility is what could make it a real favourite.

In fact, scratch that “could”.

From what I’ve seen so far, the DJI Avata 360 might well be my new favourite drone.