New DJI Air 3S leaks suggest drone will get new accessory to help it follow you around

The DJI Air 3S has been almost fully revealed in several leaks over the past few months, including a recent unboxing video – yet some new rumors have managed to unearth some intriguing new details about the mid-range drone.  

Alongside what appear to be official specs sheets, reliable DJI commentator @JasperEllens has revealed an image of a new DJI RC Track controller, which will apparently let you the drone follow you around without the need for the usual remote.

The concept isn't a new one in drones – Skydio, which quit consumer drones in August 2023, long offered its own Beacon handheld accessory for its drones to obediently track you during bike rides and more. But the accessory would be a first for DJI, whose drones typically rely on a bulkier remote control for so-called 'follow me' functionality.

If the leak is accurate, it could make the DJI Air 3S a more tempting drone for solo videographers. 

Previous leaks have suggested that the drone will be a relatively modest upgrade on the DJI Air 3, with the main boost being the inclusion of a larger 1-inch sensor on its main camera (joined by the same 1/1.3-inch sensor as before for its telephoto camera).

But if DJI's little beacon is initially exclusive to the Air 3S, that could make it a more tempting upgrade – and push it higher in our list of the best drones you can buy. A recently leaked teaser shared by Quadro_News suggests we'll see the DJI Air 3S fully announced soon on October 15, so there isn't long to wait.

DJI Air 3S – what else is new?

According to the leaked specs above, the DJI Air 3S could offer four more improvements on the current Air 3, which landed in July 2023.

One is the apparent inclusion of Lidar tech to improve the accuracy of the drone's obstacle sensing in low-light, which could save you from expensive tree incidents. It seems that the Air 3S could also come with a lot more internal storage: 42GB compared to only 8GB on the Air 3.

The leaked specs also suggest an expanded ISO range is on the cards, which should theoretically boost low-light performance for videos and still. The Air 3S is also expected to gain improved slow-motion modes, including 4K/120p and 1080p/240p, for some dramatic cut scenes.

Otherwise, it looks like the drone's weight, flight time (around 45 minutes), horizontal flying speeds and image resolution (12MP on both cameras) will be largely the same as before. But that new beacon accessory, plus some notable spec bumps, could make it a strong alternative to the DJI Mini 4 Pro for travelers who want to shoot aerial videos and stills.

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