DJI’s latest creation is no ordinary drone. Think of it like having your own team of camera people hovering in the air, recording every vantage point.
You simply fly it over the subject area, enjoy the view, without having to worry about whether you’ve got the shot.
The highly-anticipated Avata 360 shoots from every angle via two cameras facing up and down which roll into place on takeoff.
With clever software, you can create very cool videos or photos for social posting on your mobile phone via the DJI Fly app, or do something a bit more sophisticated via desktop editing via DJI Studio.
We’ve been testing the Avata 360 for a few weeks, flying over local dams, waterways and more isolated beaches to see what it can really do.
The 8K drone captures beautiful video at up to 60 frames per second while it also takes 360 degree panoramic photos that can also be manipulated into some zany creations.
As you would expect, the Avata 360, which has one inch equivalent sensors, has all the latest safety gear including very good obstacle avoidance front and back.
And even if you crash and break one of the lenses, you can replace it via an optional lens replacement kit.
Unlike its rival, the DJI can be flown two ways – with a remote control with a screen or via FPV goggles and a motion controller.
Like the Avata 2, aerial acrobatics like drifting can be performed – even by beginners with the DJI RC Motion 3.
The 04+ video transmission is superb, meaning you can easily fly for kilometres while monitoring super clear vision of your flight.
DJI says the Avata 360 supports high frame-rate transmission of 1080p/60fps at a range of up to 20kms. We certainly didn’t test it that far but the video transmission was very good.
As well as 360 degree mode, you can also shoot in single lens mode for Avata-style filming in 4k at 60fps.
The 120MP photos you can capture are also incredible and can be posted on social media as 360 degree panoramas which your friends can scroll around.
Like with the video, you can reframe your photos on your phone to get all sorts of different perspectives.
Just by pinching the screen, you can transition from a 104° FOV to an asteroid view, which creates some head-turning viewpoints.
Playing around with the editing app is probably the most fun part of your experience as you realise what it can do. Prepare to be both dizzy and delighted.
The drone itself is very easy to fly with up to 23 minutes of flight time in calm conditions.
In sport mode, it has a maximum speed of about 18 metres a second or more than 64km/h.
The integrated propeller guards, together with the omnidirectional obstacle sensing, gives you a lot more confidence than some other drones.
In the air, it feels stable, even in windier conditions.
While it is not waterproof, we got caught in rain a couple of times and it continued to fly as we got it back to the ground.
DJI advises if you get it wet, make sure you dry it well and not charge it until you are sure it is fully dry.
The Avata 360 also has good automatic return to home capabilities.
The combination we tested came with a decent bag, a landing pad, three batteries, a charger and replacement propellers.
I was demonstrating it to a friend and he wanted me to fly it right at him so he could see the obstacle avoidance working. As expected, the drone pulled up before him and would not go any further.
DJI’s Avata 360 is not the first 360 degree on the market.
Antigravity A1 – a collaboration of Insta360 and third parties – made its public debut in December.
It’s also an incredible drone and has the advantage of weighing under 249 grams (though 291g with a high capacity battery) – while the Avata comes in at more than 450 grams.
The lighter A1 offers a flight time of 24 to 39 minutes and like the Avata 360 has a level five wind resistance (up to 38kmh).
Its video resolution is also 8K but it shoots at a maximum of 30 frames per second versus 60 on the Avata 360.
Photo resolution is a maximum of 55MP.
The biggest difference for me is that with the Antigravity A1 you can only fly it with goggles, meaning you need a spotter with you to be compliant.
The Avata 360 also offers that first person view option via DJI’s two different goggles.
There are plenty of options to give your Avata footage the ‘wow’ factor.
Spotlight Free, for example, allows you to capture circle or dronie shots after locking onto your subject’s face without manual adjustments.
With ActiveTrack 360, standard mode maintains a steady distance and altitude from the subject. Cycling mode reacts faster to turns, keeping the subject in frame even in complex shoots.
FPV mode enables even novice pilots to add a natural roll effect.
Using Intelligent Tracking, you can track people, vehicles, pets even in the 360 footage.
I used it to track and then zoom in on a surfer in the distance with the end result looking like I was flying just above his head when in reality I was a lot further away.
There’s also new one-tap in-app editing. With GyroFrame, 360° footage can be adjusted to an angle and exported.
Flying in one direction, horizons can be rotated or viewpoints shifted to look back or perform a flip.
In editing footage, it’s probably a case of finding the balance between doing cool stuff and also trying to maintain the natural beauty of what you are shooting.
DJI’s Avata 360 includes 42 gigabytes of internal storage which is about 30 minutes of 360 degree footage as well as a micro SD card slot.
The footage can be downloaded pretty quickly to either your phone via the DJI Fly app or via USB cable to your computer straight from the drone.
The Avata 360 is a super fun drone which is suited for both newbies and more experienced flyers.
It is ideal for people wanting to capture family moments, travel memories, or those into more serious content creation.
More detailed editing is definitely more complicated than using normal drone footage but DJI has good tutorials and there are lots of videos on YouTube showing how to get the most of your footage.
There are also some quick AI options in the DJI Fly app to produce good little videos to post on social media.
While there are higher end drones which offer longer flight times and higher quality videos and photos, for the money, the Avata 360 offers lots of bang for buck.
DJI Avata 360 pricing in Australia
DJI Avata 360 is available for pre-order starting today through store.dji.com and authorised retailers.
Shipping begins in April 2026 and will vary by region.
DJI Avata 360 (Drone Only) retails for $799
DJI Avata 360 (DJI RC 2) retails for $1,159.
DJI Avata 360 Fly More Combo (DJI RC 2) retails for $1,619.
DJI Avata 360 Motion Fly More Combo retails for $1,619.
