When it comes to drones, most new releases feel like incremental upgrades—slightly better cameras, a few more intelligent modes, or a bit more flight time. But every once in a while, something comes along that completely redefines the way we think about flying cameras. And that’s exactly what we’re looking at today.
On one side, we have the brand-new Insta360 Anti-Gravity A1, a bold entry that flips the script on what a drone can be. On the other hand, there’s the DJI Mini 4 Pro, a tried-and-true favorite that many consider the gold standard in sub-250g drones.
We’re going to break down the strengths, weaknesses, and unique traits of each. By the end, you’ll have a clear idea of which one might be the right fit for your creative journey.
Table of Contents
Design & Built Quality
Both drones come in under the magic 249 g limit, which keeps them exempt from registration requirements in many countries. But once again, their designs tell very different stories.
Antigravity A1
The Antigravity A1 looks futuristic—almost alien. Its entire body is engineered to disappear from footage, with retractable landing gear that tucks away once airborne. This ensures nothing interferes with those 360° shots. The result is a sleek, minimal design that puts footage quality above all else.
Mini 4 Pro
The Mini 4 Pro, on the other hand, is the product of years of refinement. It features DJI’s signature foldable design, making it incredibly portable—just slip it into a bag or even a jacket pocket, and you’re ready to go. Despite its lightweight build, it feels robust and can handle winds up to 10.7 m/s (about 24 mph). Practical, proven, and reassuringly solid, it’s a design that inspires confidence.
Camera Capabilities
Anti-Gravity A1
The Anti-Gravity A1 takes a revolutionary approach. Instead of a single gimbal-mounted camera, it uses dual lenses—one pointing up and one pointing down—that capture full 8K 360° footage at 30 fps, or 5.7K at 60 fps. The footage is stitched together so seamlessly that even the drone itself disappears from the shot.
What does this mean in practice? You never have to worry about framing while flying—everything is captured. Later, in post-production, you can decide exactly where to look, create dynamic pans, punch in for close-ups, or even generate multiple edits from a single flight. It’s essentially a shoot now, frame later philosophy that gives creators unparalleled flexibility.
Mini 4 Pro
The Mini 4 Pro, on the other hand, sticks to a more traditional but highly refined formula. It features a 1/1.3-inch CMOS sensor capable of shooting 4K HDR video at up to 60 PFS or 100 FPS for slow motion—along with 48-megapixel stills. Its wide f/1.7 aperture makes it a strong performer in low-light conditions.
Unlike the A1, the Mini 4 Pro uses a three-axis gimbal, ensuring silky-smooth footage no matter the conditions. One standout feature is true vertical shooting, where the camera physically rotates 90° to capture native vertical video. That means TikTok, Instagram Reels, or YouTube Shorts can be shot without any awkward cropping.
In short, the A1 is all about capturing everything and deciding later, while the Mini 4 Pro focuses on capturing the perfect shot in the moment with stunning clarity and precision.
Flight Experience
Antigravity A1
The Anti-Gravity A1 is designed to make you feel like you’re in the sky. Instead of traditional joysticks, it’s flown using vision goggles and a one-handed motion controller. You simply point where you want to go, and the drone follows. On top of that, it features something called Free Motion Mode, which lets you look around freely in any direction through the goggles without changing the drone’s flight path.
For beginners, this makes flying far less intimidating—it feels more like playing a VR game than piloting a delicate piece of tech. That said, some early testers have raised concerns about the lack of a traditional dual-stick controller option. While the motion controls are immersive and intuitive, more experienced pilots may crave the precision that only sticks can provide.
Mini 4 Pro
The Mini 4 Pro delivers that classic, precise drone-flying experience. Using the DJI RC2 controller, you get dual joysticks, a crisp built-in screen, and DJI’s rock-solid transmission system, which provides a stable 1080p live feed up to 20 km away. Realistically, you’ll never fly that far due to legal limits, but the point is—you can trust the connection.
If you enjoy the satisfaction of lining up the perfect cinematic shot in real time, the Mini 4 Pro’s tactile control system is hard to beat.
Safety and Features
Mini 4 Pro
When it comes to safety, DJI’s experience really shines. The Mini 4 Pro boasts omnidirectional obstacle sensing with sensors on all sides. Combined with DJI’s advanced pilot assistance system, it can automatically dodge obstacles and even reroute itself in tight spaces.
On top of that, it offers an impressive suite of intelligent flight modes—ActiveTrack 360° for subject tracking, waypoint flights, panoramas, hyperlapses, and DJI’s famous MasterShots for automated cinematic sequences.
Anigravity A1
The A1 isn’t lacking in safety features, but it takes a more simplified approach. It offers obstacle avoidance, though not as comprehensive as DJI’s system. It also includes retractable landing gear, Return-to-Home, and even a payload detection system to prevent unsafe modifications. The goal is to keep things simple and user-friendly, though advanced pilots might find DJI’s system more reassuring in complex environments.
Final Verdict or Conclusion
The Mini 4 Pro gets about 34 minutes with the standard battery and up to 45 minutes with the Intelligent Flight Battery Plus. The catch? That larger battery can push it slightly over the 249 g weight limit in some regions.
The Anti-Gravity A1, on the other hand, doesn’t yet have confirmed official numbers. Early reports suggest it will be competitive with standard mini drone ranges, so expect something in the 30-minute range. That’s fine for casual shoots, but heavy users may want multiple spare batteries.
As for price, this is where the decision gets tricky. The Mini 4 Pro is already available, retailing between $700 and $800 for the base package. Meanwhile, the A1 isn’t scheduled to launch until January 2026, with an estimated price of around $1,300. That’s a significant jump and reflects Insta360’s targeting of a niche market of creators who value its unique 360° technology.
At the end of the day, the Anti-Gravity A1 and the Mini 4 Pro aren’t really competing for the same user—they’re built for different types of creators. The A1 is bold, experimental, and forward-looking, introducing a completely new way of thinking about aerial capture. The Mini 4 Pro is refined, reliable, and polished—the culmination of years of DJI expertise.
Both push the boundaries of what’s possible in a sub-249 g drone, and both will find passionate audiences. The choice comes down to one question: do you want the freedom to capture everything and reframe later, or do you want the best possible shot perfectly framed right now?
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