There are already many tiny drones out in the market – usually with questionable build quality and performance. A new name has joined the affordable drone segment however – and it is a name that is more associated with the higher end drone category. DJI just introduced their latest drone, called the Spark. This drone is more for the consumer market, which is evident in the featureset as well as the price of US$ 499 (approx RM 2,137).

The Spark is the company’s cheapest and tiniest drone as of today, with its sub-US$500 price tag. It carries features from the more premium drone – the Phantom 4, as it has both ActiveTrack and TapFly to assist in controlling the drone in flight. It it also has are gesture controls to control how the drone works – imagine those hand gestures that a Jedi will do, and you can guess how you would control it sans smartphone. Of course you can still control the Spark with a smartphone up to 100 meters away and 50 meters up in the air. It can support the same controller that comes with the Mavic Pro. The DJI  app meanwhile will let you choose between a few different shooting modes: QuickShot, Dronie, Circle and Helix. Quickshot is something new for DJI as the drone will lock onto a subject, follows them for around a minute and then turns that footage into a 10-second clip that can be later be shared with friends via social media. Plus if you need that extra exhilaration, switch to Sports Mode and use DJI’s FPV headset for a racing-like experience.

It can launch like any drone from the ground, or from the palm of your hands. It has 16 minutes of flight time, and can be recharged on the go through a microUSB port. As a comparison, the Phantom 4 has a 15 minute flight time. Unlike other DJI drones, the Spark only features a two-axis gimbal that supports pitch and roll.

The Spark comes in five colours – Alpine White, Sky Blue, Meadow Green, Lava Red, and Sunrise Yellow. DJI is expected to ship the Spark on June 15th. You can head to DJI’s website to preorder the new drone.