In this post we begin with Jumbo Technical Specs comparison chart of Phantom 4 vs Phantom 3 Standard vs Phantom 3 Professional vs Phantom 3 Advanced vs Phantom 3 4K, where I have colored important changes in these drone models with colors for quick understanding. I know the chart is too big to look at, however if you are really wish then you may like to spend some time on it. Else after the table I have narrated important improvements in Phantom 4 over Phantom 3 series drones.
Obviously I am sure it is important to know if you shall spend $400 more to get into this new upgrade version 4, Lets see comparison first then details.
DJI Phantom 3 vs Phantom 4 Quadcopter Drone Review & Comparison
| Quadcopter | Phantom 4 | Phantom 3 Standard | Phantom 3 Professional | Phantom 3 Advanced | Phantom 3 4K |
| Price & Offers | Check Latest Price | Check Latest Price | Check Latest Price | Check Latest Price | Check Latest Price |
| AIRCRAFT | |||||
| Suitable For | With obstacle avoidance this is best for beginners as well as Professionals | Beginners who require a ready-to-fly, affordable aerial platform with Intelligent Flight modes | Aerial videographers for whom high-quality UHD 4K video capabilities are a requirement | Aerial photographers who need an aircraft with an extended range and live HD view | Aerial videographers for whom high-quality UHD 4K video capabilities are a requirement |
| Max Flight Time | Approx. 28 minutes | Approx. 25 minutes | Approx. 23 minutes | Approx. 25 minutes | |
| Weight (Battery & Propellers Included) | 1380 g | 1216 g | 1280 g | ||
| Diagonal Size (Propellers Excluded) | 350 mm | ||||
| Max Ascent Speed | S-mode: 6 m/s | 5 m/s | |||
| Max Descent Speed | S-mode: 4 m/s | 3 m/s | |||
| Max Speed | S-mode: 20 m/s 45 MPH | 16 m/s (ATTI mode, no wind) 35 MPH | |||
| Max Service Ceiling Above Sea Level | 19685 feet (6000 m) (Default altitude limit: 120 m above takeoff point) | ||||
| Operating Temperature Range | 32° to 104°F (0° to 40°C) | ||||
| Satellite Positioning Systems | GPS/GLONASS | GPS | GPS/GLONASS | GPS/GLONASS | GPS |
| Hover Accuracy Range | Vertical: +/- 0.1 m (when Vision Positioning is active) or +/-0.5 m | ||||
| Horizontal: +/- 0.3 m (when Vision Positioning is active) or +/-1.5 m | |||||
| GIMBAL | |||||
| Controllable Range | Pitch: -90° to +30° | ||||
| Stabilization | 3-axis (pitch, roll, yaw) | ||||
| Quadcopter | Phantom 4 | Phantom 3 Standard | Phantom 3 Professional | Phantom 3 Advanced | Phantom 3 4K |
| VISION SYSTEM | |||||
| Vision System | Forward Vision System | － | |||
| Downward Vision System | Downward Vision System | ||||
| Velocity Range | ≤10 m/s (2 m above ground) | － | ≤8 m/s (2 m above ground) | ||
| Altitude Range | 0 – 33 feet (0 – 10 m) | － | 30 – 300 cm | ||
| Operating Range | 0 – 33 feet (0 – 10 m) | － | 50 – 300 cm | ||
| Obstacle Sensory Range | 2 – 49 feet (0.7 – 15 m) | － No Probision for Obstacle Avoidance – | |||
| Operating Environment | Surface with clear pattern and adequate lighting (lux>15) | － | Surface with clear pattern and adequate lighting (lux>15) | ||
| CAMERA | |||||
| Quadcopter | Phantom 4 | Phantom 3 Standard | Phantom 3 Professional | Phantom 3 Advanced | Phantom 3 4K |
| Sensor | Sony EXMOR 1/2.3″ CMOS | ||||
| Effective pixels:12.4 M | Effective pixels:12 M | Effective pixels: 12.4 M | Effective pixels: 12.4 M | ||
| Lens | FOV 94° 20 mm (35 mm format equivalent) f/2.8, focus at ∞ | ||||
| ISO Range | 100-3200 (video) | ||||
| 100-1600 (photo) | |||||
| Electronic Shutter Speed | 8 – 1/8000 s | ||||
| Max Image Size | 4000×3000 | ||||
| Still Photography Modes | Single shot | ||||
| Burst shooting: 3/5/7 frames | |||||
| Auto Exposure Bracketing (AEB): 3/5 bracketed frames at 0.7 EV Bias | |||||
| Timelapse | |||||
| HDR | |||||
| Video Recording Modes | UHD: 4096×2160 (4K) 24 / 25p | 2.7K: 2704 x1520p 24/25/30 (29.97) | UHD: 4096x2160p 24/25, 3840x2160p 24/25/30 | 2.7K: 2704 x1520p 24/25/30 (29.97) | UHD: 4096x2160p 24/25, 3840x2160p 24/25/30 |
| 3840×2160 (4K) 24 / 25 / 30p | |||||
| 2704×1520 (2.7K) 24 / 25 / 30p | |||||
| FHD: 1920×1080 24 / 25 / 30 / 48 / 50 / 60 / 120p | FHD: 1920x1080p 24/25/30 | FHD: 1920x1080p 24/25/30/48/50/60 | |||
| HD: 1280×720 24 / 25 / 30 / 48 / 50 / 60p | |||||
| Max Video Bitrate | 60 Mbps | 40 Mbps | 60 Mbps | 40 Mbps | 60 Mbps |
| Supported File Systems | FAT32 (≤32 GB); exFAT (>32 GB) | － | |||
| Photo | JPEG, DNG (RAW) | ||||
| Video | MP4, MOV (MPEG-4 AVC/H.264) | ||||
| Supported SD Cards | Micro SD Max capacity: 64 GB Class 10 or UHS-1 rating required | Micro SD Card 8 GB included | Micro SD Max capacity: 64 GB Class 10 or UHS-1 rating required | ||
| Operating Temperature Range | 32° to 104°F (0° to 40°C) | ||||
| REMOTE CONTROLLER | |||||
| Quadcopter | Phantom 4 | Phantom 3 Standard | Phantom 3 Professional | Phantom 3 Advanced | Phantom 3 4K |
| Operating Frequency | 2.400 – 2.483 GHz | 5.725 – 5.825 GHz | 2.400 – 2.483 GHz | 2.400 – 2.483 GHz | 5.725 GHz – 5.825 GHz |
| Max Transmission Distance Signal Range | FCC Compliant: 3.1 mi (5 km) | FCC: 1 km | FCC Compliant: 3.1 mi (5 km) | FCC: 1.2km | |
| CE Compliant: 2.2 mi (3.5 km) | CE: 500 m | CE Compliant: 2.2 mi (3.5 km) | CE: 500m | ||
| Battery | 6000 mAh LiPo 2S | 2600 mAh LiPo 18650 | 6000 mAh LiPo 2S | 2600 mAh LiPo18650 2S | |
| Transmitter Power (EIRP) | FCC: 23 dBm | FCC: 19 dBm | FCC: 20 dBm | FCC: 19 dBm | |
| CE: 17 dBm | CE: 14 dBm | CE: 16 dBm | CE: 14 dBm | ||
| Operating Current/Voltage | 1.2 A@7.4 V | 600 mA@3.7V | 1.2 A@7.4 V | 300 mA @7.4 V | |
| CHARGER | |||||
| Voltage | 17.4 V | ||||
| Rated Power | 100 W | 57 W | 100 W | 57 W | 57 W |
| INTELLIGENT FLIGHT BATTERY | |||||
| Quadcopter | Phantom 4 | Phantom 3 Standard | Phantom 3 Professional | Phantom 3 Advanced | Phantom 3 4K |
| Capacity | 5350 mAh | 4480 mAh | |||
| Voltage | 15.2 V | ||||
| Battery Type | LiPo 4S | ||||
| Energy | 81.3 Wh | 68 Wh | |||
| Net Weight | 462 g | 365 g | |||
| Operating Temperature Range | 14° to 104°F (-10° to 40°C) | ||||
| Max Charging Power | 100 W | ||||
| APP / LIVE VIEW | |||||
| Quadcopter | Phantom 4 | Phantom 3 Standard | Phantom 3 Professional | Phantom 3 Advanced | Phantom 3 4K |
| Mobile App | DJI GO | ||||
| EIRP | 100mW | ||||
| Power Spectral Density | 6.9mW/MHz | ||||
| Live View Working Frequency | 2.4GHz ISM | ||||
| Live View Quality | 720P @ 30fps | 480P @ 30fps | |||
| Latency | 220ms (depending on conditions and mobile device) | ||||
| Required Operating Systems | iOS 8.0 or later | ||||
| Android 4.1.2 or later | |||||
| Recommended Devices | ios: iPhone 5s, iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus, iPod touch 6, iPad Pro, iPad Air, iPad Air Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad mini 2, iPad mini 2 Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad Air 2, iPad Air 2 Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad mini 3, iPad mini 3 Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad mini 4, and iPad mini 4 Wi-Fi + Cellular. This app is optimized for iPhone 5s, iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus. | ||||
| Android: Samsung tabs 705c, Samsung S6, Samsung S5, Samsung NOTE4, Samsung NOTE3, Google Nexus 9, Google Nexus 7 II, Ascend Mate7, Huawei Mate 8, Nubia Z7 mini, SONY Xperia Z3, MI 3, MI PAD | |||||
| *Support for additional Android devices available as testing and development continues. | |||||
| Quadcopter | Phantom 4 | Phantom 3 Standard | Phantom 3 Professional | Phantom 3 Advanced | Phantom 3 4K |
| Price & Offers | Check Latest Price | Check Latest Price | Check Latest Price | Check Latest Price | Check Latest Price |
I am sure that the junbo chart is confusing enough for you (and me too !!)
So I shall dive into main features of Phantom 4 over Phantom 3 Series Drones.
Phantom 4 over Phantom 3 Series
- Faster
Phantom 4 uses more powerful and efficient motors, assisted by a low-drag shape, a heavy duty superior battery, and a new Sport Mode makes it as fast as 45 Miles per Hour !! If you are lucky and gets assisted by backwind, its easy to fly 10 MPH Plus to the base speed !!! - Extended Flying Range
With advantages of fine tuning of aerodynamics & Battery you can easily achieve 28min. Flight + 3.1 Mile Range which is improved over Phantom series 3.
The radio and antenna operating on 23 decibels of gain versus 20dBm for the Phantom 3, provides more focused signal allowing for better signal penetration in and around trees, near large clusters of home wifi routers that cause interference, or when flying long distances at low levels. - Camera
Phantom 4 gimbal has a support link mounted into the drone, thus providing sturdier camera-work. Improved software provides quick feedback between pilot and camera, as well as in auto-focus. An eight-element lens and some nifty sensor mods produce a more dynamic range of colors and saturation than either the Phantom 3 - Obstacle-Avoidance & Smart-Tracking [Active track and Tap Flight]
Phantom 4 featured with multiple new frontal sensors which helps sensing objects around it more accurately.
“ActiveTrack” is a new mode that allows a user to follow a subject while managing to avoid obstacles from as far away as 50 feets.
Tap fly is another feature aimed at beginners. It allows you to smoothly fly to different locations just by tapping where you want to go on the screen. A pilot can also send out the Phantom 4 to a point on a map without worrying about the drone hitting a stray branch or power line 🙂 - Smart & Intelligent
Phantom 4 comes pre-programmed which helps pilots, novice and expert alike, fly with minimal worry.
At a tap of finger you can send Phantom 4 to any location !!
An improved Visual Positioning System allows the Phantom to hover over and land on uneven surfaces without trouble.
A dual GPS/GLONASS navigation brings in over 30 satellites to pinpoint the Phantom 4’s location anywhere on the globe - Modular Design
Sturdy body which is modular makes repairs and disassembly easier (and cheaper), too.
The “quick-release” propellers have an ingenius design that is foolproof and sets up in 10 seconds versus about a minute respectively compared to the Phantom 3.
Recommendation
Even if I compare the price increase in Phantom 4 over Phantom 3, I would say the 4 series has many new modes, multiple sensors, easy setup, and fool-proof systems that makes it SAFE & EASY to fly without any worries of accidental damages to the costly drone.
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