DJI entered the sub-250g drone arena with the release of its original Mavic Mini drone back in November 2019. Compact, lightweight and easy to use, it’s aimed at beginners. The Mavic Mini had its limits, though, including 2.7K video and WiFi transmission. DJI followed up with the much-improved Mini 2 less than a year later. Now leaks have confirmed that the company is targeting consumers with a Mini SE, which will be available at big box retailers including Walmart.

The Mini SE is a throwback to the original, first-generation Mavic Mini drone. While we haven’t been able to get a statement from DJI, it looks as though they’re aiming to target consumers who don’t want to drop $449 on a Mini 2. At $299, the Mini SE is their most affordable drone to date. It is currently out of stock on Walmart’s website. Twitter user Güçlü Atamer also found it for sale at a physical Walmart store.

As mentioned above, the Mini SE will still only provide 2.7K video resolution. WiFi gives it a short range of 2.5 miles. Without OcuSync, this makes transmission very limited – not to mention unreliable at times. However, there are some users who may not care and want something that they can not only fly for fun but also won’t need to register with the Federal Aviation Administration or similar agency in other countries – so long as they’re flying recreationally.

The image on the bottom-left-hand corner suggests the original controller ships with the Mini SE. Image found via The Verge and Reddit user u/Mr_DMoody.
One question that remains is if the Mini SE will come with the DJI Mini 2’s redesigned and improved remote controller. It also powers the Mavic Air and Air 2S. The image above, which we found on The Verge via Reddit user Mr_DMoody, suggests that the original controller, which attaches a smartphone at the bottom, instead of above, may be shipped with the SE. The specs make it seem as though its a first-generation Mini with $100 knocked off the price.

We will update you with more concrete details once we can get confirmation from a representative at DJI.