The DJI Air 3S, priced at $1,099, is a better choice over DJI Air 3 for new buyers seeking a high-quality, powerful camera drone at the same price point.
The new Panorama mode and expanded internal storage in DJI Air 3S makes it a better photography drone for the money.
The DJI Air 3S offers superior obstacle sensing even at night and has an improved camera of 50MP over DJI Air 3's 48MP.
For existing DJI Air 3 owners, updates in DJI Air 3S such as slight improvement in camera, omnidirectional obstacle sensing, and more storage are not game-changing upgrades.
The minor drawbacks of DJI Air 3S are weight (4 grams heavier than DJI Air 3) and one minute lesser maximum flight time.
DJI Air 3S is a more robust and better value drone over DJI Air 3, but availability can be a challenge due to customs and inventory issues.
It is worth upgrading to DJI Air 3S if you are new to buying drone or you are struggling with the delivery and customs issues.
If you already have DJI Air 3, then waiting for the next big leap in drone technology like the rumored DJI Mavic 4 may be the wiser move.
The minor upgrades are nice-to-haves, but not essential unless you need additional storage or slight edge in obstacle avoidance.
DJI Air 3 has solid specifications, and DJI is known for releasing products at a quick pace, so groundbreaking upgrade may not be far off.