DJI Spark - Suggestions for improvement

It is no secret that everyone would have a different experience when using and flying a drone, so naturally everyone would have their own opinions and suggestions for improvements based on their experience.

After my experience with controlling and flying the DJI Spark, I have come up with two suggestions that could improve the design and manufacturing of the DJI Spark.

My first suggestion for improvement has to do with the battery life. With a max flight time of 16 minutes on a full battery, it is really hard to spend longer time flying the drone and time consuming when you need to keep charging the drone up. The only benefit of the short battery time is to aid of the instant landing feature when the battery gets too low. The DJI Spark battery life may also seem short when compared to other drones.

The next change was harder to come up with, as most of the DJI Spark's features were a positive experience. But another slight change that I would make would be to the drones wings and arms. Although the DJI Spark is already compact and light in weight, I feel that the drone could be even further compact so that the drones wings and arms could be folded further. 

There was no real problems faced when flying the DJI Spark and my experience with the Spark was positive, so the number of changes and improvements I would make is low.

DJI - Comparison to main competitors

As one of the leading drone manufacturers in the market, DJI is sure to have it's fair share of competing brands. And based on research gathered by Skylogic Research in 2018, DJI's main competitor would be Yuneec.

The research revealed that DJI owned 74% of the drone market share, whilst Yuneec only owned 5%. But that's not to say that Yuneec is an inferior brand. Yes, it may reveal that DJI is the go-to drone brand, but Yuneec still has a fair share of similar features. 

Let's compare the 2 leading drone manufacturers.

One of the main uses of drones is to capture images and video footage from unique aerial views. So it may be important to some to have a drone with good camera quality. The highest quality DJI drone would be the DJI Phantom Advanced, DJI Phantom 4 Pro, and the DJI Inspire 2, all with 20 megapixels and 60 fps. Only one Yuneec drone matches these qualities, that being the Yuneec H520.

DJI Phantom 4 Advanced, DJI Phantom 4 Pro, DJI Inspire 2	20 megapixels
Yuneec H520	20 megapixels

*The table above compares the highest quality camera on each companies drone.



Another quality that is looked for in a drone is the speed. DJI still had the upper ground on this one, with their fastest drone being the DJI Inspire 2 with a max of 58 mph. The fastest Yuneec drone is the Yuneec H520 with only 38 mph, only 7 mph faster than DJI's slowest drone, the DJI Spark.

DJI Inspire 2	58 mph
Yuneec H520	38 mph

*The table above compares the fastest drone by each of the companies.


When it comes to battery life, Yuneec's longest lasting drone would be the Yuneec H520 with a flight time of 28 minutes. However, DJI's longest lasting drone on a full battery is the DJI Phantom 4 Advanced and the DJI Phantom 4 Pro with a 30 minute flight time.

DJI Phantom 4 Advanced, DJI Phantom 4 Pro	30 minutes
Yuneec H520	28 minutes

*The table above compares the best battery/flight time of each companies drones.

It is no different when you compare the brands in terms of the controller range. Most of DJI's drones has a max controller range of 4.3 miles, whilst the max range of Yuneec drones is only that of 1 mile. That is less than the lowest controller range of a DJI drone (The DJI Spark has a controller range of 1.2 miles).

DJI	4.3 miles
Yuneec	1 mile

*The table above compares the highest controller range with each drone brand.

Probably the most important feature to compare the 2 drone brands would be the price. It is no secret that drones are expensive pieces of technology. 

And the price is the only feature where Yuneec wins. The cheapest Yuneec drone costs $250 for the Yuneec Breeze, whilst the cheapest DJI drone is the DJI Spark costing $550. However, there is 2 more DJI drones that costs less than $1,000 (the DJI Phantom 3 costs $800, and the DJI Mavic Pro costs $900). So there is more of a cheap price range when it comes to DJI.

DJI Spark	$550
Yuneec Breeze	$250

*The table above compares the cheapest drones with each drone brand.

When you compare the 2 leading drone manufacturers in the market, DJI and Yuneec, it reveals that DJI has better qualities in a number of areas. So in my opinion, it is no shock that DJI owns over 70% of the drone market. 


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DJI Spark usability functions assessment

The most interesting thing about drones, or any kind of technology, is that people will have a different experience with using them.

People who use technology from day to day may find using drones easy and may face no problems or obstacles whilst flying, but people who less frequently use technology may find it difficult to apprehend and may take some time in learning how to fly drones.

The DJI Spark is marketed as an easy to use drone with usability and features that are easily understood even by first time drone users.

I experienced first hand the usability of the DJI Spark, and have developed my own opinion based on my experience.

As the DJI Spark has a max flight time of only 16 minutes, it is a requirement to have the battery at full charge.

Once fully charged, the remote controller needed to be connected to the drone. After I completed the required steps to turn on and connect the remote controller to the drone, I connected my mobile device to the remote via WIFI and logged into and launched the DJI GO 4 app to prepare for flight. 

As a frequent phone user, I found these steps pretty straightforward and should be easy if the steps are followed.

The next step that I completed was the flying of the DJI Spark.

After I started the flight option on the app, it took me through what each of the buttons/options did, which I found quite handy and useful. I then started flying the drone. As I have never used or flew a drone before, I was quite hesitant to start flying as I was unsure of how powerful the controls were. But after I got through the initial hesitation, I found the controls easy to understand and use, which included the up, down, left, right and gimbal movements.

Here is some examples of the DJI Spark in action;

Due to the useful feature of returning to the takeoff point, I found landing the drone an easy step.

Overall, I found the usability and functions of the DJI Spark easy to understand and once I learned all of the controls, flying the drone was just as straightforward.

For some useful tips on how to connect the remote controller to the drone, or to work the DJI GO 4 app, then these articles and videos should prove helpful;

How to connect the DJI Spark to the remote controller.
How to use the DJI GO 4 app.
How to fly the DJI Spark.


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DJI Market Share

DJI is one of the most well know company brands in the drone industry, and has since become more popular within that market.

And based on research carried out by Drone Industry Insights in June 2019, DJI has a drone market share of 76.8%. It's closest competitor, Intel, only has a market share of 3.7%.

Similar research carried out in September 2018 by Skylogic Research revealed DJI had a market share of 74%, up from 72% the year before in the same research. That was up 22% from 50% of the market share in 2016.

In 2018's research, DJI's closest competitor was Yuneec at just 5% market share.

DJI is also the most popular drone company when it comes to drones priced within the $1,000-$1,999 price bracket. Research revealed that DJI has a massive market share of 86%.

Other research carried out by Skylogic Research revealed which DJI drones were the most popular. Interestingly, the most popular DJI drone was the Phantom 4 series at 29%, closely followed by the Mavic Pro at 26%. Surprisingly, the compact and cheap Spark only had 6%.

When it comes to product markets, older companies decline in favour of new and exciting brands. But in this case, DJI's place in the drone industry will never be in doubt, and if they continue to up their game with their products and features, DJI will continue to grow in popularity.

Here is some videos detailing why DJI has grown to become immensely popular;

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DJI Spark and digital media elements

The DJI Spark is an innovative and crafty drone that, although being small and cheaper than most drones, does not compromise when it comes to different functions, features and settings.

The Spark provides a complex list of functional digital media elements such as video, audio and static images, that is sure to fulfil the user's experience with the compact drone, whether it is for work, play or pure entertainment.

Lets explore these elements further. And maybe they will convince you to choose the DJI Spark as your next, or first, drone experience.

The DJI Spark's video and image features is definitely amongst it's most attractive qualities, as video and image footage is the main reason for drone use.

As reported in a previous article, the Spark features a 12 mp camera, and a 2-axis mechanical gimbal that ensures stable footage.

The Spark's camera has a wide-angle lens of f/2.6 that can capture footage in great detail, and the camera's CMOS sensor allows video footage in 1080p and images in 12 mp.

Another video feature that the Spark has is the ability to be controlled by HD WIFI tech that can allow footage to be recored and streamed in 720p in real time, which is a creative way to film video footage. 

In terms of images, footage can be captured in a range of sizes from 960X1280 to 3968X2976, and can also be captured in a single shot or burst shooting. The general image format with the DJI Spark is JPEG, whilst video format is MP4.

Sound isn't recorded with the DJI Spark unless it is enabled in the cache settings via the DJI GO 4 app, but, depending on setting of footage, the sound can turn out low in quality. However, sound can be altered on software on computers if good quality sound is required.

Sound isn't exactly the main reason for investing in a drone, and although sound not being the best, it doesn't take away from the multiple video and image features.

For some beautiful footage examples captured by the DJI Spark, watch the video below;

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The Key Features of DJI Spark

Despite being DJI's smallest and cheapest drone on the market, the DJI Spark still packs a punch when it comes to quality, features and usability.

DJI has come a long way in terms of the features of their drones. For example, the DJI Phantom 1 drone developed in 2013, only had a flight time of less than 10 minutes and did not have a camera installed, requiring the mounting of a GoPro camera. In 2016, DJI released their first foldable and compact drone in the DJI Mavic Pro.

All of DJI's drones, although safe and easy to fly, have their extent of minor limitations. However, as the years went by, DJI's technology improved which allowed for improvement and advancement in their drone's features.

Which leads the way to the DJI Spark. Compact in size, powerful in usability and features, the DJI Spark drone has a number of creative and engaging features that prove popular with their users.

With a takeoff weight of just 300g, the Spark can be easily carried from location to location.

In terms of the Spark's speed, it has a maximum speed of 31 mph, as well as an ascent and descent speed of 9.8 ft/s. The Spark's flight time is 16 minutes at full battery charge, and a hovering time of 15 minutes.

The DJI Spark contains a 3D sensing system, with a range of 1-16 ft, which allows for avoidance of surfaces and obstacles.

It's camera contains 12 mp for images, with a lens that allows for endless shooting ranges, a range of different image sizes, and photography modes such as single shots and burst shooting. The camera also allows for strong video taking, with a maximum video bitrate of 24 mbps and a video format of mp4.

Another feature that the DJI Spark has is a 2-axis mechanical gimbal that allows a pitch range of -85˚-0˚, which in return allows the user a whole new and creative way to film.

Along with the remote controller, which allows for the mounting of a mobile device to fly the drone via the DJI GO 4 app, users can also fly the drone using hand motions and controls within the Gesture flight mode.

To learn more about the Gesture control, watch the video below;

All in all, the DJI Spark drone contains an attractive range of features that provides a unique, creative and easy experience for the user.

If you are looking to know more about the DJI Spark, watch the review video below;

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The Background of DJI/DJI Spark

Drone technology has grown to become a billion-dollar industry and has been used by a number of different leading industries worldwide. Due to it’s rapidly growing popularity, Drones have further advanced, becoming safer and more affordable whilst also advancing its quality and features.

Perhaps the industry’s leading drone manufacturer is DJI, a company based in China. In 2017, research carried out revealed that DJI owns 72% of the world market for drones.

DJI was set up in 2006, starting off by manufacturing and selling DIY drones. However, from 2013 DJI ventured into consumer drones. DJI’s first consumer drone was the DJI Phantom 1 introduced in 2013. Although the Phantom 1 didn’t have a camera installed and required the user to mount their own camera, it paved the way for future DJI drones.

Innovation was key for DJI. After they realesed the Mavic Pro (The first foldable drone), they started to release smaller and smaller drones with a higher standard of intelligent and advanced features. And so the DJI Spark was born. In May 2017, DJI released their first ventured mini-drone, and became their smallest and cheapest drone to date. The DJI Spark was released with the aim of reaching the beginner and casual user category due to its ease of use.

Watch the video below to learn more about the DJI Spark.

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