We give you an overview of drones that are equipped with internal memory and explain why you need it – or not.
You can’t take drone shots without storage space. So far, so clear. When buying a drone, you therefore need to know whether it has internal memory, how big it is or whether you need to purchase an additional memory card. This is because memory cards are not usually included in the scope of delivery and must therefore be purchased separately.
Overview: Drones with internal memory
The following table provides an overview of well-known and popular drone models that have internal storage space.
| Drohne | Speicherplatz interner Speicher |
|---|---|
| DJI Mini 3 Pro | 1,2 GB |
| DJI Mini 4 Pro | 2 GB |
| DJI Mavic Air | 8 GB |
| DJI Mavic Air 2 | 8 GB |
| DJI Air 2S | 8 GB |
| DJI Air 3 | 8 GB |
| DJI Mavic 3 | 8 GB |
| DJI Mavic 3 Cine | 1 TB (SSD) |
| DJI Mavic 3 Classic | 8 GB |
| DJI Mavic 3 Pro | 8 GB |
| DJI Mavic 3 Pro Cine | 1 TB (SSD) |
| DJI Mavic 3 Enterprise | 64 GB |
| DJI Mavic 3 Thermal | 64 GB |
| DJI Avata | 20 GB |
| DJI Avata 2 | 46 GB |
| Autel EVO II Pro V3 | 8 GB |
| Autel EVO Lite Serie | 6 GB |
| Autel EVO Max 4T | 64 GB |
| Autel EVO Max 4N | 64 GB |
| Hover Air X1 | 32 GB |
Does my drone need internal memory?
No. Internal memory is usually small and is more of an add-on than a permanent solution. However, it can be helpful if you forget to insert a memory card into your drone and only realise this when flying.
The Cine model series of the Mavic 3 is an exception here, as it has an integrated 1TB SSD that is designed for fast memory access.
If a drone has no internal memory, you simply need to purchase an additional memory card and insert it into the drone. The costs here are quite low and negligible compared to the prices of popular drone models.
How do you switch between internal memory and memory card?
The switch between internal memory and memory card can be set in the respective drone app. For DJI drones, simply navigate in the DJI Fly app in the camera view to Settings -> Camera -> Memory. Here you have the option to switch between internal and external memory.
Frequently asked questions about drones with internal memory
No. Since the storage space can usually be expanded with memory cards, it is not important whether a drone has internal storage. However, it can serve as a backup solution if you forget to insert a memory card.
You can usually format the internal storage of a drone very easily via the respective drone app in the corresponding menu.
Since internal memory is not very important, the storage space is not crucial. The table in the article shows that this is usually in the same range of approx. 8GB for all drones anyway.
If the drone has no internal memory, a memory card is mandatory. But even if your drone has internal memory, an additional memory card is recommended in order to have enough space for all recordings.
