Why is the lightest Mavic Mini only available in Japan?

This article originally appeared on ABACUS

At 249 grams, the Mavic Mini is DJI’s lightest flagship drone yet. But there’s an even lighter version that you can get… in Japan?

The Japanese model weighs only 199 grams -- a full 50 grams less than the global version even though they’re the same size. That’s no accident: It’s just below the cutoff of 200 grams under Japan’s drone safety rules in the Aeronautical Act, meaning that owners don’t have to obtain permission to fly above 150 meters (492 feet). A DJI representative confirmed to us that the model was specifically created to fit regulations.

It’s good news for Japanese buyers who want to avoid bureaucratic hassle, but the convenience comes at a price. The special drone has a smaller 1,100mAh battery. So unlike the 30 minutes of flight time that the other model gets, the Japanese Mavic Mini is limited to 18 minutes, which probably explains why it's exclusive to Japan.