DJI's Phantom series of consumer drones have dominated the market—and our top drone list—for some time now. Not content to rest on its laurels after the success of last year's Phantom 3 launch, the company today is detailing its next-generation quadcopter, the Phantom 4.

Its design is a little sleeker than the Phantom 3, which not only gives it a more futuristic look, but also improves its aerodynamics. Combined with propellers that click into place like the pro-grade Inspire 1, the Phantom 4 pushes top speed to just under 45mph, up from about 35mph for the Phantom 3 series. You'll need to switch the Phantom to a new Sport Mode to realize this speed—the drone tilts forward at a 45-degree angle in this mode, so take that into account if you plan on using the extra speed to give aerial video a more dynamic feel.

More speed and longer flight times are always a plus—but they won't save you from slamming your new, expensive drone into a tree. DJI has added a collision-avoidance system—dubbed the Obstacle Sensing System—which uses two forward-facing cameras to detect obstacles as far as 49.5 feet (15 meters) ahead of the quadcopter.

If an obstacle is detected, the Phantom will immediately halt forward motion, allowing the pilot to redirect it to avoid a crash. This will work when the quadcopter is flying forward, but won't do any good if you're moving it backward, sideways, or ascending. It is a plus when the drone is set to return to its home point, either automatically due to a loss of communication or low battery, or if triggered manually via the app—you don't have to worry about the Phantom hitting something as it flies home.

There are also a couple of new flight modes available, made possible by the sensors and the integrated 4K camera's improved scene recognition. ActiveTrack allows you to select an object for the Phantom to track via its smartphone piloting app. Just tap on the subject, and the drone will move along with them, keeping its camera trained—a big plus for those into extreme action sports who want to record their adventures.

TapFly is the second new flight mode. It lets you tap on a point on a map. The Phantom will automatically choose a flight path and fly to that point in space, avoiding obstacles along the way. If you do think the drone is going to get into trouble you can press a dedicated Pause button on the remote control to immediately stop its motion and have it hover in place.

The integrated video camera has some upgrades as well. It still records in 4K with a 94-degree (20mm full-frame equivalent) angle of view, but DJI says that it has improved the lens to show better detail at the edges of the frame. The gimbal design is changed a bit as well, to better position the lens to reduce propellers from entering the shot and to improve stabilization.

The Phantom 4 is a bit heavier than its predecessor—it weighs just over 3 pounds, versus 2.8 pounds for the Phantom 3 series. A larger battery—the Phantom 4 is rated for 28 minutes of flight time, a full five minutes more than the Phantom 3—is a big reason for this. Due to its mass, you will have to register with the FAA before taking the Phantom 4 into the air if you plan on flying within the confines of these United States.

DJI is using its Lightbridge system to stream video from the onboard camera to a smartphone, via the remote control. It states that the maximum transmission range is 3.1 miles (5km), well beyond the line of sight restriction imposed by the FAA. We'll do a real-world range test when we get the Phantom 4 in for review, but one of the big advantages of such an extended operating range is the strength of signal you get when flying the drone at more reasonable distances.

The DJI Phantom 4 is priced at $1,399, a bit more than the Phantom 3 Professional's initial retail price of $1,259. It is going to be available first from DJI's online and flagship stores, as well as from Apple.com and Apple retail stores. Pre-orders open on March 1 with the first units shipping to customers and hitting retail outlets by March 15.

The Phantom 4 will be available to order from other authorized DJI resellers starting on March 29.

If you're interested in a protection plan, DJI is pricing a six-month package at $229 and a one-year plan at a more reasonable $299.

Look for a full review of the Phantom 4 on PCMag in the near future. 

This article originally appeared on PCMag.com.