In 2019, DJI insisted to me that it wasn’t killing off the Phantom, its iconic line of oft-imitated drones that turned the Chinese language firm into the powerhouse it’s at this time. And but, DJI has just announced the end of life for its last two Phantom drones — the Phantom 4 Professional and Phantom 4 Superior — with no new Phantom fashions in sight.
Whereas DJI wasn’t the primary maker of off-the-shelf flying quadcopter cameras — the primary Phantom arrived in 2013, whereas Parrot’s AR Drone was already on cabinets in 2010 — the Phantom was among the many first ready-to-fly ones broadly adopted by each customers and video manufacturing professionals. Different corporations produced a great deal of Phantom clones and knockoff toys, and the distinctive pillow-and-legs silhouette of a Phantom quickly grew to become an immediately recognizable image for “drone.” I noticed it on indicators banning drones from public parks, for instance.
However DJI doesn’t appear to want the Phantom model anymore. Now, most of its drones are extra rectangular packages with fold-down legs for portability, and it has many different manufacturers to hold that torch, from the best finish Encourage down via the Mavic, Air, Mini, and the brand new entry stage Flip line.
In keeping with in depth leaks by way of the same old suspects (Jasper Ellens, OsitaLV), a brand new Mavic 4 Professional is imminent, and a Mini 5 is effectively on the best way.
We’ve reached out to DJI for a press release on the top of the Phantom, and the corporate ought to get again to us by tomorrow.