If you already own or have recently ordered a Skydio 2 drone, consider yourself lucky. The price of the product just jumped significantly.
The Skydio 2 has always been priced very reasonably. At $999 US for the basic kit, you get a drone with superior obstacle avoidance and tracking capabilities. In fact, it’s so good at this stuff that it’s actually very difficult to crash, because its vision-based system sees the world around it in full 360°. Plus, with additional software that unlocks other capabilities, it can do much more.
And now, its price reflects that.
Skydio 2 price hike
We’ve been to Skydio’s website many times in recent months. And the price for the basic Skydio 2 kit has always been the same: $999.
To be honest, that’s always struck us a good deal. This AI-enhanced product is significantly different from other drones. The tracking and obstacle avoidance are phenomenal. Plus, with additional software, it’s capable of outstanding scanning – even in interference-laden or GPS-denied locations. I mean, just look at this scan of the Sepulveda Dam. It’s phenomenal:
Next-level scanning
Now, that scan was carried out using Skydio’s 3D Scan software, which will also cost you. But it’s pretty amazing. It’s worth pointing out this scan required minimal pilot input. The operator set volume parameters around the dam and basically pressed Go. The drone did the work autonomously.
And for many in the Enterprise sector, this kind of capability is highly valued. And now, the price has jumped from $999 to $1,349. That’s a big ouch for consumers but not a deal-breaker for Enterprise customers. (And, for sure, there are some consumers who will still see the value at that price point. But it’s a big jump.)
We asked Skydio what’s behind the increase.
“Today, May 13th, we have introduced new prices for Skydio 2,” says Alberto Farronato, Skydio’s Chief Marketing Officer. He continued:
The changes are driven by global trends in supply and demand for many of the components in Skydio 2, which are driving a significant increase in costs. Please note that the new prices will only be applied to new reservations made on or after May 13th. We will honor the original Skydio 2 price with any existing reservation made before May 13th.
A shift?
When the Skydio 2 was released, lots of people were agog with its amazing tracking capabilities. From snowboarders to a Tesla, it seems to lock on and follow as if being piloted by a human. And so a lot of people purchased the drone specifically for that ability. Check out YouTube, and you’ll find no shortage of really amazing tracking videos that highlight this capability. Skydio has often featured these videos on social media, and the Skydio 2 has a legion of consumer fans.
But… this drone does more than follow people.
3D Scan and more
We mentioned 3D Scan in reference to the video above. That’s a powerful tool that we suspect will be released soon (it’s currently in Beta with select testers). In fact, Skydio has a major event coming up June 2 that it’s been promoting:
DroneDJ’s Take
Well, $350 is a pretty significant jump. And we’ll certainly accept Skydio’s explanation that there’s been a substantial increase in costs.
We also theorize the company’s June 2 event is going to be targeting Enterprise customers more than consumers. And Enterprise clients will be interested in the add-on software that truly unlocks what these drones are capable of doing (like scanning the underside of a bridge or an interference-laden tower).
The other thing to point out here is that the Skydio 2, while a great consumer product, is an Enterprise drone. And when you compare its $999 price with the cost of other Enterprise offerings, it was coming in low.
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