Sony Electronics has announced that it will end sales of its Airpeak S1 drone by March 31, 2025, citing shifts in the business environment.
Launched in 2021, the Airpeak S1 marked Sony’s ambitious entry into the professional drone market. Positioned as the smallest drone capable of carrying Sony’s Alpha mirrorless cameras, the Airpeak S1 was aimed at filmmakers and high-end content creators seeking versatile aerial shots. Despite its impressive capabilities, including speeds up to 55.9 mph and high angular velocity, the Airpeak S1 struggled to capture a significant market share in a highly competitive landscape dominated by established players like DJI.
Sony’s decision to discontinue the product affects a broad range of accessories and services tied to the Airpeak ecosystem, including the aircraft itself, various gimbals, transmitters, batteries, and its RTK (real-time kinematic) kit. Here’s the complete list:
- Aircraft (ARS-S1)
- Gimbal (GBL-T3, GBL-PX1)
- Battery charger (LBG-H1)
- Transmitter (RCR-VH1)
- Battery Station (LBN-H1)
- RTK Kit (RTK-1)
- Battery pack (LBP-HS1, HS1/10SET, LBP-HM1)
- Propeller (PPL1785)
Software support through applications like Airpeak Base and Airpeak Flight will continue until 2030, providing users with extended access to key features like flight programming and data management. The Airpeak Protect Plan will also remain active until March 2026, giving current users a few more years of service and support before full discontinuation.
Sony’s foray into the drone industry highlighted the synergy between its imaging technology and professional aerial platforms, but adoption challenges and intense market competition seem to have prompted this strategic retraction. Despite the setback, Sony’s Airpeak venture demonstrated how imaging-focused brands could push the limits of aerial cinematography and may inform future technological developments in its Alpha camera series and related applications.
Read more: $199 DJI drone makes Time’s list of Best Inventions of 2024
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