What will become of DJI’s Phantom series after the release of the Mavic 2 Pro?

With the release of the new Mavic 2 Pro, DJI has single-handedly jeopardized sales of the Phantom 4 series as they introduced a new folding drone that carries a 1-inch sensor. Professional photographers and videographers gravitated towards the Phantom 4 Pro as it featured a camera with a 1-inch sensor and was easy to travel with. Now that they have included a similar camera in a much smaller drone, what’s next for DJI’s Phantom series?

History repeats itself

If you recall, back in September of 2016, DJI released the first Mavic Pro. It featured a 1/2.3” sensor, capable of shooting 12-megapixel images and 4K video. This drone delivered a hit to the Phantom 4 as its camera had identical specs but wasn’t able to fold for easy travel. The talk amongst the drone community left the Phantom 4 behind as the market began to switch to drones with smaller bodies still featuring incredible specs on all levels.

Just as it seemed the Phantom series would be entirely taken over by the new Mavic Pro, DJI released a professional version of the Phantom 4 rightfully called the DJI Phantom 4 Pro. This announcement came alongside the Inspire 2 at an event held during November of 2016. As we know, the Phantom 4 Pro featured a 1-inch sensor, capable of shooting 20-megapixel photos and 4K video at 60fps. This was the clear choice for drone pilots, like myself, that really wanted to get the best image quality possible.

Following the phrase “history repeats itself,” I would expect a new Phantom drone from DJI shortly. Not only does the Mavic 2 Pro shoot beautiful photos and videos with it’s Hasselblad camera, it also flies fast at 44mph and can stay in the air for 31 minutes. Minor tweaks to the design of the Mavic body like bright LED’s, obstacle avoidance sensors all around, and internal storage make it a more attractive option in 2018.

The last update from DJI to the Phantom series came in May with the Phantom 4 Pro V2.0. This featured the same body, same camera, and same specs, but only traded its Lightbridge transmission system for OcuSync. I would consider this a minor tweak, not a major overhaul.

With that being said, the Phantom series is due for an upgrade after almost 2 years. If you read my review of the Phantom 4 Pro, you know it has been my favorite drone because of the camera, but now I have moved on to smaller and better things. The Mavic 2 Pro’s camera is incredible, but I have a feeling it won’t be top dog in the prosumer market for long.

Phantom 5 leaks

Amongst the slew of Mavic 2 rumors that have surfaced over the past few months, a potential Phantom 5 has also shown its face with a new camera. The body style looks the same but features interchangeable lenses. DJI quickly dismissed this as a one-off product for a single customer… but a company as large as DJI certainly doesn’t like to waste innovative technology.

When we will see a new Phantom drone is currently left to speculation, but with the Mavic 2 Pro on the heels of the Phantom 4 Pro, I would expect it to be soon so that DJI doesn’t cannibalize its own sales.

What do you think about the new Mavic 2 Pro compared to the Phantom 4 Pro? Let us know in the comments below.

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