The DJI Phantom 5, the successor of the DJI Phantom 4 series. We expect this drone to showcase the best photo and video qualities possibly in a prosumer drone. Right below the much more expensive package of the Inspire 2 and Zenmuse combination. The DJI Phantom 5 is rumored to be released early in 2018.
Watch this space for all the latest news on the to-be-released DJI Phantom 5.
There have been many discussions surrounding the release of the DJI Phantom 5, with various ‘leaks’ suggesting it’s around the corner and the Phantom series being axed due to the Mavic series’ popularity. Let’s take a dive into history to see if DJI will release the Phantom 5.
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An image shared on Twitter in response to a tweet about the DJI Mavic 3 killing the Phantom 5 shows off what looks to be graphics for the Phantom 5 launch. We aren’t so sure the image is real – and have doubts that a Phantom 5 is on the way.
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Photos of the DJI camera with interchangeable lens system have shown up again on Twitter. Even though we no longer expect the DJI Phantom 5 to be released with this camera and gimbal combination, it is interesting to see what DJI was working on. Officially, DJI denied that this was going to be the new DJI Phantom 5, but many industry insiders concluded that DJI’s explanation that this was a one-off version for a customer was bogus. It would simply be too expensive for DJI to develop this just for one customer. These photos show more detail than we have seen before.
Note: these photos show a camera, lens, and gimbal from at least one year ago. And, we believe, are from a project that DJI has since abandoned.
DJI Phantom 5 canceled? Yes, it seems so. Persistent rumors and people very close to DJI have informed us that the DJI Phantom 5 has been canceled. Not only is the DJI Phantom 4 (except the RTK) no longer available from the Chinese drone maker, the successor, the DJI Phantom 5 apparently is “no longer in development.” The product manager responsible for the Phantom 5, of which we have seen various prototypes with interchangeable lenses earlier, has been reassigned to another DJI project.
This is part 2 of 3 in a special series of articles that zoom in on the latest rumors around the DJI Phantom 4, the DJI Phantom 5 and the DJI Mavic 2 series. Part 3 and Part 4 will follow shortly so stay tuned. Click here for part 1.
After recording The Drone U / DroneDJ news show today, Paul Aitken and I were talking about the upcoming NAB 2019 and how some people were hoping for a Phantom 5 launch at the event in Las Vegas. To my surprise, Paul told me that DJI wasn’t even on the list of exhibitors this year, even though the company has had a booth in previous years. Time to get some clarification. I contacted DJI to find out about DJI’s absence. Adam Lisberg, Corporate Communications Director for DJI North America, confirmed that indeed, DJI will not be at NAB 2019 as the company is exploring other avenues. So, with that, any hope of a Phantom 5 launch at the event evaporates. Sorry guys.
The Phantom 4 Pro V2.0 has been out of stock since early November 2018. And, now, the regular Phantom 4 Pro is officially out of production, according to the official DJI website. So even though you may be able to pick one up at the retailer of your choice, you can no longer get a Phantom 4 Pro (or V2.0) from the drone maker itself. The question is why? Is it related to DJI’s fraud case? Perhaps the DJI severed the relationship with some of its suppliers? Or is it because the Phantom 5 is indeed around the corner? Obviously, we hope for the latter but this tweet about the Phantom 4 Pro V2.0 may indicate differently.
Roughly two weeks ago we learned that the DJI Phantom 4 Pro V2.0 was out of stock on DJI’s official online store. This happened around the same time that the “Because Life is Big” event was announced so for a short time it seemed that a Phantom 4 replacement might be on the way. Now, we know that that wasn’t the case. Afterall DJI launched the DJI Osmo Pocket instead. But, what is the real story with the DJI Phantom 4 Pro V2.0? We asked DJI and here’s what they told us.
At first glance, the Mavic 2 Pro (1,499) seems like the obvious successor to the Phantom 4 (also $1,499). The Mavic 2 has equivalent specifications in almost all areas, but it folds into a fraction of the size of the Phantom 4 Pro. The Mavic 2 Pro also sports 10-bit color on a Hasselblad-branded camera and several new automated flight modes among other improvements. With these upgrades it seems like the Phantom 4 is finished, right? Despite the apparent advantages of the Mavic 2 Pro, the Phantom 4 Pro still has some key features that give it an edge for some pilots. In this comparison, I dive into the specs, discuss the hidden pros and cons of each drone, and tell you which is best for specific applications.
After a crazy summer with the postponed launch of the DJI Mavic 2, all eyes are now fixed on the long-awaited DJI Phantom 5. Will it be released by the end of this month, during DJI’s “Because Life is Big” event? We will have to wait and see. However, in the meantime, let’s take a look and ‘zoom’ in on the expected specs for the new DJI Phantom 5.
The release of the Phantom 5 is imminent and might well happen before the end of this month. We now know that the Phantom 5 is indeed going to have interchangeable lenses. That’s despite statements from DJI stating that the leaked images of a Phantom with interchangeable lenses do not show a predecessor to the Phantom 5. Regardless, we are excited about the upgrade. Interchangeable lenses provide more options for the professional photographer. What Phantom 5 lens alternatives will DJI provide? When can we expect a premium lens offering? Will the Phantom 5 include a zoom lens option? Let’s have a look.
The DJI Phantom 4 Pro V2.0 is out of stock! Yesterday, we received the invite for DJI’s ‘Because Life is Big‘ event in NYC on November 28th. Today we learn that the (soon to be replaced?) DJI Phantom 4 Pro V2.0 is out of stock. The DJI website does not provide any information on when it may be in stock again. Likely because it never will. It seems that the world’s largest drone maker is getting to introduce the long-awaited DJI Phantom 5 drone.
Ok – here we go again! DJI just sent out an invite to press and media members for an event in New York. It is titled: “Because life is big!” DJI tells us that they are delighted to invite us to an exclusive DJI event on November 28th, from 2 pm to 4 pm EST at Good Morning America Studios in Midtown Manhattan to showcase their latest technology. What might this be all about? Could it be the long-awaited DJI Phantom 5?
DJI posted a video on YouTube that shows more footage of the trip to Greenland with the DJI video team, Jimmy Chin and Kit DesLauriers. We had already seen some of this footage during the launch of the DJI Mavic 2 Zoom and Pro drones. The mysterious new remote controller that we have seen before, show up in this video as well (2:21). Initially, I thought this might have been the controller for the DJI Mavic 2 Enterprise but since that launch happened last week and no new controller was shown, I am starting to wonder, will this be the controller for the highly anticipated DJI Phantom 5? Hmmm, now there’s a thought…
Today a new photo and video surfaced on Twitter of the silver Phantom drone, that DJI calls a one-off edition for an enterprise customer. The Chinese drone maker has repeatedly denied that these photos would show a prototype of the Phantom 5. But many people are doubtful as the interchangeable lens system seems too costly to have only been developed for one single customer.
It happened before when we wrote about these leaked photos earlier this year. DJI reached out to us and told us that these two silver colored Phantoms were not prototypes of the new Phantom 5, but a one-off for a commercial customer. Now after Billy wrote about these new photos of seemingly the same two drones, DJI contacted us again to reaffirm that these are not, in fact, Phantom 5 prototypes.
Three new photos surfaced today on Twitter, that appear to be prototype models of a new Phantom 5 drone. These same drones have popped up before in these older images, which were denied by DJI. But this new round of leaks gives us a different look at the aircraft and camera assembly. If this is, in fact, the next version of the Phantom, it doesn’t look like many exterior changes have been made.
Update: DJI reaffirms that these photos are not a Phantom 5 Prototype.
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DJI announces the End of Life for the Phantom 4 Pro/Pro+, Phantom 3 SE, Osmo, Osmo+, Osmo Mobile, Mavic Pro and Mavic Pro Platinum in a memo to retailers. The announcement comes right after the introduction of the Mavic 2 Zoom and Pro drones last week. Especially the inclusion of the Phantom 4 Pro/Pro+ is interesting as it may indicate that its successor, the Phantom 5 may not be far away.
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?
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Chinese drone-maker DJI just sent out an invitation to the press to come and “See The Bigger Picture” on July 18th at 10 am in New York. The invitation was sent by email and contained a top-down aerial photo that seems to show a mountainous area with trees, a river and possibly a lake in the center. Toward the outer edges of the circular image you see clouds and then it fades into black. There is no indication if this photo is from an actual location and/or how much of it may be photoshopped. The image also has a resemblance of an eye (iris and pupil), which nicely ties back into their slogan: “See The Bigger Picture”, which is superimposed over the photo. Like with previous announcements from DJI, it is hard to get much information out it, but I think it is safe to say that DJI will almost certainly be announcing a new consumer drone this summer with an emphasis on image quality. Possibly the new Mavic Pro 2 drone.
Over the last couple of weeks, we’ve seen various photos pop-up of two grey/silver DJI Phantom drones with an interchangeable lens system. Many people, including us, had been hoping that this was indeed a prototype of a new DJI Phantom drone with interchangeable lenses. Potentially an amazing setup for any serious photographer, who appreciates the flexibility and quality of fixed focal length or prime lenses, but without breaking the bank. Sort of a mini Inspire 2 / Zenmuse X7 combo. However, without saying that such a drone may never be introduced, DJI did state in an email to DroneDJ that these photos do NOT show a new DJI Phantom 5 drone, but a one-off custom built drone for one of their enterprise customers. Bummer, I know…
Earlier this evening two new photos were posted on Twitter that show two silver-colored DJI Phantom drones with interchangeable lenses. They seem to be the same two Phantoms we have seen before. One photo shows a 50mm f/2.8 DJI lens detached from the lens mount. We are still unsure at this point what kind of DJI Phantom this might be. But it is hard not to get excited about a new quadcopter with an interchangeable lens system that might not break the bank like the Inspire 2 and Zenmuse X7 lens combo does.
Yesterday some detailed photos surfaced of what may be the new DJI Phantom 5 or Phantom 4 Pro V2.0. Today, we come across additional photos of the same drone, with one caveat, this time there are two grey aluminum Phantoms visible in the photos. Are these drone the new DJI Phantom 5 or the Phantom 4 Pro V2.0? Take a look and let us know what you think in our poll!
Just now new photos surfaced of what seems to be the upcoming DJI Phantom 5. This time the photos come from two different Chinese sources. One of them is our old friend @OsitaLV, who seems to be done playing games and is getting back to business (thank you). The other one is a new source and possibly one of DJI beta-testers. In the photos, we see the new aluminum-colored Phantom, possibly a prototype, in action, two detailed shots of the interchangeable lens, camera and gimbal combination, the DJI Phantom 5 in a backpack (Fly More Combo?), a DJI Mavic Pro and the Phantom 5 controller. We have seen the same equipment in a previous tweet as well.
Last Friday, DJI received FCC approval for what seems to be a newer or different version of the controller of the DJI Phantom 4 Pro V2.0. Back in March, we reported on the DJI Phantom 4 Pro V2.0 as well as the controller (version number GL300L1801). The one for which DJI got FCC approval last Friday carries number FCC ID SS3-GL300K1801 and it is unclear at this point whether this is a newer version or a different version of the controller.
