DJI has denied rumors surrounding the Phantom 4 and Phantom 5, though the company’s future plans for its Phantom line of drones remain unclear.
Most models of the Phantom 4 have been out of stock for months, and there are no signs that they will ever be replenished, according to the first part of a report by Drone DJ. The only version that remains available from the online DJI store is the Phantom 4 Pro RTK model, which targets commercial and professional users.
Drone DJ also unearthed an interview of DJI Director of Public Safety Integration Romeo Durscher with the Drone Owners Network that signals the end of the Phantom 4. “Yes, the Phantom line with the exception of the Phantom 4 Pro RTK has come to an end,” Durscher said in the video.
The second part of the Drone DJ report then claimed that the successor of the Phantom 4 was no longer in development. There have been leaked images of Phantom 5 prototypes, which is rumored to have two models. One version of the Phantom 5 is said to feature a zoom lens and a price tag of about $1,700, while another version would be a more expensive “Pro” or “Hasselblad” version that would come with an interchangeable lens system.
The discontinuation of the Phantom 4 and the cancelation of the Phantom 5 would be a surprise, considering that the Phantom line of drones launched DJI’s brand and remains one of the company’s most recognizable products.
In response to the reports, DJI said that the death of the Phantom drones are not true.
“Romeo misspoke,” DJI communications director Adam Lisberg told The Verge. “Due to a shortage of parts from a supplier, DJI is unable to manufacture more Phantom 4 Pro V2.0 drones until further notice. We apologize for any inconvenience this might cause and recommend our customers explore DJI’s Mavic series drones as an alternative solution to serve their needs,” the company said in a statement.
“As for the Phantom 5 rumors, we’ve never said we considered making a Phantom 5 in the first place, so there’s nothing to cancel,” Lisberg added, claiming that the leaked photos of the Phantom 5 prototype were actually of a one-off design for an unnamed customer.
There are issues with DJI’s explanations though, particularly that the parts shortage has lasted for five months, and the fact that it would take a considerable amount of resources to create an interchangeable lens drone for just one customer.
The third part of the Drone DJ report pins DJI’s future on the Mavic 2, and it just so happens that in its statement and on its website, the company is pushing customers to try out its Mavic drones. The future of DJI’s drones business remains unclear, but it certainly looks like the Phantom is on its way out.
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