With a 4K camera and tons of features, DJI’s Phantom 3 Pro is a budget-friendly beast

By Alexander Thickstun Published March 14, 2016

DJI first announced the Phantom 3 Pro nearly a year ago, but now that the next-gen Phantom 4 has been unveiled, DJI has dropped the Phantom 3 Pro price to just $995. Essentially, that means you can now get a 4K-capable drone for less than $1,000, which is pretty damn incredible. Just like the Phantom 4, it is available at Apple

But while 4K video is the main draw here, the Phantom 3 Pro has a hell of a lot more going on than just a nice camera. Under the hood, this little quad boasts DJI’s Lightbridge technology, enabling you to control your UAV and view a live video feed well past a mile away. It’s also equipped with a gimbal for extra smooth shots, and even employs the same sensor that’s found in the Inspire 1’s Zenmuse X3 camera.

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The accompanying remote is just as sturdy and attractive as the drone itself. There’s a USB port on the back that connect to your phone to use as the display, camera controls you can reach with your index fingers, a “return-to-home” button, and super simple joystick controls.

Screen_Shot_2016-03-02_at_3.51.30_PM — Image used with permission by copyright holder

The Phantom 3’s top speed is 30 miles per hour, and the UAV is incredibly smooth and stable during flight. Even with 20 mph winds we had no problems controlling the Phantom. The battery is advertised to give you approximately 25 minutes of flight time, but my lead foot was fetching me closer to 18-20 minutes. Latency from the video feedback is practically nonexistent, so we could instantly see what the Phantom 3 Pro was seeing, even at distances greater than a mile.

The Phantom 3 line contains intelligent flight functions including course lock, home-lock, waypoints, point-of-interest, and follow-me mode. To engage these functions, simply turn the dial on the front of the remote from P to F, and you can select the intelligent function you’d like to use on the DJI Go app.

Overall, the Phantom 3 Professional is great for beginners who want to have an intuitive aircraft and a rich flying experience, or even advanced users that want to capture stunning 4K footage but need something that’s small enough to travel with. The Phantom 3 Professional is hands-down one of the best UAV’s you can get for the price.

Pick up your DJI Phantom 3 Pro at Apple.

Alexander Thickstun

Former Video Contributor

Alexander graduated with a degree in Aerospace Engineering in 2005 and an MBA in 2011. He's an outdoor enthusiast and avid…

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Cars

Jeep Compass EV breaks cover—but will it come to the U.S.?

jeep compass ev us newjeepcompassfirsteditionhawaii 4

Jeep just pulled the wraps off the all-new Compass EV, and while it’s an exciting leap into the electric future, there's a catch—it might not make it to the U.S. anytime soon.
This is a brand new electric version of the Jeep Compass, and being built on Stellantis' STLA platform—the same architecture underpinning models like the Peugeot E-3008 and E-5008—it looks much slicker and packs a lot more inside than previous versions of the Compass.
Let’s start with what’s cool: the new Compass EV is packing up to 404 miles of range on a single charge, a 74 kWh battery, and fast-charging that gets you from 20% to 80% in about 30 minutes. Not bad for a compact SUV with Jeep's badge on the nose.
There are two versions: a front-wheel-drive model with 213 horsepower and a beefier all-wheel-drive version with 375 horsepower. That AWD setup isn’t just for looks—it can handle 20% inclines even without front traction, and comes with extra ground clearance and better off-road angles. In short, it’s still a Jeep.
The design's been refreshed too, and inside you’ll find the kind of tech and comfort you’d expect in a modern EV—sleek, smart, and ready for both city streets and dirt trails.
But here’s the thing: even though production starts soon in Italy, Jeep hasn’t said whether the Compass EV is coming to America. And the signs aren’t promising.
Plans to build it in Canada were recently put on hold, with production now delayed until at least early 2026. Some of that might have to do with possible U.S. tariffs on Canadian and Mexican vehicles—adding a layer of uncertainty to the whole rollout.
According to Kelley Blue Book, a Stellantis spokesperson confirmed that the company has “temporarily paused work on the next-generation Jeep Compass, including activities at” the Canadian plant that was originally meant to build the model. They added that Stellantis is “reassessing its product strategy in North America” to better match customer needs and demand for different powertrain options.
So while Europe and other markets are gearing up to get the Compass EV soon, American drivers might be left waiting—or miss out entirely.
That’s a shame, because on paper, this electric Jeep hits a lot of sweet spots. Let’s just hope it finds a way over here.

Entertainment

Charlie Cox singles out his least favorite Daredevil: Born Again episode

Charlie Cox in Daredevil: Born Again.

Daredevil: Born Again season 1 was largely reconceived after the 2023 actor and writer strikes. Dario Scardapane -- a veteran of The Punisher series on Netflix -- was brought in to be the new showrunner and he made a lot of changes to the series that were well-received. However, there's one episode that Scardapane didn't really change at all, and it happens to be the least favorite episode of Daredevil: Born Again's leading man, Charlie Cox.

During an appearance on The Playlist, Cox noted that he wasn't very fond of the season's fifth episode, "With Interest," which was a largely standalone episode that featured his character, Matt Murdock, in a bank during a hostage crisis.

Cars

Zoox recalls robotaxis after Las Vegas crash, citing software fix

Amazon's self-driving vehicle unit, Zoox, has issued a voluntary safety recall after one of its autonomous vehicles was involved in a minor collision in Las Vegas. The incident, which occurred in April 2025, led the company to investigate and identify a software issue affecting how the robotaxi anticipates another vehicle’s path.
The recall, affecting 270 Zoox-built vehicles, was formally filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Zoox said the issue has already been addressed through a software update that was remotely deployed to its fleet.
Zoox’s robotaxis, which operate without driving controls like a steering wheel or pedals, are part of Amazon’s entry into the autonomous driving space. According to Zoox’s safety recall report, the vehicle failed to yield to oncoming traffic while making an unprotected left turn, leading to a low-speed collision with a regular passenger car. While damage was minor, the event raised flags about the system’s behavior in complex urban scenarios.
Establishing safety and reliability remain key factors in the deployment of the relatively new autonomous ride-hailing technology. Alphabet-owned Waymo continues to lead the sector in both safety and operational scale, with services active in multiple cities including Phoenix and San Francisco. But GM’s Cruise and Ford/VW-backed Argo AI were forced to abandon operations over the past few years.
Tesla is also expected to enter the robotaxi race with the launch of its own service in June 2025, leveraging its Full Self-Driving (FSD) software. While FSD has faced heavy regulatory scrutiny through last year, safety regulations are expected to loosen under the Trump administration.
Zoox, which Amazon acquired in 2020, says it issued the recall voluntarily as part of its commitment to safety. “It’s essential that we remain transparent about our processes and the collective decisions we make,” the company said in a statement.