DJI drops the speed specs on the Inspire 2 and apologizes to customers

By Hillary K. Grigonis Published November 30, 2016

One of DJI’s latest camera drones boasted a top speed of 67 mph — but can you really get good shots going that fast? Apparently, the answer is no. In a news statement released today, DJI revised the specifications of the Inspire 2, bringing the top speed down from 67 to 58 mph.

In the letter apologizing to customers for the change, the company also adjusted how fast the quadcopter can reach those top speeds, saying the drone can reach 50 mph in five seconds, not four.

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DJI says the change was necessary to ensure the drone still excels at what it was designed for — aerial videography and photography. “These changes are necessary to ensure speed does not compromise video quality and stability,” the company’s statement reads. DJI says the issue was discovered while fine-tuning and testing the quadcopter.

While the drone isn’t shipping yet, the company has already begun taking pre-orders. DJI says that anyone who no longer wishes to purchase the Inspire 2 because of those changes can request a full refund. According to the original announcement, the drone is expected to ship in January, though consumers who purchased the drone combo with a camera could see them as much as a month sooner.

Even with the change, the latest iteration of the Inspire drone has a top speed that is about eight mph faster than the original. The drone’s speed also extends beyond miles per hour — DJI said the new CineCore processor is their fastest yet for processing video files. The second generation also tweaked the design for a lighter weight, an enhanced propulsion system for more vertical versatility, and new smart flight modes.

Announced two weeks ago, the DJI Inspire 2 is designed to use with DJI’s a 5.2K Zenmuse gimbal-mounted camera and similar cameras. Designed for high-end video production, the DJI Inspire 2 sits at a $2,999 retail price without the camera.

Hillary K. Grigonis

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Hillary never planned on becoming a photographer—and then she was handed a camera at her first writing job and she's been…

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