DJI ban: how the world’s biggest dronemaker is getting shoved out of the US

What happens when DJI, the world’s leading maker of drones, is no longer welcome in the United States? You might think other dronemakers would see a huge opportunity with their competitor out of the picture. That didn’t happen.

In the 15 months since the United States triggered an automatic ban on future DJI products, no company has rushed to serve the consumers, prosumers, photographers, videographers, farmers, surveyors, and more that use DJI gear. Instead, US dronemakers are largely focused on a more lucrative opportunity: a billion dollars the Pentagon has earmarked for drones that kill.

DJI’s Avata 360 finds the company at an odd time. For one, it’s been beaten to the punch — upstart Antigravity’s A1 became the first 360-degree drone when it launched last December, and DJI is playing catchup (and filing lawsuits). But this is also the last DJI drone you may ever be able to legally buy in the US, in the wake of the FCC’s de facto ban, and even then it won’t actually see an official release in the country.

It means that if you’re in the US, the Antigravity A1 remains the best (and only) option for a flying 360-degree camera. But in the rest of the world, the Avata 360 makes a good case for itself: it’s faster than the A1, doubles as both a 360 drone and a traditional FPV model, and offers the option of goggle and motion controller controls, a classic twin-stick setup, or a smartphone screen. Throw in the fact that both of the two main lenses are (easily) user-replaceable, and I suspect that most flyers will find they prefer DJI’s take on the format to Antigravity’s attempt.

DJI wants a federal court to toss out the Federal Communications Commission’s decision to ban imports of its China-made drones and components, as reported earlier by Reuters. In a petition filed in an appeals court this week, DJI claims the FCC “exceeded its statutory authority” last December when adding drones made in foreign countries to its Covered List, which blocks communications equipment “deemed to pose an unacceptable risk” to national security.

In addition to preventing DJI and other foreign dronemakers from importing new drones in the US (unless approved by the Department of Defense), the FCC also gave itself the authority to retroactively block equipment that it previously permitted, setting the stage for a broader drone crackdown. DJI alleges that the FCC’s move has “severely” harmed its company, and also accuses the agency of violating the Fifth Amendment. DJI asks the court to vacate and enjoin the FCC’s decision, and deem it unlawful.

The Federal Communications Commission has banned new drones made in foreign countries from being imported into the US unless the Department of Defense or the Department of Homeland Security recommends them. Monday’s action added drones to the FCC’s Covered List, qualifying foreign-made drones and drone parts, like those from DJI, as communications equipment representing “unacceptable risks to the national security of the United States and to the safety and security of U.S. persons.”

DJI is “disappointed” by today’s action, Adam Welsh, DJI’s head of global policy, says in a statement. “While DJI was not singled out, no information has been released regarding what information was used by the Executive Branch in reaching its determination.” Welsh adds that DJI “remains committed to the U.S. market” and noted that existing products can continue operation as usual. Other items on the FCC’s list include Kaspersky anti-virus software (added in 2024) and telecommunications equipment from Huawei and ZTE (added in 2021).

With DJI facing an imminent import ban in the US and its flagship drones disappearing from shelves, the new Antigravity A1 didn’t need to be a groundbreaking gadget to make headlines. It just needed to be a competent alternative that you can actually buy in the United States. In August, the Chinese brand couldn’t promise that for sure.

But today, it’s happening: the Antigravity A1 is now on sale at Best Buy here in the US, on shelves and shipping this very week as well as Antigravity’s own site. And thankfully, it’s not just a DJI alternative: this $1,599 drone and headset combo is like nothing I’ve tried before.

After launching exclusively in China last month, DJI is announcing wider global availability for its Neo 2 selfie drone, including Japan, Canada, the UK, and other countries where the company sells its drones. But as with the Mavic 4 Pro and 8K Osmo 360 camera, the Neo 2 won’t be available in the US. “DJI remains committed to the US market and serving our US-based customers. Like many global companies, we’ve had to adjust our market strategies as the local conditions and industry environment have evolved,” DJI spokesperson Daisy Kong told The Verge in an emailed statement.

The Neo 2’s upgrades include a lidar-based obstacle avoidance system to detect and avoid crash hazards, an improved following speed of nearly 27mph, better wind resistance, and a new gesture control system allowing the drone’s distance and position to be adjusted without a remote. For pilots who prefer a controller, the Neo 2 has an optional antenna that can be installed, but it’s not needed for autonomous flying. Without the DJI Neo 2 Digital Transceiver attached, the drone weighs 151 grams and can fly for up to 19 minutes.

This morning, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) voted 3-0 to let itself retroactively ban gadgets and radio components that it previously approved for entry into the United States, if the company that makes them is deemed a national security risk.

Officially, it’s a way to close loopholes and protect US networks from backdoors in Chinese telecom gear. But it could also give the Trump administration a new way to block Chinese consumer electronics that run on the open airwaves, starting with those from dronemaker DJI, even though the US government hasn’t publicly released evidence that they pose a threat.

I use a DJI Osmo Pocket 3 every single week to help film Today I’m Toying With, and I love it to pieces. The baby steadicam’s one of the most popular gadgets the company’s ever sold, because it’s so good at automatically capturing stabilized video of whatever I want, far better than a phone. What I don’t love is how DJI jacked up the price of this gadget twice this year — but a new sale brings it almost all the way back to pre-Trump tariff levels, and the clone version is now even cheaper.

The DJI Pocket 3 is now a flat $575 at Amazon, $585 at B&H, and $598 at Walmart. It’s $599 at Adorama and Best Buy and at Target and Micro Center, all down from $799.99 post-tariffs. That’s $200–$225 off.

DJI’s Osmo Pocket 3, the baby steadicam, is one of the most popular gadgets the company’s ever made. But you’ll pay a hefty Trump tax to get one in the US: $799 after tariff-fueled back-to-back price hikes this spring.

What if I told you DJI may have found a way to dodge those tariffs and pesky customs inspectors by offering a disguised version of the camera? What if I told you an entire new “US” company has quietly been erected to sell it on Amazon for far lower, even as low as $499 during Amazon’s big new sale?

Last October, dronemaker DJI sued the US Department of Defense, arguing it should no longer face the stigma of being listed as a “Chinese Military Company” and continue to risk business as a result.

It just lost.

In 2023, DJI created a massive hit with the Osmo Pocket 3, a tiny steadicam with a far bigger one-inch-type sensor that dramatically improved the quality of video you could get with so tiny a gadget. Today, the company may be doing the same with its most popular portable line of drones — and with better battery life than ever.

The DJI Mini 5 Pro is the company’s first compact drone with a 50-megapixel one-inch-type sensor, up from 1/1.3-inch in the Mini 4 Pro. At 15.19 x 11.11mm, it offers more than twice the sensor area, which could mean capturing more light; DJI claims 14 stops of dynamic range.

We knew DJI had a hard time importing its drones into the United States to the point that many shelves have gone bare, but it’s not just drones anymore. Today marks the first time it’s formally skipping the US with a non-drone product, its 8K Osmo 360 camera — and it’s not clear if it will ever officially stock it here, DJI confirms to The Verge.

But the Osmo 360 does have a page on DJI’s US website for the item — and like the Mavic 4 Pro, which similarly skipped the US, two camera retailers are offering the Osmo 360 anyhow.

DJI barely sells drones in the United States anymore. The shelves are bare; resellers are jacking up prices. It appears an unofficial ban at US customs is to blame. But on Amazon, you can now buy a drone that’s a dead ringer for the DJI Mini 4 Pro — the SkyRover X1 — for a reasonable $758. And that’s probably because DJI made it happen.

There’s evidence suggesting so, and DJI was not able to deny the SkyRover X1 was a DJI product one day after we reached out.

Is DJI exiting the US drone market? The company says no — but it would not explain to The Verge what has changed such that it can’t even keep a single drone on shelves.

When I walked into my local Best Buy store today, June 24th, there were zero DJI drones available to purchase. There wasn’t even an empty spot for each drone to go. The entire DJI aisle had been swept clean of price tags, lockers, and products — save a handful of motorized gimbals, action cameras, a single lone RC controller, and an almost empty premium endcap spot where a flagship drone would normally go.

Today, DJI is officially announcing the Mavic 4 Pro, which could be the most versatile drone it’s ever made. It’s the first with a 360-degree rotating gimbal for footage that tilts, rolls, and offers true vertical filming. It’s the first Mavic to offer 51 minutes of battery life, tied with the old Mini 3 and close to the longest flight times DJI has achieved. It’s the first with a built-in 100-megapixel camera, which can also record 6K/60fps HDR, as part of its triple-camera array.

Another important distinction: it’s the first off-the-shelf DJI drone that won’t launch in the United States. Or at least, that was the plan — since we published this story, we’ve discovered that two US retailers are actually selling it anyhow starting at $2,699.

We’ve called DJI’s baby steadicam “almost everything I wanted my iPhone camera to be” and one of our favorite gadgets of 2023, but it’s just become a harder product to recommend. In April, DJI quietly hiked the US price of the camera from $519 to $619. Now, DJI has hiked the price again, officially listing the camera at $799 in the US.

That’s a $280 price hike in just two months, a 54 percent increase, and the company says it’s not a mistake. “The price you saw today is the current price,” DJI spokesperson Daisy Kong tells The Verge. We’re seeing that US retailers have already updated their listings.