2017 Prediction ...... lets see what happens ...

[solentlife]

My prediction for 2017 :

Phantom 3 Standard will go on Clearance sale. Advanced and Pro already no longer produced.

A new Entry level Multi-Rotor will appear to possibly try fill that gap. Probably not from DJI. Another such as Quanum will try but likely fail.

Generally multi-rotors will get bigger and more functions for price. Despite legislation to control them by size. So far many have been reducing in size - but that market is now so saturated in cheap rubbish - any serious producer will step away.

Quality MR's will increase in price as the market floods with crap budget stuff imitating the big boys. Look at videos and posts abounding on Youtube ... so much crud hitting market and most of it - simply rubbish.

DJI will inevitably lose a slice of the market and try to concentrate on their higher level models. Why fight the crud ... people look at a model that looks similar but is $100 less ... which do they buy ? The cheapest of course. So how to combat that ? No good telling buyers your product is better ... you just get out of that market and concentrate on the higher priced quality range.

Lets see what happens.

Nigel

 

[Kirby Johnson]

And you heard it first here folks on NigelNewsNow, brought to you by Pee Pee Forum.

You are probably right Nigel. I get these emails from BangGood, NewFrog and RCMoment and they are full of quad drones for from $25 US up to around $150 with (ON PAPER) good specs. Some of them look pretty nice, and i had thought about getting one for a 'throw down' drone.

 

[PhantomPhrank]

And you heard it first here folks on NigelNewsNow, brought to you by Pee Pee Forum.

You are probably right Nigel. I get these emails from BangGood, NewFrog and RCMoment and they are full of quad drones for from $25 US up to around $150 with (ON PAPER) good specs. Some of them look pretty nice, and i had thought about getting one for a 'throw down' drone.

Ha! I just saw the Hubsan H107P on Amazon for $17.50. I couldn't resist. Ordered one just to see. No camera, or GPS. 10 min flight time. When the batts die it just drops from the air! It does have a somewhat functional altitude hold which works off a barometric sensor; some have stated that it does not work well outdoors.

I would have to agree with the idea that DJI would be smart to focus more on high end. There's just too many options in the lower and mid tiers.

 

[N017RW]

One could argue that the Phantoms are DJI's low-tier product and mid-tier compared to the competition in RTF consumer flying cameras, No???

 

[Y2KGTA]

I agree with you guys . I have bought some of that junk myself. I Really think Autel is zeroing in on the mid end market already and is some competition for DJI. And for a drone in the 200 dollar range the Hubsan 501s is a good drone already i think.

 

[Kirby Johnson]

Actually Novemberzerooneseven you are right. From what little I know, DJI previously only made drones aimed at the film industry costing tens of times what a phantom is today.

 

[solentlife]

I have a $40 camera quad from Banggood that I used for transition from helicopters to quads. It has 6 axis and flips but no hold. Its a fly it yourself job. In my opinion a good idea for some of the 'fly-away' DJI owners to learn some skills on !

Yuneec are pushing into DJI airspace and DJI need be careful that they don't get left behind. I was playing with Yuneec in an airport display and I could see its development and potential.

Nigel

 

[Kirby Johnson]

I have a $40 camera quad from Banggood that I used for transition from helicopters to quads. It has 6 axis and flips but no hold. Its a fly it yourself job. In my opinion a good idea for some of the 'fly-away' DJI owners to learn some skills on !

Yuneec are pushing into DJI airspace and DJI need be careful that they don't get left behind. I was playing with Yuneec in an airport display and I could see its development and potential.

Nigel

I keep catching myself looking at videos of that Yuneec Typhoon. I like the six motors but I think it is mostly the retractable landing gear. Being around airplanes all my life "RETRACTABLE LANDING GEAR" always meant your rich Uncle's airplane instead of yours and I can't seem to shake it off.

 

[solentlife]

I have to be honest and say that looking at Yuneec and their push into the market - they are agressive and may just push DJI aside.
DJI are developing a poor reputation for support and their common reply of just send it in with RMA is upsetting a lot of people. That is if you can get a reply from them !

I love my P3S ... giving me a lot of fun and with the mods - good range. But I cannot help feeling that they are not supporting the product as well as they should. They literally dismiss Firmware faults, if you ask information - you cannot trust it because you can receive conflicting replies !

I think Yuneec will not be like that .... but lets see.

Nigel

 

[CrispyClaret]

I have not had the need to contact Dji but have looked at their forum and you do get some, at best, weak and incomplete answers from people with Avengers avatars on there.
How many other companies have similar forums though that try to help? I've been into photography in a mean way for 40yrs and any camera companies attitude to faults would be, send it in for a look see.
An iphone update the other year turned my phone into a piece of junk, managed to backgate Apple phone support so got free help. What stood out was...this is a new complaint, noone else has had issues. I did get it resolved by them though over the phone, but it took a few goes. Interesting that my "new, no issue" complaint led to a new software patch, lucky me was just one of the first of 1000s to get screwed up.
To me Dji do the firmware upgrades to fix bugs and add new functions, but they don't seem to do real world testing. The stock attitude is defensive and unhelpful, but they are unlikely to hold their hands up and admit **** ups.