Will DJI pull the P4 next?

GaryMortimer · Jan 17, 2017

With DJI’s introduction of the Mavic Pro in September last year, and with Mavic sales rumoured to be well over a million already, it is taking care of most of the market that was previously serviced by the lower end and non-Pro version Phantoms. If you browse around the various forums, many current and potential DJI customer are calling for a Mavic Standard as well.

Before the P3 Pro was chopped, the base model Phantom 4 really did not make much sense, the Phantom 3 Pro can do most of what the P4 and P4P can do, at a much better price. I am struggling to see how it makes sense even after the big chop in the P3 line. The Phantom 4 Pro is just so much better.

DJI Phantom 4 next on the chopping block? - sUAS News - The Business of Drones

Gunsession · Jan 17, 2017

I think personally in my opinion the Phantom 4 is well established and created a name for itself plus the camera compared to the Mavic Pro isn't as superior as the Phantom 4. P4 still has a lot of great features one would use but people who require light weight travel gear will also get a mavic pro. To show just how much Dji value their Phantoms the held onto the price with above the Mavic Pro or equal to. So not to worry my friend Phantoms are here and this year we may have an exciting Phantom 5 to look forward too. And compared to the P4 Pro it's gonna be awesome!

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GaryMortimer · Jan 17, 2017

DJI own the small business/private drone space. I think it makes sense for them to rationalise their models so they can bang them out faster. They must need a raft of production lines for the Mavic.They also have less battery shapes to worry about. The P3P had to go because it was too close to the P4 in performance for a much better price.

Droneted · Jan 17, 2017

Gunsession said:
I think personally in my opinion the Phantom 4 is well established and created a name for itself plus the camera compared to the Mavic Pro isn't as superior as the Phantom 4. P4 still has a lot of great features one would use but people who require light weight travel gear will also get a mavic pro. To show just how much Dji value their Phantoms the held onto the price with above the Mavic Pro or equal to. So not to worry my friend Phantoms are here and this year we may have an exciting Phantom 5 to look forward too. And compared to the P4 Pro it's gonna be awesome!

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I totally agree. I have P3's and P4's. The camera on the P4 is so much better built than the P3. I repair cameras and the P4 in my humble opinion is stronger.

Droneted · Jan 17, 2017

If you look inside the P4 camera you will find an actual cooling fan, not that small useless thing they put on the P3 Pro camera. Just saying...

Slackware · Jan 17, 2017

phantom 5, named for 5 motors, or for 5km range?

Time to number based on qualifiers. 5-C+ for better camera, 5-S+ for better speed, 5-R+ for range, 5-L for lots of battery flight time.
and of course the 5-Fx for fixed, factory refurbished.

Feez · Jan 17, 2017

Dji just announced today that the phantom 3 line is discontinued, so it looks like the phantom 4 probably will be the base model at least for a while.

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Fallguy · Jan 17, 2017

After reading this , im not too sure . Mavic and P4P Features Coming to the Phantom 4

ftttu · Jan 17, 2017

My history frame of reference is just too short to have a good idea what DJI will do in the future. Also, DJI still having Phantom 2s on the shelves really throws me for a loop.

We all have some great feature ideas for future models, but the Mavic Pro release changed some of those. If DJI releases a quantum leap forward with their next gen bird, I can't see how they will dispose of their older stock.

A Phantom 4 is a great all around bird, but will DJI be able to sell any when their next release may have a more portable design, more robust materials(no more cracks during normal flying), no props/prop shadows/landing gear in camera frame, better range, etc?

I can only believe the P4 is safe with evolution, but dead with revolution.

rocketflyer · Jan 17, 2017

Feez said:
Dji just announced today that the phantom 3 line is discontinued, so it looks like the phantom 4 probably will be the base model at least for a while.

No the P3S will carry on.

Fallguy said:
Mavic and P4P Features Coming to the Phantom 4

Let's hope so. I want tripod/terrain following and precision landing!

GaryMortimer · Jan 18, 2017

And it's gone Farewell DJI Phantom 4, it's terminated - sUAS News - The Business of Drones

GaryMortimer · Jan 18, 2017

Bill S · Jan 18, 2017

There must be some manufacturing issues going on as it looks like only the Mavic Pro & P4P will be left and they will not be available until March. (Maybe a new facility with more robotics.) There might be a new entry level bird coming out as well. (I have a P4P+ and love it.)

John Locke · Jan 18, 2017

I'm surprised they produced the P3 line as long as they did, even though I still have my P3P and love that craft (my first DJI craft). To me it makes total sense to abandon them and move on. My guess it they are revamping the production lines to make room for an upcoming P5 this summer. As for the P4, it's a good thing to stop production on that turd. The P4 has the worse controller (GL300C) transmit power of any lightbridge controller to date. Only newbies would be happy with less than a mile range. Even with windsurfer installed on the P4 controller antennas I would get disconnects at 4000' in areas that my P3P would go 10,000'+. The P4 product was good for the aftermarket antenna guys who sold a ton of upgrades due to the weak signal. Most people added booster amps too, all because of the weak controller. For me I resorted to using an Inspire controller with P4, works great. The new P4P and Mavic perform much better for range, equivalent to the early P3P product, even better possibly. It was wise for DJI to discontinue production of these craft IMO.

Xenomorph · Jan 18, 2017

John Locke said:
As for the P4, it's a good thing to stop production on that turd. Only newbies would be happy with less than a mile range. The P4 product was good for the aftermarket antenna guys who sold a ton of upgrades due to the weak signal. It was wise for DJI to discontinue production of these.

ftttu · Jan 18, 2017

John Locke said:
I'm surprised they produced the P3 line as long as they did, even though I still have my P3P and love that craft (my first DJI craft). To me it makes total sense to abandon them and move on. My guess it they are revamping the production lines to make room for an upcoming P5 this summer. As for the P4, it's a good thing to stop production on that turd. The P4 has the worse controller (GL300C) transmit power of any lightbridge controller to date. Only newbies would be happy with less than a mile range. Even with windsurfer installed on the P4 controller antennas I would get disconnects at 4000' in areas that my P3P would go 10,000'+. The P4 product was good for the aftermarket antenna guys who sold a ton of upgrades due to the weak signal. Most people added booster amps too, all because of the weak controller. For me I resorted to using an Inspire controller with P4, works great. The new P4P and Mavic perform much better for range, equivalent to the early P3P product, even better possibly. It was wise for DJI to discontinue production of these craft IMO.

I've had a lot of great use out of my P4, but I'm not sad they are discontinuing the model. Also, since I've had hours of fun and entertainment, plus overall good performance, I can't call it an overall "turd." However, limited range, props/prop shadows/landing gear in camera frame, horizon problem, etc, add up to something close.

One "turd" problem which I still think is at unforgivable level, is the cracking shell during regular and normal use. Mine should be on its way home soon from DJI Service due to a cracked shell, and I can't be happier it is being covered under warranty. I've never handled a P4P so I don't know if it has a similar shell, but if it does, I will never purchase one or any other DJI product known for suffering from a similar cracking problem.

I'm hoping the discontinuation of the P4 and other models is showing DJI is looking forward and not backwards in their future releases. I know there is a large Phantom following, but I never gained those fuzzy feelings. If DJI forsakes the classic Phantom form factor and even discontinues the name in future prosumer drone releases, I wouldn't shed a tear.

If DJI's next full-sized prosumer drone offering follows the form factor of the Mavic Pro, I'm all on board...IF it has a robust design that will give way more than one year of service life if used in a normal and careful manner.

John Locke · Jan 18, 2017

ftttu said:
I've had a lot of great use out of my P4, but I'm not sad they are discontinuing the model. Also, since I've had hours of fun and entertainment, plus overall good performance, I can't call it an overall "turd." However, limited range, props/prop shadows/landing gear in camera frame, horizon problem, etc, add up to something close.

Maybe "little fart" is more accurate

. I love my P4, don't get me wrong, but it took me months to figure out why the P4 was so unreliable on range, using my P3P (GL300A-W323A) as the baseline for comparison. It wasn't until I started using an Inspire controller (GL658A) that I found joy. It's been great ever since and for the last 5 months has been my "go to" bird to fly. I just got a Mavic this weekend so that's the focus now, trying to figure out all the settings and capabilities. I miss the "pitch smoothing" feature in Mavic, I don't understand why they left that out of the Go4 app. That's a great feature of P4 in Go.

snowghost · Jan 18, 2017

John Locke said:
Maybe "little fart" is more accurate . I love my P4, don't get me wrong, but it took me months to figure out why the P4 was so unreliable on range, using my P3P (GL300A-W323A) as the baseline for comparison. It wasn't until I started using an Inspire controller (GL658A) that I found joy. It's been great ever since and for the last 5 months has been my "go to" bird to fly. I just got a Mavic this weekend so that's the focus now, trying to figure out all the settings and capabilities. I miss the "pitch smoothing" feature in Mavic, I don't understand why they left that out of the Go4 app. That's a great feature of P4 in Go.

Is it really that much better with the Inspire controller (GL658A)?

John Locke · Jan 18, 2017

snowghost said:
Is it really that much better with the Inspire controller (GL658A)?

In my case, absolutely. I didn't know why it worked better until I actually did some measuring of the RF output of the control signal for various controllers.

Here's my data.

SkySensei · Jan 19, 2017

I'd prefer they focus on better DJIGo software (that actually can handle the photos and video properly) rather than pumping out incremental upgrades, but I suppose that's the business model these days (the Apple method - make a minor upgrade and push it at full price by shunning all prior versions). Pretty soon we'll see the "Phantom 18s" out there which will look / act pretty much like the Phantom 4, 3, 2...

But they'll be "new". And maybe will come in colors.

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