In 2019, DJI insisted to me that it wasn’t killing off the Phantom, its iconic line of oft-imitated drones that turned the Chinese company into the powerhouse it is today. And yet, DJI has just announced the end of life for its final two Phantom drones — the Phantom 4 Pro and Phantom 4 Advanced — with no new Phantom models in sight.
While DJI wasn’t the first maker of off-the-shelf flying quadcopter cameras — the first Phantom arrived in 2013, whereas Parrot’s AR Drone was already on shelves in 2010 — the Phantom was among the first ready-to-fly ones widely adopted by both consumers and video production pros. Other companies produced loads of Phantom clones and knockoff toys, and the unique pillow-and-legs silhouette of a Phantom soon became an instantly recognizable symbol for “drone.” I saw it on signs banning drones from public parks, for example.
But DJI doesn’t seem to need the Phantom brand anymore. Now, most of its drones are more rectangular packages with fold-down legs for portability, and it has many other brands to carry that torch, from the highest end Inspire down through the Mavic, Air, Mini, and the new entry level Flip line.
According to extensive leaks via the usual suspects (Jasper Ellens, OsitaLV), a new Mavic 4 Pro is imminent, and a Mini 5 is well on the way.
We’ve reached out to DJI for a statement on the end of the Phantom, and the company should get back to us by tomorrow.