The future of DJI in the USA

Dangerly · Jul 30, 2023

With all the recent bills and laws at all levels of government banning Chinese made drones in the USA allegedly for security reasons, do you think DJI will still have a market in the USA in 3-5 years? Are US companies who want to use drones for commercial and not recreational purposes (Skytel, Amazon, etc.) working with the US government so they can compete?

mavic3usa · Jul 30, 2023

Is this a word completion exercise?

The future of DJI in the USA....is looking bright!

Why? Because the US is not serious about it's efforts against DJI. You asked...no one is working together to build a better recreational or commercial drone here in the US. There are so many more other priorities here at home besides drones from electric cars to mobile phones to other non-electronics. Perhaps at the federal level if think about DJI you might want to take a pass but otherwise, I'd say based on the past 5 years, the next 5 years with DJI in America is not so bad. Let the free market prevail!

Cafguy · Jul 30, 2023

All the grandstanding and suspicion of DJI will end after all DJI is simply a Chinese company and they have no choice but to do what that government tells them to do. They will regain the foothold eventually because they are so consumer friendly I disagree about the no American drones statement. There are many U.S. companies producing the same quality if not superior Drones ,Some of them are used much more than their DJI counterparts BUT these companies have no way to capture the Market Away Because DJI pays retailers handsomely to prominently display their Drones over any others. DJI Makes great Products but they have MANY things that are Killing them on the commercial and entertainment Side. They will work on those of course but DJI will stay on top in the recreational Drone market in my opininion.

Droning on and on... · Jul 30, 2023

I'm not concerned even if every single hair on fire spy issue that's been claimed about DJI drones is true – for hobbyists.

I start to get a little concerned for commercial/business use.

Civilian government use should be carefully scrutinized, but things like fire, law enforcement, and EMS are usually not risky from a spying standpoint.

Use by the US military or any secret or covert government operation should be completely prohibited.

Cafguy · Jul 30, 2023

My Issue with dji on the commercial side, (Well 1 of them) Is the refusal to make them even more open to repair or customization to the customers needs, For Example: Lets say you are a drone Pilot and you and your Video operator go out to shoot a scene on a set, Now that shoot is scheduled and very expensive - on your last pre-flight you burn a motor. My competitors drone requires me to remove 3 screws and a connector and replace - and I'm Back in the Air ( 5min) Something that is not possible with a DJI. For Dji drones you need a Backup Drone, and the trucks already full. They will correct this one day but to do that they will have to do things they are not willing to do.

Solsearcher · Jul 30, 2023

Cafguy said:
"There are many U.S. companies producing the same quality if not superior Drones ,Some of them are used much more than their DJI counterparts..."

I'll bite...who are these "many" US companies, please?

MAvic_South_Oz · Jul 30, 2023

Cafguy said:
BUT these companies have no way to capture the Market Away Because DJI pays retailers handsomely

I had a close contact that was a DJI reseller here in Australia, the markups were terrible apparently.

Where DJI excels Is manufacturing capacity, quality control, and distribution.

They are able to make enough drones to satisfy market demand, make them well enough to have a relatively minor returns issue, and can get their products to virtually every country where here is any sort of demand.

Imagine if Autel or whatever brand that makes a good product could do that ?
They never had stock of the Evo drones here I could ever find in store or outlets or online resellers.

Dangerly · Jul 30, 2023

Cafguy said:
My Issue with dji on the commercial side, (Well 1 of them) Is the refusal to make them even more open to repair or customization to the customers needs, For Example: Lets say you are a drone Pilot and you and your Video operator go out to shoot a scene on a set, Now that shoot is scheduled and very expensive - on your last pre-flight you burn a motor. My competitors drone requires me to remove 3 screws and a connector and replace - and I'm Back in the Air ( 5min) Something that is not possible with a DJI. For Dji drones you need a Backup Drone, and the trucks already full. They will correct this one day but to do that they will have to do things they are not willing to do.

I think DJI is targeting consumers at least as much if not more than commercial. I don't think the US has a single competitive consumer drone, or even a prosumer drone. But on the commercial / enterprise side, I think that may be where US companies want to focus, and they probably don't want pesky consumer drones flying in "their" airspace.

Cafguy · Jul 30, 2023

Solsearcher said:
I'll bite...who are these "many" US companies, please?

Their are Way to Many too list- Probably -hundreds really But a few are Parrot, EVO, Skydio, Vantage, Freefly, to name a few

Droning on and on... · Jul 30, 2023

I'm a very solid libertarian-ish, free market dude.

Drone technology and supply is one of the very few areas I would support a large public investment in private domestic industry for R&D and competing in global markets.

DJI and the Chinese government own this space.

Seeing how effectively Ukraine is using small drones is an eye-opener.

We are missing the boat right now in the US, and I think this "boat" is going to turn out to be as important and impactful as the computing boat the US was driving.

To national security, economic independence, standard of living, and more.

Starz · Jul 30, 2023

Dangerly said:
a market in the USA in 3-5 years

More than that.

Meta4 · Jul 30, 2023

Cafguy said:
Their are Way to Many too list- Probably -hundreds really But a few are Parrot, EVO, Skydio, Vantage, Freefly, to name a few

There are so many that the first two brands you mentioned are foreign companies that make drones in China, the last two are US companies that produce specialised commercial drones way too expensive for the consumer market.
The other company has been shown to actively lobby to encourage the paranoia surrounding DJI.

If there really were so many US companies making competitive drones, we'd all know about them and DJI wouldn't have >70% market share.

Cafguy · Jul 30, 2023

Meta4 said:
There are so many that the first two brands you mentioned are foreign companies that make drones in China, the last two are US companies that produce specialised commercial drones way too expensive for the consumer market.
The other company has been shown to actively lobby to encourage the paranoia surrounding DJI.

If there really were so many US companies making competitive drones, we'd all know about them and DJI wouldn't have >70% market share.

You are Correct and this was a quick look and get BUT there are Many in the U.S. --and Another big reason U.S. drone manufacturers can't compete, is what they have to charge you for a drone. With our labor Rates Labor laws, OSHA, Taxes and fees I would not want to try and figure out what it would cost you to build a Mavic 3 in the U.S. Compared to china BUT if they did I am sure they too would be producing "specialized" Drones That are way to Expensive and lest we Forget the Trade agreements and distribution Deals DJI has with Big Market retailers who for the most part receive there goods from China. I don't think its 70 percent though ? no way -really 70? I have no idea.

MAvic_South_Oz · Jul 30, 2023

Cafguy said:
With our labor Rates Labor laws, OSHA, Taxes and fees I would not want to try and figure out what it would cost you to build a Mavic 3 in the U.S. Compared to china

The DJI manufacturing process is very automated, hardly anyone touches a drone in manufacture.
Can you imagine the time and $ DJI invested to get to a stage like this ?

This is 2 years ago, making the M2Z . . .

And Inspires being hand assembled 7 years ago . . .

That's another barrier to anyone trying to seriously enter the market to compete with DJI, they are so well established now by processes and name / reputation.

Starz · Jul 30, 2023

Cafguy said:
you burn a motor

A DJI motor?
With the several handfuls of DJI products that I‘ve had in the air(starting with the first Mavic produced), I’ve not seen that occur.

Meta4 · Jul 30, 2023

Cafguy said:
You are Correct and this was a quick look and get BUT there are Many in the U.S.

Facts are that there aren't any US drone manufacturers making drones to compete in the consumer drone market.
That goes for features, quality and price.
There are many small scale US drone makers catering for commercial and military customers at prices that consumers would never pay.

This video is long, but gives very interesting information from the police users perspective, on the actual security issues of using DJI and comparison of the quality and features DJI offers versus the competition.
It also shows how Skydio, rather than make competitive drones, has been involved in promoting the idea that government agencies shouldn't use DJI and spreading the paranoia surrounding this topic.

Cafguy said:
and lest we Forget the Trade agreements and distribution Deals DJI has with Big Market retailers who for the most part receive there goods from China.

The simple facts are that DJI makes the products that users want and they sell better than all their competitors combined because of this.

Cafguy said:
I don't think its 70 percent though ? no way -really 70? I have no idea.

Yes ... it's been >70% for years.

Cafguy · Jul 30, 2023

Meta4 said:
Facts are that there aren't any US drone manufacturers making drones to compete in the consumer drone market.
That goes for features, quality and price.
There are many small scale US drone makers catering for commercial and military customers at prices that consumers would never pay.

This video is long, but gives very interesting information from the police users perspective, on the actual security issues of using DJI and comparison of the quality and features DJI offers versus the competition.
It also shows how Skydio, rather than make competitive drones, has been involved in promoting the idea that government agencies shouldn't use DJI and spreading the paranoia surrounding this topic.

To view this content we will need your consent to set third party cookies.
For more detailed information, see our cookies page.

The simple facts are that DJI makes the products that users want and they sell better than all their competitors combined because of this.

Yes ... it's been >70% for years.

I agree with you 99% Except for- Actually People purchase shiny things that they are force-fed Most people bought it cause They saw it at Best buy not because where it was made or even how well its made really,Even though DJI Drones are high quality and the people who Run how the drones are Displayed over at Best Buy are DJI I can assure you.

mavic3usa · Jul 30, 2023

Here's a look at some of the earlier Skydio drones being pulled together although I'm pretty sure this is very early on (first models / testing) and NOT the production facilities for the drones that you are I would buy as consumers:

shb · Jul 30, 2023

There's such an anti China paranoia in the US it's unbelievable. Just watch FOX and CNN, and someone's always bashing China. I have a Huawei phone I bought in 2018, and it still works great, but the new ones don't have android. Huawei and DJI and Tiktok are all harmless, but the politicians can't bash them enough. I'm glad I live in the Philippines!

Solsearcher · Jul 31, 2023

Cafguy said:
Their are Way to Many too list- Probably -hundreds really But a few are Parrot, EVO, Skydio, Vantage, Freefly, to name a few

Um...just no. I think you have a blend of misinformation and "feeling" mixed together to form your opinions, and next to no facts. Not trying to be an arse here, but you are just plain wrong.