Xiaomi's entrance in the drone market. DJI should seriously pay attention to their customers now.

elich11 · Apr 6, 2019

I own a Xiaomi Mi 4k (which is actually a fimi) and Mavic air.
The Xiaomi is a great drone, it doesn't have all the bells and whistles that the DJI have, but its very reliable, and does not bother you with all the sw issues dji have (compass calibration, wind warning, video shatters, and more).
Of course this Xiaomi is not as portable as the air, but I feel so comfortable flying it, it just does the job, while every time i fly the air, it have issues.

Eli

ems12 · Apr 6, 2019

sjnovakovich said:
That looks pretty impressive, and at a great price point. Sony has a reputation for excellent sensors.

It's the same sensor that's on the Google Pixel from 2016.

This may look like a Mavic 2 Pro but it's closer to a Mavic Air.

I am all for invitation this is really nothing new. Other companies need to give DJI some competition to drive innovation.

DJI has so much of the Drone market share they can release small incremental technology steps and not be bothered with having to do the "Next big thing" to stay relevant. They ARE relevant.

Dale D · Apr 6, 2019

IMHO-First I read everything on their web site and I knew there was something missing....ah ha, NO Sensors. These sensors (on mu Mavic Air) have saved my tail many times, and I honestly could not fly without them. Whewn I went to the Buy Now button I was shocked to see the $499 price point but then, after reading through the responses I realized why it was so cheap. I am sticking with my Air and then will eventually graduate to the Mavic 2 Pro with Hasselblad camera.

Robin · Apr 6, 2019

i Like it.
Don't care about the obstacle avoidance.

when is it shipping ?

Hosewater · Apr 6, 2019

Well, if it's a rip-off, so what ? The people who love their DJI products aren't going to give it all up for one of these. I wouldn't. DJI has their issues, but it is still the Lamborghini of the drone world at it's price point. You could purchase and destroy 3 of these in relation to what you would pay for a high end DJI. There is a market. It would be great for someone who is just starting out, and doesn't want to wreck a $1400 kit. Sure, it doesn't have obstacle avoidance - but at that price, would you expect to get what you're paying 3 times more for ? There has to be some savings to offer at that price. And perhaps they haven't come up with a way to include obstacle avoidance without patent infringement. JM2C...

Imtnbike · Apr 6, 2019

And in this corner we have a new contender.....the Xiami Fimi X8 SEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

Go to your perspective corners and come out flying.

(And the X8 promptly flies into the ropes)

AngelAndres · Apr 6, 2019

Oh wow! This might be an excellent alternative after all the LAANC waiver vs DJI Geo Fencing/No Fly Zone problems we’ve been having. I work for a news agency that typically has less than an hour’s notice for shoots. A couple weeks ago, we got denied motor-start by DJI’s NFZ program even though we had an LAANC waiver from the FAA to fly in that area.

We went through the DJI “Geo” unlock process which then led to the DJI “NFZ” unlock process. That NFZ part of the process required us to give DJI up to 5days to unlock our flight area. We don’t have that kind of time during breaking news plus it destroys the whole idea of immediate LAANC approvals.

Does anyone know if this Xiaomi uses Geo fencing?

GFields · Apr 6, 2019

Seems to resemble the specs of the Mavic Pro v1 except it lacks obstacle avoidance. Although it is priced low, but out of stock, I'll probably stay with the tried and true DJI products. I too hope that the competition will motivate DJI's customer services though. Thanks for sharing.

Ogerdrone · Apr 6, 2019

If you want an in depth review here is a playlist Dustin Dunnill.

FIMI X8 SE Range Test in Country - How Far Will it Go? [No Interference & No Boosters]
FIMI X8 SE Max Range Test WITH BOOSTERS To 0% Battery! - How Far Will it Go & How Long Will it Fly!?

Quad808 · Apr 6, 2019

You guys are missing the obvious. While you sit there with your P4 line, M2, Mavic Pro's etc and can't take off in a mis configured DJI NFZ, you will look over and cry when the neighborhood kid takes off with his X8 SE. Is it the same quality as a DJI craft? No. Is it as good? No. Is it a heck of a lot cheaper and can fly when you can't because of DJI's overbearing NFZ system? Yes. Pick one up and put it in your kit. At a minimum you will be able to get some shots that you couldn't otherwise. Don't be a hater. We should all love competition.

tatmanblue · Apr 6, 2019

amstar said:
I have been with DJI starting with the Phantom 2 vision. Have pretty much all the lines: Phantom 3A, 3P, 4A, 4P, MP, MPP, MP2Pro. Have so far never been interested or tempted to try any others. With DJI, I have only been a bit disappointed with MP2 Pro and the "smart controller".
But this drone is very interesting. Check this out:

FIMI Technology Ltd. - Drone | Camera | Gimbal

FIMI Technology Ltd.

www.fimi.com

Design wise, it looks like clone of the mavic :/

AngelAndres · Apr 6, 2019

Quad808 said:
You guys are missing the obvious. While you sit there with your P4 line, M2, Mavic Pro's etc and can't take off in a mis configured DJI NFZ, you will look over and cry when the neighborhood kid takes off with his X8 SE. Is it the same quality as a DJI craft? No. Is it as good? No. Is it a heck of a lot cheaper and can fly when you can't because of DJI's overbearing NFZ system? Yes. Pick one up and put it in your kit. At a minimum you will be able to get some shots that you couldn't otherwise. Don't be a hater. We should all love competition.

I couldn’t have said it better myself. Thank you!

Unfortunately, it does appear that the X8 has NFZ software running. Unless it can be deactivated within minutes and not days, it’ll thwart the whole purpose of obtaining a LAANC authorization from the FAA.

My assignments regularly are handed to me with less than an hour’s notice. I cover a lot of breaking news. When the FAA implemented the LAANC system to help us drone pilots fly near airports and other controlled airspace, it was created with safety balanced with speed of approval in mind. These manufacturer implementations of no fly zones that require days to unlock work against the LAANC system.

All DJI or Xiaomi would need to do is provide a process as fast as the LAANC system to unlock the NFZ and I’d stop looking elsewhere for my drones. Until then, the search continues...

Deleted member 94047 · Apr 6, 2019

Thanks Ogerdrone for those links. This thing looks pretty descent but it is no where near the Air. The build quality doesn't look that good, especially if you compare it to how well put together the Mavic Air is.

iamdorian · Apr 6, 2019

tcope said:
While the price is right, it is right for what you get and that is far less than most/all DJI products. Mainly, there is no collision avoidance on their drone. If someone wants to save $150 for no collision avoidance, more power to them. Personally, I think they would be giving up a lot. It takes a _lot_ of processing power for a drone to map its surroundings and run several cameras to maintain collision avoidance. They a years of catching up in order to offer a product that DJI already offers. I'm sure DJI already has a ton of tech sitting around to release once their sales start to slow.

Hmmm ... but let's not forget that (according to at least one lawsuit) DJI STOLE that technology from other companies. It is the way (most) Chinese company's do business. They have no concern for patents or copyrights of others.

I too have had almost every (good) quad since P2, including Inspire 1 and 2. Tired of supporting DJI and watching my core investments vanish every upgrade with almost no real human support. Support will always be an issue with Chinese companies. They are about SALES not about support. I do rely on DJI quality products, however. They are the Mac of the skies ... minus the Apple support!

twoheadlines · Apr 6, 2019

I like the AC style. Especially impressed with the appearance of the RC. Looks are maybe only skin deep though, and so in this case I think despite similarities in appearance to an M2P, it will be "what's under the hood" that may determine individual price tolerance at the check out.
I don't think it should matter where a competitor originates from; but maybe in this instance it is useful that both companies are from the same country. It should remove some of the parochialisms that can overshadow quality of technology and quality of design, as well as support and services.
I agree that Xiaomi may have a product that should rightly and justifiably cause DJI to sit up and take note. I for one won't be putting my money down, yet, but I will be watching and taking note of DJIs response to a creditable competitor. If DJI doesn't respond positively, then and only then will I look at the options Xiaomi may have on offer, who also cannot afford to be something of a "one hit wonder".

PhoebeSnow · Apr 6, 2019

In for one - for $424 you can't go wrong. Want to get passed DJI's annoying NFZ's when you know it's really OK to fly.

Sd80mac · Apr 6, 2019

40 mph.

U read it as 18 m/s

Thomas B said:
At only 18mph they need the extra 3 minutes.

Still, I echo the hope that it will be an impetus to DJI service.

ajaxflysquare · Apr 6, 2019

amstar said:
I have been with DJI starting with the Phantom 2 vision. Have pretty much all the lines: Phantom 3A, 3P, 4A, 4P, MP, MPP, MP2Pro. Have so far never been interested or tempted to try any others. With DJI, I have only been a bit disappointed with MP2 Pro and the "smart controller".
But this drone is very interesting. Check this out:

FIMI Technology Ltd. - Drone | Camera | Gimbal

FIMI Technology Ltd.

www.fimi.com

Well. If the hype lives up to the specs this could give DJI some serious competition IF the price point is right. Of course, everything will hinge on performance. We'll have to wait and see on this one.
And one last thing to consider. Has DJI already saturated the drone market for this particular drone niche already or can they attract new customers by doing something radically different?