DJI has announced that the Phantom 4 will cost $1,399 and will only be available to pre-order from the company website and Apple’s online store.
The company is the largest drone manufacturer in the world and the Phantom is its best-selling line. A raft of companies are exploring ways that they can use drones in their business, including delivery services.
DJI has become the biggest drone company in the world
DJI drones make up 70% of the global commercial market and it is well placed to profit from further growth in the sector thanks to a software developer platform that has become almost standard in the industry. The release of the Phantom 4 is particularly interesting for businesses because if they end up buying a drone, it will probably be this one.
The company is plugging the drone’s new “Obstacle Sensing System” that uses a pair of sensors to automatically steer the drone away from obstacles in its path. DJI has also released new companion apps which make use of the maneuverable camera, and the drone can reach 45 miles per hour.
To further hype the release of the Phantom 4, DJI has partnered with Apple. Under the terms of the deal the Phantom 4 will be the only drone available from Apple stores, and pre-orders start today.
Drone maker set to take on more political responsibility
Drone enthusiasts have fallen in love with DJI products, but the next big money-spinner for the company is the enterprise sector. The DJI software developer kit has been used for Hivemapper, a sort of Waze for drone, and the company recently announced a partnership with Accel Partners to make a fund that invests in startups that make use of DJI drones.
The Accel deal landed DJI $75 million in funding as part of a round that valued the company at $10 billion. The drone manufacturer is also working on its political profile, hiring former Uber public policy chief Corey Owens to lobby politicians. So far Amazon, Google and other companies have been pushing the drone agenda with the FAA.
Phantom 4 drones will sell for $1,399 which is more than the Phantom 3 Professional. The older drone will set you back $999 from the company’s online store, while the Phantom 3 4K costs $799.
