The DJI Phantom is no more

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.

According to a support page, DJI actually produced its last Phantom in May 2018, and will now suspend service for its final two Phantom models on June 1st, 2025. Seven-plus years of support is a pretty decent run.

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.

DJI seems to agree that those are the reasons the Phantom is no more. A day after we published this story, DJI spokesperson Daisy Kong provided the company’s statement:

DJI launched the first generation of the Phantom drone in 2012, which was the first ready-to-fly camera drone available on the market. The DJI Phantom series changed the game for aerial photography and propelled DJI to become the innovative global technology company it is today.

As our R&D has evolved over the last 13 years, we continue to push the boundaries of drone technology, including exploring new form factors to make consumer drones more compact. Therefore, we have decided that, starting June 1, we will no longer provide service for the Phantom 4 Pro and Phantom 4 Advanced. We thank all the early adopters for their support as they participated in our journey of revolutionizing ready-to-fly camera drone solutions.

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.

Update, April 29th: Added DJI’s statement.