https://dronedj.com/2019/03/13/phantom-4-pro-out-of-production/

Hi, thanks for sharing this information. As more advanced products are released, older products reach their End of Life (EOL). But the product is still available on DJI’s official online store, we will continue to provide after-sales services for it. Thank you for your understanding and support.

I see the Phantom 4 pro "out of production" too. The V 2.0 is "out of stock". I disagree that DJI Tony says the product is still available. It clearly is NOT. Everybody is wondering what is going on within DJI and I don't think anybody really knows. A lot of hype out there and a lot of speculation, but clearly DJI has some major issues within their organization. Time will only tell. As for the more "advanced products being released...………….lets see it! The Mavic has been upgraded a couple times now, and the same with the original Phantom 4...……...how about a new model? I love DJI's products, but as they have been on top of the game for some time now, I think if this continues, DJI will certainly lose some of it's loyal supporters. In as much as they have the best technology at this time, they are not the only ones on the planet. I can't help but think the competition will start to nip away at the market if DJI doesn't get their act together.

RicardoGray Posted at 3-14 10:31
I see the Phantom 4 pro "out of production" too. The V 2.0 is "out of stock". I disagree that DJI Tony says the product is still available. It clearly is NOT. Everybody is wondering what is going on within DJI and I don't think anybody really knows. A lot of hype out there and a lot of speculation, but clearly DJI has some major issues within their organization. Time will only tell. As for the more "advanced products being released...………….lets see it! The Mavic has been upgraded a couple times now, and the same with the original Phantom 4...……...how about a new model? I love DJI's products, but as they have been on top of the game for some time now, I think if this continues, DJI will certainly lose some of it's loyal supporters. In as much as they have the best technology at this time, they are not the only ones on the planet. I can't help but think the competition will start to nip away at the market if DJI doesn't get their act together.

Aloha Ricardo,

     DJI Tony must be referring to the refurbished P4 Pro which is still available at the DJI Store (I just looked).  And of course the After-Sales Support is still available.  

     There was a news report on the DJI supply line problem referenced by snowbird but that copy in the link was very irregular.  It appears a few months ago 4 employees were arrested and a hundred or so were under investigation for the $28 million problem.  I am sure DJI is working hard to deal with it.

Aloha and Drone On!

DJI Tony Posted at 3-14 10:17
Hi, thanks for sharing this information. As more advanced products are released, older products reach their End of Life (EOL). But the product is still available on DJI’s official online store, we will continue to provide after-sales services for it. Thank you for your understanding and support.

But the product is still available on DJI’s official online store
It has not been available since late last year

It would be better to not answer when you don't know.

This is what has been showing all year when you check the Phantom 4 pro V2 in the online store:

Cetacean Posted at 3-15 01:06
Aloha Ricardo,

     DJI Tony must be referring to the refurbished P4 Pro which is still available at the DJI Store (I just looked).  And of course the After-Sales Support is still available.  

Cetacean,
I guess I don't consider a refurb the same as a new one. No trying to spark a debate here, and I agree with your comments. But you have to agree there are some serious issues going on within DJI. I imagine they are working hard on resolving the issues, but it would be nice if they would give a little more info as to what is going on. It is obvious DJI is a very tight-lipped company and they have always been. It seems the DJI administrators don't really have anything to say other than thanks for you support. As has been mentioned before, it would be interesting to know if the moderators/administrators work for DJI or are just third party spokespersons.
Anyway, I hope DJI does get things figured out and I will continue to be a supporter, because I do think they have some amazing products. I don't mean to be negative at times towards them, but it is frustrating for I believe all of us, when all of the rumors are flying, and DJI doesn't seem to want to offer up much on any topic.

The much anticipated Phantom 5 must be very near its release date..?

What Do you think, probably  so?



RedHotPoker

RedHotPoker Posted at 3-15 09:07
The much anticipated Phantom 5 must very be near its release date..?

What Do you think, probably  so?

hopefully...

RedHotPoker Posted at 3-15 09:07
The much anticipated Phantom 5 must very be near its release date..?

What Do you think, probably  so?

My belief (based upon what I believe to be reliable recent advice) is that there won’t be a Phantom 5 and that the Phantom Pro 2.0 is now finished. I don’t pretend to be “in the know” re DJI activities but the source and detail of what I heard sounds plausible. Time will tell if that advice is correct.

JockC Posted at 3-15 23:25
My belief (based upon what I believe to be reliable recent advice) is that there won’t be a Phantom 5 and that the Phantom Pro 2.0 is now finished. Time will tell if that advice is correct.

based upon what I believe to be reliable recent advice
What reliable recent advice is that?
All I've seen is lots of people making guesses with no actual evidence to support them.

RicardoGray Posted at 3-15 07:08
Cetacean,
I guess I don't consider a refurb the same as a new one. No trying to spark a debate here, and I agree with your comments. But you have to agree there are some serious issues going on within DJI. I imagine they are working hard on resolving the issues, but it would be nice if they would give a little more info as to what is going on. It is obvious DJI is a very tight-lipped company and they have always been. It seems the DJI administrators don't really have anything to say other than thanks for you support. As has been mentioned before, it would be interesting to know if the moderators/administrators work for DJI or are just third party spokespersons.
Anyway, I hope DJI does get things figured out and I will continue to be a supporter, because I do think they have some amazing products. I don't mean to be negative at times towards them, but it is frustrating for I believe all of us, when all of the rumors are flying, and DJI doesn't seem to want to offer up much on any topic.

Aloha Ricardo,

     DJI is a Mainland China company.  What you are experiencing is cultural.  Almost any Chinese company will be the same as DJI.  I have experienced this with other Mainland Chinese companies.  Even here in Hawai'i we get almost the same thing with our ethnic Chinese population.

     The moderators / administrators work for DJI (even if it is under contract) and as such speak for DJI which is why they do not say anything unless they are allowed to say something.  I am sure the Forum moderators / administrators would really like to be much more helpful than they are allowed to be.  We are not in Kansas anymore.  But, they do have really good products.

     All we can do is hope that DJI solves the predicament they are in soon.  As they consistently say, keep checking their news page to see if there is an update.  Consider yourself lucky.  Imagine living in Mainland China where everything is like what is happening to us with DJI.

Aloha and Drone On!

All I know is with two, you get a free egg roll....


Go figure. Hahaha



RedHotPoker

snowbird pilot Posted at 3-15 11:33
hopefully...

Fingers crossed & locked in the upright position? Hehe



RedHotPoker

JockC Posted at 3-15 23:25
My belief (based upon what I believe to be reliable recent advice) is that there won’t be a Phantom 5 and that the Phantom Pro 2.0 is now finished. I don’t pretend to be “in the know” re DJI activities but the source and detail of what I heard sounds plausible. Time will tell if that advice is correct.

There will never be another?


That would be a shame.



RedHotPoker

RedHotPoker Posted at 3-16 10:46
There will never be another?

There will never be another?
It’s hard to tell with any certainty because DJI doesn’t publish any kind of product roadmap or plans however I believe that’s a real possibility. I think there would be many potential buyers who are waiting to see whether there will be a new Phantom before they decide on a Mavic 2 or Phantom 5 but, based upon its past record, it’s possible that DJI will never make a formal announcement.

Think about a new model, with its new name....

What will they call it? ;-)



RedHotPoker

Any chance we are looking at a DJI sell off or merger?

sky wombat Posted at 3-16 14:07
Any chance we are looking at a DJI sell off or merger?

Interesting question, but who with? DJI are already so in front of other drone manufacturers and already have a huge lead in the customer base.

My guess - and I do say guess, but after being here for so long - is that the Phantom has seen it's time. DJI seem to be concentrating of the more portable Mavics for consumers , with the rigids moving to more "enterprise" designs.

But that's cool, I still have a lot of life left in my P4P - it isn't going to stop working just because DJI don't make them anymore. I fly my Mavic Air more often now anyway, to be honest. Think of it as the A380 and the 320neo - both great planes, but one is going the way of the Dodo regardless...

Punchbuggy Posted at 3-16 15:38
Interesting question, but who with? DJI are already so in front of other drone manufacturers and already have a huge lead in the customer base.

My guess - and I do say guess after being here for so long - that the Phantom has seen it's time. DJI seem to be concentrating of the more portable Mavics for consumers , with the rigids moving to more "enterprise" designs.

very good points!

I only want my Align TRex 700E DFC HV Kit, to be completed...



RedHotPoker

The P5 is taking a little longer because they are working out the bugs in the turbo chargers, 100 power zoom with night vision, but the silent mode is perfected. LOL

I remember not so long ago reading something about how DJI was planning to concentrate more on the Professional / Big Industry market. If that is the case then consider the idea that professional Drone operators might fall into two segments - small business single operators such as Real Estate photography professionals - and the big players that hire full-time staff and subcontractors to carry out aerial surveying/mapping, powerline and large infrastructure inspection etc.

DJI might be suggesting that if you are a serious Professional Drone operator then you shouldn't have a problem shelling out the big bucks for an Inspire or Matrice coupled with cameras appropriately equipped to handle the high-end tasks that require a mechanical shutter or thermal sensing etc.  On the other hand, the Mavic 2 drones are perfectly suited to Real Estate photography and anything else such as Search/Rescue where camera quality and capability are not the highest priority.

In saying that I don't believe that anyone besides the usual nitpickers could say that the Mavic 2 does not produce excellent quality photos and videos. It's mainly just the lack of a mechanical shutter (like on the Phantom) that renders the Mavic 2 unsuitable for say, aerial mapping.

DJI might be saying that if you are a professional, large or small, and you want to play in the big sandpit where the financial returns are significant compared to, again I'll use real estate photography as the example, then you should not be overly concerned about not being able to fly a Phantom going forward. But the small players who use Phantoms to do aerial mapping will simply have to bite the bullet if the Phantom product line is discontinued.

I find that highly unlikely, the MP was big money as is/was the Phantom, no way will they shut the Phantom line down, theres no business sense to it, unless, perhaps they are trying to move away from the stigma attached to this style of drone, nah, still crazy talk, the Phantom is a damn good drone and a very capable one, i would also say that the Phantom is sturdier in windier conditions, and looks more professional than a Mavic, i know looks are not everything but they can play a big part in it.

A lot of people (me included) actually prefer the look of the Mavic but that stuff is totally subjective. The only reason I posted on this thread is because of all the rumours currently circulating around the future viability of the Phantom product line. Is it all simply a big smoke screen generated by trolls?  I suppose we will just have to hurry up and wait ....

Bashy Posted at 3-20 20:08
I find that highly unlikely, the MP was big money as is/was the Phantom, no way will they shut the Phantom line down, theres no business sense to it, unless, perhaps they are trying to move away from the stigma attached to this style of drone, nah, still crazy talk, the Phantom is a damn good drone and a very capable one, i would also say that the Phantom is sturdier in windier conditions, and looks more professional than a Mavic, i know looks are not everything but they can play a big part in it.

I would agree fully Bashy. My time as a pro wedding photographer showed me that you needed a big camera to impress the customer.  Take along a small, if competent camera to do the same job and you are not as respected. i believe the same philosophy will apply to drones.

RedHotPoker Posted at 3-16 10:45
Fingers crossed & locked in the upright position? Hehe

Actually "With Six, You Get Eggroll" was a Doris Day movie in the early 1960s. ;)

There may be some skullduggery going on inside DJI, but with all of the recent news of late, I've the hunch that the days of civilian drones are numbered.

Goldenseal Posted at 3-17 17:37
The P5 is taking a little longer because they are working out the bugs in the turbo chargers, 100 power zoom with night vision, but the silent mode is perfected. LOL

Actually, I have an idea about the noise reduction...

The Phantom boots up and makes the three iconic chime tones, not with a speaker, but by modulating the ESC. The propellers become the speaker. This concept is similar to the Thigpen Rotary Woofer, which is basically a fan whose blades are modulated by galvanometers.

Since it is possible to make sound with the propellers in a controlled fashion, two possibiliies exist:

1. They could be used as a remote public address system.

2. They could be used to cancel some of the noise of the props via a sampling mic or mics and DSP to analyze the sound and play it back out of phase via the ESC / propellers as speakers.

Lots of interesting possibilities here.

Mark Weiss Posted at 3-22 17:34
Actually "With Six, You Get Eggroll" was a Doris Day movie in the early 1960s. ;)

There may be some skullduggery going on inside DJI, but with all of the recent news of late, I've the hunch that the days of civilian drones are numbered.

It's not safe up here Mark ... best you go back down into your bunker again.

Mark Weiss Posted at 3-22 17:34
Actually "With Six, You Get Eggroll" was a Doris Day movie in the early 1960s. ;)

There may be some skullduggery going on inside DJI, but with all of the recent news of late, I've the hunch that the days of civilian drones are numbered.

Skull duggery, is that like bottle in front of me, frontal lobotomy...??

I can dig that, man. Very cool, nearly Groovy?



RedHotPoker

Labroides Posted at 3-22 18:52
It's not safe up here Mark ... best you go back down into your bunker again.

We know bunk when we see it.... hahaha


RedHotPoker

Sorry, double up. See post below:-

So is this to be believed?  If the link doesn't take you to the point in the video - scroll to 45mins 45 seconds.

RedHotPoker Posted at 3-16 10:44
All I know is with two, you get a free egg roll....

Plus seven nights in Bali & a set of steak knives ?

Manxmann Posted at 4-2 01:06
Plus seven nights in Bali & a set of steak knives ?

& one upvote. Haha

RedHotPoker

How come we can’t upvote ourselves? Hahaha

When the next drone comes out, maybe it will also have a complete literate manual, DVD even,
with all of preflight instructions & useful thoughts to enlighten all beginners, to the sport/hobby/pastime...

Explanations of all flight modes and the various user friendly camera controls. How they work in unison together, as a flying camera platform.


RedHotPoker

At the end we phantom 4 pro/adv owners made a good buying decision, this will be the cheapest flying mechanical shutter 20MP camera ever, at least for the ones doing mapping. Lack of parts worries me though, people keeping them will have to buy second hand from the ones crashing. DJI and its commercial and PR shenanigans, this is what lack of real competition means to consumers.

Alvaro L Posted at 5-22 23:14
At the end we phantom 4 pro/adv owners made a good buying decision, this will be the cheapest flying mechanical shutter 20MP camera ever, at least for the ones doing mapping. Lack of parts worries me though, people keeping them will have to buy second hand from the ones crashing. DJI and its commercial and PR shenanigans, this is what lack of real competition means to consumers.

If you have enough money just get an Inspire 2 or Matrice 210 or w/e it is.  Does DJI honor the Care Plan if you get a V2.0 and buy a refresh then have issues later??  I mean, I have confidence w/ the DJI equipment that I'm flying Over water and areas where if it were to go down for any reason it's totally lost.

This is as bad as trying to find a 4-rotor tail rotor system for a 450 Helicopter.  When you add a fuselage the tail authority is bad with just 2-rotors.

AntDX316 Posted at 5-23 00:04
If you have enough money just get an Inspire 2 or Matrice 210 or w/e it is.  Does DJI honor the Care Plan if you get a V2.0 and buy a refresh then have issues later??  I mean, I have confidence w/ the DJI equipment that I'm flying Over water and areas where if it were to go down for any reason it's totally lost.

This is as bad as trying to find a 4-rotor tail rotor system for a 450 Helicopter.  When you add a fuselage the tail authority is bad with just 2-rotors.

I don't buy expensive hard to amortise drones for a very simple reason = DJI . Please ask Matrice 210 RTK owners how they feel about their equipment.

DJI does not have post sale muscle and aviation industry commercial and safety culture, they just sell shophisticated flying cameras with minimal support. They do not understand that they must protect their clients investments with a cleard and defined post sale PR and upgrading schemes, they are not transparent about design flaws and they don't understand that a 10.000 $ piece of equipment do need a strong post sale support and service and that they need to protect life cycles, residual values, etc. They don't understand that the best new client is the one your already have. DJI is just an amateur in these regards.

So the first rule for professional droners is never ever buy more hardware than you really need, your piece of equipment will become outdated and unsupported in max two years.

Alvaro L Posted at 5-23 01:26
I don't buy expensive hard to amortise drones for a very simple reason = DJI . Please ask Matrice 210 RTK owners how they feel about their equipment.

DJI does not have post sale muscle and aviation industry commercial and safety culture, they just sell shophisticated flying cameras with minimal support. They do not understand that they must protect their clients investments with a cleard and defined post sale PR and upgrading schemes, they are not transparent about design flaws and they don't understand that a 10.000 $ piece of equipment do need a strong post sale support and service and that they need to protect residual values, etc. They don't understand that the best new client is the one your already have. DJI is just an amateur in these regards.

Anyone with RTKs has loads of money to work w/.  It's like an airline with 100 seater+ aircraft vs private jets with 20 seats.  It's like if the Paradise, CA electrical corp. did more thermal drone runs more often they wouldn't have lost billions by catching weak spots.  $30k for an average person not using it for "enterprise" use often is just an expensive hobby but for companies worth Billions it's pennies.
I have AT&T 12 month to upgrade every year because I use my phone to make $ by using the apps companies provide.  If that freezes hard like I was using the Blackberry Priv for Uber, when you run both apps, GPS, do a phone call or messaging at the same time it will freeze!  It freezes while you have passengers or going to accept one.  When I went S8+ everything was 10x faster.  You miss an exit on the highway when it "lags".  You also miss exits of the customers! which sometimes adds at least 20 minutes to the trip.  It also sucks when picking up customers who are "late" for work but they lie to you saying it's ok when it's not.

AntDX316 Posted at 5-23 01:50
Anyone with RTKs has loads of money to work w/.  It's like an airline with 100 seater+ aircraft vs private jets with 20 seats.  It's like if the Paradise, CA electrical corp. did more thermal drone runs more often they wouldn't have lost billions by catching weak spots.  $30k for an average person not using it for "enterprise" use often is just an expensive hobby but for companies worth Billions it's pennies.
I have AT&T 12 month to upgrade every year because I use my phone to make $ by using the apps companies provide.  If that freezes hard like I was using the Blackberry Priv for Uber, when you run both apps, GPS, do a phone call or messaging at the same time it will freeze!  It freezes while you have passengers or going to accept one.  When I went S8+ everything was 10x faster.  You miss an exit on the highway when it "lags".  You also miss exits of the customers! which sometimes adds at least 20 minutes to the trip.  It also sucks when picking up customers who are "late" for work but they lie to you saying it's ok when it's not.

Do you work in the surveying industry ? please explain us how a 2 years amortisation path is sustainable for a surveying hardware while I can keep using my total stations for 10 years without any issue with maintenance plans etc and then sell them second hand for a good amount of money. 1 year ago I bough my P4P, now it is not longer updated or upgraded, I can not longer buy parts and I don't know why other P4P owners get their batteries fried in mid air. I am pretty sure within two years or less P4P RTK owners will be in very the same position. And you tell me I must buy a matrice from DJI? You must be joking !