Knowing what you know now, would you make the same decision to buy a Phantom 3 Professional? I just received an email regarding a price drop. It sounds like DJI is perhaps going to release a Phantom 4.

Now that there is a lot more competition in the market and also knowing now about stress cracks, poor customer service etc. would you make the decision to buy another Phantom 3 Professional or go with another quadcopter?

I've been holding off for a while now. I posted a similar question back when the 3DR was just released. A lot of time has passed and have decided to buy a quadcopter. The question is which one. I'm not waiting for the Phantom 4 as I'm taking a very long vacation and wanted to have a quad with me. I would love feedback from those who perhaps have purchased other brands as well.

Thanks

No.  It was great for the first five months, but then it had issues with an update and I had to send it in to be repaired TWICE.  It's working now but it seems everyone in the country that doesn't own one, hates them and wants to blow them out of the sky.  I worry all the time about it falling out of the sky or just flying away never to be seen again, and my investment is gone.   Also, we now have to register them like we're criminals and the restrictions are only going to get worse.    If I had to do it over again, I'd pass.

I would buy it over and over!  I have over 200 flights. have performed every upgrade without any issues. I have flown in wind, in cold conditions, in hot muggy conditions.  I love the 4k video quality and the smart control features. And as long as you obey the law it does not matter what other people think of them.  I would buy a phantom 3 again for sure!  And when the 4 comes out, I'll buy that one too! and the 5. And the 6.   I have dealt with the customer service and have had no issues at all! They were awesome to deal with and answered all my questions on the same day.  They even followed up a week later to make sure I was still happy. The product is the best on the market.  Nothing from other makers even comes close to what the phantom is capable. of.

jaronpv@hotmail Posted at 2016-2-16 10:15
I would buy it over and over!  I have over 200 flights. have performed every upgrade without any iss ...

It's good to see reply's from people with positive stories like yours! Thanks for posting! Most of the time you only see the negative posts as the people that aren't having any issues and are happy may not be coming to post on the forums. Just my thought.

At the current price point and as a consumer product .... Yes
As a long term investment and a tool for work.....No

Great value product with a lot of cool technology for the price....It is  the geofence limitations, as well as poorly documented firmware updates in my opinion,  that make them unsuitable as a tool.
I've already made up my mind for my next quad that will be listed on my 333... It will not be a DJI product.

AlaskanTides Posted at 2016-2-16 10:33
At the current price point and as a consumer product .... Yes
As a long term investment and a tool f ...

Yep, in a heart beat.  Its been one of the most amazing products I have ever owned.  I have flown this thing many times over 4,500 feet away and 1500 feet high for some amazing pictures and videos.  I have had mine for around 9 months now and its been a pure joy.

No, probably not. When I find a comparable product that offers good, responsive U.S. based service I will happily give them my money. I believe that there will be such competition in the near future. Right now DJI has one of the best products for the price. However, with any consumer product, once the playing field is somewhat level regarding a product and it's features, I will look for the one that treats me like a valued customer and shows it through their actions.

It's one of the reasons I often go with Apple products. There may be similar products with slightly better specs at a lower price, but I have recouped those extra costs many times over when I needed to work with their customer service on some issues I have had.

Last year I had two Patagonia down jackets repaired for free. I have owned these jackets for many many years. On one the zipper was not functioning properly. They replaced the zipper at no charge. The other jacket had a tear in the sleeve and I was losing feathers at a good rate. That rip was completely my fault and I told them so. They didn't care whose fault it was. They took the jacket and repaired it again with no charge. Patagonia stuff is not cheap, but again here is a case where the extra cost for their product saved me from replacing two costly jackets. They understand that it may cost them a little on the front end, but wanting to keep me as a customer will bring them more sales on the back end.

These types of word of mouth positive or negative experiences go a long way. I have already seen posts on this very forum from potential customers wavering if they should buy a Phantom based on what they have read and heard about DJI's inconsistent service.

Luckily I have not had to deal with any major issues with DJI. I have had the occasion to work with DJI customer service a few times and found the experience to be underwhelming to say the least.

DJI has great products, I love my Phantom. However you roll the dice buying one hoping you get a good one and do not have to deal with their service. That is unfortunate.

Consistent good service AND awesome product for the win every time.

I bought 4 P3A's. Kept one and parted the other 3 on eBay, I kept all 4 batteries and a spare camera and gimbal, and made $400 after eBay fees. My P3A was basically free.
Would I do it again? Yup!

I've bought a lot of the Phantoms and I'm going to keep buying them.
They are like a virus on me
I've also bought quite a few other aircrafts, drones, airplaned and helicopters but allways go back to some Phantom.
Price increases have cause the frequency to drop, I even had to take a loan for the P3 but I'll keep on buying them.
They are that awesome.

I only purchased the standard to get my feet wet, and have loved the DJI line so far.  Granted, I know how to repair it myself if required, but so far no issues, and I have had an awesome time using the DJI line.
My dream, is to get the Phantom 4 when it is released and continue to use the Phantom 3 standard for shorter flights.Added note:
Of course now, Intel and GoPro are also hitting the market, so I am sure the focus on those companies will be a huge comptetion.

The one thing to keep in mind is,  the Phantom 4,  when released, will probably have lots of new tech.  With new tech,  there will be problems.  Count on it.  If,  on the other hand,  the Phantom 4 has mostly the same features as the Phantom 3, that tech now has most of the bugs dealt with.  So,  on balance,  if you want reliability,  go with the more mature tech.  If you are an early adopter,  you will have problems.  The P3 is going to be cheaper with mostly proven tech and reliability; compared to the number sold, the ones with problems is pretty low, relatively speaking.
On the other hand,  I visit forums on all the major competitors and they all have problems too.  Maybe different problems than the Phantom 3, but problems none the less.
If you are always going to wait for the next one in hopes that it will be better than the existing one,  you will be waiting a long time,  will still probably be disappointed and will miss out on many hours of flying you could have been doing instead of waiting.

A thousand times yes; no regrets, no problems, no unrealized expectations!
Our DJI community is made up of vast variety of different types of users, each with their own expectations and interests. Initially, there were the long time RC hobby enthusiasts that were all about the RC flying experience, who were immediately joined by the photographers looking to expand their photographic horizons. With the increased attention on drones and the lowering prices, these groups have more recently been joined by the quadcopter experimenters who save enough money to move past the $100 toy and buy real technology offered by vendors like DJI. These newer users grow to realize the amazing, integrated technology that is within these aircraft. DJI and other vendors have made this technology so easy to use; and reasonably reliable; that even a monkey like myself can pilot these things. This ease of use allows us to easily forget that we, as pilots of an aircraft, are ultimately responsible for its safe operation.   Try “defying gravity” with anything other than your quad, and you’ll soon realize the enormous complexity that controlled flight requires.

Any vendor choice decisions in an emerging marketplace revolve around vendor funding, market share, innovation, and features. Often sacrificed in this type of dynamic market are documentation, QA testing, and product support. That’s the reality of making money and re-investing money effectively to shape that emerging market. Hands-down, I think you’ll have to agree that  DJI leads innovation, holds market share, and is guilty of the usual emerging market fragilities.
But let me warn you, if you think it’s going to slow down, you’re wrong. Just watch for the 1 March innovation announcement and hold on tight to your RC!!!!

Even before the sale, I honestly don't think you will find anything out there like the P3 Pro and what it offers.  Now with the sale for the P3 Pro and extra battery for $1,079 there's definitely nothing out there that can touch it for the price.

I just received my Phantom 3 Pro today, it took only 10 days to get it back from the Repair Facility now the camera is working perfect I hope everything keep working right

Great customer support.

My P3P does exactly what I bought it for. I have had no issues with it, other than a battery that was faulty from new, and that was replaced by the seller. I would buy it again without question.

DJI-Ken Posted at 2016-2-16 10:41
Even before the sale, I honestly don't think you will find anything out there like the P3 Pro and wh ...

Agreed!!

I bought mine on Black Friday and it was more at that time. flies great and lots of fun. Did the firmware updates and all is well. The only thing I don't like is waiting now for the IMU to warm up.... it takes forever

Anything on this Ken, regarding the IMU warming up after the upgrade? The weather is not cold about 65*F
Rich

Yes I would.  285 flights on mine, 46 hours of airtime with no problems.  Done all the upgrades.  Thought of upgrading to an Inspire but I could buy three phantom 3 pros for what they cost.

I don't regret the decision to purchase a P3P.  I moved up from the P2V+ and have been nothing but pleased.  Would I buy again?  Probably not: with the current direction quad regulation is going (Geofencing), the capabilities of the P3 that I have yet to take advantage of (too many to list), the ongoing list of issues with DJI as far as customer support and service...right now it doesn't make sense to consider it.  

Personally, I feel the improvements they could possibly come up with for a P4 (all the rumors obviously) only make sense for someone who has no idea how to fly without them.  Just my opinion and I am sure to be slammed for it, but seriously think about it.  If you know how to fly you don't need fancy systems.  You need a solid quad, capable remote, stable software.  Oh and common sense.  A big dose of that.

aopisa Posted at 2016-2-17 00:50
No, probably not. When I find a comparable product that offers good, responsive U.S. based service I ...

Agreed.
I like my Phantom, but I would buy from a local US dealer in a heartbeat.

yes , in fact now that they come down I just bought another.

ALL drones have dropped massively in price the past 2 months, ALL brands.

NOTHING SOLD TODAY CAN TOUCH A P3A for price and capability. tens or hundreds of thousands have been sold ,  how many have had those problems % wise , not many.

I have bought and sold or kept 6 phantoms in the last year or so and NEVER even looked up DJI service.
have others , hec yes. But not as a large %.
I suspect CS is  much better than I read about last year at this time. I know the reps online  now are more customer oriented for sure and want to help when they can.

in other words what you see here is the bad mostly, not the GOOD.

good luck and have fun flying!

RichJ53 Posted at 2016-2-16 19:08
Agreed!!

I bought mine on Black Friday and it was more at that time. flies great and lots of fun. ...

Do a full IMU calibration

but first place in cold location, your  fridge maybe half an hour or so to drop imu temp

do the full calibration

http://forum.dji.com/thread-40712-1-1.html

when done it is supposed to speed up starting warmup period

Sure! Let someone else work the bugs out of the new model.

RichJ53 Posted at 2016-2-17 08:08
Agreed!!

I bought mine on Black Friday and it was more at that time. flies great and lots of fun. ...

I put my Phantom or Inspire in a cold place around the house (And I sometimes do it form Tucson) and leave it there for 15 minutes then immediately do a IMU calibration and now my startups only last seconds.

Yes.

I have two P3Ps. The bugs are worked out. They are dependable and I know them well.

The docs are still lacking and I hope they fix that, but you have forums like this to discover information about features not covered well in the docs.

I think the service problems have been resolved, from the accounts I've heard. My service was actually pretty good -- it was just long. Now it's good and not so long, or so I hear. In fact, I think the only real complaint that you've heard about service is the length of return, not the quality of service eventually rendered, eh?

The P4: I personally won't buy anything until after the announcement, but since you have to get one sooner, I think there's some comfort in the fact that you won't be getting the first generation of P4s. There are almost always improvements to be made. The P3, however, is pretty mature now. You'll get the latest generation with the more efficient motors.

Non-DJI. Those people talking about this, some have a point -- the professionals. But they can afford to spend more on another model and depreciate the costs quicker, although they're taking a risk with their company / business if they go with something less known. If you're more of a recreational user, you might be hard pressed to find a competing product with the same features/specs, as mature a company as DJI, and as affordable. Do the research, but I think you'll find the P3 is still a good deal, especially at today's discounted prices.

Chris

fisk33 Posted at 2016-2-16 11:01
No.  It was great for the first five months, but then it had issues with an update and I had to send ...

I can only say have fun now till it's gone.

DJI-Ken Posted at 2016-2-16 19:15
I put my Phantom or Inspire in a cold place around the house (And I sometimes do it form Tucson) a ...

Thanks for the tip, I will do this as soon as I can and let you know

Rich

kirk2579@aol.co Posted at 2016-2-16 18:20
Do a full IMU calibration

but first place in cold location, your  fridge maybe half an hour or s ...

kirk

Thanks I see that you and Ken agree on what I need to do...

Thanks

Rich

AlaskanTides Posted at 2016-2-16 11:33
At the current price point and as a consumer product .... Yes
As a long term investment and a tool f ...

help me out

what is in the same or similar price point that has better capabilities
does not exist!

Hotolds442 Posted at 2016-2-16 13:02
I bought 4 P3A's. Kept one and parted the other 3 on eBay, I kept all 4 batteries and a spare camera ...

love it!

bought and sold some and basically flew for free or almost nothing the last year

kirk2579@aol.co Posted at 2016-2-16 20:34
help me out

what is in the same or similar price point that has better capabilities

As I said..... Consumer level stuff. DJI is the current best.  If you're interested in looking into a mission specific quad and you have the money.....
You might be betteroff  going tanother route. I know 4-5 quads on the market right now with HD View and a range of about 6 miles. 45 minute flight times..... These units start at 25k  and no doesn't include the camera either......... If you're interested I can send the links, but these are High dollar mapping drones.... Not toys, no constant firmware updates and no geofence.

In my case I'm kicking my own ass not just getting it from the start...... DJI however might turn into a decent tool yet

This catches My Intrest https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/ ... 7825243171508339167

Another unit has my eye and it is  one built by Trimble , and there  is several fixed wing platforms....im mulling over........ at the time I was thinking the inspire 1 would be a capable machine..... Sad it hasnt met expectations. (yet)

javierdesigns Posted at 2016-2-17 06:02
I just received my Phantom 3 Pro today, it took only 10 days to get it back from the Repair Facility ...

Good man, great to see you got her back and flying again.
Happy flying and keep her up

Hotolds442 Posted at 2016-2-17 02:02
I bought 4 P3A's. Kept one and parted the other 3 on eBay, I kept all 4 batteries and a spare camera ...

You're crazy...I like it lol

I've seen people do this with rc trucks. I may try it with the P4.

Anyhow, this is my 3rd Phantom (P2 W/GoPro, P2V+, P3 Pro). I'm not a blind brand loyalist and would consider another product if it was decent but the Phantom is working for me so far.

Rob_stal Posted at 2016-2-17 09:10
Good man, great to see you got her back and flying again.
Happy flying and keep her up

Thanks a lot Rob

DJI-Ken Posted at 2016-2-16 19:15
I put my Phantom or Inspire in a cold place around the house (And I sometimes do it form Tucson) a ...

Hey my friend, I am still getting the IMU warm up before I can get the aircraft going. I put my P3P into the refriguator  for 25 min and then slapped the battery into it and did the IMU cal. It did not want to connect for a while but it finally started the calibration..











Thanks Rich

RichJ53 Posted at 2016-2-18 12:12
hey my friend, I am still getting the IMU warm up before I can get the aircraft going. I put my P3P ...

Yes, you will still get the warm up message but it should only last for several seconds now that you've done a cold IMU calibration.

DJI-Ken Posted at 2016-2-17 20:27
Yes, you will still get the warm up message but it should only last for several seconds now that y ...

I still waiting several minutes before it lets me fly.... It was not doing this before my last couple of fly sessions

Rich

RichJ53 Posted at 2016-2-18 12:31
I still waiting several minutes before it lets me fly.... It was not doing this before my last cou ...

That's really strange. Mine is ready in less than 30 seconds.
I also have the app and RC on and already in the IMU calibration setting page.
Maybe try again and have it all ready to go and have the RC and tablet right next to you when you remove it from the cold.
Power up and as soon as the start isn't grayed out then hit it.
Do it NASCAR style

DJI-Ken Posted at 2016-2-17 20:39
That's really strange. Mine is ready in less than 30 seconds.
I also have the app and RC on and al ...

Ken I will try again and move .....fast....  shaken but not stirred

I will let you know.


Rich

Have 2 P3A's and would buy them again a heart beat.

jaronpv@hotmail Posted at 2016-2-16 17:15
I would buy it over and over!  I have over 200 flights. have performed every upgrade without any iss ...

I totally agree with you, I have around 120 flights and a few minor crashes (my own fault), no bigger problems so far. ..