So what’s going on with all the apparent DJI camera clones showing up in US stores? From action cameras to drones, almost clear knock-offs of DJI’s most popular products seem to be popping up everywhere, and the company itself doesn’t seem too affected by the situation.
You don’t have to look hard to find these clones and you don’t have to be a master detective to see the similarities. The Xtra Muse vlogging camera, for example, appears to be a DJI Osmo Pocket 3 in all but name. The demolition of The Verge This shows not only that the two products have the same hardware, but also the same software, although all references to “DJI” have been removed; The teardown even revealed that some Osmo Pocket 3 accessories work perfectly with Muse. Likewise those Additional border appears to be little more than a redesigned DJI Osmo Action 5 Pro, although it does look similar to the Osmo Nano XtraAtto appeared recently.
The manufacturer of these clones has recently emerged, Xtra Technology describes himself as a “dynamic, independent start-up based in Delaware (DE), USA. We are founded by a team of industry experts from leading innovation companies with extensive experience in consumer electronics and imaging technologies.”
On the drone front: sky roverAnother recently founded company (this time based in Hong Kong, a short distance from DJI’s headquarters in Shenzhen, China) that claims to have been “founded by a small team of experienced DJI engineers” sells consumer drones called the X1 and S1, which look a lot like DJI’s Mini 4 Pro and Mini 4K, respectively. Although there are some minor differences, the essential hardware and software technology, as well as flight and camera performance, appear to be virtually identical.
The solution to DJI’s problems in the USA?
While DJI is an extremely strong player in the drone and gimbal market and a serious competitor in the action camera space, the Chinese company is currently in a difficult situation in the US market. In addition to facing a complex and costly customs situation, the country has also faced increased scrutiny from successive US administrations due to its alleged ties to the Chinese military and government.
This review resulted in DJI (along with all foreign drone companies) being placed on the US Federal Communications Commission’s Covered List, effectively banning all future DJI products from the US market.
The simplest conclusion that can be drawn by looking at the
If that’s the case, DJI certainly isn’t saying. We reached out to the company’s public relations team for comment, but (unsurprisingly) didn’t receive any definitive response other than the following statement from a spokesperson:
“While we cannot comment on non-DJI products, DJI will continue to focus on providing developers, businesses and public safety organizations around the world with safe, innovative and affordable technologies. The company remains committed to the US market and will continue to advocate for the interests of our US-based operators with government agencies, legislators and the administration.”
I think the most interesting thing about this statement is what it is not: a denial. It would be easy for a DJI spokesperson to claim that the company has no connection to Xtra or SkyRover, but that’s clearly not the case.
It remains to be seen whether these apparent shell companies will manage to introduce DJI-like products into the United States, circumventing the FCC’s de facto ban and the US government’s worst tariffs. In particular, in the drone sector, no American company can currently compete with DJI (and therefore SkyRover) in terms of performance and price.
Therefore, consumers will demand a way to get affordable, high-quality camera drones. Maybe that’s how they do it.
