DJI has been fighting the US Department of Defense’s label as a "Chinese military company" since late 2022 – and now the drone maker has just earned a small win in the US Court of Appeals with a partial reversal.

On Friday, the US Court of Appeals reaffirmed some of the lower court’s decision in DJI’s lawsuit over its placement on the Department of Defense blacklist.

While the court did not agree with DJI’s claims over a violation of due process and claims of selectively enforcing rules, the court did give it some hope on one key issue: whether or not DJI "contributes to the Chinese defense industrial base."

The US Court of Appeals decision, importantly, doesn’t explicitly agree with DJI, but sent the case back to the lower courts because the earlier case did not consider classified documents, using instead the unclassified report that had every word in the section entitled "DJI Contributes to the Chinese Defense Industrial Base" redacted.

"There is, in other words, no publicly stated rationale for why the Secretary believes DJI contributes to the Chinese defense industrial base," the court's opinion reads.

While the courts have only granted a partial reversal and sent the case back for further consideration, DJI says that it welcomed the decision.

"The Court’s finding that the public record contained insufficient evidence is a significant step toward correcting an unjustified designation," A DJI representative said in a statement.

"The decision reinforces what DJI has consistently maintained: DJI is not a military company.

"We are a privately held company that has revolutionized the consumer and commercial drone markets, consistently condemned the use of our products in combat, and taken active steps to prevent it.

"We remain committed to the responsible development of civilian technologies, from drones to handheld imaging products. We look forward to continuing to set the record straight as the case moves forward."

The court case stems from a 2022 decision to place DJI on the Department of Defense blacklist, which prevents some government agencies from using DJI products.

The case isn’t the only US legal battle that DJI is facing.

The drone-maker has also filed a lawsuit against the Federal Communications Commission restrictions that prevent new DJI products from obtaining the necessary approval to be sold in the US.

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Newly launched foreign-made drones aren’t allowed into the US under Federal Communications Commission restrictions – but now the drones that are allowed are about to be hit with higher import taxes. On August 13, US President Donald Trump announced new tariffs across several categories of drones in a move that will likely raise prices for aerial photographers and videographers.

The largest tariffs in the measure are the oversized military drones that weigh more than 25 kg, which will soon face a 100 percent tariff. But the smaller drones built for photo and video will also be affected, as smaller drones will face a 25 percent tariff.

Drones from certain regions will have a lower import tax, with a 15 percent tariff on drones coming from the European Union, Japan, Liechtenstein, the Republic of Korea, Switzerland, and Taiwan. The lowest tariff rate is a 10 percent tariff applied to drones from the United Kingdom, provided that a majority of the hardware and software also originates from the UK.

I’m an American and a licensed drone pilot and photographer. The additional tariffs are a devastating blow to an already hurting aerial photography and videography industry.

The FCC restrictions on foreign drones already in place mean that the newest drones don’t get the necessary approval to be sold in the US. But the tariffs – which are set to be put in place 21 days from the announcement – are likely to make the drones that are available in the US more expensive.

Under the new measures, previously announced drones, including those from DJI, that are still available with the FCC restrictions would see a 25 percent increase in import taxes.

Photographers have already seen what increased tariffs do to camera prices, as several camera brands raised prices last year amid last year’s tariffs. Some of those tariffs were turned down by the Supreme Court.

The tariffs come as the FCC considers revoking the authorization for previously approved drones that meet a certain set of features, including using LiDAR. A handful of popular consumer drones use LiDAR, including the DJI Mini 5 Pro and the DJI Avata 360. The FCC is seeking public comment on the possible move until September 02.

While new DJI and other foreign-made drones are no longer eligible to obtain the necessary FCC authorization to launch in the US, DJI has filed a lawsuit over the ban, a legal battle that remains ongoing.

Both the tariffs and the FCC restrictions are meant to strengthen US drone production. The White House says that relying on foreign sources for UAVs “poses significant risk to US national security and creates cybersecurity vulnerabilities.”

The challenge for drone photographers, as well as general consumers and first responders using consumer-grade drones, is that the US companies that build drones offer devices for military, agriculture, inspection, and Hollywood-level films, but American drone companies do not yet offer consumer-grade drones after Skydio dropped out of the consumer market.

Another key challenge to building a US-based supply chain is that many components are heavily sourced overseas, including the rare earth magnets used in drone motors and lithium used in batteries.

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After preventing all newly announced foreign-made drones from hitting US shelves last December, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is proposing a move that would remove some existing drones from the market – including popular consumer models like the DJI Mini 5 Pro and the DJI Avata 360.

Last year, the FCC added DJI and all foreign-made drones to the “Covered List,” effectively preventing all newly announced consumer drones from entering the US, as no US brands currently build consumer drones.

While the move was a devastating blow for drone pilots, the FCC may be about to expand the ban to include some “military-grade” features in a move that would retroactively remove previously approved drones from store shelves.

While the move would revoke FCC approval for those models to be sold in the US, current pilots using those models would be allowed to continue to fly them.

The FCC is currently proposing to retroactively ban foreign-made drones that fall under a list of “military-grade” drone features. That list of military features includes drones capable of spraying aerosol, thermal drones, drone docking stations, and drones that weigh 55 pounds or more.

But the proposal also lists one key feature that could effectively remove several popular consumer-grade drones from the market: LiDAR.

LiDAR technology uses pulses of light to measure distance. Some high-end LiDAR drones are used for 3D mapping but, importantly, several consumer-grade drones use LiDAR for obstacle avoidance.

LiDAR is a key safety feature used to prevent drone crashes on popular consumer models, including the DJI Mini 5 Pro, the DJI Avata 360, and the DJI Air 3S.

As a licensed American drone pilot, I believe the FCC’s proposed “military-grade” ban would seriously impact the drones used by photographers, videographers, and beginner drone pilots.

The DJI Mini 5 Pro is the model that I’ve been eyeing for some time, with its 50MP 1-inch sensor and obstacle avoidance packed inside a drone that’s still lightweight and relatively affordable.

LiDAR on consumer drones is a key safety feature. Using LiDAR, drones can detect and ultimately avoid obstacles – preventing not just damage to the drone but to property and even the people on the ground.

New foreign-made drones are no longer making it to store shelves after the FCC added DJI and all foreign-made drones to the Covered List, effectively preventing new models from getting the approval needed to be sold in the US.

But while there are a handful of US-based drone companies, these brands build military-grade, commercial, and Hollywood-level drones – US drone companies don’t currently offer consumer-grade drones.

Expanding the drone ban to include features like LiDAR and thermal would further limit Americans’ access to the latest drone technology.

The rare earth components used in motors and lithium used in batteries are largely sourced from China, and creating a US-based drone supply chain – while the goal is admirable – will be a long and difficult process.

Removing pre-approved drones from shelves would only exaggerate the problem. Yes, pilots could go out and buy drones like the DJI Mini 5 Pro ahead of the ban, but even with LiDAR obstacle avoidance, crashes happen – and pilots would be left without a suitable replacement.

But I’m not just a licensed drone pilot. I’m the granddaughter of a farmer, and the proposed ban on drones with spraying capabilities could increase costs for farmers, as drones are becoming an increasingly common alternative to crop-sprayer airplanes.

The thermal drone designation in the proposed retroactive ban could also affect the drone fleets used by first responders for search-and-rescue missions – and that affects everyone, not just photographers bummed about the lack of flying camera options.

Drone-maker DJI says that “the FCC’s proposed definition is broad enough to capture many of the civilian drones Americans rely on every day. It could even include consumer models used by hobbyists simply because they use LiDAR to improve positioning and obstacle avoidance – a safety feature, not a military capability.”

The FCC is currently seeking public comments on the proposed drone ban by September 02. The Drone Advocacy Alliance lists detailed instructions for filing a public comment on the proposal.

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The HoverAir Aqua is a revolutionary product – there are currently no other consumer drones able to land on water, let alone right themselves and get back in the air. It is fully waterproof, and self-piloting

This is a drone not built to take on all the other camera drones out there, but to provide extra functionality, especially for people like paddleboarding, kayaking, surfing, boating, jet skis, and e-foils.

If you're looking to share these activities on social media – and especially if you want to shoot them alone using the drone's subject tracking – this is your only option.

A secondary market might be operators looking to fly over water who just don't like the risk of the drone sinking should an unlikely failure happen.

So, for both of those scenarios, the key question is the same? It's innovative, sure, but is this drone actually going to do what you expect of it? It's not just that the manufacturer's claims have a lot to live up to – but the practicalities and usability when you're on the water are even more demanding. Here's what I found when I tried it…

HoverAir Aqua: Price

• Launch price $1,299 / £1,129 / AU$1,999 for 1-battery "Standard" bundle
• I tested the $1,399 / £1,299 "Fly More Bundle" with 2 extra batteries

The HoverAir Aqua is a revolutionary product – at the time of launch there are literally no other consumer drones able to land on water, let alone right themselves and get back to work. It is fully waterproof, and self-piloting

This is a drone not built to take on all the other camera drones out there, but to provide extra functionality, especially for people like paddleboarding, kayaking, surfing, boating, jet skis, and e-foils.

If you're looking to share these activities on social media – and especially if you want to shoot them alone using the drone's subject tracking – this is your only option.

A secondary market might be operators looking to fly over water who just don't like the risk of the drone sinking should an unlikely failure happen.

So, for both of those scenarios, the key question is the same? It's innovative, sure, but is this drone actually going to do what you expect of it? Just the manufacturer's claims are a lot to live up to – but the practicalities of usability when you're on the water are even more demanding. Here's what I found when I tried it…

HoverAir Aqua: Specifications

HoverAir Aqua: Build & handling

The back of the drone is the battery, with the main power button – large enough that you're unlikely to miss it (though there are no simple power indicators on the battery).

Instead, clipping and unclipping it is a slightly frustrating process (or at least it was on my sample), I can only assume because the seal has to be tight to keep water away from the metal contacts.

At the front, above the camera, is a screen and beneath it four tiny buttons

The other key means of control is the "Lighthouse," which is worn on the arm using a strap. This provides a remote control you're unlikely to drop, as well as signalling your location to the drone, in a single unit.

The beacon is also orange, with a rubber ring acting to cover most of the buttons. The button functions are not especially clearly marked, I found, but tactile. There are ridges at the 12 o'clock, 3 o'clock, 6 o'clock and 9 o'clock positions and another four buttons (marked by recessed icons) beneath the halfway points – a total of eight control points on a relatively small ring.

In addition, there is a take-off and landing button and, tucked on the side, a power button. At the base is a rubber-sealed USB-C port for charging.

The Lighthouse has two means of communication – a very loud speaker which barks status updates, and a light which shows different colors / flashes.

Also in the box, as well as the drone itself, there is a waterproof bag for each battery; these use plastic seals and wrap-around folding to keep the water out. I tested the Fly More Kit with three batteries, and it also included a charging hub – also in matching orange. It can charge 2 (not three) batteries at once.

Oddly, though, there is no case, even with the Fly More bundle that I'm testing. There isn't even one with the most premium set. That despite the fact that the outer polystyrene rim of the aircraft is more vulnerable than the rigid plastic of other drones.

The Aqua has arguably more need for a specifically designed case than any other drone – and yet there isn't one.

HoverAir Aqua: Performance

To my mind this drone is for confident drone users – it feels like it is all about the hand-launch, for example.

Selecting a mode is done with the buttons beneath the 1.6-inch screen and, sure, the AMOLED is bright enough for a sunny day, but the buttons beneath it are a bit strange. The icons confused me a bit (they are, as near as emoji will let me: – 🔴 ⏎ –). What the drone's OS thinks of as a 'back' button looks like the 'return' on my computer – so it acts in the opposite way to the one I expect!

Instead, the second button from the left, the red dot, usually means perform this function, as opposed to 'record' – which will happen automatically when the drone is doing its thing.

Which leads me to the automated following, which the drone relies upon from its main camera and the Lighthouse and, to its credit, it seemed capable of even on land with more obstacles that it might expect on the water.

Water landing was a scary idea to me at first, but by the end of my review I was happily throwing the drone so it'd land upside down, confident that I'd be able to get it to flip itself right again.

Much more unsettling from my perspective was the apparent connection difficulties between Lighthouse and drone, even testing in good weather. Often there would be a loud voice shouting "connection lost" before almost instantly assuring me it was restored – this feels like something that firmware could resolve as I suspect the connection loss was not that long.

The upshot, though, is concern, which isn't really what you want.

I tested the drone in winds at the edge of its acceptable speeds and it did survive, despite the relatively large surface area of the frame, but the battery time dropped well below the promised 23 minutes.

HoverAir Aqua: Overall Verdict

Ultimately this is a drone you buy because it is the only one you can buy to do the job. Image quality is fine, but not the best – the 4K quality is pretty average and the 1-axis image stabilizer on the camera means that everything else needs to be done by digital image correction.

That's fine – it's the same principle as the HoverAir X1 and the DJI Neo – but of course the price here is significantly higher. It's important to remember that what you're paying for is the unique ability to use the drone, without help, over water.

My confidence in those abilities is high. After testing in a few locations I found myself happy to just throw the drone into the water and knew that it would take off on my command. I wish that a few of the irritations could be solved – not least the connection frustrations. I imagine that firmware updates will come along for this. A longer battery life would be wonderful, of course, but staying under 250g is probably more useful and it's hard to believe both are possible with current battery tech.

In summary, then, this seems a great choice as a second drone for people who know why they need it. It will do the job. If you're not venturing over the waves, though, there are better, cheaper choices.

Alternatives

Rather than recommending an alternative drone, because there is no other drone (yet) capable of landing on water, I'd suggest you consider an alternative workflow. Get someone to stay on land and film you using a drone from our guide to the best camera drones.

If you have this kind of money to spend, an excellent choice that would offer a bonus perspective would be the DJI Air 3S, which not only boasts a 3-axis gimbal, but a telephoto camera as well (plus a good radio control range).

Zero Zero Robotics, creator of the HoverAir drone, looks to have gone one better than DJI in two categories, with a new pocket gimbal camera that can fly!

The company has announced the Verso with a teaser on its website, but the unique concept is clear. On the ground, you can use the camera like you would one of the best pocket gimbal cameras (the bestselling DJI Osmo Pocket 3 or the Insta360 Luna Ultra seem obvious examples).

Then, when you want a different perspective, just attach the book-fold propellers, and you've got a camera drone, with all the trimmings you'd expect from HoverAir, the company that pioneered the affordable 'follow-me' drone.

That technology, already available in drones like the HoverAir X1 Pro Max, which I've tested myself, keeps the camera solidly focused on the subject – the upshot being that you can launch the drone from your palm and be confident it'll return there when you put your hand out.

ZeroZero Robotics has clearly kept its eyes on the competition in the gimbal camera space, with one of the trailed features being improved synamic range, something DJI has made a big play of with the new DJI Osmo Pocket 4P cameras.

Unsurprisingly, for a company that already has a background in subject tracking, the limited announcement claims "picture-perfect framing," which will presumably translate to improvements to the company's intelligent tracking functions (the equivalent of DJI's ActiveTrack).

The drone also offers the ability to create 3D worlds by following a flight pattern that gives it enough different perspectives to construct a three-dimensional photo. This could have uses in all kinds of

The drone has not yet been given a release date, but historically, the company has chosen to tease projects before putting them on a platform like Kickstarter. Despite this, I have tested the HoverAir X1 (2023), HoverAir X1 Pro Max (2024) and will be posting my review of the HoverAir Aqua this week.

The latter is another unique drone, a design that can land on water and take off again, and I can assure you that it works.

For now, though, the only option on the company's site is to leave an email address and await further details.

A decision late last year effectively banned all new DJI products from entering the US while keeping older models on the shelves – but the Federal Communications Commission is considering even harsher restrictions for brands selling DJI lookalikes.

The FCC has released a statement and is looking for public comment on a proposal that would retroactively ban drones and cameras from a handful of companies accused of selling re-branded DJI products.

The companies that could soon see an FCC ban include the brands behind drones like the Skyrover X1 (A DJI Mini 4 lookalike linked to the WaveGo and SZ Knowact brands) and cameras like the Xtra Muse (a DJI Pocket 3 lookalike). The list of targeted brands includes Cogito, Fikaxo, Lyno Dynamics, Skyhigh Tech, Spatial Hover, SZ Knowact, WaveGo, Xtra and XAG.

Notably, brands like Xtra are known for creating more affordable action cameras and gimbal cameras that have several similarities with popular options from DJI. Earlier this month, the FCC proposed a fine when those companies failed to respond to the agency’s request for additional details over whether or not those products source tech from brands on the FCC Covered List, such as DJI.

Unlike the existing limitations on DJI, the proposal could remove those brand’s exsisting products from the shelves rather than just preventing new models from entering the US. The FCC proposal isn’t yet a finalized decision, as the proposal is currently open to public comment over the potential ban.

When the FCC added DJI – as well as all foreign-made drones – to its Covered List late last year, the agency effectively barred new DJI drones, cameras, and accessories from entering the US.

However, while the move effectively “banned” new DJI products, the move did not pull existing DJI products from the shelves, leaving previously approved drones and cameras still available – and legal – to use in the US. Ironically, that means that some lookalikes may be banned when the competing DJI models like the DJI Mini 4 Pro remain on the shelves.

The proposal against the DJI lookalike brands, however, if passed, would be the first time the FCC uses a new ability to retroactively ban previously approved devices. In October 2025, the FCC approved a change that gives the agency the ability to revoke a product’s FCC approval, which would effectively remove that product from US shelves.

The FCC is seeking public comment on the proposal.

DJI has filed a lawsuit over the FCC ban; the case is still ongoing.

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Scientists at Northwestern University have produced a drone which is able to virtually disappear from sight, not through fancy optical systems but by taking advantage of a quirk of the human eye – the same one that makes cinema practical.

The whole drone spins at up to 25 times a second, so – in much the same way that propellers on all drones seem to virtually disappear when they're spinning – the "Phantom Twist" drone seems to blur into near invisibility as it is flying.

Instead of a drone, the eye just sees a whirling blur, and the design – optimized from thousands of versions – is the least visible.

The concept was presented by Michael Rubenstein, PhD, at Robotics: Science and Systems 2026. Rubenstein is a researcher into robotics who – in his university headshot – doesn't look completely unlike a Bond villain. The convention has been taking place for some years, and has major sponsors including Google DeepMind, Nvidia, and Toyota.

Rubenstein is also interested in designing algorithms to operate hundreds or even millions of robots together. That sounds a bit sci-fi (and like AI drone tech ideas I've seen recently that might have other consequences – including AI mosquito species killer). Rubenstein's stated intentions, however, are not so sinister and might even be of interest to nature photographers.

Drones that are partially invisible to humans – and animals with similar vision systems – could reduce the disruption caused by monitoring nesting birds, for example.

How does the stealth drone work?

“For a typical quadrotor drone, the propellers are spinning, but the robot is stationary,” Rubenstein said. “So, you still see its body. For our drone, the whole thing is rotating, so there are no stationary parts.”

Designing the drone took a lot of work – including the generation of 20,000 models – from which the most promising were built and tested. AI was used to arrange a motor, propeller, circuit board, battery, and counterweight.

As the drone rotates, it becomes faint. If the components were arranged sub-optimally, the drone would be more visible because the eye would still be seeing a sequence of them, much as items in a photographic exposure still add up to something more evident.

Emma Alexander, one of the coauthors of the paper, noted exactly this similarity: “The human eye takes time to accumulate signals, roughly analogous to the exposure time of a camera.”

As Northwestern's announcement notes, "The new drone still has several limitations, the researchers noted. The propeller makes audible noise, and the drone’s wires and support rods are still somewhat visible."

As Scotty pointed out, "A bird of prey canna fire when she's cloaked" or do anything much, and the issue here might be the same – the drone isn't carrying a camera and, as a rule, you don't want a camera to rotate rapidly.

The drone geek in me suspects, though, that in a future design, it might be possible to fix a camera to the frame, then time it to trigger at the correct point in each rotation of the drone, capture frames and make up video from these.

Each additional component (camera, storage etc.) would require a new design, but the process seems like one which could be repeated for more components – the AI design-simulate-test process being good enough that Rubenstein was able to say it was "fully automated... then, when we were confident that a drone met all our criteria, we built it.”

This seems plausible to me since the design is based, as the original research paper shows, on a single-actuator control which requires very precise timing – 5ms or less. That's because the control comes from the amount of power applied to the propeller at different points in its rotation.

The result – a drone about ten times less visually present according to the perceptual metric of the human eyes (LIPIS) – something which the human eye's "frame rate" plays a part in.

Check out our guide to the best indoor drones you can actually buy today

In a story that sounds a lot like the beginning of a sci-fi movie, Alex Toussaint – co-founder of Tornyol – has announced the first success of his micro-drone which uses sonar to track mosquitoes – before killing them.

I'm the drone expert here, and I've got to say I'm intrigued, excited, and a little worried about this. Then again, I really hate bug spray so I'll take a look!

Mosquitos are the enemy, the company's mission statement confirms: "One of humanity's oldest and worst enemies. They kill more than 700,000 people each year — more than all current wars."

By listening to the unique sound that mosquitoes make, the drone is designed to follow them and simply chop them up with the propeller blades.

The insect is so small, presumably, that this won't affect the flight characteristics, though it's definitely worth noting that a drone this size – it weighs 40g / 1.4oz according to the company – won't have much more than 6 minutes in the air.

The sonar is not as sophisticated as the camera you'd usually find on many drones, but it is built for one purpose.

The concept is one that Alex Toussaint, who created the Tornyol, discussed publicly back at the 2024 Superconference, an event for hackers.

There, he explained how any drone's fast-turning propellers could chop up a mosquito, but a human pilot would be unlikely to have the precision to track the insect.

Add in some off-the-shelf (to electronics enthusiasts, at least) components and Toussaint found that some tiny microphones could pick up the sonar return as well as the human range they were built for, so he just needed to get to work on the software.

The core element is the same component as you'd find used as a reversing sensor on many vehicles. The other sensor available to the drone's AI is a microphone to pick up the mosquito's sound and position it using the Doppler effect.

These have been upgraded to a base station with LeSonar2 phased array sonar, 380 smartphone microphones and a Artix-7 FPGA to map the world in 3D. The drone, then, isn't working entirely alone, but receiving advice from a computer

This gives it the ability to track 0.1mm movements in a range of 26ft (8m) – very precise indeed!

Unbelievably for a company that has recorded its first air-to-air kill, it is planning on rolling it out for U.S.-based customers "in the next few weeks," though at the moment a deposit of $100 and either a payment plan or a $1,100 final price are possibly as off-putting as that vagueness.

On the plus side, it seems very unlikely that this tech will successfully achieve the eradication of an entire species anytime soon, which is good because there would undoubtedly be unforeseen effects.

For one thing, mosquito larvae consume organic matter in water, and might actually help clean some lakes and water near the places the flying insects are most known for spreading disease. Species which eat them, like the mosquitofish, and some migratory birds, could see serious population falls too.

I’ve been flying drones for years. From toy drones that fall down if you take your hands off the controls to my current camera drone, the DJI Air 3. It’s getting long in the tooth, so when the Antigravity A1 drone was announced, I was intrigued.

Because I own an Insta360 X3 and X4 (bought just before the X5 was announced… still not over that), I know how easy it is to just make the shot with a 360 camera and then reframe any way I like, then repurpose it for any medium – vertical, square or horizontal.

Add that tech to a drone? Amazing.

Doing drone sequences involves planning and practice. Reveal shots that come up from the ground require precision flying, combined with precise movement of the camera to get the shot. With a 360° drone, you just make the flight and frame the shot comfortably later at your computer or tablet.

Need a sequence that shows the subject on approach and then on retreat? That’s two shots with a normal drone – and you may need to do it a few times to get it right. With 360º framing you only need a single pass, as long as you’ve tracked the line correctly.

Not only that, you can get a cool transition passing over and no shot interruption. I’ve done this look with mountain biking on the Insta360, so I know it’s very achievable.

So what more is there to the Antigravity A1? It’s an 8K drone that weighs in at 249g to sit in the lower weight class. You can optionally get a heavier battery that extends the flight time from 24 minutes to 39 minutes, but changes the class.

The pricing still matches the DJI pricing, but you’re swapping a gimbal for another camera to get that 360º view. Not to mention that it includes the FPV goggles in the price.

The controller is more like a flight controller than the regular two-handed drone controller, akin to FPV drones, making flying feel more natural. It’s a small learning curve, but if you’ve ever played a flight sim game on a joystick, you can already fly one.

Me? All I gotta do now is save and order one!

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You don't need to reinvent the wheel to create something great. And this image, which recently won the Above Snow Special Prize at the International Aerial Photographer of the Year (IAPOTY) 2026 Awards, is a perfect example.

Created by Aleksandra Wilk, an aerial photographer from Bavaria, Germany, the image, taken using a DJI Mavic 3 Pro, cleverly incorporates negative space, crafting a masterful yet simple composition.

Wilk shot the image on a cold winter’s day in the Bavarian countryside near Lake Ammer, opting for settings of 1/400 sec, f/7.1, ISO200 using the 24mm equivalent lens.

“My intention was to capture this church, which stood on a street, with nothing to disturb the composition, all white in a graphic style,” she told the IAPOTY organizers.

What I love most about this scene is how minimalist and balanced it is. The tree and the church are neatly placed in the middle, while the road creates that clear separation needed for all the negative space to have its impact.

The negative space is also brilliantly employed: any more and the image would be underwhelming, any less and the composition would feel suffocating. And this isn't the only time Wilk has used a drone and negative space to craft a creative composition.

In August, an image that Wilk shot on a Madeira (Portugal) beach will feature on the cover of German photography publication Fotomagazin. It's a fantastic half-and-half image of black sand and foamy water, with a sunbather perfectly placed in the middle.

While Wilk doesn't get the honor of a magazine cover for winning the 2026 Above Snow Award from IAPOTY, she did claim $250 (approximately £190 / AU$350) in prize money, as well as a page in the forthcoming book showcasing all 101 finalists from this year's competition.

Wilk's image is the sort of composition whose well-balanced, aesthetically pleasing simplicity comes from years of experience.

Congratulations to Aleksandra, and here’s the photo from Azim Khan Ronnie that took the overall 2026 IAPOTY crown.

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When I first started at Digital Camera World earlier this year, I wrote an opinion piece shooting down drone photography – to the displeasure of many readers.

Well, since then, I’ve seen so many fantastic images taken with drones that my opinion has gradually shifted, but this image from US-based professional photographer Kah-Wai Lin has me fully converted.

Lin’s image was recently awarded third place in the single image category at the 2026 International Aerial Photographer of the Year (IAPOTY) Awards. This was the second edition of the competition, and Lin walked away with $250 (approximately £190 / AU$360) and will be featured in the awards book showcasing all 101 finalists.

I think the top-down drone perspective is what makes this shot so special. Yes, you could easily capture the essence of this image with a frame taken at eye level, but it wouldn’t depict the immersive nature of the dust cloud surrounding the herd of wild horses, nor the ethereal, golden-yellow sunlight illuminating the scene.

Lin captured this image using a DJI Mini 4 Pro in Cappadocia, Turkey. Yılkı (wild) horses have been domesticated for over a millennium in the Anatolia region – formerly known as Asia Minor – which makes up a large portion of modern-day Turkey.

Since ancient times, Turkish villagers have tamed wild horses for agricultural work and transportation, the traditional enduring today mainly for tourism purposes.

The photographer opted for a 6.7mm focal length (24mm full-frame equivalent), f/1.7, ISO 100 and a 1/160 sec shutter speed, which I think perfectly balances freezing the animals’ movement while allowing a sliver of motion blur which almost leaves a dry, dusty sensation in your mouth.

Congratulations to Kah-Wai Lin on his commended image. The composition really is outstanding and it’s given me a fresh perspective on drone photography.

This year’s overall AIPOTY winner was Azim Khan Ronnie, who snagged the competition crown with a majestic series headlined by a fantastic shot of a fisherman among a colony of feeding migratory birds.

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If you're a drone photographer, pigeons might be about to become your new favorite bird. According to researchers in Canada, studying the subtle eye movements that these avians make while flying could lead to significant improvements in machine vision systems, helping future drones navigate the world more like birds do.

Led by Dr Anthony Lapsansky, biologists at the University of British Columbia (UBC) equipped pairs of pigeons with tiny backpacks containing miniature computers and mounted lightweight cameras on their heads before allowing the birds to fly.

"Pigeons make a good model for research because they're representative of many birds – their eyes are located on the sides of their head, giving them an almost panoramic view of the world," said Dr Lapsansky.

The head-mounted cameras revealed that, contrary to the long-held assumption that pigeons rely solely on head movements to stabilize their vision, the birds also make subtle eye movements during flight.

These movements appear to compensate for visual motion, helping pigeons resolve finer details and navigate more effectively through complex environments.

The findings could have important implications for drone technology. While modern camera drones can already estimate speed, direction and distance from surrounding objects, today's machine vision systems remain relatively rigid compared to the adaptability of birds.

According to Dr Lapsansky, birds achieve all of these tasks while also actively moving their "cameras" – their eyes – to gather even more visual information about their surroundings.

By understanding the strategies that birds use to process visual information, the UBC team hopes to uncover common principles shared by both avian and human vision that could be applied to robotics and drone vision.

"We could potentially use these strategies to make autonomous flying robots or drones more animal-like: more skilled at navigating complex environments and closer to truly autonomous flight," said Dr Lapsansky.

If successful, the research could help pave the way for future drone camera systems that don't simply record the world, but which interpret it with the efficiency and agility of birds in flight.

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People are starting to ask if drones are a problem at the FIFA World Cup, with authorities having "neutralized" over 300 at the halfway stage of the competition.

Operators have to face an additional 3-mile ban around the tournament stadiums, and most of the neutralizations have taken place without force, despite the dramatic terminology. It has nevertheless left some operators very upset – and others, like content creators Dorian Carlisle and Hashim Moore very surprised, as they explained in a viral clip.

Shooting a video for Father's Day using a brand new drone, they had not absorbed all the rules – especially the temporary restrictions around FIFA Fan Zones and Stadiums in place until July 5.

As a result, they ended up being detained by Homeland Security – a lesson to all drone operators as to how swiftly US government agencies are now able to act.

Fortunately for the creators, they were able to convince the police and FBI that they were unaware of the rules and 'only' had to pay a $580 fine to recover their drone.

The FBI has been very clear from the start that enforcement would be serious. Clear, that is, if you were looking. You'll see that the FAA were relying on regional authorities to 'spread the word' using a No Drone Zone Toolkit.

Perhaps that hasn't happened as well as it might?

If you need to know what the exact rules are, you can check the FAA's FIFA World Cup Safety Plan.

Historically, though, despite a lot of news coverage, are these numbers as worrying as they sound? In reality, probably not. The FIFA World Cup is a competition than goes on much longer than others.

The new longer-format World Cup is – as most soccer (football, as it is correctly known) has more gams and lasts 39 days, making it much longer than the last summer Olympics, held in Paris in 2024. Despite being only 17 days of Olympic events there were still over 300 drone incidents and 81 arrests in similarly effective action.

As a drone operator, it is still immensely frustrating to me that people would ignore guidelines put in place for public safety; this kind of thing gives drones a bad name.

In reality, though, it is still a relatively small number of incidents – and it seems some are not quite as transgressive as you might imagine from less drone-friendly news platforms. Keeping it to zero incidents, though, is the only way to prevent future bans, as every single incident is an excuse for anti-drone politicians.

So I'd urge anyone to respect the rules and, if you see a drone breaking the rules, report it to 911, on-site law enforcement or the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI.

Check out my guide to the best camera drones you can buy today

Dual drone cooling

Getting a drone to hover over you to keep you cool sounds risky, but YouTuber @FlyWithAdrien is one of many who claims to have done it successfully. As the drone expert – with experience flying all the major drones on the market – I can't help but offer my thoughts on some of the viral videos of people cooling themselves with flying fans.

I'll get to the best in one second, but first I'll start with the most drones at once!

This effort from @imransaleemvlogs seems a bit risky to my mind. This drone enthusiast, or drone fan, has cooled himself with a ducted (cinewhoop) drone from the DJI Avata series, and another with completely exposed propeller blades.

Perhaps he's added that blanket to protect himself, but that seems to detract a little from the benefit of the drones?

The DJI Avata 2 or DJI Avata 360 would be the safest and most powerful of the two in this pairing, but the irritation might be that the batteries would run out at different times – and there would be a lot of getting up to deal with the drones, even if they safely navigated themselves to a nearby automatic landing site.

The smaller DJI Mini 4K would at least hover longer, for about 25 minutes before landing itself as the battery was nearing exhaustion.

Best choice

If you're feeling warm, there is no reason to wait. I'll start with the best!

The DJI Neo is a great choice because it's not that expensive, has a safety cage, but it offers "follow-me" style tracking.

That means it can fly nice and near you, so you can feel the air movement from the propellers just like fans, and the drone will automatically follow you if you move.

Big drone

These guys are using a mix of big drones and small, but no prop guards. One big advantage of the larger drones – like the DJI Mavic 4 Pro – is that it has big batteries offering a long flight or hover time. Handy if you want to chill out for longer without swapping batteries (or, worse, waiting for them to charge!).

It also has safety sensors, but so do many drones – and, honestly, not all work that well indoors. Caution might be the way forward!

Is this fake?

This definitely looks fake – I mean, where do those motors and propellers hide – but it has been doing the rounds as well. Drone-inspired design and AI video, I'd say. Perhaps look further up for something actually achievable, though!

Big drone indoors

In this clip, we don't exactly see Adrien McGill risking getting under the drone himself, but then he has to walk around it to capture video.

I would, again, offer caution that bigger drones designed for longer flight times are heavy, and if anything were to go wrong, they can cause more damage to you or your possessions.

Machine cooling

The DJI Mini 4 Pro is being used here indoors to keep machines cool. I'd not suggest this is the best way to do so… but better than having it fail, I suppose?

We've all had tech feeling a little too warm in the summer heat – but do make sure that you know your drone's maximum operating temperature, too. Lithium batteries don't always love getting too warm, and indoor hovering will have less draft than when flying around.

Safety tips

If you really are going to try this, here is my safety advice. Protecting the propellers is essential:

• Ideally, use a drone with a ducted design (DJI Neo, Avata) or a safety cage (HoverAir).
• Alternatively, buy propeller guards. These will slightly reduce hover time from the advertised figures, but also protect anyone from the ends of the whirling propellers.
• Keep the area light – especially indoors – with a textured floor, so the drone's sensors have the best chance of 'seeing' stable objects and not drifting.
• Keep the controller near you and be ready to land and keep checking the remaining battery. Keep a few percent for the landing.

Remember, drones have other uses! If you also like a bit of photo and video, check our guides to the best beginner drone and the best camera drone.

Law-abiding drone creators like me occasionally run into situations we can't use our drones. I've often solved it with a pole, but Youtube creator @karenxcheng has shown that it one of many alternatives.

Karenxcheng is a creator with over a million subscribers, and she hasn't let the rules and regulations stop her from getting aerial shots for her fans, In fact she has come up with more solutions than the one I regularly use.

My solution? Extendible poles. Both DJI and Insta360 offer very long versions of a selfie stick. The Insta360 "Extended Selfie Stick" is made of carbon fibre, has a nice padded handle with the brand in the logo, and extends to 9.8ft.

When I needed to inspect my roof for damage, it was this, and a 360-degree camera, that I turned to because I live too near an airport to use a drone.

The DJI alternative, the DJI Osmo 2.5m Extended Carbon Fibre Selfie Stick, is slightly shorter at 2.5m, but only weighs 428g (1 pound).

Both are lightweight and easy to carry, and both use tripod threads to attach so are actually interchangeable!

• Insta360 Extended Selfie Stick (Insta360 store)
• DJI Osmo 2.5m Extended Carbon Fiber Selfie Stick (DJI Store)

But extension poles are not the only solution. Another that offered more height (though it might depend a little on the weather) is a kite. This can be done by attaching a small, light action camera with some degree of image stabilization – probably one of the best POV cameras.

Another shot she uses a fishing rod to drop an Insta360 X-series camera from the a Bridge (to be clear, the camera is on the line – dropping things from some locations like the Golden Gate Bridge is illegal).

This approach means she can run the footage in reverse and give the impression of a drone lifting up, Thanks to the fact a 360-degree camera offers the capability to choose the exact angle in post, it doesn't really matter if the camera appears to wobble a bit on the fishing line.

The post-processing apps (like Insta360's) also allow you to select a subject and track it with AI during the cropping from 360 video. This makes it look like you had a camera operator keeping the drone's "camera" directly on your subject.

Finally, she uses a similar fishing line approach to create a zip line from the top of a cliff to a friend on the beach below, giving control of the camera's 'flight'.

For law-abiding drone operators with qualifications, it's often also possible to pre-arrange use of a real drone by contacting the local authorities, but most of us have learned from experience that this kind of solution is often quicker and cheaper.

Check out my guide to the best 360-degree camera for those on-a-wire shots!

As a photographer, I’ve never got on board with camera drones. There’s just something about the perspective they create in images and the fact that it’s another piece of expensive gear to lug around. And then there’s the question around privacy…

However, while drones aren’t my cup of tea, I’ve never felt the need to point a rifle at one to bring it down. Which is exactly what a Florida man did recently, leading to his arrest.

The incident happened on June 13 in Lehigh Acres, Florida, with the Lee County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO) releasing footage of the suspect in the act, captured by the very drone he was allegedly trying to destroy.

Lee County authorities were using the drone to locate a bear after reports of the animal had been made. But instead of spotting the furry creature, they came across a group of topless men who appeared to be shooting a rifle in a wooded area.

ABOVE: Florida police footage shows the suspect allegedly firing at the drone

In the footage, the suspect – who’s the only person in the group wearing a top – points the rifle at the drone and, according to LCSO, “appeared to fire two rounds in its direction.”

LCSO has said that officers responded immediately. Later body cam footage, also shared online, shows the trigger-happy suspect, identified as Elvin Antonio Callejas-Serrato, being arrested and placed in the back of a police vehicle.

According to LCSO, the officers recovered a BB rifle “loaded with steel projectiles”. What’s not clear from the footage is if Callejas-Serrato tried to hide the rifle beforehand.

The latest comments from LCSO were that Callejas-Serrato was detained and charged with Shooting or Throwing a Deadly Missile into an Aircraft, which is a serious felony offense.

Under state law, this can lead to up to 15 years in prison. While under federal jurisdiction, firing at or attempting to destroy an aircraft or its equipment can result in up to 20 years jail time.

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The US Federal Communications Commission has loosened the restriction on foreign-made drones – but the change isn’t one that will allow drone photographers and videographers to celebrate.

This week, the FCC announced that it will allow certain toy drones made in China to be imported, loosening a restriction put in place in December 2025 that effectively prevents all newly announced drones from receiving the necessary FCC approval to be sold in the US.

The FCC, however, narrowly defines what constitutes a “toy drone” – and one of the key limitations is that the drone can’t have a camera at all. The drone also can’t weigh more than 150g (5.29 oz), and it can’t have network capability or more than ten minutes of flight time.

The idea is that these toy drones don’t threaten national security without the technology to even take photos or communicate with a network. But, as an American photographer with a Part 107 drone license, the change only adds to my frustration.

If a toy drone without the physical ability to connect to a network doesn’t cause any security concerns, why can’t camera drones without network capabilities be permitted? Even existing DJI drones don’t need a network to fly. An internet connection is required for the initial setup, but DJI’s Local Data Mode allows pilots to fly without any network connection at all.

This disables features like the on-screen map, firmware updates, and some real-time safety features – like when I’m flying and get an alert that an aircraft is in the area. But, the mode severs any network connection, leaving the drone only connected with the controller.

If data transmission is still a concern – although a recent third-party security review of two DJI drones found no unexpected data transmissions – DJI drones can also be flown with third-party apps. And, yes, there are apps like this from American companies.

The US drone ban is about more than concern over inadvertently sending photos of US infrastructure to foreign countries, however. The government has also expressed concern that the US does not have a supply chain in place and, in the event of a war, wouldn’t be able to secure parts or build military drones.

The problem with banning all foreign-made drones is that there are currently no American companies that are building consumer drones for photographers and videographers. The handful of US drone companies focus on military drones, expensive Hollywood-level shooters, and quadcopters for commercial and agricultural applications.

Until a US drone company can build a consumer drone, aerial photographers and videographers will be relegated to using older drones launched before the ban. The US currently doesn’t have the supply chain in place for many drone components, but the FCC previously eased the foreign-made drone restriction by allowing drones that are made with at least 65% US components.

The drones that launched before the FCC ban are still legal to purchase and fly in the US. Six months after the drone ban, there’s still plenty of earlier launches to choose from. The DJI Avata 360, for example, had started the FCC approval process ahead of launch in time for those drones to launch in the US. But, eventually, US pilots will only have older consumer drones available to them.

Droe photographers are not the only ones affected by the ban – first responders, small businesses, hobbyist pilots, and others are also impacted. When the FCC called for public comments, it received more than 3,000, a number that’s far higher than the usual number of comments on similar FCC actions.

In February, DJI filed a lawsuit against the FCC ban in the US Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. Notably, the FCC ban includes all foreign-made drones as well as targeting all of DJI’s newly launched products with wireless communication, which affects the brand’s action cameras and Pocket gimbal cameras, as well as flying cameras. The court case is still ongoing.

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I asked DJI all my pressing questions about the drone ban and shared them here. Or, browse the best camera drones or the best drones for beginners.

Potensic has launched its new Atom 3 drone with significant upgrades to the specs of the Atom 2 drone, including a larger 1/1.3-inch image sensor and 4K60 HDR video and 50MP stills.

These might not seem leap-off-the-page stats compared to the top-end video drones, but against the best beginner drones, like the DJI Mini 4K (and the recent update available in some markets, the DJI Lito 1) the value is more important.

Potensic has also improved the strength of the signal, which on paper is now 16km – slightly edging out the latest DJI drones at 15km. While you're unlikely to fly this far away, strong signals are useful to combat 'noise' and

The 50MP camera also edges out DJI's offerings (admittedly by justy 2MP, which isn't something you're likely to notice). This isn't the only update compared to previous Potensic models, though – the sensor allows for a '2x medium tele mode' (effectively a usable-quality digital zoom).

When using that "Med tele" mode, the video can be optimised for portraits using Potensic's software. This should be a handy option for beginners looking to get good shots of people – with the advantage that the tele is a safer distance.

Potensic also says that the camera output benefits from AI optimization.

In terms of flight features, the drone boasts AI subject tracking features (and the ability to turn off some of the distance limits for experienced pilots). There is also a waypoint feature to plan flights and have the drone follow them.

As well as the drone, Potensic is offering a bundle with an updated edition of the company's smart controller, called the RC PTD 2.

This features a 5.5-inch screen, slightly brightened to 900 nits, and of course also supports the 16km range. Despite a negligible reduction in battery size, this new version also claims a marginally longer battery life of 90 minutes, and supports up to 27W fast charging.

I'm testing the drone now, and have already been out in the field with it, so check back very soon for more information.

The drone will be released in a Standard Kit – requiring the use of your phone in the controller – for $429.99, or with that RC PTD 2 for $549.99.

The HoverAir Aqua, the first fully waterproof self-flying drone, has finally been released into global retail channels, following a successful debut on crowdfunding, so you can pick up a drone that can capture your solo water activities today.

HoverAir established the "follow-me" drone category with its X1 series of drones, which can safely be released from the hand and will use onboard sensors and AI to keep the user in shot, and essentially work as your own private camera operator.

Now the company has developed that tech so it can be used somewhere no other AI tracking drones can.

I tested and was impressed by the HoverAir X1 and X1 Pro Max, but there was an issue for fans of wakeboarding to kayaking, sailing, paddle boarding and the like – perhaps even jet-skiing.

For one thing, drones are not typically waterproof. Consumer drones also struggle a little over an aquatic environment because the water all looks the same to the downward-facing sensor, and there is likely to be more wind.

Until now the solution was simple. If you wanted footage of yourself enjoying the water, you'd get a friend to manually control a drone, taking off from land and being optimistic that nothing went wrong in the meantime, because if the drone hit the water's surface, it would sink.

The HoverAir Aqua, however, is designed to cope with the challenges that water activities present, while still being a consumer drone with a take-off weight under 250g.

It has powerful enough motors to handle winds up to Level 7 and speeds of up to 34mph (Level 5 is more common).

Significantly, it is "positively buoyant," meaning it can land on the water if necessary and either be picked up from the surface or take off from it.

The drone also boasts a hydrophobic lens, behind which is a 1/2.8-inch sensor capable of capturing 4K video at up to 100fps so crisp slow motion is possible. HoverAir has also included the company's SmoothCapture image stabilization system.

"Our goal was simple: give people the freedom to focus on their adventure without worrying about their camera. With Aqua, anyone can capture breathtaking moments on and around the water completely hands-free," said Co-founder MQ Wang.

I know from experience that the tech HoverAir brought to the follow-me space is impressive. Admittedly, that has been subsequently mimicked a little by others of the best beginner drones, but I look forward to testing the unique way it has been enhanced for aquatic conditions.

This is coming the same week we published the GoPro Mission 1 Pro review – but it does beg a question; GoPro is waterproof for sure, but there is no way that company's new camera will follow you with AI. Is the whole action camera technology reaching a turning point, with this, a ruggedized drone?

The HoverAir Aqua is on sale now worldwide in several combos starting at $ 1,299 / £1,129.

The US government has blocked drone giant DJI from receiving the FCC approval needed for new models to fly in the US. But after the government-mandated security review of DJI failed to even start before the December 2025 deadline, DJI made a security review happen anyway.

On Thursday, May 28, DJI shared the findings from a five-month security review of two DJI drones. The US security firm OnDefend has conducted an evaluation of the DJI Air 3S and Matrice 4E and found no evidence that data is transferred outside the US, while the team was unable to hack, jailbreak, or tamper with the UAVs.

The findings come amid an ongoing DJI lawsuit against the FCC over the ban and follow more than 3,000 public comments on the FCC’s drone proceedings, which DJI says is ten times the typical number of comments on similar FCC measures.

In December 2025, a law required DJI to pass a national security review by the deadline or face an automatic ban by the FCC. That deadline passed without such a security review even starting, effectively blocking not just DJI’s drones but cameras, gimbals, and accessories from receiving FCC approval to launch new products in the US. (DJI products launched before the ban are still available to purchase and use).

With US-based drone manufacturers focused on military and commercial uses, the ban effectively prevents new consumer drones from launching in the US until an American drone maker steps into the consumer market. The ban impacts not only aerial photographers and videographers but also first responders, small businesses, farmers, and other drone users, according to the list of FCC comments.

Before that December 2025 FCC deadline even passed, DJI asked OnDefend for an independent security review, which began in October 2025 and was completed in mid-March 2026. While the study was authorized by DJI, OnDefend is an independent security company whose staff includes US military and government professionals. The consumer drone tested was purchased from a retailer without notifying DJI, while the enterprise drone was purchased from existing dealer stock.

OnDefend put the drones through a list of different tests, including analyzing signals for any unauthorized data transmission, simulating Meddler-in-the-Middle hacks, attempting jailbreaks of the drones' apps, and disassembling the drones to analyze each component.

The inspection did not find any critical, high, or medium risks.

The review identified 10 low-risk findings with “limited real-world impact” that are “consistent with industry norms for complex mobile and embedded systems.” That list includes things like weak TLS protocols on the app and using authentication tokens in URLs. DJI says that those low-risk findings are being addressed with firmware updates.

“This is the most comprehensive independent security assessment ever undertaken on our products," Adam Welsh, Head of Global Policy at DJI, said in a statement. "These findings confirm what DJI has consistently maintained: our products are secure, our data practices are transparent, and the concerns underlying our FCC Covered List designation are not supported by technical evidence. We commissioned this independent assessment because we believe facts should inform policy decisions. We are calling on the FCC to consider these findings carefully as part of our ongoing appeal, and we remain committed to engaging constructively with relevant authorities."

The study suggests that there is no risk of DJI user data being sent to China, one of the concerns politicians voiced on the road to the National Defense Authorization Act that put DJI on the FCC-banned list.

However, the conversation on drone security has also shifted to highlighting supply chain concerns. Several critical drone components, including lithium-ion batteries and the magnets in drone motors, are sourced outside of the US.

The supply chain risk already has a handful of examples of what not being able to secure parts could mean for US drones. Amid the pushback on US tariffs, China temporarily blocked the export of Li-ion batteries to US-based drone companies, which prevented brands like Skydio from getting the batteries needed for their drones. China later paused the export controls for a year.

The security review is only for two drones and their respective controllers and apps, but could play a role in DJI’s ongoing lawsuit in an attempt to reverse the FCC ban.

The full security report is available to read online.

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A new unofficial world record for the fastest drone has just been set... but it was far from plain sailing. Pro Drone Hub carefully built a high-speed drone, and after losing it on around the 50th run, came up with an interesting theory about why they lost it, which suggests some very high speed (but also raises the question "why not add an AirTag?")

The record-breaking speed of 453mph (730 km/h) claimed in the video (below) are, of course, just based on the creators and are not verified.

Specialist saw-tooth propellers crafted from carbon are part of the unique design that achieved the speed of this missile-like drone, which is called Blackbird.

The team at the Pro Drone Hub decided that the issue with their drone might be the Doppler shift – which is quite a claim.

Doppler is the "neeeeeerrrooowm" effect created by sound waves when vehicles pass at high speed because the center of the sound is spreading from in circles keeps moving, so those circles don't seem to come from the same point relative to where the listener is standing, making the sound uneven.

The same principle is true for radio waves, but the speed of light is a LOT higher, so making the claim that radio is affected is quite a lot (humans need an object to hit around 30,000 kilometres per second to notice the effect).

However, digital video – and the team appear to be using a DJI OM4 system – is compressed into tiny digital pieces, and it's possible that much lower speeds can be enough to break the stream.

Other technical issues seem more likely though, and two alternatives are postulated by the team.

Commenters on the YouTube videos might have been closer too: OriginalCircuit said "It's more likely battery or solder related, pushing 200A, you could have just melted the solder off the terminals."

Builders Aidan and Ben seem to be in a race to reach the speed of sound (767mph), having previously posted a 388mph drone.

The Guinness World record is currently held by South African father-and-son duo Luke and Mike Bell, who set a speed of 657.59 km/h (408 mph) in January this year.

The Pro Drone Hub team also says "They'll say it's unofficial because it didn't land in one piece" though the drone essentially survives. It doesn't look, though, like the batteries are going to be reusable after the speed run that hits 640kph (397mph) upwind.

A downwind run (730kph) is averaged against it for a more official 685kph or 425mph.

If speed is your thing, you might not quite hit these numbers with some of the best FPV drones in my guide, but you can be more confident that the batteries won't catch fire in the drones I've recommended!

As an American drone pilot, I was devastated when, in December 2025, the government effectively banned not only popular brand DJI but all “foreign-made drones.” Since then, new drones – as well as cameras and accessories from DJI – have not received the FCC approval to launch in the US.

The US drone ban has long had me wondering if the government understands just how devastating the change is to aerial creators – not to mention the first responders, farmers, and businesses relying on the technology. American drone pilots still have access to drones registered prior to the FCC ban, but the latest drone technology is quickly becoming inaccessible to US users.

While there are American drone brands, none that I’ve found offer consumer drones – just expensive drones for Hollywood-level films, industrial drones, and military drones. That means American drone tech has been effectively placed on an indefinite pause until an American drone company is able to develop and launch a consumer drone – a process that will likely take years.

But now through May 11, the FCC is seeking comments from the public. Drone pilots, first responders, business owners, and any member of the public affected by the ban are invited to share comments on how the restrictions impact the community.

The public input could impact the FCC drone ban moving forward, as DJI has filed an appeal to its inclusion on the FCC Covered List. In an email from a company representative, DJI told me, “We encourage all US-based drone users – from public safety agencies and small businesses to hobbyists – to share their experience on how DJI drones impact their work, business, community, and daily life.”

The Drone Advocacy Alliance has a set of instructions that simplifies the federal forms. For a simple comment, users can navigate to the page, use Proceedings Number 26-22, and the name “In the Matter of SZ DJI Technology Co., Ltd.” Public commenters then fill in the details and write their comments.

The deadline for submission is May 11, so the public comments close in a matter of days.

As a drone pilot and tech journalist in the camera space, I think that one of the reasons the foreign-made drone ban is so devastating is that the current US-based companies do not offer consumer-grade models. The non-DJI consumer drones are also built outside of the US.

Skydio, which recently announced a US expansion, does not sell drones made for photography and videography but rather for industrial use, first responders, and the military. Skydio stopped building consumer drones in 2023.

Launching American-made consumer drones will not happen overnight. Skydio’s expansion, for example, is expected to take five years, and the company has not indicated if that growth will even include a consumer drone.

Creating a drone is a time-consuming and complicated process, and newer companies in the category are at a disadvantage. For example, the US-based action camera giant GoPro once launched a drone called the Karma. The quadcopter was recalled due to a battery door failure that had drones falling out of the sky, and GoPro left the drone market shortly after.

Perhaps the reason that the FCC foreign-made drone ban hurt the most, however, is that the government-mandated security review of DJI never actually happened, to my knowledge, perhaps because the law never assigned an agency to the task.

DJI has not only pointed to previous security audits, but has repeatedly stressed that flight logs are never stored on DJI’s servers. DJI drones also support using third-party apps to fly, including some apps made by American companies.

DJI's other products have also – unfairly, in my opinion – fallen under the ban. While the FCC ban includes all foreign-made drones, it also lists all DJI products, not just their drones. That prevents tech like the DJI Osmo Pocket 4 as well as DJI's future action cameras, gimbals, mics, and other tech from entering the US.

Of course, one of the reasons behind the ban isn’t tied to a specific company at all, but worry over interruptions in the supply chain. I understand the need for a US-based supply chain – after all, in retaliation for tariffs, China once blocked American drone maker Skydio from getting any batteries for its drones.

But such an immediate and overarching drone ban is devastating for every American using drone technology, from aerial artists like myself to first responders and business owners.

As a drone pilot and tech journalist, I’m strongly urging the FCC and US government to restore the public’s access to the latest drone technology. Complete a full and fair audit to determine if non-US drone companies are a security risk.

If such an audit determines a security threat, propose an interim plan with the aid of drone users to avoid freezing drone technology that many small businesses, journalists, photographers, videographers, farmers, and others rely on.

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Five months after the US government banned all foreign-made drones, US drone company Skydio announced a $3.5 billion investment that will expand US drone manufacturing, including components, over the next five years.

At the end of April, Skydio – the largest US drone manufacturer – announced an investment to expand its factory, add jobs, and help build up a US drone supply chain. As an American drone pilot, Skydio’s announcement is a sign of hope, yes – but it’s also a key example of why the FCC ban on all foreign-made drones is so devastating for aerial creators.

Most US drone companies don’t offer consumer drones

Skydio exited the consumer drone market in 2023 and no longer sells off-the-shelf drones for photographers like myself. Instead, Skydio shifted to drones for first responders and the military, as well as quadcopters for industrial uses. Most US brands don't offer consumer drones, instead focusing on industrial, military, agricultural, and Hollywood-level drones.

Skydio hasn’t announced a return to the consumer drone market amid the drone ban – which prevents all foreign-made drones, not just DJI, from gaining the FCC authorization needed to sell in the US. (Drones that already received FCC approval remain available to buy and are safe to fly).

However, as part of the announcement, the company’s CEO does mention the “civilian drone market” which encompasses categories like enterprise drones – which Skydio already offers – as well as consumer drones. “Skydio has proven that American companies can compete and win in the civilian drone market against products from our adversaries,” Skydio Co-Founder and CEO Adam Bry said.

Whether that mention of civilian drones may include consumer drones in the future has yet to be seen, as Skydio hasn’t made any official indication of a return to the consumer market.

Many critical drone parts aren’t made in the US

Skydio's $3.5 billion investment in US manufacturing is a move that will build a manufacturing facility five times bigger than its current space and create more than 2,000 new jobs within the company.

However, a key part of Skydio’s announcement is SkyForge, a program that aims to help expand US manufacturing of critical drone parts and makes up roughly $1 billion of the investment. The program invites other suppliers to work with Skydio to help grow the US supply chain.

The US supply chain is one of the key hurdles to building American-made drones. Both the motors and batteries inside a majority of drones originate from China. Around 90 percent of the magnets inside drone motors, for example, are from China, while China also makes 99 percent of the Li-ion batteries used in consumer electronics. The few US suppliers that exist tend to operate on a smaller scale and require more lead time, according to The Next Web.

Skydio is also a key example of why supply chain matters – last year, in response to tariffs, China blocked several drone companies, which left Skydio temporarily unable to secure batteries for its drones.

Building up US drone manufacturing will take time – and money

I’m ecstatic to see a US drone company create 2,000 jobs – plus the move is also expected to help create 3,000 additional jobs across the supply chain. But Skydio’s announcement is also a reminder that American drone manufacturing won’t happen overnight, and in the meantime, the drone tech accessible to US drone pilots like myself will stall.

Skydio’s investment, for example, is expected to be completed in five years – and that, again, includes no mention of returning to the consumer drone market.

Five years – if a US-made consumer drone even comes by then – is a long time in tech years. For example, five years ago, DJI was making the Mini 2, which had a 1/2.3-inch sensor and only downward obstacle sensing. Fast forward five years, and the DJI Mini 5 Pro offers a 50MP one-inch sensor, omnidirectional obstacle sensing, a longer battery life, improved transmission technology, and longer flight times. That’s the level of advancement that can happen in just five years.

Skydio’s investment isn’t the only spark of hope for US drone pilots. DJI has filed a lawsuit over the ban, which is still in progress. In March, Chinese drone brand SkyRover announced that it was “exploring” US manufacturing.

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DJI has just made choosing your first drone a lot harder. The new Lito series goes all-in on camera quality and longer flight times, while the Neo 2 focuses on safety, simplicity and AI-powered tracking. Both are aimed squarely at beginners, but they take completely different approaches. So which one should you actually buy?

The DJI Neo 2 and the Lito drones both look very physically different, but – in their own way – they both target first-time drone buyers.

Simply put, the Neo 2 puts safety and flexibility at the absolute top of its design goals, while the Lito series prioritizes the camera's capabilities by including a three-axis gimbal for smoother video and building in a radio transceiver.

Specs

In every picture on the Neo 2 here the optional transceiver is attached to the back of the Neo 2, but this isn't included in the cheapest bundles – it can cost around $42.00, or more, plus the price of a remote controller, if you want remote control longer than a few meters.

Flexibility with controls has a positive side too, however. The Neo 2's standard option – following the users using AI – is technically impressive and gets useful shots very easily, but it's also possible to upgrade all the way to FPV control with DJI's wand-like "Motion Controller" and goggles that let you sit "inside" the drone.

Comparison

Key differences

Comparing the features from a photographic perspective, the Lito 1 doesn't seem ahead of the Neo 2 – only when you consider the 3-axis gimbal for providing more stable shots (and the bigger and slightly heavier airframe which will play their part thanks to physics).

The more notable difference is the flight time. The last few minutes of any flight are coming back to land and the time you allow for safety (you don't want the battery to get to zero distance away from you and it falling out of the sky), so the difference here is much more significant than it looks.

Well, except for the fact that if you don't shell out for a proper controller and transceiver for the Neo 2 you can't fly the drone very far from you, so the return journey won't be as long

Cameras: Neo 2 v Lito 1 v X1

As well as choosing between the Lito 1 & Neo 2, there is the distinction between the Litos themselves. The premium Lito X1 makes a much better case for serious photographers and videographers thanks to D-Log M (video you can grade after the fact), and a larger image sensor for better footage across a broader range of light.

Data storage

The slightly more personal choice is the distinction between built-in memory and the Lito 1 having only a MicroSD card slot. For me, I have very little concern about that. Recording to a memory card suits my workflow just fine, but it can be convenient to have built in memory, so why not?

On the Neo 2, built-in memory is almost essential because you're very likely to be using the drone in an app-based workflow, controlling it with your phone (as well as voice controls and gestures), so being able to simply download short clips to your device makes a lot of sense for a more social-ready, speedy, less edit-obsessed workflow.

US Availability

The other big issue here is that new DJI drones don't go on sale on the day of launch in the USA any more because DJI has been added to the 'Covered List' in the USA, which bans the FCC from approving new products by the company. In practice, the FCC has opted not to approve any new drones from Chinese companies in 2026 and onward.

While both drones in the Lito series seem to have been approved before the end of December 2025, DJI has chosen not to release them through its own store in the USA, meaning US customers need to wait and see if other retailers solve the situation (the same situation is also true of the recently released Osmo Pocket 4).

The DJI Neo 2 was one of the first products that DJI didn't launch and sell itself in the USA because these rules banning foreign products (and, by extension, choice) were coming in, but what happened in the end is that some camera retailers (like B&H – see DJI Neo 2 at B&H) started stocking the drone regardless, and, eventually, it made its way to Amazon too.

I don't know if, despite DJI's hands being tied by the US government, the same will happen for the Lito series, but it seems plausible.

This is only an issue for customers in America, because no other government has taken such a harsh stance on Chinese-made consumer drones, but (until availability changes at least, it might be the deciding factor for Americans).

Controller and safety

The DJI Neo 2 has a lot of control flexibility – which means you don't need to buy it all at once. The drone-only can be successfully controlled just by tracking you, the subject it takes off from (and that cage design is good for safety).

At the other end of the scale, the goggles and FPV controller will add a lot of additional cost, but give you a very different way of operating your drone that seems a lot less traditional and makes amazing indoor/outdoor zooming shots achievable.

The Lito 1 series is more traditional in that it has different RC controller options, but the subject tracking is still relatively safe and achievable thanks to the sensors on the drone (despite the unprotected propellors it will refuse to get too close).

Overall

The Lito series is a good example of steady refinement, and a great place to start your drone journey, especially as so much safety tech has been added, but its design focus is definitely on helping the camera fly and the owner create.

The Neo 2 is a different kind of drone to most anyway – a "Cinewhoop" airframe more like a cut-down Avata 2 FPV drone that can do stunts, that is also designed to be a helpful flying friend that follows you and films you doing cool stuff automatically.

If your priority is effortless, safe flying and quick social clips, the Neo 2 still makes a strong case. But if you care more about video quality, stability and longer flight time, the Lito 1 is the better long-term buy – or, even better, the X1 if you have the readies.

Alternatives

Realistically, Americans may have to wait a while for that choice, but the DJI Mini 3 or Mini 4K are FCC-approved alternatives in the meantime – check the best beginners drone or best camera drone guides.

Most drone pilots meticulously check weather conditions in a bid to avoid even light winds, but not the team at the OTUS Project (Observations of Tornadoes by UAV Systems). In a pair of Reels posted on Instagram, RAW POV footage from the team’s camera drone can be seen hurtling into the eye of a storm near the town of Wyoming, Iowa on April 14.

Let’s put that into perspective. DJI says not to fly its flagship DJI Mavic 4 Pro at wind speeds of 12 m/s or more. Obviously, tornado wind speeds vary wildly, but according to the Tornado and Storm Research Organisation, a light tornado starts at 17 m/s (39 mph), the most violent twisters can reach up to 134 m/s (299 mph). Suffice to say, your average drone has no business going anywhere near a tornado…

The OTUS drone isn’t your average aerial device. It’s a new experimental drone, built around a 360 camera and with thermo sensors. But the footage isn’t just to satisfy human curiosity. The project, self-funded by meteorology and engineering students, is a means of gathering data on the destructive weather phenomena that could be used to help project both lives and property.

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Want more on storm chasing? "It's the terror which keeps you alive… I have no death wish. I have a life wish," says storm chasing photographer. If you're thinking of getting into drone content creation, here are the best drones for beginners. And if you're content with more conventional nature photography, here are my landscape photography tips.

DJI has launched two new drones, Lito and Lito X1. Both are targeting beginners, but there is a choice to be made between the lowest spec available and a more premium camera and features list. Either way, DJI is replacing its 'Mini' series' with these new drones, targeting first timers and content creators looking to make a splash.

In both cases the shell is a refined version of the ultralight folding design seen on the Mini 4K and the Mini 3 series. Crucially, that category is under 249g so it stays free of regulations in most countries.

What is new, however, is the top-and-bottom presence of a fish-eye lens of an all-round collision sensing and object tracking system, meaning this drone doesn't just bring the camera of your choice (1/2-inch sensor for the Lito, or larger 1/1.3-inch sensor for the Lito X1), but better safety and AI assistance than has been known in this class before.

Is it a wise choice, though (and is it a worthy upgrade)?

Lito series: Price

The Lito 1 launches at £299 for the drone and remote, and £429 for a Fly More Combo with a RC-N3 remote (so you still need your phone, but you get more batteries).

DJI Lito X1 retails for £369 – so the camera improvements are effectively costing £70 – but the Fly More Combo is £599 and comes with the RC 2 remote with built in screen.

US pricing is yet to be announced, though rumors suggest that the drone did pass FCC tests, so should be available to American pilots sometime soon.

DJI Lito 1 v Lito X1: Specs

I've shown the comparison with the 'Premium' X1 which is very similar, but uses a larger imaging sensor, and some other additional features.

DJI Lito: Build and handling

As the longstanding drone expert, I've come to accept that the ultralight category always feels a bit light in the hand – it has to. The limit of 249g (just under 9 ounces) is not that much given that the variable weather conditions that most of us attempt to fly in.

This drone, nevertheless, manages (in both variants) to feel tough where it needs to, specifically the sprung hinges for the arms, which also act as on/off switches, an elegant touch, saving a moment of thought (unless, like me, you've been trained to expect to turn the drone on manually for over a decade!)

I've waited a long time for drones to be this easy to get in the air, and it's very pleasing. In terms of data storage, the Lito 1 is an economy option, so it makes sense that – despite DJI offering it with so many products now – there is no on-board memory (that is an extra for the Lito X1). So you do need to budget for a MicroSD card but, for most drones, that was always the case until recently anyway.

Personally I honestly still find memory cards and the adapter the easiest way to get the video to my computer to edit it, too, but that's me. The DJI Fly app is also a good solution, especially for those with a more phone-based workflow.

DJI's airframe is not a surprise, but definitely built on tried and tested. The front arms also have 'legs' so the drone can take off from a flat surface without risking the optical sensors beneath (there are vision sensors and the new fish-eye tracking sensor).

The front of the Lito 1 has vents because it lacks LiDAR, but the fish-eye lens on the top and bottom provide a decent all round collision sensing system in decent light. It was able to detect and avoid trees in my tests.

The main camera of the Lito 1 is a half-inch sensor with 48 megapixels, and the gimbal keeps it impressively stable. Admittedly by this point I would expect nothing else of DJI, but it is definitely a better choice for the more videographically inclined than DJI's base level Neo 2, no matter how flexible.

DJI Lito: Performance

The weather could have been kinder to me during my limited test period with the Lito 1 and Lito X1, so I will be posting some additional images and clips in the coming weeks. I can say, though, that first impressions are good.

The camera quality when shooting video at 4K60fps was great on the day I was testing so long as I stuck to the 1x zoom view. Things were less impressive when I decided to zoom in. It's great that x2 and x3 digital zoom are options but I'd avoid the latter if I were you as the result is just too obvious.

The quality of the video in default mode is tonally good, very crisp, and DJI seem to get the color right – though it's a tough gig with me swinging round from flying into to away from the sun.

You can see how it looks in the video...

In terms of flight characteristics, things were a little tougher for the Lito 1, which I took out in winds at the upper end of its capabilities. It kept reminding me of this with a warning message – fair enough – and it was certainly noticeable how much it affected the flight speed against the wind.

Now I'm very experienced with drones, but perhaps it'd be sensible if that warning message was a bit clearer about the likely effect of the wind – the camera seems stable because the gimbal is so good, but flying against the wind is still going to use a lot more battery and take longer because physics is still physics!

DJI Lito: Overall verdict

To be clear, this is the review of the Lito 1 – though I mention the premium sibling (the Lito X1) once or twice. It's very difficult to think about buying the one without looking at the other, and, ultimately, if you're looking at the Lito 1 the reason is that price likely matters to you more than the subtleties of specification.

So what are you really missing out on? If you're using the drone during the day, and don't need D-Log M / High Dynamic Range (and not that many people really do unless they want to grade footage in editing), arguably not that much. Yes the LiDAR on the X1 also improves the collision avoidance and AI, but it's impressive here, able to detect people and vehicles from a good range.

Admittedly, if you don't have one, you'll also need to find the money for a MicroSD card so – arguably – the price difference is slightly narrowed there, but, in practice, especially when shooting at wider angles, this is an excellent drone. The collision sensing means you can confidently let the kids fly it, too (supervised, mind).

Alternatives

DJI has just launched two new drones at once – the much-teased Lito series. Both come in at 249g and target the beginner market, but offer a choice of cameras (and budget), as well as some significant upgrades over previous DJI drones for this space.

The drones will be priced at £299 (about $403 including UK sales tax) for the Lito 1 and £369 (about $500 including UK sales tax) for the more premium Lito X1.

In keeping with the distinction, there will be Fly More Combos featuring extra batteries, but the Lito 1 version is £429 and sticks with the cheaper remote control, which requires you to use your phone as a screen, while the Lito X1 variant is £599 but comes with DJI's premium RC 2 controller, which has a built-in screen.

The new drones seem to offer a replacement for the DJI Mini 4K, with better improved design features, while the more premium Lito X1 slots into a similar spot to the Mini 3 – with better safety features (so better for true beginners), but without the rotating camera. (You can still opt for vertical video, but the camera does not rotate, so it is not 'True Vertical Shooting' in DJI's own phrasing.)

DJI see the Lito 1 series as "the benchmark with no alternative," citing especially the 360-camera system that powers the active track. That doesn't mean the drone shoots 360 video like the DJI Avata 360, but that the drone is less likely to lose a subject when it is automatically keeping it in shot.

While DJI see the Lito series as replacing the Mini (but not the Mini Pro), there is no confirmed US sale state yet, so both will remain on the market around the world, but new entry-level drones will be 'Lito' while 'Mini Pro' will remain as a brand line.

It'll be interesting to see which, if any, earns a spot on the best drone for beginners guide – which is getting increasingly competitive.

See our full DJI Lito 1 review

The waterproof HoverAir Aqua was announced for pre-orders and demonstrations this week, a significant step in the product's development after previously being known only as a crowd-funded drone concept, and met with some scepticism by many!

The HooverAir Aqua is a drone for surfers, paddleboarders, kayakers, jet skiers, fishing fans, and boaters, boasting features like 4K/100fps slow-mo and Level 7 wind resistance. It can not only fly over water, but also take off from it.

While the HooverAir Aqua was initially announced last year, the drone came first to IndieGoGo. But this week, pre-orders have opened outside of crowdfunding in some regions, including the UK and Japan. The drone is not listed on the company's US website, likely due to the foreign-made drone ban.

According to the company's UK website, pre-orders are expected to begin shipping in late May.

HoverAir began its journey by effectively introducing the concept of the 'follow-me' drone, which uses its camera or other sensors to follow the subject and record them, like an angelic action camera.

The HoverAir X1 drone made some compromises compared to the established competition when it came to flight time, but they were the right ones. As it turned out, a few people wanted to be followed by a drone for half an hour without intervening to change settings, so the X1 design worked just fine. It was also innovative – introducing a safety cage and a light, easily pocketed folding frame.

The HoverAir X1 Pro and ProMax models developed the concept, and later had to face competitors too – like the DJI Neo. This new 'Aqua,' however, is an entirely distinct product, tackling a different area of drone operation (and another which has eluded other firms).

It is not wise to fly over water in most drones – certainly not near it. You certainly need to keep your hands firmly on the controls, as you only have GPS as backup. The problem is that the more precise positioning is done optically by pointing a camera down and tracking the landscape's contrast fingerprint using technology called the Vision Positioning System or Optical Flow.

Because water tends to look the same from above (or be moving), optical positioning systems have problems. Even more so if you hover near the water, disturb the surface, and push up spray. This has been a problem for drones wanting to operate near the surface – meaning HoverAir's drones couldn't be used by surfers, even though they could follow the humans. Until now, that is.

The solution used, apparently, is RTK (Real Time Kinematics), a technology where the drone knows where the user is (because they wear, in this case, a wristband that acts as a "lighthouse" for the drone). RTK has been used in drones for accurate positioning, but usually only for mapping, not as a consumer tech.

As an additional failsafe, the drone is sealed and buoyant, so it can land on water if needed. The design makes it highly visible, like a life preserver.

With demos having begun at legendary Tokoy electronics stores on April 14, pre-orders are presently being taken for the drone in some regions (Japan, UK) at what we're told is a discounted price (HoverAir bundle £1411 £1129).

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DJI is confirming two new launch dates with two separate new teaser trailers. One, titled "Just Fly" for April 23, just has to be the Lito drone – and another titled "More than Sound," and with a graphic that looks a lot like a microphone...

I've mentioned the swirling rumors about a DJI Lito drone before on these pages, but frustratingly, DJI has put out an animated graphic that does not reveal a lot more. It vaguely reminds me of the split-flap displays common at stations and airports, with wheels on the side that are reminiscent for kids of my generation of a toy called the Rubik's clock.

But a drone? Well... only the fact it actually shows the name 'Lito' in its 'display' gives that away (along with the tagline "Just Fly").

What we do know is that on April 23 you'll be able to watch the product appear yourself, and at that point we'll know for sure if this is an all new product category (as some say) or a replacement for the Mini 4K with a new look and feel.

Some suspect we'll see on-board memory to record video, as we have with so many other DJI products recently. Others have suggested that there will be a higher-end version with LiDAR obstacle avoidance (again, a common feature on DJI drones now).

What we definitely don't expect is for the drone to climb above the crucial 250g limit; although there are new rules in the UK (Class 0) attempting to encourage an even lower threshold of 100g, the 250g target is still common worldwide.

Also on the DJI socials is this rotating graphic of some rounded squares which certainly bring to mind the shape of the DJI Mic or Mic Mini devices we've seen all over YouTube (and of course I've tested here at DCW).

Is there actually a need for another DJI Mic or Mic Mini at this point? Well, the Mic 3 upgraded from the Mic 2 by reducing the weight significantly (28g to 16g) and boosting the internal storage from 8Gb to 32Gb.

Of course, the next contender for the best wireless microphone from DJI might be in its phone-friendly Mini series, but we'd hope to see similar capabilities (and perhaps some more charging options, without reverting to the case).

Next week, at NAB, GoPro is going to announce a new product line. There are a lot of rumors circulating, but one that would make more sense than you might think at first is that DJI will launch a drone.

Nearly everyone in the industry knows the "Why not" of this story: the truly catastrophic original GoPro Karma drone, but that was launched in 2016, and the world has moved on.

The biggest problem for the Karma, other than a tendency for the sample models to fall out of the sky, was the arrival of far better competition from DJI drones. But nowadays this is where things are looking up for GoPro – the US government is making life very difficult indeed for DJI, which is currently barred from seeking FCC approval for any new products.

The last few approved DJI products are sneaking their way out now, and then GoPro will find itself in a much less competitive landscape.

Ten years is a long time, too, and no doubt a lot of R&D has been going on at GoPro, which might make for a very interesting drone.

The GoPro Max 2, which I reviewed last year, shows the company has moved things a long way in the sphere of 360-degree cameras (a little pun there for the fans). The company is also working on putting cameras in other robust shells, as the acquisition of helmet camera firms suggests.

It's also true that most of the complaints – in so far as there are any – directed at GoPro Hero 13 Black are only about low light photography, which isn't much of a problem for aerial work, so there shouldn't be any worries about the kind of camera GoPro bring to the table.

GoPro has also added a gimbal, the Fluid Pro AI, to its repertoire in the last year, suggesting another key drone tech is in the bag.

Perhaps some of the innovative – but ultimately too complicated – ideas of the original Karma drone could be abandoned in favor of something more straightforward.

The design need not be so complicated, heavy & pricey this time. Forcing the buyer to acquire a gimbal and a GoPro Hero camera, even if it worked more reliably, gave people a lot of tools, but it also pushed prices up and made things difficult to use.

The 2016 product recall had, also, been dreadful timing in terms of the 2016 holiday sales market – the same time DJI was bringing out the foldable Mavic Pro and essentially creating the template for drones as we've known them for a decade.

GoPro has proven that it is able to acquire companies to get the tech it needs, before adding the final shine of usability and the company's well-liked subscription cloud service.

There are likely to be several opportunities around the world to collaborate for a company with a record of approaching things in this way. Ironically, one might even be – depending on how it is approached of course (lawyers would need to take a good look, not to mention the parties in question) the possibility of cooperation with DJI again.

Now, yes, things ended badly before – Karma's position as number 2 to DJI's top spot in the drone market was not enough to save the 250 team members GoPro laid off in early 2018, but things could be different.

DJI CEO Frank Wang and GoPro CEO Nick Woodman did talk together about working together about two years before Karma, and it was largely arrogance on Woodman's part that led to Karma being set up alone (or, rather, with the help of US drone startup 3D Robotics.

DJI had a decade of dominance, 3DR ended up making enterprise software, and the US government has stepped in to change the rules. Fair or not, now is definitely an opportunity GoPro could make the best of!

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The DJI Lito and DJI Lito XL aren't necessarily real drones yet – they are products suggested by known leakers – but that hasn't stopped an online debate about just who these drones are targeting.

Why? The most recent leak is what appears to be a DJI packaging design showing the specifications and, from that, people have argued over whether these drones are new products to replace existing parts of the DJI lineup, or targeting a new space altogether.

Original leak

Everything in the area is interesting, but it'd be great to know what exactly is coming – if anything – and when (especially if you're about to pull the trigger on a pre-summer drone purchase).

The other thing that is interesting is that this drone is, apparently, FCC cleared – meaning that the Avata 360 was not the last drone that DJI got past the FCC's clearance process before the DJI ban starts in the USA.

Why we can't be sure...

A rumor blog which we can't be 100% certain about, showed pictures of a DJI Lito X1 Fly More Combo Plus, including a DJI RC 2 controller, which suggests there will be full radio, not just wi-fi like the smallest toy drones. Then again, DJI has pulled the choice of controls off before in the Neo.

What springs to my journalist's mind is that, if you were going to fake a DJI release, then a 'Fly More Combo' with a RC 2 controller is exactly what you might see suggested by an unimaginative AI based on DJI's history. They only predict the future based on stuff they've seen already (one told me earlier that Artemis II couldn't have taken off because the data in it's model referred to it as a 'future' mission!)

You're not an AI, so you might actually think. And if you have that power, you might say: "Well, if it's called 'Lito', that sounds a bit like 'light' – as if it doesn't weigh very much – so perhaps we're looking at a drone not just under 250g but significantly under that threshold."

The drones DJI might look at...

DJI already has lighter drones – the DJI Neo – and some countries are starting to bring in even lower weight limits, not least the United Kingdom, which now (as of 2026) requires drones to be under 100g if the drone is to be used without any paperwork (Flyer ID or Operator ID).

It seems unlike that the Neo is up for replacement in the near future, though, as the DJI Neo 2 came out relatively recently and, as you can see from my DJI Neo 2 review, it actually upped the weight slightly – though it is still lighter than the DJI Mini series.

The DJI Mini series is split between lower-end products like the Mini 4K, which is getting on for two years old now. It has seen discounting in recent Amazon sales, too.

The idea that the Lito is a replacement for this is exactly the theory attributed to DJI leaker Mauro Tandoi – in a quote on DroneXL that doesn't actually appear on his own feed.

Tandoi has posted an image that is apparently 'shot on DJI Lito X1, however, so he clearly has an interest!

At the upper end of the ultralight spectrum is the DJI Mini 5, which has much more serious cameras. I'd be inclined to rule out DJI replacing that in the immediate future, however, because it is only six months old and because the Lito seen in these leaks doesn't look to be as well specified at a glance.

Alternative ideas

But what if this drone is something different altogether?

That's the other possibility. We are, after all, looking at a new name, so which shouldn't DJI be introducing another slightly different new product that will not step on any of the existing lines.

That theory has been advanced by YouTubers, and it makes a lot of sense, I think.

Spec Leaks

There are two different sets of specs – the difference between the Lito 1 and the Lito X1 – and the difference might be 22GB or 42GB of internal storage. Essentially, the drone looks like a more photography-focused lightweight drone. There might also be Lidar on the X1 only.

YouTuber TechAvid suggested that DJI might be looking to create a new class that was easier to learn than any other drone and new in that regard, like a flying action camera, but I'm not sure. That seems to ignore the rugged frame and the phone-operable simplicity represented by the Neo, so that claim doesn't quite hold water for me.

SkyRover connection?

It might also be the SkyRover S1, a drone which might possibly have some connection to DJI but in the USA is only sold under the SkyRover brand.

This doesn't go against the 'already FCC approved' view, but doesn't quite line up.

Some think that SkyRover are looking to create a CE-compliant version, so that it can be sold in the European Union and EEA (the EU plus Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Switzerland). It would also be likely that a company would seek UKCA at the same time as this is a very similar regulatory arrangement to CE (having diverged only after Brexit).

Check out our full guide to the best camera drones

Update with date

UPDATE: DJI has clarified some of the above speculation by sharing a "Just Fly" Lito announcement, highlighting April 23, on social:

NASA publishes a lot of videos of a launch, as it did with the historic Artemis II launch on April 1, but my favourite clip of the launch has to be the one captured from an officially-hired small plane, a Cessna, which orbited the launch pad.

With the unengaging name 'Cam 11 View' in this compilation of every shot of the launch of the SLS (19:32), the camera tracks the rocket from the pad all the way through Max-Q, Solid Rocket Booster (SRB) separation, and beyond – all shot from a camera on board a plane with no more than 14 seats.

If you're used to reading my material, it won't surprise you at all – the footage from this view looks a lot like the kind you get from a drone (and, indeed, if it were a model rocket you might get something similar with one of the best camera drones and a subject tracking feature, but of course Artemis II was no model.

The SLS rocket took a crew of four people further from the Earth than any humans had ever travelled, around the far side of the moon, from where they are now headed home and are scheduled to land on April 10.

More or less the end of the shot – with the SLS 78 miles from its launch – was the separation of the Launch Abort System, the tiny rocket from the top of the craft which could be used in an emergency to pull the relatively tiny personnel module (Orion) off the top of the 322ft (98.1m) tall rocket (that, incidentally, is 17ft taller than the Statue of Liberty).

It takes just eight minutes for the Artemis 2 SLS to burn through all its fuel, and with around 8.8 million pounds of thrust it is the most powerful NASA has ever launched – that despite still being slightly shorter than the Saturn V used during the original moon landing missions (that ship had around 7.5 million pounds of thrust).

Incidentally, one of the many reasons NASA didn't just fish out 50-year-old plans (apart from the very real fact you literally can't get the parts these days), is that the new SLS is designed to be more powerful and adaptable than the Saturn V.

That's pretty exciting for a space nerd like me who has watched the design make its way to reality through the Constellation program and into Artemis because, deep down, I've grown up wanting humanity to head back to space.

I do not expect to be an astronaut myself, but flying drones has been as close as I thought likely, and getting great orbiting images is part of that. Doing so is something that even the best beginner drones can help you achieve now thanks to AI subject tracking.

Oh, you don't need a rocket as your subject either – orbiting works for someone walking, running or cycling just as easily! It just helps add drama, as is so obvious in this brilliant NASA shot – though here, of course, the Cessna is a fixed-wing aeroplane so the circular movement is essential to keep the plane in the air.

It wasn't, incidentally, the NASA-painted Cessna doing the flight on the day, just one the agency hired for the job.

The Cessna Caravan, or 'Model 208' is a single-engine plane with enough room in the back for 10-14 passengers (or some camera gear) and was seen flying circles around the launch site by enthusiasts checking FlightRadar.

A recent recreation of the Titanic, leaving Belfast, where it was built, and heading for Southampton (where it would set out on its ill-fated maiden voyage) was not publicized in advance for "safety concerns."

The display, made up of 950 drones, was not promoted to the wider public of Belfast before it took place, even though it was a powerful tribute, highlighted around the world, and described as "hauntingly beautiful".

It took place on April 2, at 8pm, 114 years after the ship itself left the dock in Belfast which is now home to the Titanic Museum.

It featured drones hovering near the surface of the water, turning on their lights, then rising up to form the shape of the RMS Titanic, at 1:1 scale, hence many seeing it as a "Ghost Ship."

The original Titanic, which sank on the morning of April 15, 1912, after hitting an iceberg at 23:40 ship's time, April 14, 1912, resulting in the deaths of 1,635 passengers and crew. The incident, one of the most deadly in peacetime, has been the subject of films including A Night to Remember and Titanic.

Just 710 people survived the sinking of what was, at the time, the largest and most luxurious ship ever built, 882.75 feet (269 metres) long.

The display was made to highlight the BBC's four-part factual series, filmed and produced in Northern Ireland, Titanic Sinks Tonight, part of the BBC's wider 'Made of Here' series.

The series was originally aired in December and has since become one of the most popular shows on the BBC's streaming app 'iPlayer', and incidentally, the song used in the clip publicising the moment on TikTok was Nearer My God to Thee, the haunting music from A Night to Remember.

The full show tells the story – in docu-drama form – of the construction of the ship, the hitting of the iceberg, to the moment it sank forever, from the details of people's memories and public enquiries.

If you're interested in picking up one of the best camera drones yourself, look out for our guide, or the best beginner drone.

A 360-degree drone boasts an entirely different kind of camera, offering a complete, uninterrupted view of the world around the aircraft, which can be redirected and have its perspective or crop changed in post, after the flight, just like the best 360-degree cameras.

As a drone expert, I've tried both the 360-degree camera drones out there (including the different control options), and I've got a lot to say about them both, but don't worry – I'll keep it to the important bits! I've also thoroughly tested many more of the 360 cameras that can't fly, like the DJI Osmo 360 and the Insta360 X5.

Crucially, the two first-ever 360 drones have distinct designs, bringing advantages and disadvantages of their own, so if you're looking at joining this exciting new bandwagon, it's definitely worth taking a moment to look at the differences. I will explain which is best for you, depending on what you want to do (and how much you want to spend).

The Quick List

The best 360 drones

Best 360 drone for creatives

This drone is a fine choice for anyone keen to get into 360-degree drones, flying drones in general. It looks like a slightly bigger version of the Avata 2 (DJI's most recent acrobatic FPV drone), but this can be flown without any FPV skills – and still get the results.

All that is needed is to put a bit of time in following the flight with or DJI Studio to simulate a roll or other clever piloting trick, and all those are included in the software. Not to mention so many more reframing features.

It isn't perfect – you will still see stitching lines occasionally in the exported video, an issue with all 360-degree cameras – but DJI also offers a solution. You can tell the drone to operate in 1-camera mode and a whole lens points forward; by surrendering the possibility of re-framing, you can get

All this makes for a very smart drone, and the camera's capabilities

If you've got the latest DJI Goggles 3 / Motion Controller / RC2 – perhaps from the DJI Avata 2 or DJI Neo series drones – then there is an opportunity to add the 360 to your setup at only the cost of the drone.

Read my full DJI Avata 360 review, including sample video

Best lightweight 360 degree drone

The first-ever 360-degree drone also happened to be from a brand incubated by the biggest brand in 360-degree cameras: Insta360 (a consistent winner in my best 360-degree camera guide for good reason).

The cunning design is small and light – under the crucial 250g threshold that sidesteps a lot of rules – which is quite an achievement. It uses tiny automatic landing gear to protect the lens, and this worked in my testing.

I found flying it with the Grip controller profoundly satisfying. The maximum speed is good given the weight category,

The Antigravity A1's cool steampunk-looking goggles also solve an issue that many places have; that any friends or colleagues accompanying you can't see anything. Given it's often a requirement to have a 'spotter' with you when you fly using immersive FPV goggles, you want the world to be as interesting as possible when you invite them out.

Antigravity's solution – an outward-facing screen in one of the 'eyes' – is novel and useful, though the fact the goggles are essential make the drone less affordable than the Avata as you need three devices (you can buy the Avata with a standard two-stick controller, which is still fine for collecting 360-degree content).

This drone has the advantage that Insta360 provided its slightly more refined Studio app, making life a little easier when post-processing, which is useful for beginners.

Read my full Antigravity A1 review, including sample video

Which is best?

In this case, it isn't a simple answer because both drones are better at different things. The video quality from the DJI Avata 360 is slightly better, and it can be flown that bit faster (with a little bit more confidence) thanks to its extra weight and "cinewhoop" frame design.

The Antigravity A1, however, comes in below the 250g limit, meaning you can use it in more places, with less or no paperwork or fees. The marginal speed difference seems less of a problem there, and the place list seems even longer, given how small the drone folds up.

If you want the 360 FPV experience in a way that most people can enjoy it – in fact, if you want the FPV experience in perhaps the most impressive way there is – then I'd recommend the A1. The content you create will also be very striking.

However, if you're thinking more about the after-the-fact content generation, then the Avata 360 does have a better camera (60fps 10-bit beating 30fps 8K), and the ability to be operated more flexibly. It might also be cheaper.

So, my instinct is to suggest the DJI Avata 360 is the choice for YouTubers, TikTokers, and Instagrammers – and the Antigravity A1 is more for drone enthusiasts.

All can slightly change with the software, however; in the land of 360 post-processing tools really matter as you'll need to use them. Here, actually, while both have good tools, Antigravity has a slight edge on usability.

Creators, though, will still be at home with DJI's features, so I doubt it's a huge issue, but if anything, this situation supports my creators v hobbyists distinction between these two amazing drones.

The new DJI Avata 360 drone was authorized for sale in the USA late last year, so is not impacted by the ban on new DJI drones. However, the highly-antiipated drone will still not launch for sale on the DJI official USA store despite being launched around the world today.

There are some rumors of a future release date in the USA – DroneDJ is suggesting that there could be release date as soon as March 30 – but I put this to DJI and the company did not confirm this. Nonetheless prices on the Avata 2 have fallen in the US.

It is likely, too, that unofficial channels will emerge – US-based camera retailer B&H already has a link for the new drone listing it as 'coming soon'.

The new DJI Avata 360 is DJI's first drone (and only the world's second) with an 8K 360-degree camera system, meaning it can essentially see the entire world around it – a sphere – and that information can be digitally manipulated after the flight for multiple creative possibilities.

👨🏻‍🔬 Read my full review Avata 360 with sample videos and images

The drone uses dual 1/1.1-inch (or "effective 1-inch" as DJI puts it) image sensors, boasting 2.4 μm pixels (relatively big, helping the drone capture detail in low light)., and can capture video at 60fps in HDR.

The drone features the ability to fly with traditional controllers or FPV goggles, and a AI subject tracking feature called 'Spotlight Free' – likened to an alternative to the 5-figure priced Inspire 3, but the virtual gimbal means it can be done after the flight.

Video can be edited in both the DJI Fly (phone) and DJI Studio (computer) app, and it is surprisingly sophisticated.

The drone also boasts 42GB (enough for about 30 minutes of 8K 60fps 360 video), as well as a MicroSD card slot.

Since the drone isn't (yet) officially on sale in the USA, there are no prices in dollars, but it is available for prices from £409 / AU$799 (about $550) for just the drone, through £639 / AU$1159 (about $855) with the DJI RC2 controller, to a Fly More Combo for £829 / AU$1619 (about $1110) – making it very competitive in this new category.

DJI, the largest and most successful consumer drone company, is not often second to any sphere, but Insta360’s drone arm Antigravity got its ‘A1’ 360-degree drone out late in 2025. The two drones, however, are very different.

While the A1 is all about folding, the Avata 360 is bigger, heavier, and seems to be built with creators in mind. It has a frame – and a name – inherited from DJI’s series of FPV drones (which require goggles to fly), but that is only an option here; pilots can choose to navigate with a ‘traditional’ stick controller and enjoy the advantages of post-flight video manipulation.

That offers a cost-saving as well as a creativity alternative, but despite a lower cost of entry, DJI has not skimped on specs – this drone has an 8K video system, collision sensors, and is capable of some pretty nifty speeds. Is this the new king of 360-degree drones? I tested it, and this is what I thought...

Price

At launch, the DJI Avata 360 can be picked up in a number of different bundles, all of which help make it surprisingly accessible and good value – especially if you’ve already got some experience with DJI.

The drone alone is £409 / AU$799 (about $550).

With the most basic remote controller, the DJI RC2, the drone is £639 / AU$1159 (about $855)

The Fly More Combo pushes that to £829 / AU$1619 (about $1110), and there is a version of the combo with the DJI RC2 or one with the motion (wand) controller.

Specs

Build and handling

On unboxing, the first thing that I noticed was that the Avata 360 is a surprisingly big drone. That’s partly because, given the “cinewhoop” styling (guards around the propellors) the natural comparison is the popular, cheap, and VERY small DJI Neo as much as it is the Avata 2, but this is bigger than both of those drones.

DJI has opted for a rotating camera mechanism, so, when on the ground the drone, has a front-facing camera (one of the two 4K fish-eye cameras that make up the 360-degree camera). Once aloft, the entire block on which it sits rotates 90 degrees, so one lens points down and the other points upward, together functioning as an 8K 360-degree camera.

This rotation is essential as otherwise the delicate lens would need to rest on the ground during take-off and landing, and is arguably a more elegant solution than the A1’s landing legs.

There is also the option to fly with one camera facing forward and the block will then act as a 1-axis gimbal to stabilize the video.

Both of these cameras have a 1/1.1-inch image sensor (DJI is calling them ‘1-inch equivalent’) with a 200˚ field of view (specs which might be very familiar if you’ve seen DJI’s land-based Osmo 360 action camera.

The front of the drone also has two collision sensors that are part of an omnidirectional collision sensing system.

The control mechanism will be familiar to anyone who has already used a DJI drone, since it uses the RS2 or the floating joystick/wand-like ‘Motion Controller’, which I find makes FPV a joy.

Refined over time, the DJI control system displays a live view on the screen or in the goggles, with data like the remaining batteries and other essentials displayed graphically.

There is a slight change, though. Where in the past you might have seen a 1x 2x 4x ‘stepped’ zoom, there is instead a FOV option which even lets you explore a ‘small world’ view, such is the capability of a 360-camera. The dials can also be used to do this smoothly, but the result is the same (I let my junior ‘reviewer’s assistant’ try this and he found it a bit strange, but enjoyable).

Software

The real difference between shooting in 360 using a traditional camera is the export process, since most of the time you’ll need to share the video or photo as a traditional ‘flat’ image.

DJI provide a tool called DJI Studio for Mac or PC, which can be downloaded and handles this task – it looks a lot like a video editor and adding keyframes is not too difficult.

Personally, I found it a bit clunky compared to Final Cut Pro, my editor of choice, but to some extent, this is a matter of getting used to it. The app does feature a good implementation of after-the-fact subject tracking, so you can do a fly-by at speed, then later make it seem like the camera followed the person as you flew by (DJI liken this to having a second camera operator on the DJI Inspire 3 cinematography drone).

Performance

For my first flight, I opted to stick to the standard RC-2. (In the UK, where I was testing the drone, it’s legally required to have a ‘spotter’ with you to use goggles, so feel free to read ‘opted’ and ‘had no friends’ however you choose there)

I was impressed with the drone’s speed and manouverability given that the build is a little bit bigger, and a little less dense, than the Avata 2.

At first I was a little nervous about flying the drone near obstacles, but the cinewhoop design meant I was able to bump it into trees with reasonable confidence that the drone would survive. The lenses are another matter, but DJI has thought of that too, and they are replaceable.

The drone's battery life seems pretty good by old-school FPV standards (though might trouble some videographers, used to drones with over 30 minutes. Thrash it around for a bit of drama, though, and the nominal '23 mins' will drop a lot faster (as is always the case). Nonetheless I think the balance is about right; I didn't feel unduly restrained by the battery.

Sample Images

Sample Video

You'll see some stitching issues when the drone gets close to trees, but for the most part the video is of impressive quality. It is edited entirely within DJI Studio, in a bit of a hurry I have to admit.

If you're unaware of the term, stitching refers to the joining of the two half-world images that go to making the drones spherical world view from the two separate cameras – the cameras do vibrate a little, so the stitching line appears when objects are close. This seems to have been well-managed with this device, but not perfectly.

Overall verdict

Thanks to the various leaks and spoilers, it’s been easy to anticipate the form a DJI 360-degree drone might take, but even without them, this is exactly the right approach for the established market leader. It caters to its broad creative base.

The fact is confident in its weight and size suggest that DJI knew all along that high-quality visuals – the content – mattered more in the design of the Avata 360 than hitting legal thresholds for certain consumers.

The result is a more obviously professional-friendly drone that is perhaps the YouTuber or TikToker’s perfect upgrade from the DJI Neo, with the capability to dramatically change the tone of aerial shots, and get more work done in less time.

It’s not perfect. 8K is adequate, but as a long-time reviewer of 360-degree cameras and (more recently) drones, I can’t help but hope that more detail comes. It’s the best any consumer device offers now, looking very good thanks to those big sensors, and surprisingly reasonably priced. If portability and hobby flying are your goals, perhaps look back at the A1, but otherwise, this is a very tempting proposition.

Alternatives

How I test drones

I am a drone expert, with years of experience flying drones – when I started you more or less had to build them yourself, though the consumer era was just beginning. I have operated drones commercially for TV, as well as for pleasure, and I also take a 'young apprentice' with me where I can to get the view of the youthful generation, as I did with the Avata 360. In other words the one thing I've learned over the years – and the thing I put into practice is this: you need to experience the drone in real-world conditions yourself. So that's what I do. As you'll see from the pictures, I flew the Avata 360 with different controllers in different lighting conditions.

The Department for Homeland Security (DHS) has asked Americans “If you see something, say something” about drone use, meaning you need to be much more confident you're following the rules or risks of $100,000 fines and worse kick in.

Steven Willoughby, executive director of DHS’s Program Executive Office for Drones and Counter-Unmanned Aircraft Systems (Counter-UAS), has made this clear indication to Americans, and there are a number of ways the public can contact the authorities. These include:

• Dialing 911 in an immediate emergency, such as drones is risking safety (being flown near manned aircraft).
• Harassment & privacy concerns should be directed to the police.
• The local FAA office in the case of suspected rule breaches – flying above 400ft, or over people. The FAA maintain guidance on how to report sightings.

Drone operators can of course avoid being the subject of a fine by not breaking any rules, but there will still be scenarios where operations arouse the suspicions of a bystander or neighbor even where it is legal.

Now, given the guidance from Willoughby, this kind of thing could result in a significant response.

The FAA's quotes on the subject speak to strict enforcement, but fairness: “As drone use continues to grow, we are stepping up enforcement... Drone pilots are expected to follow FAA regulations just like any other pilot.” said chief counsel Liam McKenna.

Reading between the lines, the point is that enthusiast pilots are jsut as much at risk of action as professionals.

Possibly incidents like the March 9-15 overflights of multiple drones at the Barksdale nuclear bomber base, as reported on ABC news, recently admitted to by the US Air Force, have increased sensitivity.

Clip of ABC news reporting on the Barksdale incursion. Barksdale is the second-largest Air Force base, with 15,000 people on base, and a key part of the US nuclear deterrent.

The solution for drone operators will be to document flights as carefully as possible so that, should you become the object of suspicion, you can show you were operating within the rules.

It is also more sensible than ever to use apps like Aloft (formerly Kittyhawk) to plan flights.

Many of the best camera drones have some kind of built in flight safety systems, too.

DJI, the market leader in the consumer drone world, has filed six new patent cases against Insta360 Intermediate People's Court, according to posts on social media, the first time DJI has done anything like this in its home market of China.

DJI has been facing growing competition from Insta360, which has created action cameras and recently, its own drone brand Antigravity.

At the same time, DJI has been creating products in areas that were first occupied by Insta360 – not least the Osmo 360 camera, both of which are competing to be the best action camera was well as the best 360 camera.

Until now, though, DJI has kept the competition in the retail sphere, not the courtroom, unlike, for example, the environment in the US, where GoPro has already sought, unsuccessfully, to make patent claims against Insta360.

Now, though, with the release of the Avata 360 – DJI's long-awaited answer to the Antigravity A1 360-degree drone – expected just days away (March 26), it seems that the battle will be fought in the courtrooms as well as the skies.

In a Weibo post – the Chinese short messaging platform – the Independent Photographers Association suggests that core areas will be involved, including patents on flight control, structural design, and image processing.

Perhaps more interestingly for those who enjoy a personal side, they are suggesting that some of this information travelled with an employee who left DJI and moved to Insta360.

Insta360 CEO Liu Jingkang – often known as "JK Liu" – said in his own Weibo account, he suggested that, in the case of DJI suing Insta360, everyone can simply wait for the court’s normal evidence collection and investigation procedures. Such disputes are common in the competition between technology companies, but took the opportunity to point out:

"GoPro and DJI suing us is entirely understandable given the mentality of giants facing market share losses. Conversely, many functions and accessories of DJI's panoramic camera and thumb camera have been reported by the media as "copying" or "strikingly similar"

JK Liu sums up his long response: "We respect intellectual property rights, but at the same time, we respect facts, legal procedures, and rulings. We are not afraid of any patent litigation, we do not engage in existing market competition, and we will only use continuous innovation to expand the market and win a place. We will not use weapons unless absolutely necessary."

A message that seems to have earned him a lot of positive responses in the Chinese social platform's chat. It'll be interesting to see if the courts take it the same way.

The DJI Neo is a brilliant drone, but there is a lot of choice. It's a drone you can buy for surprisingly little money and get amazing tech – it can take off from your hand, follow you using AI and take pictures, and land again. Even the base model will do that, but with discounts across (almost) all the range, are there good reasons to spend a bit more? As DCW's "Mr Drone", here are my thoughts...

How do I learn more about drones?

I keep a guide to the best drones for beginners (where the Neo features very well given its combination of value, safety, and features) and the best drones for kids.

The thermal cameras in a DJI Matrice 30T are cited in a scientific research document as the tech used for monitoring vital signs in dolphins which can dramatically reduce stress for the creatures, while helping us

The team behind the paper, Charlie White, Andrew P. Colefax, and Guido J. Parra, discuss the advantages of using remote devices to monitor the health of dolphins rather than traditional "invasive" methods of temporarily catching the creatures and measuring them.

Those measurement methods are not just taking temperature on the surface, either – many researchers conduct rectal probes, make the dolphins ingest radio-telemetry pills and internal data loggers, and conduct electrocardiograms.

If breathing and temperature can be monitored remotely, dolphins and humans can live together more easily.

DJI's precision is ±2 °C when the measurements are taken at relatively close-range (though 10 meters is still considerably less close than the above), but given scientists had already determined that the stress was creating a ±4 °C variance in the data, it's arguably better to use the drones according to the data collected.

The DJI Matrice 30T boasts a thermal camera with 640 x 512 pixels and a refresh of 30 fps. The two traditional cameras are 12 MP wide and and a zoom with 48 MP too.

Dolphins images were taken at or near the surface, so the optical cameras could be used for feature identification, helping know which dolphin was which.

Interestingly, the experimenters still felt that drones might bother the dolphins, so ther were given fly-bys to help acclimatize them first.

The experimenters also took flights at a number of different altitudes – specifically 30m, 15m, 10m and 5m. These are scientists, of course, but 30m is 98ft. Only lower down were the dolphin's individual personalities clearer enough, and, importantly for the scientists, the details of the dolphins.

Measurements that are telling include the blowhole and dorsal fin temperature, and these need to be out of the water the moment the thermogram (temperature photo) is captured.

In what might be bad news for dolphins, the report concluded that the use of drones is feasible, but didn't find a connection with the other measurement that has traditionally been collected for dolphin group health studies – rectal temperature.

Despite this weakness, there is definitely the option to gather data more efficiently and cause less irritation to dolphin populations. For now, though, it looks more likely to be done in places like Australia where there are no limitations on the equipment choices.

Choices of the best thermal drones in the USA are now distinctly limited by the ban on new DJI drones, at least while it is still being challenged in the courts.

The new Skyrover S1 – and its controllers – looks a lot like a cross between some of DJI's cheaper lighter drones, but it's not exactly the same – and perhaps it's even better. It's just launched in the USA, too, so we've not had chance to offer our full verdict.

The Skyrover S1 boasts a 7.45 mile (12km) video range, a little longer than the DJI Mini 4K drone that it is priced similarly to, and forward which the Mini 4K doesn't have at all.

Otherwise the design is similar, with a camera on a gimbal that can capture smooth footage but, if you want to shoot for social media in a portrait format, you can – you just have to operate in a cropped mode that misses on a lot of the pixels (unlike, say, the DJI Mini 3).

It was first thought that SkyRover was a brand that was using DJI tech but side-stepping the US ban on the brand, and certainly the first SkyRover X1 seems a lot like the DJI Mini 4 Pro, albeit a lot more colorful.

A few more months have passed, and, interestingly, the new S1 has its own shell design, not seen on DJI products precisely. And let's face it, the folding four-leg design is hardly just DJI anymore (the company's original Mavic 1 having really hammered the ideas into consensus, but being a long time back now, in 2016).

Other signs that things are truly different are things like taking a drone that shoots 4K video and using phrases like "True 8K clarity unleashed" on the company website – which SkyRover does, like many low-cost brands. It's not strictly wrong (the company is referring to the drone's still images), but in my experience DJI has never made a claim quite so misleading under its own brand.

The software on the controller, though, does look very similar, even the subject tracking graphics (and those features are all there).

Will this make it into our best drones guide or best drones for beginners guide? It looks like it's got the tech and the value, but, as yet, we have not been offered a review model.

Until today, we've been speculating about the upcoming Avata 360. We've had a lot to go on, not least a tantalising FPV video which could only have been shot with the 360 drone. But DJI didn't (officially) make a drone with a 360-degree camera, so what was happening?

Well, when I looked at the New Dimension teaser, I think I got a lot right. For one thing the new social post – "Above It All, See It All" confirms that there will be launch on 26 March, and not only names the product Avata 360 but adds "8K flagship 360˚ drone" which does very much give the game away.

What is left unknown, to be revealed at 12PM GMT / 9AM EST?

There is still the actual specs of the aircraft. For one thing, there is a lot of discussion online about the likely propeller count, with leaked pictures suggesting there might be four.

Price will be significant and, of course, price will only be some of the equation – how will the drone be operated? What bundles will be available? What will the battery life be like?

Will there be a new model of FPV goggles, and a new expense involved? Or will DJI find a way to keep costs down for loyal customers so they are not distracted by the now-established Antigravity A1 – the first 360˚ drone, which was launched last year.

Consumers will also be interested to know if the Avata 2 will continue or whether this is essentially seen as a replacement technology.

That is especially dependent on the image quality, which will only be seen once we've tested the device, as the best 360-degree cameras are, of course, dependent on the stitching of the image.

DJI has experience here with the impressive Osmo 360, a camera that entered the space well (taking on Insta360 X5 and beating the GoPro Max 2 to the punch), but did struggle in the US. That will also be a question. Was this approved in time, or is this a launch only for the 'rest of the world'?

Software does matter, though, in the world of 360-video, so apps will matter too.

In other words, check back here when we can answer those questions – it'll be worth it!

I tested the 8K flying cinema camera that is the DJI Inspire 3 just before it's launch in 2023, and it has since become a staple of the global film industry for the reasons I highlighted in that review.

The downside, however, has always been the cost of entry – this kind of technology is not ever going to be cheap – but DJI has gone some way to making it more affordable with a new Inspire 3 Basic Package.

Of course the deal is even better if you're already using compatible lenses – for example if you shoot with the DJI Ronin 4D – a cinema camera system which has carved a bigger and bigger niche in the industry because it has a built-in gimbal (all running from the same battery).

The Ronin 4D cameras and the Zenmuse X9 gimbal included here both use the DJI DL mount, which supports native autofocus and powered zoom. There are a number of native DJI primes (18mm, 24mm, 35mm, 50mm, 75mm) and third-party options.

The remote, however, is not included in this new bundle, which will itself set you back a not insignificant £1,299.00, but even then the overall cost is a four-figure drop on the previous bundle.

Availability is a little frustrating for those in English-speaking countries, with availability of the new bundle coming sometime next month, even though it has dropped already in some parts of mainland Europe – in France the bundle is called 'Package de base' but it's essentially the same deal.

• DJI France 🇫🇷 – 'Package de base' available today: €7,999 (about $10,648.31).
• DJI UK 🇬🇧 – available 'April': £7,999 (about $10,648.31).
• DJI USA 🇺🇸 – DJI didn't offer me any news of a US version of this deal.

This is not the only way you can get some significant and high-end imagery from DJI drones by spending less, and – in many, many scenarios – there is a serious argument to be made for the relative convenience, battery life, and checking the DJI Mavic 4 Pro's relative rank on my best camera drones guide might be interesting.

If you need 8K, though, and interoperability with Ronin cameras, this is great news. I'll also say that when I was working regularly as a drone operator, clients were always a lot more impressed with the Inspire even if they ended up using the video shot from a Mavic. Sometimes, sadly, that matters!

DJI's new teaser doesn't explicitly confirm the long-rumored Avata 360, but it comes as close as possible to doing so, and it has immediately set the drone world alight.

It's unusual for DJI, the biggest brand in consumer drones, to be behind the game but, in 2025, the Insta360-incubated brand Antigravity launched the first consumer 360-degree drone, the Antigravity A1. Since then the entire industry has been waiting to see how DJI would respond.

I've seen leaked images from various sources – some reliable, some not-so reliable, but until now, there has been nothing from DJI themselves. But there is no way this social post can be misinterpreted.

Not only does the first line, "An all-new dimension," allude to the idea that the camera tech is going to change, and the hashtags confirm that we're looking at a DJI drone – not one of the company's many other product categories, but the intense video edit itself features the 'small world' effect associated with 360-degree cameras.

That's because you need a 360-degree camera to see the whole world around the camera while the camera is still moving like this. Indeed, the effect is one you can create using DJI's own land-based Osmo 360 camera, as well as the Antigravity A1 (not to mention the Insta360 X-series cameras and the GoPro Max 2)!

Not only that, but the camera capturing the video in the clip is clearly flying the kind of path you'd associate with the best FPV drones, hence my concluding 'Avata' is likely the name here.

I am definitely not alone in this assumption. Perhaps the biggest DJI leaker, Igor Bogdanov, who posts on X, has been suggesting this will be the name of the future DJI 360 drone for some time, too:

So, what specs would I anticipate? Coming late to the market, DJI has to at least match the Antigravity, so I'm expecting to see:

• 8K (total between two back-to-back cameras) at 60fps
• 4 blade props (seen in some leaked pics)
• Propellor guards
• Collision sensors

At the moment there is no reliable news on pricing, though we can assume as FPV drone so there will likely be packages from $500 to well over $1,200 depending on the need to acquire the drone only or controllers, and what level of compatibility there is with DJI's existing controllers and FPV goggles like the Goggles 3 from the existing Avata 2.

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Check my guides to the best action cameras and the best 360 cameras, as well as my guide to the best FPV drones and the best camera drones.

DJI fans will be interested to know we're also seeing a lot of talk about other upcoming DJI products, and deals on current FPV drones.

DJI isn’t going down without a fight – the drone giant has now filed a lawsuit arguing that the ban placed on its products in the US is “substantially flawed.”

In December, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) placed DJI – as well as all other “foreign-made drones” – on a list that prevents any new products from gaining the necessary authorization to be sold in the US.

Now, the drone giant has filed a lawsuit in the US Court of Appeals Ninth Circuit, claiming that the FCC exceeded its authority, failed to follow procedures, and violated the Fifth Amendment when it added DJI products to its Covered List.

“The FCC can add products to the Covered List only when they present a national security threat, yet it has never identified any threat associated with DJI or its products,” DJI wrote in a statement. “Despite repeated efforts to engage with the government, DJI has never been given the chance to provide information to address or refute any concerns. These procedural and substantive deficiencies violate the Constitution and federal law.”

The DJI drone ban came about last December more by inaction than action – the year before, Congress had passed a law requiring the drone maker to pass a security review or face an automatic ban. No security review was ever started, despite DJI’s repeated concerns that the law failed to outline who would handle the review, nor what would happen if the review wasn’t completed in time.

DJI says that because the company was placed on the FCC ban without a security review and without identifying a national security threat, the ban violates the Fifth Amendment, which added the right to a trial, due process, and other trial-related rights to the Constitution.

“DJI takes the security of its products very seriously,” the company wrote. “The company has long advocated for independent, objective review of its products. As part of our commitment to the U.S. market and our customers across numerous industries, we will continue to engage constructively with the FCC and other stakeholders.”

While the FCC ban was expected as the deadline for passing the security review approached, the FCC didn’t just ban DJI and Autel but all “foreign-made drones.” While the FCC Covered List update now prevents any new drones made after the FCC ban from entering the US, the wording also bans DJI’s other non-drone products, including action cameras.

DJI’s placement on the FCC Covered list prevents new products from receiving the necessary authorization to be sold in the US. Previously authorized drones are still legal to sell and fly, but new DJI drones and other products that did not receive FCC authorization before the ban are not allowed to be sold in the US. Rumors hint – or perhaps hope – that DJI may have managed to get at least one more FCC registration in for a new product before the ban.

DJI filed the lawsuit against the FCC on February 20 in the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, one of the federal appellate courts that sit below the Supreme Court. A court date has not yet been set.

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Browse the best drones or the best drones for beginners.

DJI Enterprise has released a video joining the dots between the Dock 3, the Matrice 4TD drone, and cheaper skiing and snowboarding holidays – and perhaps in the future more efficient hosting of events like the Milano Cortina 2026.

DJI's Dock 3 allows drones to almost take over the management of a ski resort – just as we've seen drones help with the videography at the Winter Olympics, here they can help with the delivery of the snow. That's significant because it accounts for half a resort's high energy budget.

In the video DJI has shared, we can see how the Dock 3 has been used by the iconic Planai resort in Austria to deploy drones which can monitor the snow machines at the resort.

Manufacturing snow at the resort is an expensive business, and very dependent on weather conditions, which the drones can monitor very precisely. The more precise the monitoring, the less wastage of manufactured snow, and the lower the creation cost.

If, however, snow is created without careful monitoring, it can end up being blown away from the ski trails, and result in the use of expensive water and energy, which, in turn, increases the costs at the resort.

The other function of drones is to inspect the rest of the infrastructure, to ensure that cable cars and lift systems are in good condition.

The DJI-based system has been set up by local technology company KIONIQ which bought them from spektakulAIR, DJI's local reseller, and they use the FlightHUB software to get 'a completely new perspective'.

Monitoring how the wind affects the spray of the snow from the snow guns that produce snow increases efficiency over time.

DJI Dock 3 can operate in temperatures as low as -30°C (-22°F), one of the few that can. That means drones can pop out at night with lights on – possibly the death of the risky midnight snowmobile run. This has a safety advantage in that staff aren't required to go out onto the slopes to do the inspections (and cover the snow with burned carbon). All the engine power and risk of snowmobiles is a more serious issue than the fun over time!

New snow guns were also deployed, which could be remotely directed, and other extra capabilities now easily exist at the resort, such as locating missing persons with drones, and even pre-checking for avalanche risk.

Ski lift passes cost money because snow is expensive to make – this can help keep the costs down, so these drones (with their 50-minute flight time, triple camera (thermal, zoom & wide), IP55 weather resistance, and autonomy) offer some hope.

The DJI Matrice 4TD uses thermal drone cameras to read the temperature of the surface. We also have a guide to the best thermal drones and the best thermal cameras.

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Check our guide to the best camera drones and, if you are somewhere these drones aren't allowed, the best non-DJI drones.

Drones are taking center stage at this year's Winter Olympics, which opened in Italy this weekend. For the first time, broadcasters are making wide use of FPV drones to follow competitors' every move as they hurtle down the slopes, or race round the icy tracks.

This is exactly the sort of task that is perfectly made for this type of first-person video drone – quite literally giving a TV audience a view of just what it looks like to ski down the iconic Olimpia delle Tofane course from the comfort of their armchairs.

But as the FPV drones tail the competitors, it is not just the images that you get from these cameras. The buzzing sound of their high-pitched rotor motors has become a new acoustic backdrop for the events. This type of quadcopters are known as cinewhoops by enthusiasts precisely because of this whooping whine that the propellers make as they fly.

This whirring sound was particularly noticeable in the Big Air snowboarding events over the weekend. As the young boarders performed their tricks off the 75-foot ramp, you could hear and see their miniature mechanized companions track their somersaults as the TV showed coverage from the more traditional fixed-position cameras.

Safety when using FPV drones at these major spectator events is a major concern. In 2015, the international ski federation banned the use of drones when one crashed during a competition just missing slalom champion Marcel Hirscher during a race. They did not return to the alpine sport's World Cup circuit until the 2023-24 season.

The drones are flown by a skilled pilot wearing goggles, who can skillfully control the distance of the UAV from the competitor, anticipating the path of the course and the athlete. A second operator is typically used to control the FPV camera itself.

“Every athlete accelerates and flies differently. If you don’t understand those subtleties, you miss the moment or outrun them,” says OBS FPV drone operator Jonas Sandell, who was a ski jumper on Norway's national team before becoming a pilot.

The skill of these pilots is particularly highlighted during coverage of the luge where the drone must navigate some of the tight, narrow curves of the Cortina Siding Center's 1,445m / 1,580 yd run at speeds of up to 90mph / 140km/h.

The drones do not follow the competitor down the whole of the run... instead confining their coverage to sections where there are few spectators.

The FPV drones are custom-built with an inverted blade design, with propellers mounted beneath rather than above in order to enhance aerodynamic efficiency and enable smoother flight curves. The batteries are engineered for rapid replacement, typically lasting for two athlete runs in the freezing temperatures before needing to be swapped.

The Olympic Broadcasting Services says that it is using over 800 camera systems to cover the 2026 Games, including the use of 25 drones. The OBS used FPV drones for the first time at the Paris Olympics for the mountain bike events.

"Traditional coverage has relied on two primary dimensions: fixed or semi-fixed cameras that provide stable, ground-level perspectives, and cable cameras, cranes, or helicopters that deliver smooth, linear tracking shots. FPV drones bring a true “third dimension,” the broadcaster explains.

Check out our guides to the best FPV drones and to the best camera drones that you can buy ready-made

My favourite new drone of the last few months – because it changes the game, and does so with aplomb – has been the Antigravity A1. With its 360-degree cameras and FPV it is a new technology to the drone space, a world first, but anyone can pick it up and understand it.

Now the company are encouraging a world-wide offer, so Amazon, and many other dealers, are offering it for 15% off – saving $240 (£184) on the cheapest bundle, and rather more on the 'Infinity Bundle' (see Amazon USA / Amazon UK).

In my review, I explain the details of how this drone has changed the way you can create video and learn to fly, but the essence of it is that much of the tech – and the money – behind the hugely successful Insta360 X-series (our picks for the best 360-degree cameras) decided to take on DJI at the drone market and beat that company to bringing 360-degree cameras to the air.

The drone boasts an 8K view of the whole world around it, and can record a complete spherical view of everything it sees. That means that, as pilot, you can look around you simply by turning your head thanks to the motion sensors in the supplied FPV goggles. It also means that, after the flight, you can use Insta360's software to re-direct the camera angle.

That opens a world of creative possibilities and means that this isn't just an FPV drone that can fly through tight holes – already an impressive piloting trick that looks good in video. No, this is on where you can do that and then turn the camera to follow something else. Easily.

In my full review of the Antigravity A1, I noted just how effectively the company managed to tackle the significant number of technical challenges this project threw up, including keeping all obstacles out of view when the drone is in flight. The company even introduces new safety technologies, like detecting unexpected payloads, as well as established safety tech like collision sensors.

The drone nevertheless makes it below the 250g weight limit that makes it an easy first-time purchase with limited paperwork in most places, and, of course, Antigravity isn't DJI either – so the company is still allowed to sell in the USA.

This deal, we think, will run through the first week or so of February.

Drone photography has revolutionized the art of taking pictures arguably as much as the invention of the digital camera, creating awe-inspiring perspectives that go well beyond what us meager ground-level dwellers could ever imagine.

The 2013 release of the first commercial photography drone, the now-discontinued DJI Phantom, took photography to epic proportions, but has also led to what I think is the biggest false expectation in photographic history.

Think about it, when are you ever going to see the world from these magnificent heights? I can think of just two situations: if you’re lucky enough to be sat in a window seat of a flight or if you’re paragliding; it just doesn't happen.

For me, the beauty of photography is about showing the viewer what’s actually there. And yes, drone photography obviously depicts reality, but it’s not our reality. I want my viewers to know what it was like to have been standing in my shoes – and it’s what I want to experience when I look at other people’s photos.

After all, photography is all about creating connection – and you could argue that, since none of us has ever seen the world as a drone has, that this connection is lost, or at least falsely implied.

Another angle of the drone photography ‘lie’ is what seems to be the new standard for what’s considered a good image. Nowadays there’s a mad obsession with capturing everything from 500 feet and unless a picture was taken from a small buzzing, flying machine, then it doesn’t deserve to be shared.

What’s wrong with good old ground-level perspective? Have we forgotten that there are so many fascinating angles down here, too?

I guess this all plays into the Instagramification of photography where everything has to be bigger and better: more saturated, more contrasty, more moody… but that’s a whole other opinion in itself.

My point is, while drone photography is impressive, mind-blowing, awe-inspiring and all the other wordy adjectives I can think of, it only exists on a screen. And what’s more disappointing than building up an expectation of a place based on these incredibly scenic viewpoints you’ll never actually see?

Drones did take our beloved craft to new heights, quite literally. But let’s not forget that the true photographic experience is grounded in what the human eye sees and the emotions that this perspective transmits.

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If you really want to take to the skies, check out the best camera drones. But if you'd rather keep your feet on the ground, take a look at the best mirrorless cameras.

The US has eased up on new foreign-made drone restrictions by temporarily removing pre-approved models on the Defense Contract Management Agency’s Blue UAS list from the drone ban.

On January 07, the Federal Communication Commission updated its Covered List to exclude drones on the Blue UAS list, alongside drones partially made in the US, from the foreign-made drone ban through the end of 2026.

The update eases drone restrictions that prevent all newly announced foreign-made drones from being sold in the US, by allowing drones that have gone through “rigorous cyber and hardware assessments” to remain available in the US until January 01 2027 – alongside drones that are partially made in the United States.

While the changes may ease restrictions on certain categories of drones, including those made for first responders, the drones on the Blue UAS list are not consumer drones – which means that the change has little effect on drones used for photography.

The news does, however, come alongside the Department of Commerce opting not to move forward with a proposal that would have prevented previously announced drones from being imported.

The Blue UAS Cleared List is an existing list of drones that were approved by the Department of Defense and, as such, it consists largely of UAS designed for government agencies and tasks, like surveillance and search and rescue. The list does not currently include consumer-oriented drones.

Some partially US-made drones will be temporarily exempt from ban

The change also allows drones that meet the definition of “domestic end products” to be exempt from the FCC ban through the end of 2026. That allows partially US-made drones to skirt the FCC restrictions, but it only applies to drones that have at least 65% of the cost of their components to come from the US.

Like the UAS Blue list, the partially US-made drone exemption expires on January 01 2027. That, writes Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment Michael P Duffey, is because the US “must have the ability to manufacture drones at scale in both peacetime and wartime.” Duffey indicates that the determination will be re-assessed prior to its expiration.

According to a government fact sheet, companies applying for partially US-made waivers will be required to submit an onshoring plan for “all critical UAS components,” including batteries.

Batteries are worth noting because an estimated 99% of lithium-ion batteries come from China. In the fall of 2024, Skydio was forced to ration its batteries until it could find a new supplier when Chinese regulations changed.

Photography and consumer drones appear unaffected by the changes

While the update eases up on the new US drone restrictions, the Blue UAS list does not include any drones designed for photography, videography or general consumer hobbyist use. That means the new exemptions do not change what the drone ban means for photographers: that foreign-made drones announced after the December 2025 ban will not be available in the US.

The drone ban does not prevent sales or flights of all foreign-made drones, but rather prevents any future drone announcements from receiving the necessary FCC approval required to sell in the US. Previously announced drones remain available.

However, while there are a number of drones made in the US, none of those drones are meant for photography or general consumers. US brand Skydio stopped making consumer drones a few years back, as did Parrot – a French company with US manufacturing facilities.

While the update to the drone ban does not change the future outlook for drone availability for photographers and videographers in the US, the updated exemptions may ease some concerns over continuing to provide drones to emergency services and first responders. Some of the drones on the Blue UAS Cleared List, like the Skydio X10D and Teal 2, are used by first responders.

The drone ban doesn’t apply to previously announced drones that have already received FCC authorization. The last drone added to the Blue list was in November 2025, which means those drones were already not part of the ban.

However, adjusting the wording to exempt drones on the Blue List from the FCC ban allows future drones that qualify for the list to be available in the US. Drones can be evaluated by the Department of War and the Department of Homeland Security to potentially be added to the Blue UAS list. The Blue List exemption, though, will only last for one year.

“While the DoW has determined that UAS and UAS components included on the Blue UAS list do not currently pose immediate national security risks to the American homeland, reliance on any foreign country for critical UAS components still creates significant vulnerabilities for the domestic drone industrial base,” the National Security Determination signed by Duffey reads.

“President Trump's Executive Order on Unleashing American Drone Dominance and the National Security Strategy clearly outline that it is a national security imperative to have an independent, robust, and resilient domestic drone industrial base and supply chain.”

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Read the explainer on the DJI drone ban for more insight, or take a look at what the ban means for parts and firmware.