Timeline of DJI Drones: From the Phantom 1 to the Mavic Air

2013: DJI Phantom 1

DJI's first consumer drone release was their DJI Phantom 1 drone in 2013. The Phantom 1 was DJI's first ready-to-fly drone system that included an internal GPS system for stable, reliable flights which made piloting easier and safer. The first Phantom only had a flight time of less than ten minutes and did not come with a camera. Users had to mount a GoPro or other lightweight camera to be able to record aerial footage that was still very shaky in flight.

2013 - 2014:

DJI Phantom 2

After the Phantom 1, DJI immediately began to work on improving the functions and features of their next release. Within the same year, they released the Phantom 2 Vision with an extended flight time of up to 20 minutes and range of up to 300 meters. The Phantom 2 Vision was the first drone released by DJI to feature an integrated camera that could capture 1080p HD video and 14-megapixel stills. DJI quickly followed the release of the Phantom 2 Vision with the Phantom 2 which came equipped with a GoPro camera and gimbal system.

DJI's first fully stabilized 3-Axis gimbal system was showcased on their Phantom 2 Vision+ released in 2014. With previous Phantom 2 models users either needed to buy and install their own camera and gimbal system or fly with a camera that could only tilt up and down, with footage still vulnerable to shakiness. The Vision+'s advanced 3-Axis gimbal system ensured that footage was smooth and stable in the air, and gave users more freedom to shoot dynamic and creative shots. With a 1080p 14-megapixel camera, up to 25 minutes of flight time, approximately 700 metres of range, and advanced GPS system, the Phantom 2 Vision+ was the most advanced, easy-to-use drone ever released at the time. The Phantom 2 Vision+ marked a significant step forward for DJI, displaying DJI's prowess in advancing technology while keeping the tech as user-friendly as possible. Upon the Phantom 2 Vision+'s release, it became the most sought-after drone of its year.

2016 - 2017:

Phantom 4 Series

In May 2016 DJI released the next drone in their Phantom series that would further revolutionize the industry, the DJI Phantom 4. The Phantom 4 was the first consumer drone released with innovative computer vision and sensing technology that made it the safest and most intelligent UAV in the air to date. The Phantom 4 featured a first-of-its-kind front and bottom facing obstacle avoidance system that enabled the drone to intelligently detect objects in its path and automatically stop or move around the object to avoid potential collisions. This made the drone the safest drone ever seen in the consumer market to date and made the technology more accessible to a wider, more mainstream audience.

2016: DJI Mavic Pro - The First Foldable Drone

DJI released their first ever compact and foldable drone named the DJI Mavic Pro in September 2016. Unlike their Phantom drones, the Mavic Pro was designed to be as portable and compact as possible. Folded down the Mavic Pro was about the size of a water bottle, a size that had never previously been seen on the market. Despite its size, the Mavic Pro did not sacrifice in powerful features. The drone featured a fully stabilized 3-Axis gimbal system, the smallest drone to feature one at the time, as well as a 4K 12-megapixel camera. In addition, the Mavic Pro could fly for up to 27 minutes with a range of up to 7 km.

2017 - 2018:

DJI Spark & Mavic Air

After the Mavic Pro hit the market DJI continued to innovate, releasing smaller and smaller drones with more advanced and intelligent features. In May 2017 DJI announced the release of their smallest drone ever, the DJI Spark. The Spark weighed only 300 grams and featured a 2-Axis HD 1080p 12-megapixel camera. The Spark was also DJI's most affordable drone to date and was the companies first venture into the mini-drone, toy category. The Spark was marketed towards the casual or beginner user and featured the all-new advanced flight mode named Gesture, wherein users could control the piloting of their drone with simple hand motions.

DJI's latest release to market is the innovative DJI Mavic Air, introduced in January 2018. The drone was designed to be powerful, portable, and accessible to drone enthusiasts of all levels and ages to ultimately create the best consumer drone on the market. The Mavic Air was the smallest drone ever to feature a fully stabilized 3-Axis gimbal with a 4K 12-megapixel camera and came newly equipped with 8GB of internal storage. The drone also featured an all-new intelligent flight system for extremely stable and precise flights, as well as an upgraded front, bottom, and rear-facing obstacle avoidance system for added safety in the air. Perfectly combining sleek design and advanced engineering, the Mavic Air enabled drone pilots to take a highly powerful and portable drone alongside them on any aerial pursuit.

DJI's latest drone entry in the market was their Matrice 200 series. The Matrice 200 series highlighted the ingenuity and innovation DJI has consistently strived for and was designed to transform the way users conduct operations. With the Matrice 200 series, DJI wanted to ensure that operators could collect aerial data from the skies with an easy-to-use, accurate, and affordable tool that would meet the demanding needs of any enterprise endeavor. The series came in three versions including the Matrice 200, the Matrice 210, and the Matrice 210 each equipped with unique features. The Matrice 210 was DJI's first drone able to be equipped with multiple camera configurations including two downward facing cameras or one upward facing camera.

expanding horizons

In recent years DJI increased their focus on the expansion of their own brand of camera and gimbal systems. In 2017, DJI even acquired a majority stake in the iconic camera company Hasselblad, showcasing a more serious focus on expanding their reach into the other technologies. In its early stages, DJI smartly invested into the research and development of their DJI Zenmuse camera series which included both aerial cameras for their drones as well as cameras that could be mounted onto their own gimbal system. One of DJI's latest releases in their Zenmuse line was the top-of-the-line Zenmuse X7, the world's first Super 35 digital film camera optimized to record 6K video to meet the demands of any professional aerial application. DJI has also recently released the new Zenmuse XT2, combing FLIR's radiometric thermal sensor with their own 4k visual camera and stabilization technology, enabling users to capture thermal and visual aerial data simultaneously.

DJI also developed the now highly popular handheld gimbal system named the DJI Osmo Series. The Osmo series, a line of handheld gimbal and camera units enabled users of any level to capture stunning, stabilized footage in one user-friendly and affordable system. The Osmo Mobile 2, announced in January 2018, is DJI's most recent release in their Osmo series, as well as their most affordable handheld gimbal to date.

Another more professional-oriented gimbal system by DJI was their Ronin series, specifically designed to meet the needs of pro-level filmmakers. Their latest model, the Ronin-S, was DJI's first single-handed gimbal system for DSLR and mirrorless cameras. The Ronin 2 is another professionally-minded gimbal system that enables filmmakers to seamlessly capture scenes using a wide variety of cameras and diverse accessories.