I’m a drone pilot based in the US – but if I needed to replace my DJI Mini series drone, I wouldn’t be able to buy one. DJI’s US online webstore currently has red Out of Stock labels on every consumer drone, including the DJI Mini 4 Pro, the Air 3S, and the DJI Neo.
While DJI’s US webstore shelves appear to be empty of quadcopters, a few retailers appear to have some stock left. Stock appears to be limited though -- as I wrote this, Adorma'as low stock notification on the Air 3S has now changed to backordered.
But, the limited availability has skewed prices to the point where I could buy the more advanced DJI Air 3S with its one-inch camera sensor for less than the DJI Mini 4 Pro. Third-party sellers on Amazon are listing the Mini 4 Pro for $1,599. That’s bundled with accessories, but I can’t find it without all the extras. The list price of the drone? $759 with the RC-N2.
To be clear, the prices listed on DJI’s website appear to remain the same as when the drones first launched. DJI hasn’t yet raised the list prices of the drones that I’m aware of. But some retailers seem to have started increasing prices as stock declines. The DJI Air 3S with the RC-N3 remote is selling for $1,199 at Adorama for example – $100 more than the price on DJI’s website.
The Air 3S would be my choice if I needed to buy a drone right now, at least while it’s cheaper than the Mini 4 Pro. It has a larger one-inch sensor on the main camera, plus a secondary camera with a longer telephoto lens. The Air 3S doesn’t fly under the 250g regulations, so it’s a drone that needs to be registered, but if I’m going to spend that much, I’m going to get the better drone.
I can’t say that I didn’t see this coming. Three months after US President Donald Trump announced reciprocal tariffs – including a 145 percent rate for China-made goods – and the shelves at DJI’s US web store are looking rather bare. But, the two nations agreed to ease tariffs at 30 percent on Chinese imports to the US and last week announced another agreement, although details were sparse.
I’m not at all surprised that the US availability for DJI – which is based in China – has suffered in the wake of the trade war. Many camera brands have adjusted prices over the last few weeks and I’m wondering if DJI may be next. Seeing third-party sellers inflate prices when stock is limited isn’t unexpected, but seeing major retailers like Adorama list prices beyond the list price seems more unusual.
Adorama lists the DJI Mini 4 Pro with RC N2 for $1,044, which typically retails for $759. The Mini Flip is at Adorama for $862, above the $639 list price. The US retailer lists the DJI Air 3S for $100 more than the list price, while the DJI Mavic 3 Pro Cine Combo is listed for $5,499, above the $4,799 list price.
While I can’t buy a drone directly from DJI right now, I’ve spotted some stock of the DJI Air 3S at list price at Amazon. As of this writing, Adorama has some stock of the DJI Avata 2, the DJI Air 3S, the Mavic 3 Pro. Older models may also present a solution, with the DJI Mini 3 selling for $419 on Amazon right now.
I reached out to a DJI representative on the matter, but DJI has not yet responded to a request for a comment.
Tariffs aren't DJI's only concern right now either. The company needs to pass a security review before the end of the year to remain available in the US.
While every drone that I checked on DJI’s US web store appeared to be out of stock, that’s not the case for the brand’s other products, with favorites like the DJI Action 5 Pro and the DJI Mic Mini still in stock.
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