The DJI Phantom has, officially, reached the end of its life according to DJI. That might not be news to drone enthusiasts like me, but as one of the best camera drones of all time – and an icon which has been replicated across popular culture – it's still a massive moment.
Sure, technology has moved on. There are more portable and more powerful craft that weigh less, like the Air 3S, or cheaper drones with sophisticated AI that can follow you with 4K cameras and don't even need a controller (DJI Flip, HoverAir X1 ProMax), but the Phantom was the first all-in-one drone with a camera from DJI, the company which went on to dominate the industry.
Now the company has finally revealed that servicing will be suspended for the last Phantom models (the Phantom 4 Pro & Advanced) on June 1st 2025, just over seven years since the last Phantom drones came along – but thirteen years since I flew my first Phantom drone, which, of course, was the first Phantom.
I had already encountered DJI tech when building drones because, after discovering the technology when the Parrot AR.Drone emerged in 2010, I was immediately enthused. The problem, though, was that the camera was built into that cumbersome craft and wobbled around with the airframe. Worse still, for those of us interested in photography and video, the unsteadiness was compounded by impracticality – the AR.Drone was a Wi-Fi-controlled drone and the early iPhone could only get you so far!
I had started experimenting by strapping GoPro cameras to self-built airframes, and even buying and attaching gimbals, but DJI's Phantom was the thing that changed matters. It was all the things I was trying to get in my self-builds in a single drone, and I quickly found I wasn't alone.
It was a "ready-to-fly" camera drone, and it sold in huge numbers and became iconic.
It was also a connection to its immediate past, with a bulky 'RC-style' remote controller that included old-school metal switches – nothing like as slick as modern DJI products, but straddling the divide between consumer and enthusiast.
So much so, in fact, that DJI seemed to persist with it long past the point that better designs, like the Mavic Pro's folding airframe, essentially replaced it.
DJI has put out a statement in acknowledgement of the significance this moment has for drone pilots like me, saying "We thank all the early adopters for their support as they participated in our journey of revolutionising ready-to-fly camera drone solutions."
I'm proud to have been one of those early adopters – but I have to admit things are a lot easier these days!
You might also like
If you'd like to get into drones now, the best drone for beginners is a lot easier to fly and – if you don't want to buy from DJI – I have prepared a guide to the best non-DJI drones.
