Skip to main content

The context you need, when you need it

When news breaks, you need to understand what actually matters — and what to do about it. At Vox, our mission to help you make sense of the world has never been more vital. But we can’t do it on our own.

We rely on readers like you to fund our journalism. Will you support our work and become a Vox Member today?

Join now

The two most-anticipated drones this holiday season aren’t ready in time for Black Friday

Both DJI and GoPro have experienced setbacks.

CeBIT 2016 Digital Technology Trade Fair
CeBIT 2016 Digital Technology Trade Fair
Sean Gallup / Getty

Drones are expected to be a hot ticket item this holiday season. Sales have already more than doubled from last year. And now, with the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration’s drone rules in place, operators have much more clarification about where and how to legally fly.

But just as sales should be taking off, two key drone manufacturers are struggling to get their products out the door.

GoPro and DJI, which looked like they were ready to go head to head with their foldable, no-experience-necessary lightweight quadcopters — the GoPro Karma and DJI’s Mavic Pro — have both experienced setbacks.

The companies announced their new drones within ten days of each other in September, pledging they’d be ready in October — easily in time for the holidays.

But GoPro’s Karma drone was recalled after reports of dangerous malfunctions that caused it to fall from the sky. At the moment, the company hasn’t released any statement as to whether a safer, updated version of the Karma will be out by the holiday season. But considering GoPro required all units be returned for a full refund, don’t hold your breath.

Meanwhile, many customers who preordered a DJI Mavic Pro have still not received their drone. According to DJI, those who preordered a Mavic Pro should receive it around the end of this year. Amazon lists the aircraft for sale, noting customers can expect the item to be released by mid-January 2017. Similarly, DJI’s website lists shipping time as six to eight weeks.

Those who are ready to fly and excited to buy a drone this holiday season do have some options. Parrot’s Beebop 2 and Yuneec’s Breeze, for example, both cost about half as much as the Karma and Mavic Four and pack 14- and 13-megapixel cameras, respectively. But neither has the AI that allows the aircraft to follow you around or respond to gesture recognition like the Mavic does.

Right now DJI has a stranglehold on the consumer drone industry, laying claim to about 70 percent of the global market. But consumer drones are still a relatively nascent product. This is only the second holiday season that Americans have been able to use drones with legal clarity, and sales will be indicative of how much people really want flying robot cameras. Another question is whether any rival brands will be able to take advantage of DJI’s and GoPro’s missteps to capture some first-time holiday purchases.


This article originally appeared on Recode.net.

See More:

More in Technology

Podcasts
Are humanoid robots all hype?Are humanoid robots all hype?
Podcast
Podcasts

AI is making them better — but they’re not going to be doing your chores anytime soon.

By Avishay Artsy and Sean Rameswaram
Future Perfect
The old tech that could help stop the next airborne pandemicThe old tech that could help stop the next airborne pandemic
Future Perfect

Glycol vapors, explained.

By Shayna Korol
Future Perfect
Elon Musk could lose his case against OpenAI — and still get what he wantsElon Musk could lose his case against OpenAI — and still get what he wants
Future Perfect

It’s not about who wins. It’s about the dirty laundry you air along the way.

By Sara Herschander
Life
Why banning kids from AI isn’t the answerWhy banning kids from AI isn’t the answer
Life

What kids really need in the age of artificial intelligence.

By Anna North
Culture
Anthropic owes authors $1.5B for pirating work — but the claims process is a Kafkaesque messAnthropic owes authors $1.5B for pirating work — but the claims process is a Kafkaesque mess
Culture

“Your AI monster ate all our work. Now you’re trying to pay us off with this piece of garbage that doesn’t work.”

By Constance Grady
Future Perfect
Some deaf children are hearing again because of a new gene therapySome deaf children are hearing again because of a new gene therapy
Future Perfect

A medical field that almost died is quietly fixing one disease at a time.

By Bryan Walsh