“It’s NOT the Phantom 5”
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Back in March, the internet was buzzing with excitement as Twitter user @OsitaLV began to release images and sketches of an unreleased aircraft he called the Phantom 5. It had a darker color schema than current models and the presence of interchangeable lenses certainly indicated something new and improved. The report was widely circulated and brought joy to countless drone enthusiasts who were excited by the possibility of interchangeable lenses without the high cost associated with the current Inspire/X5R/X7 setup necessary to do so.
Let's get a closer look, so called P5 pic.twitter.com/l8A2MfxD5C
— OsitaLV (@OsitaLV) March 24, 2018
However, not everyone was buying it, with well known sites like WeTalkUAV openly stating that the Phantom 5 was not coming soon. Still, the hype (and hope) train had left the station, and soon everyone was talking about how DJI would soon release the new aircraft. Early this month, DJI quietly announced it’s updated Phantom 4 Pro V2, confusing some and dashing all hopes that the P5 would be forthcoming.
But What About The Tweets?
People took to the internet asking, “What about those pictures, no way they were ‘shopped!” Truly, the existence of the pictures of the Phantom with interchangeable lenses was a mystery, until now.
According to DPReview, DJI has confirmed that those photos were simply a custom Phantom 4 that had been designed by DJI for an enterprise client.
In a statement to DPReview, DJI said:
"The Phantom 4 drone with interchangeable lenses sighted in some online publications is not a DJI product for public sale. To clarify, this was a modified Phantom 4 Pro drone designed for an enterprise client to serve specific application needs."
The identity of the ‘enterprise client’ was not disclosed, as it would have likely resulted in 10,000 angry drone enthusiasts knocking down their door for a chance to fly this unique aircraft.
So...When Will We See the Phantom 5?
While DJI has not made any statements about it’s future aircraft, it’s reasonable to assume that they would stay on the typical 2 year cycle that they have used historically. Since the first Phantom 4 Pro was released in November 2016, it is possible that we could see the new Phantom later this year. However, by that same logic, it is possible that a new Inspire could be in the works…
It should be noted that DJI never said it wasn’t releasing an interchangeable lens Phantom this year, just that it wasn’t in those pictures. While DJI may not want to cannibalize the sales of their Inspire series, it’s quite possible technology very similar to what was seen could make it into the next-gen Phantom.
All that being said, for those impatient souls who can’t hold out for November, it should be noted that the new P4P V2 is a powerhouse of an aircraft and worth a look. You can see our initial thoughts here.
- Jonathan
- May 23, 2018
- 10:23 pm
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