DJI-Things

DJI showcased three things at the trade fair:

• A white Pocket 4P
• A cage for trying out drones for yourself
• And the complete absence of any rumoured hardware.

There were only rumours about the Neo3, and I even added one of my own in a small group: that the Neo3 has a LOFIC sensor. No, it doesn’t.

There weren’t even any rumours about the camera. Yet this camera is the spectre that is causing unease throughout the entire industry. Wherever you ask, DJI is the topic of conversation. The Chinese manufacturers are grinning to themselves, whilst some of the Japanese are making a rather forced effort to stay cheerful.

Meanwhile, DJI actually has no reason to be optimistic, as they are currently under pressure from the US government. The bone of contention is the LIDAR sensors on their newer drones. The Neo2, Avata 360, Air 3S, Mini 5Pro and Mavic 4Pro are now classified as ‘military drones’ – because of the sensor.

On 21 July 2026, the FCC published Notice DA 26-758. This sets out seven categories for military-capable drones manufactured abroad. Category 4 encompasses all drones equipped with LIDAR sensors, even if these are used solely for collision avoidance.

The five DJI drones are currently still available in the US – via Bezos’s shop if necessary. However, there is no guarantee that they will still be available tomorrow, nor can repairs be guaranteed in the long term.

Notice DA 26-758 has not yet come into force, nor does it result in a flight ban on drones that have already been sold. However, should this ban come into force – which DJI expects it will – deliveries of the affected drones to the US will be halted. The date set for this is 1 January 2027.

Under FCC 26-50, no new devices containing a component with DJI logic will be authorised. A Neo 3 will therefore no longer be launched on the US market.