- Various Xtra and SkyRover products are all but identical to DJI equivalents
- DJI will not confirm or deny a connection to these companies
- DJI is currently placed on the FCC’s ‘Covered List’, and cannot launch new drones in the US
So, what’s going on with all the apparent DJI camera clones appearing in US stores? From action cameras to drones, near one-to-one rip-offs of DJI’s most beloved products seem to be popping up everywhere – and the company itself doesn’t seem overly bothered by the situation.
You don’t have to look particularly hard to find these clones, and it doesn’t take a master detective to spot the similarities. The Xtra Muse vlogging camera, for instance, appears to be a DJI Osmo Pocket 3 in all but name, with The Verge’s teardown showing not only that the two products share the same hardware but the same software – albeit with all references to “DJI” removed; the teardown even found that some Osmo Pocket 3 accessories work perfectly well with the Muse. Likewise, the Xtra Edge appears to be little more than a re-skinned DJI Osmo Action 5 Pro, while the Osmo Nano lookalike Xtra Atto popped up recently.
The maker of these clones, Xtra Technology, popped into existence recently and describes itself as a “dynamic and independent start-up company registered in Delaware (DE), United States. We are founded with a team of industry professionals from leading innovative companies, who have deep expertise in imaging technology and consumer electronics.”
On the drone front, SkyRover, another recently founded company (this time based in Hong Kong, a short drive from DJI’s HQ in Shenzhen, China) that claims to have been ” founded by a small team of engineers with backgrounds at DJI”, has been selling consumer drones called the X1 and S1 that very closely resemble DJI’s Mini 4 Pro and Mini 4K respectively. While there are some minor differences, the essential hardware and software technology, and flight and camera performance, appear to be virtually identical.
The solution to DJI’s US troubles?
While DJI is a hugely powerful player in the drone and stabilizer markets, and a strong competitor in action cameras, the Chinese company currently finds itself in a tricky spot when it comes to the US market. Not only does it have a complex and costly tariff situation to navigate, but it has also come under specific scrutiny from successive US administrations regarding purported links to the Chinese military and government.
This scrutiny has culminated in DJI (along with all foreign drone companies) being placed on the US Federal Communications Commission’s “Covered List”, effectively banning all future DJI products from the US market.
The easiest conclusion to reach when looking at Xtra and SkyRover’s products, and then considering DJI’s current position with regards to the US market, is that the company is effectively behind these clones itself, and has set up shell companies in an attempt to bypass restrictions, reduce import costs and keep its products selling in the States.
If that’s the case, DJI certainly isn’t telling. We reached out to the company’s PR team for comment, but (rather unsurprisingly) received nothing definitive back, except for the following statement from a spokesperson:
“While we can’t comment on non‑DJI products, DJI will continue to focus on empowering creators, businesses, and public safety organizations worldwide with safe, innovative, and accessible technologies. The company remains committed to the US market and will continue to advocate for our US-based operators to government agencies, lawmakers, and the administration.”
I think the most interesting thing about this statement is what it isn’t: a denial. It would be easy for DJI’s spokesperson to state that the company has no links to Xtra or SkyRover, but they pointedly don’t.
What remains to be seen is if these apparent shell companies can succeed in bringing DJI-style products into the US, avoiding the FCC’s de facto ban and the worst of the US administration’s tariffs. On the drone front, especially, there is no US-based company currently capable of competing with DJI (and, by extension, SkyRover) on performance and price, so consumers will be crying out for a way to get their hands on affordable, high-quality camera drones. Perhaps this will be the way they do it.
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