Skydio is done making consumer drones - what now?

I can understand Skydio's move here, but it doesn't make it any better for the consumer drone space.
Blog post: www.skydio.com/blog/skydio-to...
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[@rustytaco8412]

Not going to lie, Skydio leaving the consumer Market actually obsessed me. It reeks of a company that finally got a military-industrial contract, and they decided to focus on that instead of focusing on providing an excellent drone to Everyday American consumers. Now, they cuddle up in bed more than likely, with politicians and lobbyists, and have sold a drone to Military and state governments. Let's be real, they chose the big money over us small-time drone hobbyists.

[@billykyle]

It definitely could have been a profit driven move

[@rustytaco8412]

@billykyle by the way, you're absolutely right competition does Drive Innovation, and unfortunately, I feel as though this is going too slow dji's motivation to further innovate their drone. Oh well, I can't really cry, considering I have a mavic 3 Pro that shoots Cinema grade footage. LOL. I feel like a trophy wife whose complaining about her husband cheating on her, and I'm wiping my tears with hundred dollar bills on our 500 million dollar yacht.

[@shooter505]

@@billykyle Yep...and more power to them. That's the way a free market works.

[@txflyer]

@@billykyle Short term profits versus long-term viability. I think they're positioning the company to be bought out by a private equity firm, i.e., the normal path companies have been taking in the past decade.

[@LuMaxQFPV]

Kind of as it should be if you're a for-profit company. That's how this works, and they are incorporated, so they are mandated to do things for profit and growth. This will help them hone their technology. I think they'll be back in the consumer market when it's the right time for them to do so.

[@txflyer]

As a person who works in the public sector, I can't think of a better way to market to those enterprises than to have actual consumer products that can demonstrate their capabilities to those who make purchasing decisions. I think this is a huge mistake on their part. Even military contracts end eventually. Then what?

[@billykyle]

So true. Their brand name will dwindle from the average consumer and they likely will be forgotten in the mainstream.

[@EventHorizonADP]

Eventually they will rebrand and it will not be Skydio. Seems like they are pulling away from that. Skydio was a beautiful innovation that was affordable to the public. This is something else entirely. We will see the good in public service, but you can believe there will be a lot we will not see, purpose built for a reason. Reasons that we may not like.

[@hrider123]

If Skydio decided to come back to the consumer drone market, I wouldn't trust them. They could end the support again and leave customers high and dry. I've had several experiences of technology companies going out of business and now I have a room full of bricks.

[@BlownMacTruck]

They didn't end consumer support. They are maintaining all warranties until expiration, and all parts are still available.

[@adventuresaimless]

Man I’m gutted to hear this, I absolutely love my skydio…….. I was looking forward to a “skydio 3”

[@roberthblanchard]

you summarized my feelings. total disappointment. i actually checked their online store 2 weeks before the announcement looking to see if they had a new drone, and to my surprise, all stock was completely sold out of the Skydio 2, 2+. i was all in on Skydio and proud of their american brand with good reputation and hardware. as you say… i guess it’s back to DJI?

[@jonahkaiguam]

Dang that sucks because the Skydio 2/2+ is king of Obstacle Avoidance and autonomous flight. At some point they will sunset firmware update support on it too.

[@PaulJarosz1]

Great video and review! Loved your Signal Range Test at the Bonneville Salt Flats. I think you set a new standard for how range tests need to be conducted. The Air 3 looks awesome. But I'm holding out for the Air 3 (S/Pro?). Is there any early buzz on if and when the Air 3 will work with the FPV Goggles Integra and Motion Controller 2? Or will that not happen until the next gen Goggles and Motion Controller are released with Occusync 4?

[@RonaldBrown59]

A lot of us in the drone community saw this coming, so not a big surprise. But still a bit sad to see the only US consumer drone company leave this space. Just like it was sad to see Parrot do the same thing a few years back. Hopefully Autel isn't headed in that same direction. Why is it so hard for to make a consumer drone that people want to buy? Great video Billy, thanks for sharing your thoughts.

[@jaynorthwoods]

It’s hard because DJI is most likely Chinese government sponsored, at least in the beginning

[@AlexRides808]

It's hard because not enough Americans are supporting American products.

[@EventHorizonADP]

I think it’s hard because once a company finds success in the consumer market, the allurement of the big contracts becomes so strong that you begin to see things like a $9500 transmitter, and capabilities that are there but cannot be unlocked unless you pay expensive enterprise prices that every day Americans cannot afford, even if they wanted to go into business for themselves. You have to make it out of reach and super expensive, or everyone would do it and contracts wouldn’t be worth anything. I’m not angry, because I may have done this same thing, but it does hurt. Money drives everything. Unfortunately at the cost of innovation. Just feels like we always get stepped on. I wonder what will happen to my Care plan?

[@zachofalltrades7328]

@@AlexRides808 i would LOVE to support an American company in this space. the problem is that nothing comes even remotely close to DJI for this tech. The skydio 2 was awesome at obstacle avoidance but the camera wasn't that great and you couldn't pilot it very smoothly for good footage. it was at Phantom 2 levels when DJI was already coming out with the Air 2. It's a shame but that's just the reality of the situation.

[@montanaflyer1147]

The only market DJI could not penetrate was supreme object avoidance. Now they don't have to. Sad for the consumer, but likely a good choice for the enterprise/safety customers. Skydio consumer market customer support was probably a huge drain on their resources, and now they can focus on supporting the more critical needs of emergency/inspection/military customers. Maybe in a few years as you hopefully stated? I just ordered 2 more batteries and spare props in anticipation of the end of supplies.

[@francisbouthillette155]

Thanks for the update

[@billykyle]

Welcome

[@nwfun8304]

I bought a schedule to a couple of years ago and one of the larger packages. I can't remember what they called it. And at 1 point I lost my drone. That was following me in the woods and could not find it. I still have all the studio 2 equipment and batteries. Is there any place that I can buy a replacement? Studio to drone to go with the equipment that I have left. Or am I just out all that money?

[@rogerlikes]

You were one of the main guys that helped launch the 2nd version. They should of hired you, not left you in the dust with all the others that helped give them the sales numbers to fund the higher end drones

[@AlienwareGaming]

That’s a shame. I didn’t own Skydio but competition pushes others to do better and I feel like with DJI already not doing anything incredible they’ll lack more. Hopefully not though.

[@billykyle]

It's DJI vs. DJI

[@joelwingert7700]

Not sure why you think DJI isnt doing anything incredible.

[@AnnaJames-ed6nl]

Yucks dji chinise made, buying dji is supporting their military and aggression to their small asian neighbours. They claim they own the whole sea in asia even if its too far away from them. No to chinis products.

[@PaulJarosz1]

It's my understanding that one of the Skydio top execs was previously working for the government and still has connections. So I'm hoping Skydio's departure from the consumer space is not because they have reliable inside information that the consumer market is going to become severely limited and restricted due to the fast approaching commercialization of EVTOL Flying Cars, Flying Taxi Services as well as UAV Commercial/Consumer Delivery Services. The FAA has given approval this year for all the above to begin testing and trials, which means it may only be 2-5 years for these segments to launch. With the looming possibility of an eventual DJI, ban I was hoping Skydio was going to step up to be the new premiere US manufacturer of consumer drones and I was looking forward to seeing their next release. So much for that. Hopefully DJI will still be around for a while and the recreational drone segment isn't going to become restricted to flying in little remote fields out in the country! ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[@txarchdroneguy4731]

Great view on Skydio, Billy

[@Editer38738]

Dji is a better company !!!! Cheers from Knoxville Tn

[@danedaux9216]

Bonjour , je suis en france et j'ai mon skydio 2+ qui à touché des fils de haute tension en plein vol et il est tombé , camera cassée et autre . comment puis je faire pour le faire réparer et chez qui ?? en france je peux pas contacter skydio !!?? cordialement Daniel.

[@robweaver9953]

A lot of the ‘blame’ rests with aviation authorities in major countries, which continue to tighten the rules and restrictions on consumer flying. I believe we have only seen the start of this. Safety is widely cited as THE reason, but the real reason is commercial competition for the lower air space.

[@LaszloBagi]

And we have those tighten rules and restrictions because some people like doing stupid things with their drones which endanger others.

[@neisco]

A lot of the blame rests with the 5 or 10 people that have to test how high their drone will hover near an airport.

[@MoshMob]

i use my skydio 2 plus ALOT, love skating and the follow me function. This is crazy news right now...

[@alrozanski8352]

Hi Billy do you know if Skydio will still support the R2 and will parts be available thx?

[@billykyle]

I think so

[@alrozanski8352]

@@billykyle I did check their website after I wrote this, they are going to support current customers and seems like you can still get parts.

[@VisionCommunications]

It's too bad, but they had no choice. Air 3 360° obstacle avoidance is not as good as Skydio , but is more than enough for people who want a compact, folding drone. They're only Advantage was being made in America, which is a good thing. Since they convinced the USA to ban drones from China for military and public sector use, they should have that market all to themselves. I pre-ordered a Skydio when it was first announced, and after six months I gave up waiting for it to ship and purchased the air 2S. Now I have Air 3 and already doing commercial projects

[@billykyle]

Most of DJI's drones can be used in a commercial application. Hell, even the Skydio 2 and 2+ can too.

[@ianmyles9025]

which DJI's do you fly Billy ?

[@MichaelGalt]

I have both Autel and Skydio... and love both, for different things. I looked up DJI and they made $30 billion last year in revenue. I know Skydio is landing multiple multi billion dollar contracts via government contracts. I am betting they just weren't making enough money in the consumer sales to justify the manpower dedicated to it versus their enterprise stuff. The automated inspections, docks, mesh, etc. 100% shows how much potential those sales have. Better to have a few hundred/thousand multi-million dollar contracts than a hundred thousand small sales.

[@Canyon76]

I'm not sure they have multi billion dollar contracts. Maybe multi million. They only have a 1 billion dollar valuation and that's only because DJI is banned from US Federal Government use. Shame either way but predictable.

[@peteryoas]

I feel ya on the disappointment side, that's how it hit me. I was saving up for one. I should've seen it coming. They sold the same drone at the enterprise level for months and refused to sell them at consumer levels, then bam. Can't help but feel they were leading into this. What about Autel? Aren't they in the same area or are they not at that level yet?

[@BardhokNdoji]

It has been DJI vs DJI for quite some time now. Skydio has barely had any business outside US and has only released 2 consumer drones if I am correct. So I don't think this news is making any ripple effect outside US..

[@billykyle]

Yup just 2 consumer drones. Hardware needed to be updated badly.

[@Phuong.Nguyen-]

Good video and helpful info bro ❤😊 thanks ❤😊

[@billykyle]

Thanks!

[@dronyland]

That's a very sad news. I was already looking forward to the next consumer drone they will be making.

[@johnpaulbernardino9680]

is it a good idea to buy skydio now that skydio won't have anymore updates and accessories ?

[@BenjaminSahlstrom]

So so so sad. I've been flying my Skydio 2 the past few days and checked in to see what they had available to buy currently and NOTHING showed up... Really really disappointed... I chose Skydio thanks to their US support and recommended them frequently. Hopefully they'll reconsider...

[@geezerpleasers_OG]

Given that after Skydio's most recent fundraising round, the company is now valued at approximately $2,200,000,000.00, I think they'll be just fine

[@MrCPPG]

I own a Skydio 2. Its unque obstacle avoidance is amazing. I think they lacked manufacturing automation so the cost per unit to produce the drones was excessive. They were building them by hand in the US. Labor cost per unit were probably killing them and the addition burden of remote ID probably meant it just wasn't proftable.

[@MyMiniDroneLife]

I always wanted one and I was going to buy one and glad I didn't. That is a lot of money on a drone with unknown product support and updates. Hopefully DJI will be able to have a product as capable as the Skydio, but I am pretty happy with the tracking they have for my purposes.

[@KyleBarton]

I was just about to buy a Skydio 2+ but when I went on the website they were already sold out of the last batch. I hope my Skydio 2 is just about as good since that’s what I’ll be using until it crashes.

[@airfoxphotography3882]

It's going to be a collector item now

[@keithy4129]

I owned a Skydio 2, it was a decent drone, probably the best at obstacle avoidance. The controller was trash tho. I was kind of excited to see what they were going to make next.

[@ceeker2005]

Thanks Billy, Bought the Skydio 2+ earlier this year. I also own many dji poducts dating back almost 5 years so lot's to keep me occupied. The Skydio was an impulse buy and with all that's going on it's never been flown. I'm a recreational flyer only and not sure what to do with it. I'm not sure what to think of this video but like everyone else feel kind of left out in the cold after paying over $2300 for a bird that may be obsolete soon. I used to have a Skydio account there as well but see no login area. Frustrating. Grrr.

[@kraggman]

This will either make the remaining S2's and S2+'s valuable or worthless.

[@Dadtech.]

I really wanted to buy one but out of stock on amazon and their own site :(

[@rongill]

How about selling the Skydio2 product line to another company interested in advancing the consumer market?

[@billykyle]

That would be pretty cool. Has a lot of their IP from Skydio X2 though, so doubtful.

[@yourpersonalninja]

Agreed. Wish they hadn't left the consumer market. In doing so they also rule out smaller enterprises as well. The new costs are quite high. Love the drones and time will tell what we all do with ours.

[@BlueADV214]

I have been wanting a Skydio for capturing me on my motorcycle because DJI tracking is slow and often looses what it’s tracking. Hopefully they will sell the consumer division and the 2+ will live on.

[@dronepilotcontractors4094]

Nice post Billy! Good of you to support them, however, they are really not competitive in the commercial market as far as features for the costs you pay. The only good thing going for them is the "Blue Lists" coupled with their support of Legislation even at the State Levels that support it. They do not seem to be able to compete with DJI on products, so why not wipe them out in the US with legislation. I for one, will never purchase a Skydio product and if need be, I will not take on any government or infrastructure work where I cannot use my DJI Drones!

[@IGATECK]

I didn't even know this company existed, I'm happy with DJI products 🤷‍♂️

[@yieldmaximalist9328]

still love my lil blue drone.

[@zoemayne]

Even on a small scale it's worth it to the brand to market to the consumer. Just sell 1-3 models to the consumer for marketing purposes. Even though financially enterprise money makes sense.

[@Diantane]

When I heard that the Skydio 2 was no longer for sale and I had bad experiences with DJI drones not tracking correctly, I went with the Autel EVO II Pro V3. I purchased the Enterprise version because of the longer range and added stability in the wind. So it's not just DJI.

[@billykyle]

Cool.

[@butterfer0808]

DJI really eating companies alive huh. How many days does Autel have left on the clock?

[@luisjulianmartinelli5369]

Billy I WOULD LIKE TO ASK YOU A PERSONAL FAVOUR: can you make a camparative related with your two last videos? (Aiir 3 and Skydio 2+) In particular I would like your comparison: A) between the Motion Track from Skydio and the Active Track 5.O from DJI Air 3 and Mavic 3 Pro in order to know if Skydio retires as the Floyd Mayweather from tracking drones (unbeateable) or overpased by the last tecnology from DJI Active Track Skydio released an update on August 16th. B) Comparative between Key Frames From Skydio and Way Points from DJI Mavic and Air 3. I will try to enjoy my Skydio2+ as much as I can 😢. I follaow from Argentina.

[@keyoske]

Even though I already own a Mavic 3 with RC Pro, I almost purchased a Skydio 2. I'm so glad I didn't waste my time.

[@OurVoicesOurLives]

Do you think the remote ID and whatever other changes that are coming is prompting the exodus from the consumer market?

[@karthurjr]

You hit upon what I was thinking. Remote ID puts a whole new factor into the question. Thanks for thought!

[@Quads-n-Tech]

And Autel screwed their customers that bought the Lite series with the pending firmware support of the SE Controller that they back peddled on. lost my business

[@md_moto_adv2816]

Fortunately I managed to buy one of their drone just on time. I was trying hard to do so for more than a year (it was long process since I live in EU) and when guy from their support team write that they will no longer supply the consumer market (about two-three months ago) I had to buy used one. Now when it is official I feel the same like you about it. Btw I tried a few different DJI drones and they are not even close to this guy. Yes they have a newer models with better image quality and longer flight time but obstacles avoidance sucks, and controllers are huge

[@Zandian]

I was so looking forward to seeing what the Skydio 3 was going to look like. I was ready to buy on the spot. The only reason I sold my Skydio 2 was because they used a Parrot controller and they had crappy range. But I was convinced they would fix that and improve the camera and form factor to boot. But after so many years I started assuming it would never come, and sadly that was the case. Very disappointed. Love my M2P and my Mini 3 Pro but the way the Skydio could track me safely was second to none. I’m also a bit pissed how they’ve been focusing on the commercial and government space-not necessarily because it is a financially good move for them, but more how they seem to be taking a slash and burn approach in the choices they’ve made lobbying against DJI and the consumer space. If true that’s not cool.

[@Canyon76]

I kind of saw this coming way back in early 2020 when i got my Skydio 2 at the end of their initial preorder run. I saw it from the fact that they couldnt even make their own controller. I also saw that they litterally had the best technology on the market. To leverage mass production and market capitalization they HAD to get multi high dollar contracts. And only huge firms and governments could do that. This was the only way they would be able to sustain manufacturing in the US with the high costs and overhead of doing manufacturing in the US. Then I saw their their pricing for the Enterprise software kit and about gagged. You fundamentally dont get anything different from any other drone that has it for free and yet Skydio was charging $2000 per year? Just for waypoints? Sure you get some other enhancements like being able to fly through tighter spaces, looking up at a full 90 degrees and the ability to turn off OA, but really the only thing they added was waypoints! Their 3D scan was cool and provided an almost on the fly solution but you still needed a high end computer to process. And then they announced the Dock. And after that or around the same time, the military grade X2. At that point I saw the towel being thrown in on the consumer market. If they had no interest in making a Skydio 3 and instead juat prolonged their market share with the Skydio 2+ (alienating some of the pre order customers whos only complaint was the range and reliability of the signal) and giving themselves more marketing room to show Enterprise clients what their product is capable of, I knew then that it was over. The coatnof doing manufacturing in the US with all the overhead and insurance required is just not sustainable. It cant be done. Even the 3 Automobile manufactures make a lot of their products in Mexico or Canada. Tesla even manufactures much of their initial platform in Europe and now China with finally assembly in the US. 3DR failed due in large part because of manufacturing costs (and a lack of inovation and a mentality that consumers wanted to tweak their own products in an open source environment), having first started in Berkley California and then later manufacturing in Mexico and finally China before they went under. Befor 3DR went under it closed consumer business and only supported their Enterprise customers. One of the largest Enterprise custermers was the USA Department Of the Interior and in particular the Bureau of Land Management which had close to 400 Solos and thousands of hours on 3DR Solos. On October 30 2019 the Department Of the Interior was ordered to cease all operations of UAS indefinitely due to equipment made in China. Solos were either made in China or had Chinese parts. The DOI and the BLM among other government agencies are curently looking for a viable replacement for the Solo. Unfortunately, even the so called Blue Drones, drones that have been approved for use by the US Department of Defense for the military do not adequately satisfy the needs of the DOI and specifically the BLM. Even Skydio still has components that are made in China. And if Skydio could atleast see the potential for a large contract of 300 plus X2s or whatever they could make for the BLM and sustain that fleet with ongoing support, they could atleast be one of the largest US based drone manufacturers if nott the largest. Unfortunately the military, under the DOD is gobbling up everything to the point that they are actually throwing out contracts and product that dont meet their needs and leaving civilian agencies like the BLM left with nothing to choose from becaue the companies are left broken and not trusting the government contracts. Right now it is a war for supremacy in the market between companies and the government contracts. I think the companies see thia and are keen to develop relationships outside of the government but at the same time are more than happy to secure contracts with the military even if their products never see use or wide spread use. My prediction is that within 2 to 4 years, Skydio will be only a memory and any support they pledged for current customers will be over as stock for parts, in particular batteries is eliminated. Billy Kyle eluded to this: What are we to do when the Beacon and Controller batteries die? Not easily replaced. And what about the drone battery? Good luck! In 4 to 8 years, Skydio will no longer be around. It will either be purchased by an equity firm and dissolved as it's technology will be licensed out or sold off to DJI and others and that will be that, or it will become a software company that will license its technology to any company that will pay. The Skydio 2 is one of the better drones in my opening for its manufacturing quality, ease of use and ease of operation. It produces some stunning imagery and has the best tracking and obstacle avoidance available. I guess we'll just have to saver the moments enjoyed by flying the Skydio 2, a piece of ancient tech that spawned a revolution in AI for drones. Peace!

[@huskynoob7881]

Well, happy to own a Skydio, military spec drone and capabilities. Will make sure to baby this drone :D and make it last.

[@glenns001]

That sucks, been wanting one for years as a motorcycle rider and Dji fails, only been available to US and i think Canada, Im in Australia

[@martyviehweg4001]

I’m angry. I bought the Skydio then the Skydio 2. I feel it was our support that made them and now they abandoned us. That sucks big time

[@MrBaskins2010]

i smelled this coming last year when i first saw their marketing and website

[@EvansTrucking]

Keep in mind that the enterprise market uses the Skydio2+ drone so the parts as such will still be available for years

[@eastaronline2504]

Hope they will come back with a even better drone and better service🇨🇦👋🤪

[@willycast80]

I was waiting for Skadio 3 😢😢😢

[@johnk7649]

"pushing into the enterprise zone area", BS. Trying to get DJI banned from the enterprise zone area is mmore like it. If you can't compete then legislate. Total BS, IMO.

[@Mike0193Azul]

Huge bummer... I wanted to get the next skydio rendition. They had the best tracking. From lack of competition, Dji is already showing signs of simple incremental updates with the mavic 3 pro and air 3 just being slight improvements from their last models. Skydio was the only u.s. Competition. And Autel the other Chinese brand seems to also be going more of an enterprise route

[@joerotorhead]

That pisses me off. I’ve been putting off buying myself a drone for years, and last year at the end of the year I decided I was going to buy a skydio this year, well, apparently not, that just completely sucks.

[@drewpgambino3644]

DJI is a giant in more ways than one to a relatively small market.

[@Kana7782]

I almost bought the skydio before a DJI drone just because it had really good obstacle avoidance

[@TerrySitu]

Who would think that Skydio left American consumers before DJI?

[@vladimirlopez7840]

Skydio is the company spearheading efforts to ban DJI and Autel.

[@raspberryjuice]

Imagine that the government then restricts the purchase of Chinese / DJI products....

[@saintkenny9296]

I think Ken DoBo said it best. “Fuck Skydio!” 😂

[@billykyle]

🤷🏻‍♂️

[@DoronBond]

Bruh!!! How bout I saw your comment and saw the video where he said this afterwards 😮😂 daaannnnnggg

[@flightographist]

Think about this: now, the series are collectible- like vintage cameras etc.

[@billykyle]

yeah kind of

[@Owner7979]

I love Change

[@nhannguyen-pn2kh]

Cannot wait for 5 years! I want an American-made small drone and no registration is required. Is this too much to ask??!!

[@nordicway3779]

Not a surprising move, considering how heavily they were already leaning into inspection, 3D modelling, security etc. And what direction, exactly, did people think they were moving in with the launch of Skydio Dock and Remote etc..? But, there's something that doesn't add up here: Skydio ALREADY has a massive customer base in enterprise, public services and so forth. And that is based entirely around the Skydio 2+ line. Now way they will be abandoned, or unable to service their drone and dock fleets. So, unless Skydio EXPLICITLY say the Skydio 2+ is discountinued, I just won't believe it. There are way, way too many professional users depending on it already!

[@TreadTalk247]

Repeat after me, the word of the days boys and girls is….”3DR”. Can you say, “3 D R”? How about in a sentence? Good, good. Well done.

[@harrisongould9460]

I think he’s looking for a military contract. He can’t beat DJI on the civilian side, but with a DJI being on the banned list, this opens an opportunity for Skydio to take over militarily. This opens an opportunity Skydio to take direct orders from the military. None of the requirements the military ask for will ever find its way into civilian hands. Smart move by the owner.

[@alacazaba]

Parrot looks to be ending their consumer efforts, too.

[@user-tx9zg5mz5p]

Sounds like they didn't want to comply with RID😂

[@haitch1980]

Looking at DJI A3. Not even close. No support or availability in OZ.

[@cyborwhat]

It could have been a requirement for the government contracts to drop the consumer market.

[@TONYPARAMOTOR]

ive just checked people can still buy the skydio 2 drone in the uk ....and ??/ are they copies of skydio 2 drones?

[@pwidmayer]

I get where Skydio is coming from. I have not flown a Skydio except for the X2 as part of public safety. I think the enterprise market can benefit greatly from Skydio concentrating on that market. Guess we will have to keep an eye out on government surplus auctions for retired drones! To be honest Skydio always seem to be just beyond the consumer anyway. The autonomy took something away from the "pilot". I do wish there was an american drone company in competition with DJI. There is a gap in the market and its time for someone to fill it.

[@bear-bones]

Bummer!

[@gqp4800]

I build my own😊

[@BikerideinParadise]

Best followme droe ever, i use it for mountain biking, unbeatable! 😢😢😢

[@Louisianahelicam]

The consumer market has only created high liability and tight margin hassle for these companies. It’s just business.

[@geraldfields3610]

I bet they got a multi billion dollar contract with the Military.

[@LaszloBagi]

Sounds like they went the way of 3DR

[@billykyle]

And Parrot

[@richodphoto]

Wawa? get a Shorty and a peach iced tea 🙂

[@Jayrod411]

Never understood why they even had a consumer following. The drone was only ever good at follow mode. I never saw anything relevant to good photography from it. It was an awkward fixed shape so hard to travel with.

[@LuMaxQFPV]

Investors have a lot of pull in companies of this size. Perhaps in a few years, they'll spin off a new division for consumers. I would invest in that.

[@edruttledge342]

Even if Skydio should return to the “consumer” drone market, Skydio’s Adam Bry has demonstrated his is a quixotic management style renders Skydio, or any subsidiary thereof, an unpredictable/undesirable option. Many of us will choose to not be burned again.

[@Putzl52]

It makes sense. With the talk of DJI being bladklisted by the government, I’m sure the government was looking for another company.

[@saintkenny9296]

I honestly feel bad for all the people that invested in Skydio drone(s) to have this happen to them.

[@billykyle]

They will still work, but just won't receive the same level of support

[@edruttledge342]

I am one of those people (see my comments posted in this comment section). Even if Skydio should return to the “consumer” drone market, Skydio’s Adam Bry has demonstrated his is a quixotic management style renders Skydio, or any subsidiary thereof, an unpredictable/undesirable option. Many of us will choose to not be burned again.

[@ameaerials]

If there is no competition for DJI, they can price their drones whatever they want, and perhaps get it. Who gets hurt? All of us. Who wins? DJI. Pray that some of the players left behind get innovative and to stay in the game. I for one will let the dust settle before I consider buying or replacing a drone IF I don’t have to-

[@keithbrown454]

Good to see you on it Billy as always. So, the rumors were correct. Shout out to those folks who laid it out earlier. I'm right in the middle of sending Skydio my Skydio 2 drone to fix. They are waiting on my $150 service fee/deposit. Now I'm seriously contemplating on whether I should send it in or not. It is a bummer because there probably won't be any updates in the future now. An unsupported product from a company now. DJI has the consumer market down anyway and Skydio was probably like, 'oh well'. Let DJI have it because no one is coming close to them no time soon. It is sad really and I was hoping Skydio would put out a Skydio 3. To be honest, it's borderline one trick pony, but it's the best at it currently.

[@Kevz8611]

This could all be because of DJI. Perhaps they've acknowledged the fact that they just can't compete with DJI in the consumer market, as no company can. If they just stuck to their Skydio for the consumer market that would be enough for most people. They'd still be able to focus on their Enterprise sector at the same time.

[@christopherrasmussen8718]

Nuts . I’ve owned 2.

[@billykyle]

Which ones?

[@christopherrasmussen8718]

@@billykyle the first one and I just got the one with ID. I’ve not rung out the new one yet. Soon. First I’ve bit the dust.

[@jakabgipsz4788]

It did the same as the Parrot company.

[@billykyle]

Yes

[@fetherolf13]

my employer is in the beginning process of working to approve DJI for flight missions... thank goodness

[@fetherolf13]

my employer is one of the largest utility company in the US btw..

[@RU12DV8]

Right?

[@billykyle]

K

[@mingouczjcz3800]

In a sense, skydio has just gracefully exited consummer drone market. Otherwise, skydio would end up with bloody-nose bankruptcy. Is there any better way to survive in the market when facing all-round drone giant competitor DJI in terms of price, quality, service, technology,etc.? Very likely, gopro will follow the skydio suit. Competition is tough.

[@GlovesupSwampy]

They are pivoting to enterprise (so they can overcharge a yearly subscription for using their drone which consumer market would never pay for)