Drone industry leader DJI has confirmed the launch of a new product on May 15th. The teaser has some distinctly underwater vibes and is offered with the tagline “Unleash your other side.”
It doesn’t look as though a Phantom 5 is on the cards. The imagery also seems to suggest a product that’s waterproof, rather than just able to fly in the rain.
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DJI’s underwater options
There are two possible products that fit with DJI’s ‘Unleash Your Other Side’ teaser and the freediver imagery. The first is an underwater drone, which would be a marked departure from what the Chinese manufacturer has attempted up until this point.
The second would be an underwater action camera – perhaps a waterproof version of the Osmo Pocket to rival GoPro’s Hero range of rugged cameras.
Interestingly, when the Osmo Pocket first launched, DJI said an underwater case for it would soon be available. The idea was to allow users to dive with the camera to a depth of 60 meters. But the case still hasn’t materialized and is not available to buy as an accessory from DJI.
Perhaps the Chinese manufacturer has held off selling the underwater Osmo Pocket case because a fully water-proof camera is on the horizon.
Underwater photography remains untapped
There is a whole “other side” of creative potential beneath the surface.
An underwater camera of sorts would certainly fit in with the tagline. Underwater photography remains a pretty exclusive hobby and expensive gear is needed if you want to get decent results. Several Chinese manufacturers have developed remote-control underwater UAVs, but they don’t have the mass market appeal DJI is presumably looking for.
An underwater action cam or an underwater drone would diversify DJI’s current product range. The launch of the Osmo and Ronin products in recent years have proved that DJI has ambitions well beyond flying cameras, so we shouldn’t rule anything out.
The Unleash Your Other Side reveal is set for 9am ET on May 15th.
https://t.co/Qx5cdIxxFL pic.twitter.com/6Z2Tn6l8Im
— DJI (@DJIGlobal) May 8, 2019
Malek Murison is a freelance writer and editor with a passion for tech trends and innovation. He handles product reviews, major releases and keeps an eye on the enthusiast market for DroneLife.
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