Over the past year, the U.S. Government has made it increasingly difficult for DJI to sell its drones in the country. However, some reports online suggest that the company may be exploring new ways to bring products to the U.S. market.
Why can’t DJI sell in the U.S.?
Back in April 2023, Republican Congresswoman Elise Stefanik introduced the Countering CCP Drones Act to the House of Representatives. This legislation was intended to ban DJI from selling any products in the U.S. Although the bill didn’t come into law as planned, the FY25 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) required a risk assessment on DJI’s drones. If this doesn’t happen by the end of this year, then the products will be banned. In addition, in October 2024, DJI claimed that imports of its drones to the United States were already being stopped by customs.
What’s the SkyRover X1?
The Verve website recently reported on a new drone for sale on Amazon. Apart from being bright yellow, the SkyRover X1 bears a striking resemblance to the DJI Mini Pro 4. The Air Photography YouTube channel also posted a review of the SkyRover X1. Many of the comments on that video identified the drone as a rebadged DJI Mini Pro 4. However, the video notably didn’t compare the SkyRover X1 to other drones. Shawn from Air Photography later posted a follow-up article to the video on the Drone XL website. In the article, he stated that when he was sent the SkyRover X1 for review, he was told “not to make reference to other drones”.
DJI ecosystem
Drone XL also shared reports from a security researcher called Kevin Finisterre. Finisterre found that the SkyRover app is intrinsically linked to DJI’s cloud ecosystem. On X, Finisterre posted, “Busted already @konrad_it @Bin4ryDigit, it has connections to @DJIGlobal @DJISupport @DJIEnterprise via @DJIFlySafe references, and ‘AASKY’ references. That took like 20 minutes? lol Pathetic.” Finisterre also reported that the letters DJI in the code had simply been replaced with “xxx” or “uav.”
So, is it a DJI Mini 4 Pro?
The SkyRover X1 has a lot of the same features as the DJI Mini 4 Pro. Both weigh under 250 grams (0.55 pounds). They also both have a 1/1.3-inch sensor camera and can shoot video in 4K up to 60 frames per second. The X1 and Mini 4 Pro offer the same levels of obstacle avoidance and the same transmission range as well. However, DJI’s batteries for the Mini 4 Pro aren’t compatible with the SkyRover X1.
Also, you can’t use a DJI remote control with the SkyRover drone. Finally, there are some minor cosmetic differences between the body designs of the two drones.
What we think
At the time of writing, DJI hasn’t confirmed or denied that the SkyRover X1 is based on its Mini 4 Pro drone. However, there is growing evidence that this is the case. If there are links to DJI, then it may be only a matter of time before the authorities in the U.S. take action to prevent the sales of the SkyRover X1. In the meantime, some consumers are excited by the prospect of getting their hands on a drone that may not otherwise be available. However, it’s important to bear in mind that your existing DJI batteries and controllers won’t work with the SkyRover X1.
Pricing and availability
The SkyRover X1 drone is currently available on the Amazon.com website for $758. You can also pick up a Fly More Combo (sound familiar?) for $898.
