Drone manufacturer Skydio has stopped selling its drones to consumers. In an announcement on the company’s website, CEO Adam Bry said that the company had decided “to sunset our consumer business.”
Skydio 2
The Skydio 2 drone was launched four years ago. It had great follow-and-film capability and autonomous cinematography features such as KeyFrame. As a result, it was popular with video makers, and the Skydio 2+ model even won our award for Best Drone of CES 2022. However, Skydio drones are also used by a range of commercial and industrial customers.
Public sector
In his announcement, Adam Bry stated that Skydio has over 1,500 enterprise and public sector customers. The company’s drones are used in business sectors as diverse as public safety, transportation, energy, construction and defense. At the end of last year, we also reported on the new Skydio Dock, which is designed for the remote deployment of Skydio drones.
Adam Bry’s statement
Bry said the company’s drones are “putting sensors in dangerous and important places to perform inspections, find missing children, and protect our troops around the world.” He also said that: “It’s becoming more and more clear every day that we need trusted, secure drones to meet these critical applications. The impact we’re having with our enterprise and public sector customers has become so compelling that it demands nothing less than our full focus and attention.” In addition, Bry closed his statement with: “We will be forever grateful to every consumer who has purchased a Skydio drone. We hope you have enjoyed the product as much as we enjoyed building it and supporting you.”
What next?
Skydio no longer offers their Skydio 2+ Starter, Sports, Cinema or Pro Kits. Now only commercial enterprises and public sector organizations can purchase the Skydio 2+ Enterprise Kit. However, the company is committed to providing software and customer support for existing customers. Skydio also stands by all warranty terms, Skydio Care, and will continue vehicle repairs. In addition, Bry said that the company will retain an inventory of accessories for as long as it can. This means the company will still supply replacement batteries, propellers and charging cables, etc. There’s also an FAQ section on the website for consumer customers.
What we think
It’s a shame that Skydio has decided to pull out of the consumer market. The company’s drone has some great autonomous flight features, which made it particularly suited for filmmaking. With the KeyFrame feature, you could also set up a complex flight path, knowing that the drone would follow it precisely time and again. This is ideal for scripted filmmaking, where you need to be able to quickly reset for another take. However, it’s clear that Skydio’s development has become increasingly driven by the needs of its commercial customers. In addition, it’s reassuring to see that the company has committed to continue to support its consumer customers.
