DJI Phantom


The DJI Phantom is a series of quadcopter unmanned aerial vehicles developed by Chinese technology company DJI.

Design and development

The Phantom 1, originally known as the Phantom, was released on January 7, 2013. It uses 2.4 GHz for control and is powered by a 2200 mAh LiPo battery, giving it a flight time of about 15 minutes. It did not include a built-in camera, but it can be fitted with an optional mount for a GoPro HERO camera. The drone uses a GPS-enabled NAZA-M autopilot system allowing it to hover with automatic wind resistance.
After the success of the Phantom 2 Vision, DJI released a camera-equipped version of the Phantom 1 as the Phantom FC40. The drone features a FC40 camera on a fixed mount capable of capturing 720p video at 30 FPS. The aircraft uses 5.8 GHz for control allowing the 2.4 GHz band to be allocated for FPV downlink. It uses an iOS/Android app for control and comes with Wi-Fi and GPS modules. Using a 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi connection, it provides almost real-time aerial video on a mobile device, allowing the pilot to capture images and videos as is. The camera angle is manually set before each flight.

Phantom 2 series

Released in October 2013, the Phantom 2 Vision was the first model to feature a built-in camera. The camera is mounted on a one-dimensional gimbal and is capable of recording 1080p video at either 30 or 60 FPS or taking 14-megapixel stills onto a microSD card. The motorized gimbal gives the camera 60 degrees of vertical motion. The drone also features a Wi-Fi module, a GPS-enabled position holding, return-to-home capability, a Naza-M flight control system, and self-tightening propellers. The drone connects to iOS or Android devices via an app, allowing the operator to control the camera and view flight data. Battery capacity was increased to 5200 mAh, giving the drone a flight time of 25 minutes.
The Phantom 2 was released in December 2013 as a camera-less version of the Phantom 2 Vision. Although it did not include a built-in camera gimbal, an optional two-axis Zenmuse H3-2D gimbal was made available to mount a GoPro HERO3 camera.
Released in April 2014, the Phantom 2 Vision+ replaced the Vision's single-axis gimbal with a self-stabilizing three-axis unit. The gimbal mounts a redesigned camera with the same specifications as the Vision and has 90 degrees of vertical tilt, allowing the Vision+ to point the camera straight down. An upgraded version was released in late-2014 as the Phantom 2 Vision+ V3.0 with more powerful motors and electronic speed controllers, Model 9450 propellers, and an improved compass module.

Phantom 3 series

In April 2015, DJI released the first two third-generation Phantom models; the Phantom 3 Professional and Phantom 3 Advanced. The Phantom 3 introduced a visual positioning system, allowing it to hold its position without GPS and improving positioning indoors and outdoors. The drone uses a Lightbridge video transmission system, allowing for stable connection up to 5km and replacing the Wi-Fi system of previous models, though range limitations vary by market. Both models feature a Sony Exmor 1/2.3" camera, with the Professional being capable of shooting 4K video at 30 FPS while the Advanced is limited to 2.7K video at 30 FPS. Both models are also capable of shooting 1080p video at 60 FPS, use GPS and GLONASS for navigation, and are powered by a 4480 mAh battery, giving them a flight time of approximately 23 minutes.
The Phantom 3 Standard was released in August 2015 as a cheaper alternative to the Advanced and Professional. Like the previous models, the Standard features a 1/2.3" camera, which is capable of shooting both 2.7K and 1080p video at 30 FPS as well as 720p video at 60 FPS. Unlike the other models, Standard retains the Wi-Fi transmission system and lacks the vision positioning system as well as GLONASS compatibility.
The Phantom 3 4K was released in January 2016. Similar to the Standard, the Phantom 3 4K is uses a Wi-Fi video transmission system, but is also fitted with the visual positioning system and 4K Sony Exmor camera of the Professional.
The Phantom 3 SE was originally released exclusively in China in early March 2017, though a worldwide release came in August of that year to select markets. An improved version of the Phantom 3 4K, the SE's video transmission system was upgraded to transmit live 720p video to the controller, up from the 4K's 480p live video. The drone's range was also increased from to, though this is restricted in some markets. The SE uses the same 4480 mAh battery as previous models, though flight time was slightly increased to 25 minutes.

Phantom 4 series

The Phantom 4, released in March 2016, introduced a new outer shell design as well as a push-and-release propeller locking mechanism. An obstacle avoidance system was added, which uses four cameras and an ultrasonic sensor. The drone also introduced the ActiveTrack and TapFly features, with the former allowing the drone to autonomously track moving objects, including people, with its camera while the latter allowing the drone to be controlled by tapping on the video stream in the DJI app. The drone is equipped with a 1/2.3" camera with an electronic shutter capable of shooting 4K video at 30 FPS or 1080p video at 120 FPS, while a new 5350 mAh battery gives it a flight time of approximately 28 minutes.
The Phantom 4 Pro was released in November 2016 with a new 20-megapixel Exmor R camera featuring a CMOS sensor. The obstacle avoidance system was also upgraded rearward-facing sensors as well as infrared sensors on both sides. The Phantom 4 Pro+, offered alongside the Pro, features a controller with a 5.5-inch screen and an integrated flight app, allowing it to be flown without a separate mobile device. The Pro uses Model 9450S propellers and is powered by a 5870 mAh battery, giving it a fight time of approximately 30 minutes. During the 2017 IFA Berlin trade show, DJI announced a new version of the Pro/Pro+ as the Phantom 4 Pro Obsidian and Pro+ Obsidian, respectively. The Pro/Pro+ Obsidian is largely identical to the baseline Pro/Pro+, differing only in that both the drone and remote have a matte black color and that the camera and gimbal are made of magnesium and have an electroplated anti-fingerprint coating.
The Phantom 4 Advanced was announced on 13 April 2017 as a replacement for the Phantom 4. The drone features an upgraded camera with a 1-inch CMOS sensor and a mechanical shutter, capable of shooting 4K video at 60 FPS. The drone is capable of processing H.264 video at 60 FPS and H.265 video at 30 FPS. Like the Pro, the Advanced was also offered with a controller with a 5.5-inch screen as the Phantom 4 Advanced+.
In May 2018, DJI quietly released an upgraded version of the Phantom 4 Pro/Pro+ as the Phantom 4 Pro/Pro+ V2.0. The Pro V2.0 retains the camera of the Pro, but features an OcuSync transmission system, improved ESCs, and Model 9455S low-noise propellers which are backwards compatible with the original Pro. Production of the Phantom 4 Pro V2.0 was suspended in late 2018 or early 2019 due to what DJI called "a shortage of parts from a supplier", though DJI denied rumors that the Phantom was being discontinued. Production was restarted in January 2020 after the supply issue was sorted out.
Released in October 2018, the Phantom 4 RTK was designed for aerial mapping and surveying. Based on the Pro, the Phantom 4 RTK added a real-time kinematic positioning module capable of connecting to GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, and BeiDou satellites. In addition to RTK, it uses a redundant GNSS module, installed to maintain flight stability in regions with poor signal. The drone is fitted with an FC6310R camera, which is identical to the Exmor R camera of the Phantom 4 Pro but with a glass lens instead a plastic one. The Phantom 4 RTK records images only in JPEG format and videos in MOV format.
An agricultural model of the Phantom 4 was announced on 25 September 2019 as the P4 Multispectral, dropping the Phantom name. Based on the Phantom 4 RTK, the P4 Multispectral integrates a six-sensor camera array, which includes an RGB camera and five narrow-band sensors, being the first drone to do so. The P4 Multispectral uses Model 9455S low-noise propellers as standard, though standard Phantom 4 propellers are also compatible at the cost of reduced performance. Battery capacity remained at 5870 mAh, but flight time was slightly reduced to approximately 27 minutes.
Details of a replacement for the Phantom 4 RTK were leaked in March 2022 as the Phantom 4 RTK SE. The leak did not reveal any significant changes between the RTK and RTK SE, but did note that the latter would not include an Intelligent Flight Battery charger and that the power cord wattage would be reduced from 160W to 100W. The Phantom 4 RTK SE was listed for sale on the DJI website as late as January 2023.

Phantom 5 rumors and replacement

In 2018, leaked photos of silver-colored Phantom drones circulated, with the drones speculated to be prototypes of a Phantom 5 variant. However, DJI denied that the photos were of Phantom 5 prototypes, stating that they were a one-off order for a customer. In April 2019, rumors circulated that the planned replacement for the Phantom 4 series, the Phantom 5, had been canceled, with the project manager being reassigned to another device. These rumors were also denied by DJI, with the company's communications director Adam Lisberg stating "As for the Phantom 5 rumors, we've never said we considered making a Phantom 5 in the first place, so there's nothing to cancel." Instead of continuing the Phantom series, DJI replaced the Phantom 4 Pro with the Mavic 3 Pro.

Operational history

The DJI Phantom series has been popular with hobbyists and enterprise users due to its functionality and price point. Phantom drones have been marketed at the Consumer Electronics Show for several years. The Phantom has been used for drone journalism, hurricane hunting, 3-D landscape mapping, nature protection, farming, search and rescue, aircraft inspection, tornado chasing, and lava lake exploration. The Fox Broadcasting Company also used Phantom 2 Vision+'s to promote 24 during San Diego Comic-Con in 2014.
The Phantom has been used by ISIS in Syria and Iraq to scout for battle planning and conduct aerial bombing by dropping small explosives on enemy troops, with at least one ISIS supporter posting instructions to a forum on how to operate the drone for military use. In the summer of 2014, ISIS shot footage of a Syrian airbase in Tabqa with a Phantom FC40. The People's Defense Units reportedly shot down several ISIS Phantoms in Kobani in December 2014.
Despite US sanctions on DJI, the FBI has continued to order the Phantom 4 Pro as late as 2021, citing in a procurement justification that "the DJI P4P is the only commercially available consumer sUAV to combine ease of use, high camera resolution and obstacle avoidance at an acceptable cost."