As it currently stands, the Inspire 1, the Inspire 2 and the Phantom 4 Pro stand as the most elite drones in the DJI arsenal. However, 2018 was a HUGE year for the droning world and besides the Mavic Pro 2 coming out, the other model people wanted to know more about was the Phantom 5.
Following the way drone evolution goes, it’s usually an “easy” thing to predict on where the next generation will go, so what I would like to do is take the current P4P specs and explain what I would love to see on the new P5 and I am hoping that not only will it be true, but also when it finally comes out, that it will even exceed these expectations!
1: A better camera (obviously).
The P4P has a 20 MP camera that shoots 4k @ 60 fps and it’s absolutely insane. So what I would like to see on the P5 is next level MP improvement. It is possible to double that DJI and give it that DLSR level quality!? I hope so!
In terms of shooting, I’m fine with 4k but I would like to see an improvement in FPS. In short, the next generation of the Phantom series needs to shoot as well if not better than the Inspire 2. I already think the P4P takes better pictures and shoots better video than the first Inspire model, let’s kick it up!
Perhaps they could make a detachable camera as well, the way they have it on the Inspire 2? It would really open up the doors for more sales and customization options on the Phantom series. The Inspire 2 currently has this and the same cameras you can change and attach to the gimbal, you can also use on their Osmo series.
Why not give the Phantom it’s own line of detachable cameras and also have them interlock with the Osmo? Not only that but because we already have an example of this with the Inspire 2 and there are amazing cameras, meaning if they take the same system they use on the Inspire, how hard would it be to mimic it on the Phantom series?
2: There needs to be a 360 camera rotation on the gimbal.
No more of this up and down motion being the only thing you can do, let’s make it a full 360 rotation. Yuneec does it with their models, the Inspire models do it too.
And no more propellers getting in the way of the footage!
3: Add a 6th sensor (to the top).
The P4P has 5 sensors which cover everything but the top of the model. Let the P5 fix that. I’ve had more than one occasion where a lack of upward sensors. Being that the Mavic 2 Pro has it, there’s no reason the P5 shouldn’t.
4: More intelligent features such as BACKTRACKING.
Hear me out on this! Suppose you’re flying through a high risk area and the connection is lost. The drone will try to fly back but what if it lifts up and hits something on the way (lack of a 6th sensor can have this happen) OR it can’t go around or over a particular obstacle.
Enter backtracking. A new feature I’d LOVE to see DJI add where if a difficult situation arises and the drone loses connection, that it can BACKTRACK the way it came into that area in the first place.
I have found that on tough flights where something goes wrong and I can’t fly the model any further and there’s obstacles everywhere, the safest thing to do is backtrack it manually as that was the original, safe path that got me there, so if the bird can record it’s current position, how it got their, the elevation changes and turns, it can use that if the need arises to safely return to the pilot.
A good example of this is if you’re flying between trees and avoiding the stumps, branches and so on. If connection is lost, what’s the first thing the bird will do? Fly up. But if you’re in an area with trees, you’re extremely likely to hit branches and other types of obstacles.
Certainly a 6th sensor helps avoid this possibility, but the bird won’t know where to go. But with a backtracking feature, it will know where to go and backtracking is the safest way for it to get back in the type of scenario I talked about. DJI, you can do this and you already do when the flight is recorded, but you can take it to the next level by doing this and it would GREATLY prevent accidents in the future.
5: Add an internal USB storage, just like on the Mavic Air.
The Mavic Air has an internal 8GB storage, the P5 should come with at least a 16 GB storage. It’s just the right trend to follow at this point as it’ll be a huge selling point.
Besides that, more battery life, more speed are also going to be awesome.
Those are my 5 preferences. Which do you prefer out of that list and what would you like to see most?
I’m almost certain that most of you who read this and enjoy the Phantom series have already made your own predictions as well as wishes on what you’d like the next generation model to have. If what I mentioned on my list is different from yours, I’ve love to hear what you personally would love to see.
Maybe it can give DJI more ideas to work with as we draw closer and closer to seeing it’s unveiling 🙂
Update: September 2019. Still nothing but rumors on the P5.
When I wrote this article over a year ago, the Mavic 2 Pro hadn’t come out, and when it did, I did get it. While I prefer the P4P’s camera to it slightly, I cannot deny that my interest in my P4P died down because of the MP2.
I’m sure many people who also got their hands on it felt the same way, especially considering how much more portable it is and because in late 2018 and most of 2019, there haven’t been any major new drone releases, it is speculated that there’s no reason for DJI to release a P5 anytime soon.
Additionally, major add ons to the already large list of regulations have slowed down the drone hobby as of late and I’m sure this has added to things. If any new, news comes out on the P5, I’ll be sure to update the post.