The world's leading drone company, DJI, is facing a tough time in the USA. The USA or its allies often lead in technology, but no independent observer would credit the USA with much success in civilian drones – it is an area where Chinese companies famously stopped copying and started to lead, and chief amongst them was DJI.
Sadly for American consumers, freedom of choice has taken a back seat to regulations, bans and tariffs, and DJI products might face a ban at the end of the year unless the government actively conducts a study into them and grants them a reprieve.
Inevitably many are looking for other solutions, one of which seems to be Specta – a company buying the right to produce DJI products in Malaysia
Reportedly these drones are made on the very same line as DJI's, but the firmware is different. That means the batteries won't work together even though they fit perfectly!
Read the (very similar) DJI Mini 4K review to see sample clips of what recorded video will actually look like, and to get a good idea of how the drone works.
As I explain there, the design is established based on DJI (and now Specta's) folding airframe. The concept has been the core of drone design for a decade now because it is practical, robust, and efficient.
All the key safety and control features like GPS, automatic return to home, auto hover etc. are included, and the camera can more than compete with most camera phones so you should be pleased with the results.
This isn't the only instance of a Specta drone using the DJI template. The DJI Air 3 is, effectively, the Specta Air, which is also on sale through Amazon USA.
(Oh, my personal tip if you're buying outside the USA? Stick with DJI – Specta is, for now, a work-around).
You might also like
Read my first story on what I called the Attack of the clone drones, and check my guide to the best non-DJI drones.
