Hi everyone, I’m curious why there’s no serious competition against DJI coming from Japan? They used to lead in tech—what happened?
If I’m wrong or you have suggestions, please share and let me know!
It’s not about the tech—they’ve got the know-how. It’s about pricing. Sony has a $9,000 drone, and ACSL is working on something aimed at the consumer/prosumer market, but it’s not out yet.
Morgan said:
It’s not about the tech—they’ve got the know-how. It’s about pricing. Sony has a $9,000 drone, and ACSL is working on something aimed at the consumer/prosumer market, but it’s not out yet.
ACSL isn’t a consumer drone. We tested one last week, and it’s definitely for industrial use. It’s more like something from the early PlayStation era. It has automated flight modes and mapping tools, but at $10,000, it’s hard to say it’s worth it.
@Ashby
$10,000? Seriously? They keep saying they want to compete with DJI. Who exactly is their target market?
Morgan said:
@Ashby
$10,000? Seriously? They keep saying they want to compete with DJI. Who exactly is their target market?
Yeah, right?! They’re focused on enterprise users—mapping and inspections. If we want decent consumer drones, we’ll have to hope Skydio comes back to the market. All the other non-Chinese brands are either struggling or gone, and even companies like Anzu might not last. The cheap labor in China is hard to compete with.
Morgan said:
It’s not about the tech—they’ve got the know-how. It’s about pricing. Sony has a $9,000 drone, and ACSL is working on something aimed at the consumer/prosumer market, but it’s not out yet.
What about a $4,000 drone that shoots 4K at 60fps? Something to rival what’s used in films like Avatar 2? I get that cheaper drones dominate, but there must be room for higher-end options too.
@Zander
When they said $9K, they meant $9,000.
Japan’s electronics manufacturing has been declining for decades. Big companies are still around, but the smaller ones have mostly disappeared. Meanwhile, China’s population is over ten times larger, and they’ve built unmatched manufacturing systems. They handle everything—from circuit boards to production lines.
@Lennon
Japan shifted its strategy a long time ago. Instead of exporting everything, they now build locally where they sell. This helps avoid tariffs and keeps other countries from getting upset. The U.S. in the ’70s and ’80s wasn’t happy with Japan, and they didn’t want to risk that kind of backlash again.
@Lennon
That’s pretty sad if it’s true.
Any industrialized country could make drones, but the problem is cost. China has spent decades perfecting their manufacturing setup. Motors, chips, cameras—all of it gets made there, and the prices are unbeatable. Making those parts elsewhere would drive costs way up without improving quality.
The only exceptions are extremely high-value products, like top-tier CPUs, GPUs, or medical tech. For consumer electronics and drones, though, China’s dominance will only change if governments invest heavily in domestic manufacturing. Or if a major global event, like a conflict over Taiwan, forces countries to rebuild their supply chains.
Right now, you can buy non-Chinese drones, but they’ll cost more than double for similar performance.
@Neve
Don’t forget—China also subsidizes its tech industries by about $250 billion a year.
Is it true that it’s hard to fly drones in Japan?
Paz said:
Is it true that it’s hard to fly drones in Japan?
Yes, it’s tough. After World War II, Japan’s constitution was rewritten with strict rules. Plus, their culture values keeping a low profile in public. If you do something like take a loud phone call in a public space, you could even get the police called on you.
@AltitudeAviator
Yeah, that’s what I thought. Makes sense now.
Great question—following this thread for more insights!