Inspire 1...DJI retirement?

[zpdana24]

first off I love my inspire one. Had a Mavic pro first and then upgraded?downgraded? to the inspire one now I believe I will be upgrading?downgrading? to the Mavic Pro II upon release.

The only drawback to me besides factors that have popped up within the past few months (new tech, update bugs, etc) and coming months (July 18th - DJI event) has just been the cumbersome nature of caring that beast to far off places that I love to film and being in Florida on the coast that's usually including water.

To my point: I keep reading from forms, blogs YouTube videos, and just small bits of information that I can match up in my mind that DJI maybe pushing the inspire one out the door or just possibly not supporting it and not ever making any more new features or products for it (as I believe is the case already).

I'm seriously considering selling my near perfect bird (all close, safe, documented flights) for a huge cut in price ($1500).

What do y'all think?

I'm a solar tech and designer in the PV industry. I use my drones for marketing and advertising, site prelim analysis (roof measurements, 3D mapping, etc) and for panel inspection and maintenance. So I don't necessarily need cinematic footage as much as data acquisition.

Thanks y'all and cheers!

 

[zpdana24]

Forgive some typos as my voice text has a lot of trouble understanding my thick southern accent.

 

[The Editor]

first off I love my inspire one. Had a Mavic pro first and then upgraded?downgraded? to the inspire one now I believe I will be upgrading?downgrading? to the Mavic Pro II upon release.

The only drawback to me besides factors that have popped up within the past few months (new tech, update bugs, etc) and coming months (July 18th - DJI event) has just been the cumbersome nature of caring that beast to far off places that I love to film and being in Florida on the coast that's usually including water.

To my point: I keep reading from forms, blogs YouTube videos, and just small bits of information that I can match up in my mind that DJI maybe pushing the inspire one out the door or just possibly not supporting it and not ever making any more new features or products for it (as I believe is the case already).

I'm seriously considering selling my near perfect bird (all close, safe, documented flights) for a huge cut in price ($1500).

What do y'all think?

I'm a solar tech and designer in the PV industry. I use my drones for marketing and advertising, site prelim analysis (roof measurements, 3D mapping, etc) and for panel inspection and maintenance. So I don't necessarily need cinematic footage as much as data acquisition.

Thanks y'all and cheers!

So what exactly are you asking?
Should you sell your I1 because you believe model discontinuation is imminent?
Or....How much can you get for your I1?

 

[zpdana24]

People's opinion on whether or not the Inspire 1 will be obsolete...not due to new technology releases...but to DJI possibly not continuing to take steps (pro-active bug free FW updates) to keep it in the realm of actual commercial use. Especially with their now highly highly anticipated July 18th release date looming.

 

[licensed pilot]

first off I love my inspire one. Had a Mavic pro first and then upgraded?downgraded? to the inspire one now I believe I will be upgrading?downgrading? to the Mavic Pro II upon release.

The only drawback to me besides factors that have popped up within the past few months (new tech, update bugs, etc) and coming months (July 18th - DJI event) has just been the cumbersome nature of caring that beast to far off places that I love to film and being in Florida on the coast that's usually including water.

To my point: I keep reading from forms, blogs YouTube videos, and just small bits of information that I can match up in my mind that DJI maybe pushing the inspire one out the door or just possibly not supporting it and not ever making any more new features or products for it (as I believe is the case already).

I'm seriously considering selling my near perfect bird (all close, safe, documented flights) for a huge cut in price ($1500).

What do y'all think?

I'm a solar tech and designer in the PV industry. I use my drones for marketing and advertising, site prelim analysis (roof measurements, 3D mapping, etc) and for panel inspection and maintenance. So I don't necessarily need cinematic footage as much as data acquisition.

Thanks y'all and cheers!

Don't quite understand your dilemma. If you have a UAV that works for you and is doing what you need, why sell it.

 

[zpdana24]

it does work for me except:

1. Battery life (switching batteries in way point mode flying while making maps, etc causes issues) etc etc etc (carrying around 10 batteries...no thanks) etc about battery life and changing them

2. Huge bird to "carry around" (I'm in new construction, etc) so I don't like the size anymore. it's just too big with all my other tools BUT so cool how it "transforms" but sometimes sweating and being in the heat, all the "set up" out of travel mode annoys me and tediously putting that camera on..

3. With the mavic pro II POSSIBLY being able to change cameras AND IF NOT, the apps now allowing me thermal imagery WITHOUT purchasing or renting one for $1,000s it'd cost for me to put one on the Inspire

4. The Inspire has paid for itself now. $2200 back in may of 2017. By selling it and only needing a few hundred more dollars for a uav that's over (Inspire came out in 2015 I think) 3+ years newer in tech and a another DJI product.......

The Inspire is awesome technology and is the base of DJI's beginning into the prosumer market starting YEARS ago..I wish I could keep it cause in ten years it'll be like holy sh*t you have an original Inspire?!? Let me see!!

So I thought I answered my own question until I wrote the last paragraph.

Any other thoughts guys? I'm not bashing the Inspire, I love it, and I own it. Just trying to make smart choices in a ever so quickly evolving and changing tech market.

 

[dpeagle]

if you fear that dji is somehow going to drop all support for the i1 series i think that fear is misguided. they sold a ton of i1's. as far as i know they continue to sell i1;s. they have made no statements about dropping support for the i1 series. and from my understanding with something close to 10,000 i1's sold, why would they bail on the very profitable replacement part business for the i1 series. if they are going to release a mavic pro II in july you can bet it will come at a premium price and if past history serves be riddled with bugs. enjoy your i1, let them beta test the mp2, let the prices drop then purchase and enjoy.

 

[zpdana24]

Nice man..thanks for insight!
All very true and valid thoughts and points.

I do not think they would dare announce any discontinuation of any product actually in a timely manner, that's wishful thinking. I don't entirely trust DJI's transparency on issues like that though (compatibility with iPad grey areas, etc)

(Great comment on replacement part business cause I just thought about the insane money off tb47's and tb48's they make PER Inspire 1)

Can you please elaborate a little if you want on the bugs with mavic pro? I had mine (only 4 months in 2017) and had no issues.

I have been lucky with all FW updates on my Inspire and mavic. Knock on wood!

if you fear that dji is somehow going to drop all support for the i1 series i think that fear is misguided. they sold a ton of i1's. as far as i know they continue to sell i1;s. they have made no statements about dropping support for the i1 series. and from my understanding with something close to 10,000 i1's sold, why would they bail on the very profitable replacement part business for the i1 series. if they are going to release a mavic pro II in july you can bet it will come at a premium price and if past history serves be riddled with bugs. enjoy your i1, let them beta test the mp2, let the prices drop then purchase and enjoy.

 

[dpeagle]

you can search and find all the teething problems the mavic had. from app crashing, to lost connections, to battery issues and camera issues. it seems all newly released drones, from all the manufactures have problems post release. hell the i1 had a bunch, the i2 is just now becoming a stable platform. just recently the i2 had a fw update that bricked the batteries. the i1 you have now has gone thru the revision stage and is now very stable as is the mavic pro.

 

[zpdana24]

Things I didn't entirely consider but very very relevant. As new tech always has a warm up stage where bugs are fixed and sometimes incidentally created and fixed again. I will heavily consider this..thanks again man

 

[huppe]

Just keep it.Why selling?I have my Inspire 1 and never had any regrets.I do not worry about firmware because I still fly with very old firmware and after the second "upgrade " never done any firmware upgrade again.And I don't worry about the hardware because there is more then enough at the shops.

 

[zpdana24]

Why sell it? Use the money towards newer tech (loved my mavic pro as well as my i1 but my heartstrings pull towards a mpII for my needs if it's released)
I don't like the size or battery life of the i1 (I know old arguments/beating a dead horse) but...as has been pointed out:
1. No announcements or hints at stopping support/production
2. I1 maybe THE steady platform now after all these years of FW updates, r&d, and user feedback

Thanks for input huppe

Just keep it.Why selling?I have my Inspire 1 and never had any regrets.I do not worry about firmware because I still fly with very old firmware and after the second "upgrade " never done any firmware upgrade again.And I don't worry about the hardware because there is more then enough at the shops.

 

[Scoobywrx05]

For what you are using it for it sounds like you would be better off with an m210,m200,m600 or something of the likes instead of an inspire. Ideally would a m210 with an x4 to the z30 on the one mount and the xt thermal on the other mount. Really tho it all comes down to what you want to spend.

 

[zpdana24]

Thanks for the input! True except the dinero part! I wish I could spend like $6,500 for something like that set up. I just use drone deploy for the thermal imaging but I'd love a FLiR.

For what you are using it for it sounds like you would be better off with an m210,m200,m600 or something of the likes instead of an inspire. Ideally would a m210 with an x4 to the z30 on the one mount and the xt thermal on the other mount. Really tho it all comes down to what you want to spend.

 

[licensed pilot]

it does work for me except:

1. Battery life (switching batteries in way point mode flying while making maps, etc causes issues) etc etc etc (carrying around 10 batteries...no thanks) etc about battery life and changing them

2. Huge bird to "carry around" (I'm in new construction, etc) so I don't like the size anymore. it's just too big with all my other tools BUT so cool how it "transforms" but sometimes sweating and being in the heat, all the "set up" out of travel mode annoys me and tediously putting that camera on..

3. With the mavic pro II POSSIBLY being able to change cameras AND IF NOT, the apps now allowing me thermal imagery WITHOUT purchasing or renting one for $1,000s it'd cost for me to put one on the Inspire

4. The Inspire has paid for itself now. $2200 back in may of 2017. By selling it and only needing a few hundred more dollars for a uav that's over (Inspire came out in 2015 I think) 3+ years newer in tech and a another DJI product.......

The Inspire is awesome technology and is the base of DJI's beginning into the prosumer market starting YEARS ago..I wish I could keep it cause in ten years it'll be like holy sh*t you have an original Inspire?!? Let me see!!

So I thought I answered my own question until I wrote the last paragraph.

Any other thoughts guys? I'm not bashing the Inspire, I love it, and I own it. Just trying to make smart choices in a ever so quickly evolving and changing tech market.

My P3P and I1P have been moneymakers since 2015 and still going strong.

 

[The Editor]

Of course.....it could all change on July 18th when DJI releases a new UAV

 

[Steve@AerialImagesPro]

Selling it won't net you anywhere near $1500, unless you have a special camera or something.

If you want to get a new Magic that's great but I would plan on keeping I1 as a backup, or at a minimum take it with to shoots and leave it next to you so if anyone sees you they'll know you're a pro.

Newest Mavics and P4 have great cameras and can easily do pro work, they just don't LOOK as impressive to the layman.

 

[Steve Reid]

You can still buy a Phantom 2, what does that tell you?https://www.amazon.com/DJI-Phantom-...&qid=1529764215&sr=8-5&keywords=dji+phantom+2

 

[The Editor]

You can still buy a Phantom 2, what does that tell you?https://www.amazon.com/DJI-Phantom-...&qid=1529764215&sr=8-5&keywords=dji+phantom+2

Only from places that have very old stock that they can’t get rid of.
Currently the P3 SE is the ‘Oldest’ Phantom for sale.

 

[zpdana24]

My P3P and I1P have been moneymakers since 2015 and still going strong.

Yeah the I1 has paid for itself but I know I'm getting only low hanging fruit. I'm working on educating the building company that contracts my solar company for installation in hiring me for site analysis and volumetric measurements....