You can skip this article and go straight to the DJI Black Friday sale here.
It’s been interesting reporting about drones over the last few years, especially when we look back and see how the industry has evolved. Especially when we compare Black Friday deals from year to year.
This year the deals are much better for one simple reason: Trump’s tariffs on China.
Our readers come from all over the globe, and we monitor pricing and sales trends accordingly.
Since Trump’s tariffs were put in place, USA prices for DJI products are now higher than in other countries. In Canada, where foreign goods are typically more expensive, you can actually by a DJI drone cheaper than the USA.
These higher prices happen at the worst possible time with increasing rules from regulators like the FAA. Higher prices and more rules has been a one-two punch to the gut for drone sales overall.
Some drone buyers are holding out for the tariffs to end, while others wait for seasonal deals. If prices stay elevated too long, drone enthusiasts who were sitting on the fence about whether to stay active in their hobby are dropping off the page.
These sales declines are serious, and DJI knows it needs to drop prices in a big way to keep their dominance.
How good are the 2019 DJI Black Friday deals? Take a look:
- Osmo Pocket USD $309
USD $399$90 OFF - Osmo Action USD $279
USD $379$120 OFF - Mavic 2 Pro USD $1,379
USD $1,729$350 OFF - Mavic 2 Pro w/ Smart Controller USD $1,779
USD $2,199$420 OFF - Ronin-S Standard Kit USD $629
USD $749$120 OFF - Ronin-S Essentials Kit USD $479
USD $559$80 OFF - Tello micro drone USD $79
USD $99$20 OFF - Tello Boost Combo USD $99
USD $149$50 OFF - Tello Iron Man Edition USD $89
USD $129$40 OFF - DJI Goggles Racing Edition USD $449
USD $549$100 OFF
We have to point out one specific discount in this years Black Friday sale, and that’s the $350 reduction in the price of the Mavic 2 Pro kit and $420 off on the Smart Controller kit.
This deal is probably the biggest markdown DJI has ever offered on a current, flagship drone. And you may never see a deal this good again once the trade dispute is resolved.
So how do the Black Friday deals at DJI compare to previous years? Amazingly better.
We looked back at our 2017 article on the DJI Black Friday sale and it was actually really light on price reductions.
The Mavic Pro was reduced by $150, a far cry from the discount we’re seeing this year on the Mavic 2 Pro.
At the time DJI also decided to throw in freebie items with certain purchases and discounted accessories and service products like DJI Care Refresh.
In 2018, DJI stepped up their game following the launch of the DJI Mavic Air drone by offering $100 of the basic kit and the Fly More Combo, matching the discount given to the Spark.
DJI normally takes advantage of the pre-Christmas sales volumes to lighten up on aging inventory and to make room for future products but not always at Black Friday.
The second shoe to drop with DJI is the ‘post Christmas’ sale that comes along just before the January credit card bill arrives.
Aside from the $120 discount on the DJI Ronin-S camera stabilizer and the $100 discount on DJI Racing Goggles we’re not seeing any inventory shed that would hint at imminent new products being released in 2020. And DJI has really improved the secrecy of their product development lately.
Are the deals in the 2019 DJI Black Friday Sale event good enough to push you into a new drone? Let us know in the comments, and we could share you views in a future article.
