In the last year, some consumer drone brands have been playing catch up with DJI, and impressive competitors have emerged from brands like Potensic. Recently, though, there has been another notable phenomenon – drone companies appearing and catching up very exactly and immediately. With what can only be called clones.
When I spoke to DJI's Head of Policy in our exclusive interview, he acknowledged that licencing technology was something the company did, and we've already seen a more prosumer/commercial version with the Anzu Raptor (Mavic 3 Enterprise / Mavic 3T). It is a route DJI needs to keep open in case DJI itself is banned from selling in the US.
Not yet under any threat of a ban, however, is Cogito Tech, the self-described Hong Kong-based start-up behind the Specta Air, already on sale on Amazon. It is – so far as we (and anyone else can see) identical to the DJI Air 3, with 4K60fps and dual cameras. Oh, and it might be, for some, slightly cheaper!
A Cogito Specta Mini is also rumoured to be on the way according to FCC postings.
Interestingly, while Cogito seems to have quite a low-profile website, they've got a fairly slick Amazon Specta Store sub-page in the US – the market where DJI is under threat, and it is on sale.
The extent to which the devices are identical – extending even to the styling of the paperwork in the box and the way the serial number is printed onto the drone – has raised more than eyebrows in dedicated drone followers.
DroneDJ, asks if we're looking at a loophole, and a couple of YouTubers seem to have confirmed the similarity of the hardware and software too, not least the very dedicated Half Chrome.
There are some comments online in the generally positive (though few) Amazon reviews that it's hard to find parts. For now, I have no doubt at all, that a trip to dji.com will solve most issues there.
Amazon (US) is selling the Specta Air Drone with an RC2-like controller for $1,199 and a single battery.
That makes it hard to compare the price directly, but the Air 3, by contrast, has a list price of $1,549 with that controller, but in a bundle with 3 batteries.
DJI Air 3 Batteries (Amazon link) are $135 at the moment, as are the off-brand equivalents, but the Air 3 overall is on a 10% off deal in some places right now which temporarily removes the advantage.
However – at the standard price – the lesser-known brand represents a lower entry price on what seems to be the same tech, and (presumably) the batteries will be compatible – they'll certainly fit!
If you can't buy DJI, check our guide to the best non-DJI drones, or if you have unrestricted freedom of choice, we still publish a guide to the best camera drones.
