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Are you buying a drone soon? Here’s how the FCC’s move affects you

Posted on December 23, 2025 by faz_business

The U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has just taken a massive swing at the drone industry, blocking new foreign-made drones – including those from DJI – from entering the American market. By adding them to the “Covered List,” the agency is effectively labeling these devices a national security threat. It’s a huge blow to DJI, which currently owns about 90 percent of the consumer market, as Washington grows increasingly worried that these drones could be used by Beijing to peek at sensitive U.S. data.

Washington expands restrictions as concerns grow over Chinese drone dominance

The FCC’s new rule means that any fresh drone models from DJI or other flagged foreign makers can’t get the agency’s seal of approval for import or sale in the States. The commission isn’t just worried about data privacy; they’ve raised alarms about potential drone-based attacks and unauthorized surveillance. FCC Chair Brendan Carr made it clear: while drones are great for innovation, they are being weaponized by “hostile foreign actors,” and the U.S. isn’t willing to take that risk anymore.

There is a bit of a silver lining for current owners, though. The ruling doesn’t actually ground the drones that are already flying. If a drone or component was approved before this ban, it can still be used and even sold. This is a big relief for the police departments, farmers, and construction crews that already have fleets of DJI drones in the air. Still, it’s a clear sign that the U.S. is trying to untangle itself from Chinese aerial tech as fast as possible.

The move has been cheered by “China hawks” in Congress.

Rep. Elise Stefanik and Sen. Rick Scott were quick to call this a win for American security, arguing that we can’t let sensitive mapping data of our infrastructure be sent overseas. They see this as the first step toward building up “U.S. drone dominance” and moving away from a reliance on foreign hardware.

Unsurprisingly, China isn’t happy. A spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in Washington accused the U.S. of using “national security” as a convenient excuse to mess with global trade. DJI also hit back, expressing deep disappointment and pointing out that the U.S. hasn’t actually shown any public evidence that their drones have been compromised.

So, where does this leave the industry? While your current drone isn’t going to fall out of the sky tomorrow, the path forward is looking a lot more restricted. This ruling creates a huge opening – and a lot of pressure – for American drone companies to finally step up and offer a real alternative. We’re entering a period where the drone market will be shaped just as much by international politics as it is by new cameras or better battery life.

DJI Mini 5 Pro Review: A Heavier Drone Upgrade

Posted on October 14, 2025 by faz_business

I enquired about the weight, and a DJI spokesperson sent me the following statement: “The DJI Mini 5 Pro has a design weight of 249.9 grams. Due to manufacturing tolerances, the actual weight of the product may vary slightly within a range of ±4 g. Minor weight fluctuations are normal. We recommend that when UK users are operating the drone, local regulations are complied with, which can be found here.”

The company refers to it as a “near-250g drone”—terminology I’d never encountered from DJI. Frankly, it feels a little evasive. This isn’t just pedantic nitpicking over a few grams. I live in the UK, and the 250-gram threshold determines whether you can fly a drone in public parks, on beaches, in towns and cities, near people, and in countless other scenarios without additional certification. Previous Mini models have been just under this limit, and it seems like an oversight during the design process to not keep this one comfortably below it, too.

There’s good news, though: With UK drone rules set to change at the beginning of 2026, I don’t have too long to wait until the Mini 5 Pro (and, interestingly, the much bigger DJI Air 3S) becomes completely legal to fly in built-up areas, public parks, and close to people.

The tidings for US-based pilots aren’t so cheery, though. As with all of its recent products, DJI isn’t officially launching the Mini 5 Pro in the US. You can blame the impending DJI ban, and it’s a real shame, because, weight issues aside, this is a fantastic camera drone.

Big Camera Upgrades

DJI Mini 5 Pro Review A Heavier Drone Upgrade

The Mini 5 Pro’s slight weight increase comes with genuine benefits. The main improvement is the camera, which now features a 12-MP (or 50 MP in Quad Bayer terms) 1-inch sensor, a significant upgrade from the smaller sensors in previous Mini models. The image quality is edging towards DJI’s Air range, which is remarkable for a drone this size. You’re getting professional-level image quality in a pocketable drone.

Get up to 41 percent off gear from DJI, Canon, Sony and others

Posted on October 8, 2025 by faz_business

If you’re in the market for a new camera, drone or accessories, Amazon’s October Prime Day is proving to be a particularly good time to shop. You can find deals from major brands including DJI, Canon, Sony, Panasonic, Nikon and others. You’ll also see discounts on important accessories like memory cards, backpacks and tripods from the likes of LowePro and SanDisk.

Many of these deals are on products that rarely go on sale, like DJI drones and Insta360 cameras, along with Canon, Nikon and Panasonic lenses. And you’ll see many products that appear in our most recent camera guide that are highly recommended by Engadget — so check that out as you add items to your cart. Now, dive in to see the best Prime Day camera deals you can find this week.

Best Prime Day camera deals

DJI Neo drone for $159 (20 percent off): The DJI Neo may be an inexpensive, beginner-friendly drone, but it has powerful features like subject tracking and quick shots. It can shoot video at up to 4K 30 fps and is quick and maneuverable, though it’s also fairly loud. You can also grab one with three batteries and a charger for $229 (21 percent off).

Polaroid Now 3rd-generation plus film for $136 (15 percent off): Polaroid is a name synonymous with instant cameras, and its Now model is the best choice for larger film. With this deal, you can grab one now with film for just $7 over the price of the camera without film.

DJI Osmo Action 4 for $229 (23 percent off): DJI’s Osmo Action 4 is a solid deal at this price, as you’re not giving up much in comparison to the most recent model, the Action 5. It has the same big 1/1.3-inch sensor that delivers excellent video quality, especially in low light. It also features a D-LogM profile to boost dynamic range, DJI’s excellent clip-on mount and high-quality 4K 120p video.

DJI Mini 4K drone for $239 (20 percent off): The Mini 4K is a beginner-friendly drone, but it’s still got plenty of nifty features. As the name suggests, it can capture 4K video at up to 30 FPS. It can also record 2.7K footage at 60 FPS. There’s 2x digital zoom, a 3-axis gimbal and electrical image stabilization. The drone can transmit 1080p video from up to 10km away.

HoverAir X1 drone for $265 (34 percent off): The HoverAir X1 offers features like a folding, people-safe design, and up to 2.7K 30p HDR video. Unlike DJI’s Flip, it can dodge obstacles while tracking people, making it slightly better for that purpose.

DJI Osmo Action 5 Pro for $269 (21 percent off): DJI’s Osmo Action 5 Pro is a good alternative to GoPro’s Hero 13 Black. It has a 1/1.3-inch sensor that makes it better than its rival in low light and rivals it in battery life as well with over two hours while shooting in 4K 60p. Another nice feature is 47GB of internal storage, something its main rivals lack. And the Osmo Action 5 Pro works directly with DJI’s noise-cancelling Mic 2 and Mic Mini wireless microphones, providing an easy way to record high-quality sound.

GoPro Hero 13 Black for $359 (17 percent off): GoPro’s Hero 13 Black is now available with a new family of modular lenses called the HB series (ultra-wide, anamorphic and macro), making it far more versatile for action creators. It also has a slightly bigger battery that allows longer capture times, up to 90 minutes for 4K 30fps video. Other specs remain the same, including up to 5.3K at 60fps in 10-bit color, along with the excellent Hypersmooth stabilization. And if you want an even wider field of view, grab the Hero 13 Black Wide Edition for $329.

DJI Osmo 360 action cam for $413 (25 percent off): It took DJI awhile to get a panoramic action cam into the market, but the Osmo 360 was worth the wait. It stacks up well against its main rival, Insta360’s X5, by offering better video quality in low light or high-contrast situations. It’s also easy to use, offers good battery life and trumps its competition with a large amount of built-in storage.

Insta360 X5 action camera for $500 (9 percent off): The X5 has a larger 1/1.28-inch sensor compared to the X4‘s 1/2-inch sensor, ensuring more detail and a notable boost to low-light performance. Another key update is for PureVideo, allowing it work single lens mode rather than just in 360 mode as before.

Sony ZV-1F for $498 (17 percent off): Sony’s ZV-1F is designed purely for vlogging thanks to the fixed 20mm lens that works perfectly for self-filming. It uses a 1-inch sensor like other compacts in this series and supports 4K shooting at up to 30 fps, the same as the ZV-1, and 1080p at up to an impressive 120fps. It offers vlog-ready features like background defocus and product showcase.

Canon EOS R100 with RT-S18-45mm lens for $529 (15 percent off): Canon’s EOS R100 is the only modern mirrorless camera you can get with a kit lens for under $600. It comes with a 24-megapixel APS-C sensor that delivers great picture quality with Canon’s pleasing skin tones.

Canon EOS R50 with RF-S18-45mm lens $799 (9 percent off): Canon’s 24-megapixel APS-C EOS R50 is great for travel, parties, street photography and more thanks to the portable size and built-in flash. It offers nice image quality with warm, human friendly photos and is capable for creators as well with 4K 30fps supersampled video, with 10-bit and HDR capability. It comes with a kit lens that’s solid for vlogging or photography with a 24-70mm full-frame equivalent zoom range.

Panasonic Lumix S9 for $1,198 (20 percent off): The S9 may be Panasonic’s smallest full-frame camera but it comes with the same 24MP sensor and similar video features to the popular S5 II. To that end, it offers up to 6.2K video, in-body stabilization and reliable autofocus. The key feature though is a special LUT button that lets you easily choose a custom cinematic look designed by professional creators.

Panasonic S5 II for $1,498 (25 percent off): It’s the company’s first camera with hybrid phase-detect AF designed to make focus “wobble” and other issues a thing of the past. You can shoot sharp 4K 30p video downsampled from the full sensor width, or 4K 60p from an APS-C cropped size, all in 10-bit color. It even offers 5.9K 30p video. You also get a flip-out screen for vlogging and updated five-axis in-body stabilization that’s the best in the industry. Photo quality is also good thanks to the dual-gain 24-megapixel sensor. The main drawback is the slowish burst speeds.

Sony A7 IV for $2,198 (19 percent off): Resolution is up considerably from the 24-megapixel A7 III to 33 megapixels, with image quality much improved overall. Video is now up to par with rivals with 4K at up to 60p with 10 bit 4:2:2 quality. Autofocus is incredible for both video and stills, and the in-body stabilization does a good job. The biggest drawback is rolling shutter that limits the use of the electronic shutter.

Panasonic S5 IIx with two lenses for $2,298 (22 percent off): The S5 IIx is identical to the S5 II except that it offers high bitrate Apple ProRes capture directly to an external SSD. This deal is ideal for creators who want to hit the ground running as it includes both a 50mm f/1.8 portrait lens and a 22-60mm zoom.

Nikon Z6 III for $2,397 (11 percent off): Nikon’s Z6 III is the best hybrid mirrorless camera for the money, thanks to the incredible performance of the 24-megapixel partially stacked sensor. You can shoot RAW bursts at up to 20 fps in electronic shutter mode while nailing sharp shots thanks to the much-improved autofocus. On the video side, it supports 6K RAW at up to 60 fps, or 4K 120p. All of that makes it ideal for creators and photographers alike, with the only drawback being the reduced resolution.

Sony A7R V for $3,798 (10 percent off): With a 61-megapixel sensor, the A7R V shoots sharp and beautiful images at a very respectable speed for such a high-resolution model (10 fps). It has equally fast and reliable autofocus, the sharpest viewfinder on the market and in-body stabilization that’s much improved over the A7R IV. Video has even improved, with 8K and 10-bit options now on tap, albeit with significant rolling shutter

Best Prime Day camera lens and accessory deals

Osmo Mobile 7 for $68 (24 percent off): One of the best things to elevate your smartphone footage is a gimbal like the Osmo Mobile 7 from DJI. The company makes some of the best drones you can buy, so it knows a thing or two about camera stabilization, so it will make your smarphone videos smooth as silk. It only weighs 300 grams, so it’ll be a lightweight addition to almost any travel kit.

K&F Concept 20L camera backpack for $66 (20 percent off): This multifunction backpack can store not only cameras, lenses and even drones in the bottom section, but a couple of changes of clothes up top. It has a laptop compartment, ventilated elastic back, auxiliary straps and more.

DJI Mic Mini $99 (41 percent off): DJI’s Mic Mini bundle includes two mic transmitters and a receiver that can be connected to a camera or phone, along with a charging case. The mics weigh just a third of an ounce and attach easily to subjects via magnets or clips. Everything pairs automatically and they offer high quality 24-bit 20Hz to 20K Hz recording. They also connect easily to smartphones over Bluetooth and other DJI devices like the Action 5 and Osmo Pocket 3 cams using DJI’s OsmoAudio direct connection.

SmallRig Camera Tripod for $49 (30 percent off): This 2-in-1 tripod easily transforms into a monopod depending on your needs. It comes with a 360-degree detachable ball head, supports up to 33 pounds and lets you adjust the working height from 16- to 71-inches in seconds.

Rode Wireless Micro for $99 (24 percent off): Another great wireless mic option is Rode’s Wireless Micro designed for smartphone users. The receiver connects to the bottom of your smartphone via USB-C and the microphones attach to the subject via integrated clips or magnets. They capture pristine sound well above what your smartphone can do, with a 20-20 kHz frequency range and 73 dB signal-to-noise ratio.

SanDisk 512GB Extreme Pro CFexpress Card Type B for $120 (24 percent off): If you need tons of storage for a newer camera with a CFexpress Type B slot, SanDisk’s 512GB is a great deal. It can handle reading and writing at 1,700MB/s and 1,400MB/s respectively, enough speed for RAW video capture.

Lowepro Flipside BP 300 AW III for $182 (24 percent off): The Flipside BP300 AW III is a rugged, lightweight bag that securely holds and protects your camera gear in the worst weather. It has rear access for protection and a special compartment to hold lenses.

SmallRig AD-80 FreeBlazer video tripod for $175 (30 percent off): Weighing just 11.6 pounds, it supports up to a 17.6-pound load and expands from 34 to 75 inches with a one-step height adjustment. For smooth operation, it offers fluid head damping though 360-degree horizontal and +90°/-65° tilt.

DJI Mic 2 for $269 (23 percent off): DJI’s Mic 2 can not only be connected to a mirrorless camera like other mics, but also supports Bluetooth audio so can easily be connected to a smartphone as well. It picks up audio from your subject at a range of up to 820 feet (less with a Bluetooth connection) and automatically reduces background noise like wind, city sounds and even drone noise. This deal includes two mic transmitters, a receiver for your camera, a charging case and wind muffs.

DJI RS 4 Mini $309 (16 percent off): The RS 4 Mini is one of the best handheld camera stabilizers on the market thanks to features like its 4.4 pound payload and automatic axis lock. On top of that, the company introduced automatic tracking via its RS Intelligent Tracking Module to keep human subjects in frame no matter where they go. It also offers smoother gimbal tracking, longer battery life and faster charging.

Lexar 128GB Professional 2000x SD Card $90 (31 percent off): If you need very fast SD UHS II memory, Lexar currently has an excellent deal on its 128GB 2000x memory card. It offers 300MB/s read and 260Mb/s write speeds, quick enough to capture high data rate video or bursts of high-resolution photos. Amazon is also offering a solid discount on 256GB memory in the same lineup at $170 or 23 percent off.

Manfrotto Befree GT PRO 4-section travel tripod $299 (36 percent off): Belying its miniscule 4.23 pound weight, this model offers ultra-stable performance for timelapse and other shots, even in bad weather. It’s also great for video thanks to the integrated 3-way pan/tilt head, featuring fluid cartridges for precise control and seamless movements.

Panasonic Lumix G 25mm f/1.7 lens $248 (17 percent off): Panasonic and Micro Four Thirds users on a budget in need of a fast 50mm equivalent prime should check this one out. It offers beautiful bokeh and fast speeds in low light, but costs nearly half the price of f/1.4 models.

Nikon Nikkor Z 50mm f/1.4 Lens $497 (17 percent off): If you want a fast 50mm portrait lens but don’t have a ton to spend, Nikon’s Nikkor Z 50mm f/1.4 lens is on sale for just $497, making it one of the cheapest full-frame options available. At the same time, it offers exceptional sharpness and excellent color rendition, with beautiful bokeh that will flatter your subjects.

Panasonic Lumix S 85mm f/1.8 lens $448 (31 percent off): I own this lens and it’s fast, sharp and versatile for portraits while offering considerable savings compared to an f/1.4 portrait. It’s also great for working pros due to the dust-, splash- and freeze-resistant design and very light weight next to other brands.

Nikon Nikkor Z 35mm f/1.4 Lens $577 (15 percent off): If you’re looking for a fast full-frame Nikon Z prime in the 35-50mm category for portraits, architecture or street photos, Nikon has a stellar deal. The Nikkor Z 35mm f/1.4 lens is fast and sharp with painterly bokeh thanks to the 9-blade iris design. It’s great for video as well, with the silent STM mechanism offering silent autofocus and suppressed focus breathing.

Canon RF24-70mm F2.8 L lens $2,399 (8 percent off): If you’ve been eyeballing a fast Canon RF mount zoom, now’s the time to act. The RF24-70mm f/2.8 L lens rarely goes on sale, but is now available with a $200 (8 percent) discount. It offers an f/2.8 aperture across the entire zoom range so you get awesome bokeh for portraits and high versatility in low light situations.

Budget-friendly gadgets that are good

Posted on October 20, 2024 by faz_business

It’s a slower October than usual in the tech industry, thanks mostly to Google and Microsoft having held their typical fall hardware announcements earlier this year. Still, we’ve seen a fair number of companies reveal new devices in the last two weeks, while Amazon’s October Prime Day raged on. Whether you were busy shopping or watching Elon Musk talk up robotaxis and cybervans, the Engadget team continued to review recently (and not-so-recently) launched products. As usual, this bi-weekly roundup is here to help you catch up, though because I missed last week’s edition (as I was out on time off), the cadence is just a bit off.

From Meta’s Quest 3S VR headset and the DJI Air 3S drone, to Sony’s midrange suite of audio gear, these weeks have coincidentally been about the less premium, more affordable “un-flagships,” if you will. And it turns out you don’t have to throw chunks of your retirement savings at companies to get solid devices that are well worth the money.

Sony LinkBuds Fit and LinkBuds Open and Bose QuietComfort Earbuds reviews

by Billy Steele

Sony

Sony flexes its mobile audio muscle on the LinkBuds Fit, combining great sound with tons of features.

Pros

Tiny, comfy design
Surprisingly big sound
Lots of handy features

Cons

ANC performance is lacking
Battery life
Call quality is fine, but not great

$200 at Sony

The main thing I learned from Billy’s recent reviews of Sony and Bose headphones is that flagship, premium-level noise cancelation is making its way down to the midrange products. And I, for one, am happy about it. Looks like most of the things you’ll miss if you opt to save some money are features like spatial audio, head-tracking and stuff that’s supposed to be make for a more immersive, intuitive listening experience. Personally, I’m okay missing out on those things for now — I really just want decent sound, good voice quality and competent reduction of background noise.

Definitely check out Billy’s review of Sony’s LinkBuds trio of devices even if you’re not in the market for headphones, because he put his ears through literal pain to test the strangely designed earbuds for us. In fact, a rejected headline for the review was “Why am I in pain?” We salute you, Billy.

by Devindra Hardawar

DJI Neo and DJI Air 3S reviews

by Steve Dent

DJI

DJI’s Air 3S is the company’s first consumer drone with LiDAR designed to make it safer to fly at night.

Pros

Excellent image quality
LiDAR improves obstacle detection at night
ActiveTrack 360 produces cinematic tracking shots
Long battery life
Now has 42GB internal storage

Cons

Sometimes fails to detect small obstacles

$1,099 at DJI

Continuing in the trend of excellent products that cost less than usual, the DJI Neo is an excellent drone for just $200. Calling it the best $200 drone ever made may sound hyperbolic, but we truly can’t think of any other drone that cost the same that came close to delivering similar performance as the Neo. And though one of its main drawbacks, according to our reviewer Steve, is that it sounds like a banshee, I honestly think that would be a pro for me just for the pure comedy of it all. I never thought I’d be in the market for a banshee-sounding drone but here I am thinking $200 would be a fair price to pay for the aerial videos I could get, and I could easily lay upbeat, operatic singing over the footage anyway.

On the other end of the spectrum, Steve’s also tested the higher-end DJI Air 3S drone and Canon’s EOS R5 II, both of which will cost you a lot more money. The good news is that Canon’s EOS R5 II is now so much improved that it better takes on Sony’s rival offerings, while bringing intriguing features like eye-control autofocus. Sure, it’s still too early to be reliable. But if you have the money for these premium products, you’ll get to experience bleeding-edge tech, maybe part of the appeal is that they may not always work well.

by Dan Cooper

reMarkable / Engadget

reMarkable adds a color screen to its e-paper tablet, creating a best-in-class distraction-free writing experience.

Pros

Color is a welcome and useful addition
Backlight lets you work in dark environments
Vastly improved performance

$579 at reMarkable

I know Dan was a bit worried about giving a device as niche as the reMarkable Paper Pro such a high score, but after some discussion, we both agreed it fit. As it stands, the reMarkable Paper Pro is arguably the best e-paper writing tablet with a color screen, even after this week’s announcement of Amazon’s first color Kindle. Per Dan’s review, the Paper Pro not only levels up with the addition of color, but also got much faster and reliable in the process.

I particularly enjoy how much care has been taken to more seamlessly blend handwriting and typed text for a more natural note-taking and annotating experience. And though it falls outside this edition’s general theme of being a less-expensive product with premium specs, I’m still incredibly tempted to find ways to cough up the $600 or so needed to bag myself a Paper Pro with the accessories Dan recommends.

Phoenix Springs and Neva reviews

by Jessica Conditt

I’m not the most engaged gamer, but I love learning about games from Jess. She recently reviewed sci-fi mystery Phoenix Springs and dreamy platformer Neva, with pieces written so beautifully that I can’t help but itch to check out each title so I can feel the way she clearly does about them. Phoenix Springs even follows a technology reporter and covers my favorite genres (science fiction and mystery), while Neva’s art looks simply gorgeous. I don’t yet know if I’ll ever find the time to play new games, but these two have certainly been added to my list.

Upcoming reviews: On the horizon

The Engadget team geeks out about a multitude of things, and as we get started on our holiday gift guide writing, we’re thinking about products we like for ourselves and our loved ones. Many of us love e-readers and writing tablets. I certainly have my eye on one of the new Kindles that were announced this week, particularly the new Kindle Scribe and possibly the Colorsoft. Those won’t be available until later this year, so for now I’ll keep hungrily eyeing the reMarkable Paper Pro. I’ll also be wondering what Amazon hardware chief Panos Panay has up his sleeves, other than cans of Diet Coke — something I learned he (like many people) enjoys when I got the chance to speak with him in an interview this week.

Many of us are millennials and have gigantic soft spots for retro gaming. Our executive editor Aaron Souppouris talked to the folks at Analogue, and you can read his beautifully constructed piece to learn more about the upcoming Analogue 3D.

This week, Apple sort of surprised us by announcing the new iPad mini, which has been tweaked to offer more storage and power with an A17 Pro processor. It’ll also support Apple Intelligence, of course, and though it seems like a minor update, some of my coworkers and I still love the idea of a small tablet. If only it had a better screen.

All of those recently announced things are on our review roster, alongside things like the Google TV Streamer and Samsung Galaxy S24 FE that launched in the last few weeks. As we approach November and all the holiday shopping that brings, hopefully the hardware launches properly slow down. We’re still anticipating an Apple event for Macs, and can still remember being surprised by the announcement of Humane’s AI Pin late last year. But for now, we’re chugging along while occasionally bathing in nostalgia and longing for a simpler time.