DJI has a new mini drone coming soon — and you can't have it
DJI has been on a roll in 2025. We have a new content-creator dream in the DJI Power 2000 portable power station, the DJI Mics have taken over on social media, and soon we might all be riding around on DJI e-bikes. But the brand just announced the new DJI Mini 5 Pro — a drone that's compact in size and ridiculously mighty when it comes to functionality. But before we wow you with the specs, we have some sad news — DJI will not be selling it in the U.S. through their online store.
Yes, the new DJI Mini 5 Pro will meet the same fate as the DJI Mavic 4 Pro drone earlier this year, meaning it'll launch in other countries, but the company is taking a pass on the U.S. market for now. That's not a shock given the uncertain future of DJI drones in the country.
While there's no official ban on DJI drones in the U.S., we haven't seen DJI drones in stock on the U.S. site in months. Currently, the only way to snag a new DJI drone without leaving the country is via a third-party seller, and that'll probably be the case with the DJI Mini 5 Pro. So far, the DJI site doesn't even have a landing page for the new drone.
The (awesome) DJI Mini 5 Pro details
As expected, DJI brought their A-game to the new DJI Mini 5 Pro. It debuts some new and more user-friendly features like a 50 megapixel one-inch sensor, a higher zoom resolution than in previous models, and a 36-minute flight time. That'll increase to 52 minutes with the Battery Plus option.
Of course, the Mini 5 Pro really is mini, fitting in the palm of a hand and coming with a lightweight design. There's also the ActiveTrack 360 feature, which you can use in standard or cycling mode, enabling super smooth tracking with the subject staying in frame all the time.
DJI also included a 225-degree rotating gimbal on the Mini 5 Pro, and it shoots in true vertical, an asset for every social media creator. Forward-facing LiDAR and better vision sensors spell omnidirectional obstacle sensing, which makes the DJI Mini 5 Pro likely easier to use while flying at night.
Will DJI drones be banned in the U.S?
It's possible we'll see DJI drones return for sale in the U.S. through DJI's site, but for now, we're limited to shopping from third-party sellers. As of September 2025, it still looks like a DJI ban could be possible. That's not great news for drone hobbyists as well as other industries like real estate and farming that have come to rely on drones. According to a recent piece in The New York Times, DJI is "suing the Department of Defense for placing it on a blacklist," while remaining open to a possible deal with the Trump administration. We're keeping an eye on the DJI drone situation and will post updates as they come.
Lauren Allain is a freelance journalist covering deals at Mashable. She graduated from Western Washington University with a B.A. in journalism and holds an M.B.A from Webster Leiden. You can find more of her work online from publications including Reader’s Digest, U.S. News & World Report, Seattle Refined, and more. When she’s not writing, Lauren prefers to be outside hiking, bouldering, swimming, or searching for the perfect location for all three.
