DJI Clones Take Over: The Hidden Story 🇺🇸

#dji #actioncamera #djipocket3 #xtracameras
Clones of the DJI Min 4 Pro and DJI Pocket 3 are showing up as American based companies.

If you’ve been tracking compact cameras lately, you’ve probably heard about the DJI Pocket 3 — and for good reason: it’s easily one of my favorite cameras of all time. In this video, I’m diving deep into why I believe the Pocket 3 will go down as a classic, but also why it’s facing serious headwinds right now.

Buy the Xtra Cameras here to help the channel!
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Creators Footage Attributed to the Following:
Make sure you view them and show them some love!
JMTech - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q9Z_noeQse8&t=21s
Worth It Or Not? - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WLqcPQ5clys

On the one hand, the Pocket 3 delivers outstanding quality in a tiny form-factor. On the other hand — politics and tariffs are creeping in. What used to be a ~$500 camera is now hitting ~$800 USD thanks to trade tensions and new tariffs. And with the looming threat of a full ban in the U.S. on DJI products that include Wi-Fi/Bluetooth radios, things are starting to get messy. There’s even a bill in Congress that could treat every DJI camera like a drone with radio gear — meaning handhelds and action cams could also be impacted.

Links
GitHub - https://github.com/KonradIT/dji-front-companies
Article - https://www.theverge.com/report/795016/xtra-muse-dji-osmo-pocket-3-us-customs-tariffs
Xtra Cameras - https://www.xtra-us.com/
SkyRover - https://www.xtra-us.com/

Chapters:
00:00 - DJI Pocket 3
00:28 - The DJI Ban
01:08 - Workaround?
01:35 - Story of the DJI Drone Companies
02:15 - DJI Drone Clone Tracker
03:17 - SkyRover DJI Mini 4 Pro?
03:46 - DJI Pocket 3 Clone?
06:00 - Xtra Camera Company
06:38 - Cheaper Prices
07:05 - More Similarities
08:22 - Video Footage Comparison
10:00 - It's a Duck!
10:23 - The Good and The Bad
10:50 - Should you Get it?

So where do you go from here? I walk you through:

The current pricing shock on the Pocket 3 and what it means for value-hunters.

The rising risk of tariffs: With the potential for a 100 % tariff on Chinese imports, we could see prices in the thousands.

The alleged workaround: shell companies registered in the U.S. (like Sky Rover and Extra) that appear to match DJI hardware nearly identically, possibly avoiding tariffs or bans.

How these “clone” cameras (same sensor, same chips, nearly identical specs) are drawing scrutiny — and what it means for you, the buyer.

My take: if you love DJI’s form, you might still get value by stepping outside DJI’s ecosystem — but you need to be aware of support risks, warranty uncertainty, and legal/availability risks.

My other Camera Videos
https://youtu.be/sEkaJGo-XFg
https://youtu.be/E2IF65xhrVs
https://youtu.be/Kbj_zijeHmM
https://youtu.be/AJOyhpW7vWw
https://youtu.be/0RhZWrHYCFE
https://youtu.be/JulAgxCYZNw

By the end of this video you’ll understand not just whether the Pocket 3 is still worth buying — but also how geopolitics, supply chain, branding, and corporate structure all affect your camera buying decision in 2025. Whether you’re a creator, vlogger, or content-maker who wants pro image quality in a compact package — this one matters.

If you enjoy honest tech takes and want more camera deep-dives like this, hit the Like button 👍, subscribe 🔔, and tell me in the comments which cameras you’re eyeing right now (and why).