DJI Now Has a Cheaper 360 Drone Than Insta360, but the U.S. Won’t Get It

There is a 360 camera drone that films every direction at once, that weighs less than a paperback novel, that can shoot 8K video from the sky, and that costs roughly half what the American alternative costs. Americans cannot buy it.

The drone is the DJI Avata 360, model DVN3NT, which received FCC equipment authorization on November 19, 2025, exactly 34 days before a December 23 statutory deadline triggered by the commission's Covered List designation. DJI, the Chinese drone maker that commands somewhere between 70 and 90 percent of the global consumer drone market, unveiled the Avata 360 globally on March 26, 2026. In the European Union, the base kit sells for 459 euros — about $530. Based on DJI's historical pricing patterns in the U.S. market, analysts expect the base model would retail for roughly $489 in the United States, with a Fly More combo around $999. That puts it in direct competition with a device called the Antigravity A1, made by Insta360, also a Chinese company, also selling 360 camera drones — and the Antigravity A1 costs $1,599 in the United States right now.

The FCC banned one of these companies and not the other.

The Covered List designation, announced by the Federal Communications Commission on December 22, 2025, bars imports of new DJI drone models and their critical components under the National Defense Authorization Act. The rule doesn't distinguish between a drone that photographs your nephew's birthday party and one that might — in theory — transmit data to Beijing. It is blunt by design. DJI filed suit the following month, retaining Elizabeth B. Prelogar, who served as Solicitor General of the United States under President Biden, and Travis LeBlanc, former chief of the FCC's own Enforcement Bureau, to challenge the designation in court.

Insta360's Antigravity A1 is still on sale in the United States. The Shenzhen-based company, whose formal name is Arashi Vision, has not been placed on the Covered List. When reached for comment, Insta360 pointed to its public statements emphasizing that it operates independently and does not pose the national security concerns that prompted DJI's designation. The company declined to discuss the specifics of its U.S. compliance architecture. DJI, in its lawsuit filed March 23, 2026, in the Shenzhen Intermediate People's Court, is arguing otherwise — targeting six patents it says Insta360 infringed. Notably, Insta360's own founder, JK Liu, told DroneXL that his team had identified 28 of Insta360's own patents that could apply to DJI products, including 11 hardware and structural patents, eight software-method patents, six control-method patents, and three accessory patents. Insta360 chose not to sue.

The disparity is not lost on the drone industry. FAA research published in March 2026 put DJI's share of detected U.S. drone platforms at more than 96 percent. More than 80 percent of the nation's 1,800-plus state and local law enforcement and emergency response agencies that operate drone programs use DJI technology, according to Reuters. The Oregon Department of Aviation surveyed agencies across 25 states and found 467 restricted drone models, projecting up to $2 billion in national exposure as the ban reaches into public safety and government fleets. Blake Resnick, CEO of U.S. drone maker BRINC, has said that even with unlimited resources, his company would need at least three more years to match DJI's current technological capabilities. Hylio Technologies, another domestic manufacturer, estimates a U.S.-made Mini-class drone equivalent would cost $4,000 to $5,000, against a DJI Mini 5 Pro retailing at $759.

The practical consequence for American creators is straightforward: the cheaper option is not available. The Antigravity A1 captures 8K 360 video using Insta360's own stitching software, includes goggles and a controller, and sells for $1,599. The DJI Avata 360 uses twin fisheye lenses — one on top, one on the bottom — capturing up to 8K at 60 frames per second from every angle simultaneously, with a one-inch equivalent sensor, 120-megapixel photos, 23 minutes of flight time, and 42 gigabytes of onboard storage. Based on European pricing, it would likely undercut the Insta360 by $500 or more. DJI's global launch was March 26. A recently updated banner on DJI's official Amazon storefront pointed to March 30 at 8 a.m. ET as a potential go-live for American buyers — a window that, depending on how the import ban is enforced, may never open.

The FCC exempted four foreign drone systems: the SiFly Aviation Q12, the Mobilicom SkyHopper Series, the ScoutDI Scout 137, and the Verge X1 — all from non-Chinese companies. None compete meaningfully in the consumer 360 camera drone category that DJI and Insta360 now share.

What DJI is fighting for in Shenzhen is the logic of the American market's structure: why one Chinese drone company is banned while another fills the gap at premium prices. The lawsuit may take years to resolve. The ban is already in effect. The Antigravity A1 is in stock. The Avata 360 is not.