DJI Dock 4 draws praise overseas, but US market remains closed

DJI released the Dock 4 on Wednesday, describing it as the Chinese drone maker's first automated battery-swap drone dock.

The system swaps batteries in about 25 seconds, with DJI saying the Matrice 5TD aircraft can relaunch within 45 seconds. The drone flies for up to 59 minutes per sortie. The hardware bundle costs 167,999 yuan (about $25,000). Software subscriptions, site deployment and support services cost extra.

Overseas media mostly praised the swap mechanism. Heliguy, a UK drone dealer, called it the biggest upgrade over Dock 3, which needed about 27 minutes to charge. DroneXL, a US-based drone industry news site, said the design "fixed the weakness" of earlier DJI docks, which could only charge a landed aircraft. Notebookcheck, an Austria-based independent tech publication, described the result as "almost unlimited flight time" and noted that induction power keeps the drone on during the swap.

GizmoChina, a blog focused on Chinese and international tech, was less impressed, saying the system is "too expensive." The Gadgeteer warned that the 45-second turnaround was measured under controlled conditions and may vary with weather and installation.

The main overseas controversy is market access. The US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) added DJI to its Covered List in 2025 – a blacklist of communications equipment deemed a national security risk. Products on the list cannot receive FCC authorization.

There are also compatibility questions. Dock 4 works only with the Matrice 5TD, so existing Matrice 4TD fleets cannot move to the new dock.