Skyrover S1 Mini Drone Surfaces On Amazon: DJI’s Unreleased Budget Hybrid Drone With 40-Minute Flight Time

A new entry in DJI’s shell company lineup has appeared on Amazon, but U.S. pilots can’t buy it yet. The Skyrover S1 mini drone, distinct from the previously reported Skyrover X1—represents a different strategy from DJI’s rebranding playbook. Rather than cloning existing models, this unreleased drone appears to hybridize the budget-friendly DJI Mini 4K camera with extended battery technology for 40-minute flight times, potentially creating a sub-$400 option that doesn’t exist in DJI’s official lineup.

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The discovery, highlighted by Half Chrome‘s Jack Towne, shows both standard and Fly More Combo listings on Amazon marked “currently unavailable” with no indication when—or if—the drone will actually ship. As DJI races against the December 23, 2025 regulatory deadline, the S1 suggests the company is testing new product categories through its Malaysian manufacturing and licensing network.

Budget Hybrid With Extended Capabilities

The Skyrover S1 Amazon listings reveal specifications that blend components from multiple DJI models. The drone features a 1/2-inch Sony CMOS sensor shooting 4K video at 60 frames per second—matching the DJI Mini 4K‘s camera hardware but with higher frame rates. The 12-megapixel sensor sits on a 3-axis gimbal for stabilized footage.

Where the S1 diverges from the Mini 4K is battery performance. Advertised flight time reaches 40 minutes per battery, significantly exceeding the Mini 4K’s 31-minute capability. “If we kind of have the internals of the Mini 4K, but the battery of the Mini 3, Mini 4, we’re going to get more flight time like we have here,” Jack explained in his video analysis.

The drone also adds intelligent flight features absent from the basic Mini 4K. Auto Track with Subject Lock enables automated subject following, while SmartGo provides one-tap creation tools. The Mini 4K lacks these capabilities, positioning the S1 as a meaningful step up for budget-conscious pilots who want more than basic point-and-shoot functionality.

Pricing And Release Timeline Unknown

No official pricing or release date has been announced. Jack estimates the S1 will land somewhere between $300 and $400 based on its feature set. “That seems to make the most sense, right? If you can get this for 600 bucks. Half of that cost, maybe a little bit more,” he reasoned, comparing it to the Skyrover X1’s pricing.

Both standard and Fly More Combo versions appear on Amazon with complete product descriptions and specifications, but the “currently unavailable” status suggests DJI may be gauging market interest before committing to full production. The Fly More Combo would presumably include three batteries and a charging hub, following the pattern established by other Skyrover products.

Different Strategy In Shell Company Network

The S1 represents a departure from DJI’s typical rebranding approach. While the Skyany X1 and Skyrover X1 simply rebadge the existing Mini 4 Pro, the S1 appears engineered to fill a gap in DJI’s product hierarchy. At an estimated $300-400, it would slot between the entry-level Mini 4K ($249) and the premium Mini 4 Pro clones ($758).

This strategy aligns with broader shell company tactics documented by security researcher Konrad Iturbe. The network now includes Cogito, Skyrover, Skyany, Fikaxo, Jovistar, and others—all using DJI’s OcuSync frequencies and Malaysian manufacturing while maintaining separate branding.

Transmission range is rated at 39,000 feet (7.4 miles), and the drone maintains the sub-249 gram weight that exempts recreational pilots from FAA registration. The combination of extended flight time, Auto Track features, and 4K 60fps video at a projected mid-tier price point could make the S1 attractive for pilots who find the Mini 4K too limited but the Mini 4 Pro clones too expensive.

DroneXL’s Take

The Skyrover S1‘s “listed but unavailable” status raises interesting questions about DJI’s shell company operations. Is this a planned release waiting for the right timing, or a market test to gauge demand before committing manufacturing resources? The hybrid approach—mixing and matching components from different DJI models to create new price points—shows more sophistication than simple rebranding.

We’ve seen DJI’s shell network expand rapidly throughout 2025, with new entities appearing almost monthly as the December deadline approaches. The S1 represents a more strategic move: identifying gaps in the product lineup that DJI’s official offerings don’t fill. A 40-minute budget drone with Auto Track doesn’t exist in DJI’s current catalog, making the S1 potentially valuable even for customers who don’t care about the regulatory workarounds.

The real question is whether this drone will actually ship. Amazon listings can appear and disappear, and “coming soon” products sometimes never materialize. But if the S1 does launch at the estimated $300-400 price point with the advertised specs, it could become the sweet spot for budget-conscious pilots who need more capability than the bare-bones Mini 4K provides.

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