Sony ditches its Airpeak drone? I'm not surprised… but surely this is the time to get INTO the drone business, not out of it!

Sony Airpeak S1
(Image credit: Sony)

I wasn't very surprised when I woke up to the news that Sony is discontinuing the Airpeak S1 drone. Even when it was first shown at CES 2021, the drone looked a little anachronistic compared to the exciting design of DJI's Inspire series – not the kind of thing you'd expect from the company that introduced the world to portable audio, via the Walkman, long before iPods and the best iPhones!

To be fair, Sony wasn't making a play anywhere near the consumer space, and looks weren't crucial. The Airpeak S1 is closer to broadcast equipment – another of Sony's fiefdoms – and even though DJI's drones also dominate here, the more adaptable Matrice series drones are not beautiful creatures either.

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Adam Juniper
Managing Editor

With over 20 years of expertise as a tech journalist, Adam brings a wealth of knowledge across a vast number of product categories, including timelapse cameras, home security cameras, NVR cameras, photography books, webcams, 3D printers and 3D scanners, borescopes, radar detectors… and, above all, drones. 

Adam is our resident expert on all aspects of camera drones and drone photography, from buying guides on the best choices for aerial photographers of all ability levels to the latest rules and regulations on piloting drones. 

He is the author of a number of books including The Complete Guide to Drones, The Smart Smart Home Handbook, 101 Tips for DSLR Video and The Drone Pilot's Handbook