DJI Launches Line of Portable Power Stations
The popular drone maker expands its catalog with new portable chargers
DJI—a brand best known for its drones, action cameras, and other photo/video products—is expanding into the portable power station market. Today, the company unveiled its first two models—the Power 1000 and Power 500—in a bid to carve out a slice of this increasingly crowded and competitive market space. These new entries do offer competitive specs and performance, however, which could appeal to more buyers beyond DJI’s dedicated fanbase.
The Power 1000 has a 1024Wh battery, which is enough to recharge a smartphone 50+ times or power a mini fridge for up to 19 hours. It provides an impressive 2200W of power output, allowing it to run power tools, small appliances, televisions, laptops, and more. It comes with two 120V AC outlets, dual USB-A ports, twin 140W USB-C ports, and a 12V DC vehicle port. The unit features fast-charging capabilities that replenish its batteries in under 70 minutes, and it can accept up to 800W of input from solar panels for fast recharging in the field. It weighs 28.6 lbs.
The smaller Power 500 tips the scales at a shade over 16 pounds and offers a capacity of 512Wh. It produces 1000W of max power, which allows it to recharge a smartphone 25+ times or run a mini fridge for over nine hours. It has the same number of charging ports as its larger sibling, although curiously, its USB-C ports are bi-directional, allowing them to help recharge the power station at a fast rate. It can also go from zero to 100% charge in roughly 70 minutes and can accept up to 300W of power via solar panels.
Both power stations utilize long-lasting LiFePO4 batteries that offer up to 4,000 recharge cycles over a ten-year lifespan. These power cells have become the standard throughout the industry as they are safer and offer more energy density compared to older lead-acid models. The Power 1000 and 500 can also serve as an uninterruptible power supply for mission-critical devices by automatically supplying electricity during an unexpected power outage.
The Power 1000 has an MSRP of $999, while the Power $500 sells for $499. Those are fairly competitive prices compared to most of the competition, but DJI is currently offering the two devices at an introductory price of $699 and $379, respectively.
DJI’s new power stations look promising. They reportedly have a rugged build quality, and their specs and performance are on par with what you would expect at their price points. Whether or not they’ll appeal to buyers outside of DJI’s core audience of drone pilots and content creators remains to be seen. We’re hoping to get our hands on a test model, so look for a full review down the line.
For more information about DJI’s new portable power stations, visit the company’s website.