DJI, the world leader in civilian drones and creative camera technology, finds itself in a defensive posture following the explosive launch of its latest handheld gimbal camera, the Osmo Pocket 4. During a technology sharing session in early June, company spokesperson Zhang Xiaonan addressed growing consumer frustration regarding stock shortages, flatly denying that the firm is engaging in 'hunger marketing' to artificially inflate brand prestige.
The Pocket 4 has become a victim of its own success, selling out across major online platforms within ten days of its debut. Offline retail channels are reporting waitlists stretching over a month, while the secondary market has seen scalpers listing units at significant premiums. This supply-demand chasm has led some Chinese consumers to suspect the company of intentionally limiting stock to maintain a sense of exclusivity, a tactic famously employed by other Chinese tech giants in the past.
DJI’s leadership maintains that the shortage is purely a result of conservative sales forecasting. Zhang emphasized that the company’s factories are currently operating at maximum capacity to meet the 'unprecedented' market heat. To illustrate their commitment to scaling, the company pointed to the predecessor Pocket 3, which saw its monthly production capacity double multiple times over its lifecycle to keep up with the global vlogging boom.
The struggle to keep the Pocket 4 on shelves highlights DJI's unique dominance in the handheld imaging niche. While traditional camera manufacturers have struggled to adapt to the short-video era, DJI has successfully captured the 'prosumer' creator market. The current supply bottleneck serves as a reminder of the logistical challenges faced by hardware leaders when a product crosses the threshold from a niche tool to a mainstream cultural phenomenon.