As of August 5, 2025, data from JD.com shows that the number of reservations for DJI's first robot vacuum cleaner has exceeded 45,000. This is no small number in the industry, especially for a new product that has not yet been unveiled, which is enough to indicate the market's attention to the DJI brand. The new robot vacuum cleaner will be officially released on the evening of August 6, but it faces a challenging market environment - the robot vacuum cleaner industry has long been a red sea, with top brands occupying more than 90% of the market share. Players such as Ecovocs, Roborock, Dreame, and Narwal even hold their own core competitiveness, building a solid "impregnable fortress".
What are the chances of DJI winning this cross-border battle?
However, whether the reservation volume can be converted into actual sales depends on whether the new robot vacuum cleaner itself can meet user needs and whether the pricing is reasonable. After all, robot vacuum cleaner users are more concerned about practical experiences such as cleaning effect, ease of use, and maintenance costs, rather than mere brand aura.
The solidification of the industry pattern is the primary challenge facing DJI. After years of deep cultivation, top brands have established mature market recognition and user habits. When consumers make purchases, they tend to give priority to brands with past usage experience or accumulated reputation, and this inertia is difficult to break easily.
Brands such as Ecovos, Roborock, Dreame, and Narwal have already occupied a place in users' minds through continuous product iteration and market education. As a latecomer for robot vacuum cleaner, DJI needs to make more efforts to gain market space.
The supply chain of robot vacuum cleaner is another test. Brands like Ecovocs, Roborock, Dreame, and Narwal have their own core manufacturing bases, which means they have more initiative in production capacity control, cost management, and quality control. Their own factories can flexibly adjust production plans according to market demand, quickly respond to order changes, and at the same time have more room for optimizing parts procurement and production processes, thereby better controlling costs and ensuring the stability of product quality.
As a cross-border player, DJI will probably rely on external OEMs in the early stage, which may put it in a relatively passive position in terms of production capacity ramp-up, cost control, and quality control details. Especially in the context of fierce industry competition and frequent price wars, the shortcomings in the supply chain may directly affect the market competitiveness of the robot vacuum cleaner.
In addition, competition in the robot vacuum cleaner industry has long gone beyond the product itself, involving multiple links such as channel layout and after-sales service. After years of layout, top brands have relatively complete systems in online and offline channels, which can reach a wider range of users; their after-sales service networks are also more mature, making it more convenient for users in terms of maintenance and upkeep. The accumulation of these "soft powers" takes time, and as a new entrant, DJI will inevitably have gaps in these aspects.
Of course, the 45,000 reservations also send a positive signal, indicating that the market is looking forward to DJI's cross-border attempt. But whether the expectation can be converted into market share depends on whether the product released on August 6 can give sufficiently attractive answers in terms of functions, price, and experience.
In the face of the "impregnable fortress" built by top brands, DJI needs to accurately find market pain points and move consumers with differentiated positioning and solid product experience; otherwise, it is likely to become a "runner-up" in robot vacuum cleaner industry competition. This cross-border test has just begun.
Whether DJI will be a "runner-up" or an "overachiever" in the robot vacuum cleaner field remains to be seen.
