DJI launched the Osmo Pocket 4 on April 16th and the reviews are what you'd expect: best pocket vlogging camera available, significant upgrade over the Pocket 3, exactly what solo creators have been waiting for. Then DJI confirmed to The Verge that the camera will not be available in the US at launch. Spokesperson Daisy Kong said the application for authorization is still pending.

For US creators who've been waiting to order, that's a hard stop.

what the camera actually is

The Pocket 4 keeps the 1-inch CMOS sensor from the Pocket 3 and builds everything else around it. The biggest spec jump is slow motion: 4K at 240fps, up from 120fps on the previous model. That's a meaningful creative upgrade for anyone doing product shots, sports, or anything where slow motion is part of the storytelling.

The camera weighs 116 grams, down 35% from the Pocket 3's 179 grams. After a full day of shooting, that difference is real. The 2-inch rotating OLED display is larger and sharper than what the Pocket 3 had, and 14 stops of dynamic range gives it more flexibility in mixed lighting situations.

One notable hardware decision: there's no microSD slot. DJI built in 107GB of internal storage running at 800MB/s, which handles the high-bitrate footage, but it's a limitation worth knowing before you buy. Battery life sits around 2.5 hours of 4K recording on a 1,545mAh cell.

The Creator Combo adds a Vocal Boost feature designed for noisy environments, which is genuinely useful for street-level vlogging or event coverage where you're fighting ambient sound.

International pricing lands at roughly $499 for the base model and $649 for the Creator Combo. Strong value for what the camera delivers.

why us creators can't get it

On December 22, 2025, DJI was added to the FCC Covered List under Section 1709 of the 2025 National Defense Authorization Act. The listing happened because no US national security agency completed the required review of DJI's equipment within the mandated window. The practical result is that new DJI products cannot receive equipment authorization for US retail sale.

DJI filed suit against the FCC at the Ninth Circuit in February 2026. That case is still unresolved. Until it is, or until the authorization process moves forward, new DJI hardware stays out of official US retail channels.

The Pocket 4 is not an isolated case. The Osmo Nano and Osmo Mobile 8 are both in the same position. Pre-launch FCC filings had led some observers to believe the Pocket 4 might clear US retail. It didn't.

what us creators can actually do

The Pocket 3 is still fully available in the US through Amazon, DJI, B&H, and authorized retailers. The standard model runs $499 and the Creator Combo is $629. It remains a capable camera and nothing about the Pocket 4 launch makes it worse at what it does.

Grey market imports of the Pocket 4 are possible, but buying through unofficial channels voids the warranty and creates real problems if the camera needs service. For a $499 to $649 purchase that you're planning to use as a primary production tool, that's a meaningful risk.

The straightforward answer for most US creators right now is to stay on the Pocket 3 and watch how the FCC situation develops. If DJI wins its case or authorization clears, the Pocket 4 will likely arrive in US retail. If you need a camera today, the Pocket 3 at its current price is not a consolation prize.

what to watch next

A Pocket 4 Pro with a dual-lens setup is expected sometime in May or June 2026. Based on the current regulatory environment, US availability for that model looks equally uncertain. No FCC registration has been filed for the Pro variant.

The more interesting development for US creators might be Insta360. The company has officially announced the Luna, a competing dual-camera pocket gimbal. No confirmed price or ship date yet, but Insta360 does not have DJI's regulatory problems in the US market. If the Luna delivers on what the announcement suggests, it becomes a real option for creators who want a compact, gimbal-stabilized camera and can't wait out the DJI situation.

The pocket camera category is moving fast right now, and for once, the most interesting story isn't the specs. It's whether the best product in the category can legally reach the people who want to buy it.

For US creators, the move is to stay informed, not to rush. The regulatory picture could shift. The competition is catching up. And the camera you already have is still making good content.