It’s no secret, drones have shot up in popularity over the past year, and they’re the perfect Christmas present for anyone who’s into a bit of tech. We've put together a few of the best, and coolest, drones on the market (in our opinion, anyway!):
The Affordable One – Hubsan FPV X4 Mini
This is inexpensive, yet perfectly efficient. It’s palm sized, so very easy to handle, and features a built in video camera which feeds in real time directly to the transmitter’s built in 3.4 LCD screen. The camera is only 0.3 megapixels, but it manages a 640 x 480 resolution which can be recorded to an SD card. Despite the image not being high quality, it will be relatively clear because of the 6-axis with adjustable gyro sensitivity; stabilising and balancing the flight. This feature also makes it suitable to fly indoors and outdoors!
The video range is up to 100 metres, and the battery lasts for about 7 minutes. However, it will recharge fully via a USB in 30 minutes! It’s a good little product for the price.
The Tiny One – Skeye Pico Drone
Firebox claims that this is the world’s smallest drone – it’s so tiny that it can sit on your finger! However, the precision when it flies is really quite good, thanks to the 6-axis flight control system with gyro sensitivity. It has 3 levels of sensitivity; beginner, mid-level and headless mode, so you can always stay in control.
It doesn’t just fly, it’s able to perform spins, flips and aerial dives with ease! There are also built in LEDs for navigating at night-time, so you can do all of these cool tricks any time of the day (it makes it look great too).
You can fly this miniscule drone for up to 8 minutes, it charges in half an hour, and the controller works up to 50 metres away.
The Sleek (& Expensive) One – DJI Phantom 3 Standard
DJI is becoming a well-known brand for drone fliers who are doing it both professionally, and as a hobby. The Phantom 3 line offers drones in Standard, Advanced and Professional models.
The DJI Phantom 3 Standard is the cheapest out of the 3, yet it’s still incredible. The intelligent flight system keeps it constantly under your control, and the integrated camera offers 12 megapixel photos and 2.7K HD videos! The gimbal stabilisation technology gives you great, stable picture, always. The drone can fly for up to 25 minutes and will remind you when the battery is running low.
The built in GPS records its take off point and remembers it as you fly, so it will return to you at the press of a button, and if the signal is ever lost, it will come back to you instantly! It’s able to fly up to 1 kilometre away from you, and can be controlled by a smartphone app.
The Smart (& Reasonably Priced) One – Parrot AR. Drone 2.0 Power Edition
Parrot was one of the original companies to start the drone business. With this drone, you get a lot of smart technology, at a more expected price to pay.
It’s easily controlled by Wi-Fi using an Android or iOS smartphone/tablet and it’s able to work inside and outdoors. No matter which of these devices you are using, you’ll be able to see a clear, high quality image from its HD front camera. This built in camera stores photos and videos to the smartphone or tablet so that they can be played back and shared from the device. There’s also a second camera on the bottom of the drone that makes landing so much easier.
The 2 lithium polymer batteries that it comes with provide around 36 minutes of flying time, and the range is up to 165 metres from the controller device. It can also do a ridiculously cool 360-degree flip, what more could you want?
*The information in this blog is designed to provide helpful information on the subjects discussed. Please seek a professional for expert advice as we can not be held responsible for any damages or negative consequences upon following this information.
