HOVERAir X1 Drone with Camera, Self-Flying Camera Drone with Follow Me Mode, Foldable Mini Drone with HDR Video Capture, Palm Takeoff, Intelligent Flight Paths, Hands-Free Control Black (Standard)

Oh, what a lovely little drone this is. I recently took the Hover Air X1 with me on a bicycle tour across Florida (around 800 miles over 3 weeks). Super light weight, compact size makes it an ideal drone for bicycle touring. And the pre-programmed modes are awesome for someone like me who is new to drones and didn't want to climb the learning curve, so to speak.I frequently used "hover", "follow me", "dolly track", and other (pre-programmed) modes to capture content I wanted to share with friends, family, and other bicycle tour enthusiasts. And once I discovered I could also manually control flights using the Hover app, I was thrilled by what I could do with this drone. I also really loved the simple and easy to use "land" mode. I always enjoy just holding my hand under the drone and letting it land on my palm. How cool is that?!As per the specifications, this drone is not suited to situations with high wind or rain as some other (higher priced) drones can do, but for me that was a non-issue as I didn't want to capture content in those conditions. It also is not fast enough to keep pace with a bicycle at speed (e.g. > 10 mph) but, again, I was not expecting it to. What I did was ride slower when taking action shots so that the drone would be able to keep pace (follow me mode), or I would plan the shot to fit within the drone's capabilities (bird's eye mode, hover mode with a drive by, manual mode with the phone affixed via quad lock to the bicycle so I could operate the controls whilst riding). It is a very flexible drone with lots of potential for getting great shots.It is also very robust. The plastic cage surrounding the rotors ensures that crashes (yes, I had a couple) don't damage the rotors, the gimble + camera(s), or the main body of the drone.I also really liked having two batteries so I could fast swap while on the road. The battery life met my expectations but for those seeking longer flights this might not be the best option - I was getting 10-15 mins of flying time in temperatures ranging from 50's to 60's Fahrenheit, and also dependent on the wind conditions.Besides all that, it's just fun to use. Although not recommended by Hover, I often would fly the drone indoors to show-off its merits to people who were curious to see what the drone could do.

The media could not be loaded. FIrst impressions -Upon opening the box, the sleek design and coloring gave me confidence in its quality. Drone kit came with an extra battery + battery charging station, which is fantastic, essentially ensuring non-stop flight time. The instructions were idiot-proof; I was able to get the drone up and running as soon as it was done charging.My first flight had a small issue because I was unable to contain my excitement like a kid on xmas morning, resulting in a battery pack not completely charged. When I ACTUALLY followed the instructions, this worked great. One battery pack will allow about 15 mins in flight time and as I mentioned earlier, the charging dock will charge a secondary battery within that time frame.Drone has multiple AI modes for different situations. I admit I was running the drone indoors (the instructions do recommend going outside) that created some limitations.Favorite modes:Orbit Mode - drone circles around you within a 5 ft radius.Follow Mode - self explantory, drone follows you around (this freaked my dog out lol)Birds-eye mode - this one requires a 16 ft empty space above. the video I uploaded is from this mode.and best for my last MANUAL MODE!!!!Once I figured out how to access the manual controls (through the app on your phone), this was incredibly easy to use. I have flown different drones in the past with controls that were clunky and difficult to use for beginners. The manual controls on this one are again idiot-proof for someone like me. Super manageable to learn which I greatly appreciated. (screenshot of the Manual controls in review)Editor's note: my cat tried to attack the drone in mid-air, beware the jumps on kitties!All in all, I think this is a great product, especially for older kids as well. It's overall utility is astounding - my friend was thinking about using it to take shots of certain hard-to-get-to areas of properties he manages. I highly recommend this product for anyone!