*I am a HOVERTECH LIMITED associate. I earn a small commission if you click on the link below and purchase the product. There is no additional cost to you. Thanks for supporting our website.
The Easiest Drone You Will Ever Pilot
HOVERAir X1 Drone Website On SALE through 12/28/23 with code HOVERBF
The HOVERAir X 1 Drone
Ready to capture some amazing aerial views on your next adventure? Well I have just the product. The HOVERAir X1 drone is basically a self flying selfie camera with the option to fly it manually from your phone. With no hand held controller, all you need is the app on your phone. With a 3 second lift off time, it takes off and lands from the palm of your hand.
It has 7 different flight modes, which we will dive into later in this review. It has a maximum height of 49 feet, which is pretty low compared to most GPS drones, but it will still capture some amazing aerial shots and videos on your next camping adventure. Max speed is 15mph so there will be no drone racing around camp lol.
I have taken mine on a few camping trips and had a lot of fun with it. The pre-set flight paths are super easy to use, but the manual option does take time to get the hang of. I would suggest taking it out to an open field to get comfortable with it first. Oh, and I highly recommend getting a second battery as the flight time is only around 11 minutes. I found with two batteries I had more than enough juice to get all the pics and videos I wanted on an outing.
The first time I used it I was a bit worried it might fly away and I would lose it. That worry was quickly put to rest. It flies the pre-programmed flight paths perfectly and comes back just as if it was a boomerang.
How Is It Different From Other Drones?
The biggest difference is that it doesn’t have a handheld controller with buttons and joy sticks. It also doesn’t use GPS to guide it. The HOVERAir X1 uses the bluetooth from your phone to guide its path. Additionally it uses a downward facing camera to track the ground. It also must track on a person to use the pre-programmed flight paths.
Things To Keep In Mind
The HOVERAir X1 must see your face before it lifts off and lands. If it loses sight of you it will hover until it tracks on you again. Oh and it can’t track on Rover. It only recognizes human faces.
There are some limitations you should be aware of. If you fly it over the edge of a cliff, over water, over changing terrain, it can get confused. I haven’t tested these scenarios and i’m not sure I want to.
Obstacle avoidance is limited. It can only use its front and downward facing cameras to assist with object avoidance. Stay alert if flying it in an area with a lot of obstacles.
Keep in mind that this is basically an older phone camera that can fly. While I have been quite pleased with the picture and video quality, don’t expect it to be cinematic.
It has a limited flight time of around 11 minutes, but I found it to be suitable for all the arial shots I wanted on my day hikes. My advice is to get a second battery though.
You can record audio, but you need the app open on your phone to capture it.
Features
-
- Weighs in at only 125 grams / 4.4 ounces.
- HDR capture.
2704 x 1520 30fps, 1920 x 1080 60fps, 1920 x 1080 30fps HDR. - Takes pictures (resolution 4000 x 3000) and video with a live preview on your phone.
- Foldable and compact.
- Max height 49 feet.
- Max speed 15mph.
- Uses blue tooth from your phone to communicate.
- Comes with its own soft storage bag.
- Phone compatibility. iOS 11.0 or above / Android 9.0 or above.
- 32GB memory.
- Records sound while cancelling out the drone noise.
- Fully caged and protected propellers.
- Takes off and lands in the palm of your hand.
- Flight time 11 minutes per charge.
- 35 minute battery charge time using the charging dock.
- 6 pre-programmed flight paths.
- Can fly in winds up to 17mph.
- Obstacle avoidance. Front and below only.
- Fly inside or out.
- Cannot fly in dim light or darkness.
- Can be flown manually from your phone.
- 15 day unopened return policy.
- 12 month warranty.
Flight Paths
- Hover: The X1 hovers in place while tracking you as you move around it or move up or down.
- Zoom out: The X1 flies away then it flies back. You can control the height of the flight path (rising, flat or low) as well as the distance (5 ft, 8 ft, 10 ft, 20 ft, 30 ft).
- Follow: The X1 tracks you and follows you from behind. You can control the height, the following distance, and the duration.
- Orbit: The X1 flies around you. You can choose the height (high, flat, low) and distance (5 ft, 8 ft, 13 ft, 20 ft).
- Bird’s eye: The X1 takes an overhead picture / video. You can choose a height of 16 ft to 49 ft.
- Manual mode: Use the app to control the X1 manually. Note: Manual mode can be selected only via the app.
- Custom mode: You can assign one of these modes;
- Dolly Track: X1 tries to track you from the front but may shoot from the side or the rear.
- Snapshot: X1 takes a series of photos of you. Smile!
My Conclusion
I love this little drone, or flying selfie camera, whatever you want to call it. It allows me to get some great aerial perspective shots to use on my blog while also just providing a lot of good old fashion fun. Highly recommended unless you are a seasoned drone pilot and prefer all the bells and whistles of the GPS drones. With that said though, it id nice to have such a small drone you can just carry in your pocket.
If you have any questions or comments about this product, please submit them in the comments section below.
Sign up for our NEWSLETTER so you never miss out on what’s going on at Get Off The Log. Plus you will be the first to receive our latest campground and product reviews.