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There’s a misconception that pint-size drones are toy-grade quadcopters. But such is not really the case with the recent development in the commercial drone market. In fact, pocket drones are now considered high-end selfie quadcopters.
Just because they’re smaller than normal drones does not mean they are not packed with great features. Contrary to that myth, pocket drones are even easier to fly and more capable than ever!
But remember that there are still small drones with toy-grade features. Being smaller, they remain less feature-filled. How then will you know that what you’re buying is a premium pocket-sized drone? Well, worry not!
We, at UVS-Info.com, provide you a list of the true compact monsters which offer the best value for your money. We consider these as upgraded models in the market that have the best features in a small drone.
So, let’s take a look at some of the best pocket drones with cameras in the market today!
1. DJI Mavic Mini | 2. DJI Mavic Air | 3. DJI Spark | 4. Hover Camera Passport Self-Flying Drone | 5. Zerotech Dobby Pocket Selfie Drone | |
Camera | Sensor: 1/2.3-inch CMOS, 12MP | 4k 30 FPS | 1/2.3″ CMOS Effective pixels: 12 MP | 13MP + 4K video | 13 Megapixel Photo / 1080p FHD Video / 75° lens |
Operating Range/ Maximum Distance | 4km | 2 miles or 3.2km. | 2km with remote, height limit: 500ft | 20m | 30m |
Flight Time | 30 minutes | 21 minutes | 12–15 minutes of flight time (in our testing) | 9 minutes and 12 seconds | 9 minutes |
Foldable | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes |
Size | Folded: 140x81x57 mm | 180x97x84 mm | 143×143×55 mm | 7.2 x 5.2 x 1.3 inches | 5.3 x 2.6 x 1.4″ / 135 x 67 x 36.8 mm when folded;
No bigger than a smartphone |
Weight | 249g | 430g or 15 ounces | 300 g | 8.54 oz / 242 g (Including Battery) | 199g |
The DJI Mavic Mini is an ideal drone for backpacking, travel, or hiking. At takeoff, the exact weight of this palm-sized drone is only 249 grams, which we believe is a lightweight number compared to other drones in the world.
When it comes to the user experience when we tested the DJI Mavic, we believe that we have one of the exhilarating drone flying experiences. No, that’s not even an exaggeration. The drone is responsive and pretty nimble.
Although one thing we notice is that the Fly app is not as nice when you’re using other drones from DJI, it still works pretty decently. We just hope that switching different flight modes – between Sport, Regular, or Cinesmooth, in this pocket drone requires only one switch on the controller like other DJI models.
This folding drone is compact. It may be small and don’t have a headless mode feature but it is more than capable when up in the air.
This is the best pocket drone in terms of camera. Although it has no 4k video capability, the Mini can record in 2.7K/30 as well as FHD for up to 60fps at 40Mbps.
Beginners and drone hobbyists alike. We think it’s the drone “that grows with you.”
Don’t let the small size fool you. Grab this pocket drone here!
The DJI Mavic Air is a marvel of design and engineering and was created to go wherever adventure takes the drone pilot.
Considering that the DJI Mavic Air inherits some of the best features of the Mavic series, this model is easy to use. Thanks to its travel-friendly size, powerful automated flight mode, as well as obstacle avoidance system.
It features a 3-axis gimbal gyro stabilization system, which means that the drone compensates for yaw. It can just rotate in three different dimensions: yaw, pitch, and roll.
This pocket drone likewise uses OcuSync or Lightbridge transmission system, allowing users to see what the camera drone sees in real-time on a monitor or an Android smart device.
As for its design, we believe that it has a smaller footprint compared to Spark when in travel mode or its legs are folded.
This drone with a camera shoots an excellent video quality for up to 4k/30p, although not without little compromises.
Aerial storytellers. This pocket drone boasts impressive video capabilities, like the 4K/30p capture.
If you want to try it out, here’s where you can buy it!
We think this is one of the most accessible drones in the market today.
After spending time of about a week and a half using this selfie pocket drone model, we can say that the DJI Spark delivers a great experience to users. It makes capturing video and photos so easy in a way that no other pocket-sized drones have managed before.
It comes in an Alpine White design, which looks attractive.
It takes only about 10 seconds to pull this drone out of your pocket, turn it one, and then launch it from your palm. This is what stands out in this model and it can even automatically go into gesture control mode quickly.
This is best for drone hobbyists who are looking for a drone with a three-axis gimbal and is easier to transport.
Here’s a quick link to where you can buy it!
If you’re looking for a drone with easy-to-use controls, has a great video quality, and comes with a compact design, then Hover Camera Passport Self-Flying Drone should be one of your top picks.
We like the fact that this drone maintains the same distance from the pilot all the time. So, if you have to suddenly stop, it will halt midair and back up slowly to your original distance.
Its camera (13mp) can record video at 30 frames and 4k per second, which is way better than the Bebop 2. The video recorded at this quadcopter is color-rich and well-detailed.
However, we just observed that this hand-operated drone does not have its dedicated physical controller so you have to use an app on your Android or iOS device and link it to Hover.
This pocket drone is so small that you may worry if it would be taken out by a hawk midair. It’s just as small as a paperback book. But because it only folds up to 7.2 x 5.2 x 1.3 inches, it means that it is more compact than the Mavic Pro.
The drone consists largely of carbon fiber and, even with its battery, it is still very light. That means that you won’t have to register it to the Federal Aviation Administration.
Beginner in drone flying who’s looking for a drone with gesture control and is capable of tracking people, by detecting their body or face as they walk around.
Interested? Here’s where you can buy it!
This quadcopter is just the size of the palm of your hand but has a video capture resolution of 2160p, taking your selfie game to new heights!
While Zerotech Dobby is not a racing drone, it has great flight features. It even was the first to use the Qualcomm processors to be able to achieve autonomous flight.
When hovering in place, it has an internal compass and GPS for stability. We notice, however, that the drone is lumbering. So, we think it needs more improvement in its power. That way, it can move through the air better.
Being produced by a pioneering brand in the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), this Zerotech Dobby is one of the best selfie drones you can ever find. It has four routers and each of these is mounted on the swing-out arm.
This is the best pocket drone in terms of taking selfies from an aerial perspective.
People who are looking for folding selfie drones with Glonass and GPS to provide you reliable navigation, timing, and positioning.
Convinced? You can buy the product here!
The best pocket-size drone for us in this list of quadcopters would be the DJI Mavic Mini. Weighing just 249g, this versatile little machine is so convenient to transport and easy to use as well.
We also like that it has a LED light indicator to know the battery percentage. Even if we consider its different speed modes (near sea level with no wind or just its normal maximum ascent and descent speed), we think this quadcopter is really a good buy!
Even the tech company DJI that produced it has been around for ages, giving it a competitive edge in the drone market.
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