A new foldable drone has been recently revealed with a much cheaper price tag. The Hover Camera Passport, the company's first camera drone, is setting out to be an affordable option against the premium brands GoPro Karma and DJI Mavic Pro.
Hover Camera Passport Flying Drone Specs
The Hover Camera Passport is described as ultra-lightweight and ultra-compact. Measuring at 182 x 132 x 33 mm when folded, it's about the size of a VHS tape, Engadget noted. When it's in action, it expands to the size of a big book, which is still not as bulky as the other drones out there.
Its weight is one of its main selling point. The Hover Camera Passport weighs only half a pound, perfect for the casual everyday flying camera drones shootout kind of thing. It's important to note that the published weight already includes battery. Compare it to the DJI Mavic Pro that is about 1.62 pounds heavy, the new competitor redefines the term lightweight.
On to its most important specs, the camera, the Hover Camera Passport sports a 13MP snapper that can shoot videos in 4K resolution. Of course, it comes with pretty cool features as well. It can lock onto an object and orbit around it or follow it around. You can also snap 360-degree panoramas with it, all thanks to the powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon Flight platform.
Hover Camera Passport Flying Drone Cons
The Hover Camera Passport still does not match up to the big brands, though. It can only stay connected via WiFi if within 60 feet from you. That means that you'll have to follow it around as it cannot fly too far. This would also mean that it cannot fly too high, as TechCrunch reported that it is not really built for high aerial shots.
Even so, it can be rather useful inside homes, where bigger drones would not dare to fly. The inclusion of a flash also emphasizes that it is meant for close-up shots. It also has only about 10 minutes of battery life, so you need to always be armed with extra batteries if you plan to use it longer.
It should also be mentioned that it does not come with a remote, unlike the DJI Mavic Pro, which has a remote bundle option.
Hover Camera Passport vs GoPro Karma vs DJI Mavic Pro
So, can the Hover Camera Passport stand a chance against GoPro Karma and DJI's Mavic Pro? Maybe. If you order now, you can buy it for only $549. You better hurry though, as the price will shoot up to $599 in a couple of weeks. You can order it on their website.
The $599 price tag is apt enough for the specs, camera quality and other features. However, just $150 more and you can get the more powerful and feature-packed DJI Mavic Pro. It costs $750 without a remote, but it can cost up to $999. Those two, however, still come out cheaper than the $799 price tag of a GoPro Karma drone without a camera.
If you want longer battery life, more features, higher speed, but bigger and heavier, go for the GoPro Karma and the DJI Mavic Pro. The Hover Camera Passport is perfect for the casual users with its compact size and cheaper price tag.
