There are so many cool gadgets out there that you’d never know you needed until you come across one. Such is the case with the HOVERAir X1 self-flying camera, which is one of the coolest new devices I tested last year.
HOVERAir’s X1 is an ultra-compact camera drone that’s designed to capture unassisted photos and videos. It can hover in front of you to snap a hands-free group pic, or even follow you and record video while you’re on a bike ride. It works great and comes in handy all the time — and right now, the HOVERAir X1 price has been discounted by $100, so you can get one on sale for just $329.
I’ve seen several different “self-flying” camera drones in the past, and they looked neat enough. These gadgets had never appealed to me personally though, so I didn’t give them much thought. That is, until I received a HOVERAir X1 from the company to test.
I really wasn’t expecting much, but I was pleasantly surprised by this amazingly compact camera drone. It’s small enough to fit in the palm of your hand, and it can easily fit in a purse, backpack, or even a large pocket when folded. But it captures crystal-clear 12-megapixel photos, as well as gorgeous 2.7K HD video or 1080p HDR video with quality that you would expect from a much larger device.
Using the HOVERAir X1 self-flying camera is simple enough. While holding it in your hand, you can simply press one of the buttons on the top to select the mode you want. Then the drone lifts off and does its thing. I’m really not sure how it could get any easier.
In Hover mode, the HOVERAir X1 stays in place so it can capture photos or videos of a single location. It’s great for taking group photos without having to prop up your smartphone or flag someone down to take the pic.
Then there’s Orbit mode, which is so cool. With this mode enabled, the drone focuses on a single point and then orbits around it while capturing video.
Bird’s Eye mode aims the camera downward and captures overhead views. My niece and nephew had a ton of fun with this mode while we were testing the HOVERAir X1 self-flying camera.
Finally, there’s Follow mode, which is pretty self-explanatory. With Follow mode enabled, the drone follows your every movement and records video the entire time.
Features like advanced tracking, mechanical and electronic image stabilization, and flight speed of up to 20 mph make the HOVERAir X1 self-flying camera a blast to use. And right now, it’s on sale with a $100 discount that drops it to $329.
Of course, the best way to see how cool the HOVERAir X1 is in practice is to watch it. Check out this video to see the X1 in action:
