Vanity drone Yuneec Breeze 4K good for sunny, windless days

Limited range Yuneec drone is nothing but an expensive selfie toy.

Fun with the Yuneec Breeze 4K can happen on a windless summer day with perfect conditions from distance to the camera to getting the short-battery life just right for a lifestyle picture.

But the promise that a “follow-me” mode will work to allow first-time drone users to “vogue” as Madonna would say, that may not be enough of an incentive to buy the Yuneec drone. For starters, the 4K camera advertised is not the same as the one on the much more expensive and heavier Yuneec Typhoon Q500 model and certainly pales in comparison to DJI’s built-in 4K cameras.

One review of the Yuneec Breeze 4K said the camera’s video functionality as advertised full-spec at 4K can be misleading as well, because with the WiFi connection it is better to use the 1080P video to get a more stable and ready-to-use video.

The spec has a range of about 80 meters before the phone WiFi signal gets choppy, potentially sending the Yuneec Breeze 4K on its way home, or worse, a flyaway.

The Yuneec Breeze 4K is operated by an app on a smartphone and definitely has no frills in accessories and packaging. Apparently the idea is to fold the propellers and throw the Yuneec Breeze 4K in your own backpack to carry – a mode of transport that anyone who’s ever owned a drone or any sensitive electronic toy knows is bound to result in damage.

But initial reports suggest the oblong shape and weight of about 1lb of the Yuneec drone make it shaky in flight and easily blown off course by even light winds – defeating the idea of a selfie pose.

In fact, the beetle-shaped Yuneec Breeze 4K should be handled carefully if live and held at arms-length to avoid getting a hand caught in one of the unprotected blades. Still, to be fair the unit is compact and is certainly divergent from other Yuneec models such as the Yuneec Q500.

Probably the best feature of the Yuneec Breeze 4K is that once the 12-minute battery life ends, you can take the downloaded stream and post it to Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram or WhatsApp from your smartphone.

R&D has not been a Yuneec strongpoint as can be seen in the faulty internal WiFi card and weak GPS connections. So the Yuneec Breeze 4K may be a rush job sent out to fill a market niche, though it has been widely noted that up-and-coming drone makers are offering fairly interesting entry models for as low as $99.

That also draws attention to the comparison of the Yuneec Breeze 4K with the $499 DJI Phantom 3 Standard, which does have lower specs than models such as the DJI Phantom 4, but also comes with more features and a dedicated controller as well as works with most phones.

The price point has also become a test of features and accessories that sees some UAV drone manufacturers looking to allow other types of cameras and tools to the mix, making the Yuneec Breeze 4K appear as a throwback.

 

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