The Hover Camera is one of the more unique flying cameras we’ve ever seen, focusing on a durable and portable lightweight design, competitive price, and ease of use through an iPhone app.
Just like Lily and Zano, as the marketing message goes, it’s aiming for the selfie market. Like the others, it has attracted a fair bit of attention from the time it was first unveiled in April.
The official release unit is compact, foldable and weighs only 240 grams. It can recognize a human face and then track it. Hover Camera also supports 360° shooting, throw-and-fly, automatic hovering etc. The drone is priced at $599.
To step back for a second, consumers can buy a Parrot drone or DJI’s Phantom 3S starting. From $499. This new drone-in-a-grill has 10-minute flight, a controllable range of 20m and doesn’t support a remote control, working only through an app. So, is $599 cheap? There are a number of factors to consider.
There are three levels of consumer drone:
- Low-end “selfie drones”(under $400)
Example: Dobby
Features: Focusing on selfies, 4k video, flight time within 10 minutes, electronic image stabilization, limited flight range, controlled by smartphone.
- Consumer drones for aerial imaging (Above $650)
Example：DJI Mavic, DJI Phantom series
Features: Focusing on aerial photography, flight time around 27 minutes, three-axis gimbal, long transmission range, uses remote controller.
- Drones for professional photography (Above $1,500)
Example: DJI Inspire series
Features: Cinematic footage of higher quality, better camera, dual controllers.
There isn’t any mature product between $400-$650 yet. The Hover Camera is trying to wedge itself into this market segment. But, when you lay out its features, side-by-side with rivals, it’s simply too expensive as a “selfie drone.” And then ask yourself these questions:
- Do we actually need a drone to take selfies?
- Enclosing propellers with a cover, is that innovation or marketing?
- Do you want to lower your technical expectations, yet still pay a high price for promised “safety?”
In summary, $599 for the Hover Camera is a bit rich for our blood. Drones with far more features, better cameras – stabilized ones – start $100 below that price point and get steadily better as they creep above it by another $100 or $200. The Hover Camera is cute, but it makes too many compromises and comes in at too high a price.
( Source )
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