Yuneec Breeze is good if you understand what you’re getting

I received my Yuneec Breeze 4K half a month ago and I have flown it every opportunity this wet and windy Kentucky winter has provided. I think the Breeze drone is a very solid product if you understand what it is made for and the limitations of the device. Like Yuneec’s tagline for the product, this is “Your Flying Camera” rather than a competitor to the DJI Phantom, 3DR Solo, or other entry to mid-level drones.

WHAT YOU GET: It comes with the Yuneec Breeze, a nice hard box (no handle though!), two batteries, a charger, a USB cable to transfer footage, extra props, and prop guards.

WHAT IT DOES: It’s a highly portable, stable, and easy to fly drone for recording 1080p footage and taking pretty nice still photographs. It’s meant to stay firmly within line of sight, which is a good idea for this drone’s target market. I’ve had mine 300′ feet away and nearly 200′ foot up using my iPhone 7 as the controller, and it flew perfectly fine. The batteries have been lasting me around 12-14 minutes per charge, and charge in about 40-45 minutes. Aside from the manual pilot mode, it has autopilot modes like Orbit (taking 360° video or photos of a point of interest), Journey (flies away from a POI to a pre-determined distance, then returns while taking video roundtrip), a couple of Follow Me modes (following a POI from a fixed point or the classic following behind the POI), and the ability to fly in first person view with an available headset and controller.

That being said, I’ve read a lot of comments on Amazon and on other discussion forums that one of the software updates for the drone dramatically affects the reliability of the Wi-Fi, so as of 1/17/17, I would not recommend upgrading the firmware until Yuneec has published and tested a corrective update.

WHAT IT”S NOT: The Yuneec Breeze is not going to fly miles away or exceed the FAA’s 400′ ceiling for UAS. It’s not going to take dramatic 4K footage for your next movie. It is capable of recording 4K video, but it is not mechanically stabilized, so you must run it through a filter during post processing to avoid pretty severe jitter. It’s not a speed demon because it prioritizes stability and ease of use. Think of this more like a floating cameraperson rather than full-fledged drone.

THE FINAL VERDICT: I can see why a lot of folks are disappointed. Had I updated mine and have the crappy Wi-Fi issues currently affecting many owners, I’d be upset as well. However, mine has been pretty much flawless with the out-of-the box firmware. I also knew before purchase that this wasn’t a drone that flies miles away. I’d be disappointed if I thought this was a direct competitor for a Phantom 3 Standard. It has pretty aggressive geo-fencing to help the pilot stay firmly in control. The Yuneec Breeze is a beginner drone for me, and over time as I become a more skillful pilot and video editor, the limitations will likely frustrate me. It will be time to upgrade. Until then, I’m enjoying the Yuneec Breeze and looking forward to spring weather!

The review comes from a buyer on Amazon.

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