HOVERAir X1 hands-on: the drone of the future?

Rarely have I been as excited about a new device as I was about the HOVERAir X1. After a few seconds I had so many uses for this camera drone in mind that I just had to test it. The special thing: you do not have to pilot it. It launches from your palm, flies automatically in preinstalled flight modes, and when it is done, it comes back to you. That makes every content creator’s heart beat faster, whether on Instagram, YouTube or TikTok. Thanks to Zero Zero Robotics, who approached me and let me test the HOVERAir X1.

What’s in the box and hardware

The box contains a quick start guide, which is all you need, plus two batteries with a charger, a charging cable and the drone itself. It weighs only 125 g and is basically a foldable drone that is easy to take along when traveling.

• Controls on the device: The power button and start button are on the outside. A small button switches the flight mode, and there are five. You also set the distance right on the drone by holding down the mode button, and then the drone announces the selected distance.
• Battery: It is swappable and can be charged via USB-C directly on the device. Each of the two batteries lasts about 11 minutes of flight. That sounds like little, but for someone who edits videos it is a damn good amount of footage, 22 minutes with both batteries.
• Storage: 32 GB.
• Camera: The camera module is loosely hooked in. The HOVERAir X1 has triple stabilization for shake-free, smooth footage.
• Sensors: On the underside there are sensors for takeoff and landing on your palm.

Setup and app

You do not need the smartphone to fly, but you still have to install the app so the footage has somewhere to be sent. Setup is quick: pair the drone in the app, which you can find in the Play Store or App Store, and go through a short training on the functions. I liked that, in case you have never flown a drone before.

After that, the footage is transferred to the app automatically, first as a lower-quality preview, and then you can download it to your smartphone. Videos are recorded in HDR at up to 2.7K and 30 fps. Alternatively, there is 1080p at 60 fps for slow motion. In the app you also set the flight modes, such as the length of the recording or the distance.

Flying and recording

To launch, you press the button, and after a three-second countdown the drone takes off from your palm. Your palm is the runway for takeoff and landing, and you can let it fly anywhere.

• Filming vertically: The camera can be rotated by 90°, ideal for vertical videos on Instagram and the like.
• Manual control: It is possible, but only after you have flown five times. I find that very responsible.
• Sound: Recording audio at the same time works too, but not through the drone itself, because like any other drone it is relatively loud. The paired smartphone is used for sound. That way you can record sound and video at the same time like a reporter.
• Tracking: The drone follows you very accurately, so if you suffer from paranoia, you may feel uncomfortable. For everyone else it is a huge amount of fun. Outside during the test, people often came up to me to say how cool the device is.

Where to fly it and where not to

In wind, storms, thunderstorms or unpleasant weather, you should not fly the HOVERAir X1. In a bit of wind I was impressed by how steadily it flew and how smooth the footage turned out. You also should not fly it over open water, in darkness or over surfaces that are too smooth, because then it cannot orient itself well.

Because it uses VIO positioning to orient itself, it does not rely on a GPS signal and can also fly indoors. It is safe in every situation, because it aborts immediately if the sensors and camera detect that something or someone is in its flight path.

Uses

There are hardly any limits to your imagination: jogging, cycling, skiing, skateboarding, hiking, weddings, birthdays or group shots.

Verdict

I find the HOVERAir X1 so cool that it is now part of my standard YouTube creator kit. I also take it on every vacation because it is so small and handy. It opens up countless possibilities for cool videos, and I do not want to be without it anymore.