Advancements in Consumer Drone Technology: HoverAir X1 PRO and Potensic Atom 2 Lead the Way

HoverAir X1 PRO drone review

Video transmission range: Phone app: 1640 ft / 500 m / Beacon and Controller up to 0.62 miles / 1 km Selfie drones have become a permanent fixture in the drone market, with the HoverAir X1 paving the way for these innovative and intelligent autonomous UAVs. The DJI Neo most recently caught the imaginations of consumers thanks to the operational extensions of the simple selfie drone it delivered, but there are two new selfie drones available from ZeroZero Robotics, the makers of the HoverAir X1, and all four are among the best beginner drones. The HoverAir X1 PRO, which sits alongside the HoverAir X1 PROMAX -- a more advanced 8K model, builds on the technological success of the HoverAir X1 to deliver what could be the best consumer selfie drone available. The PROMAX is the better model of the two in terms of image quality and some features, but it's the 4K PRO that has incredible potential thanks to a lower cost and more manageable video footage for beginners and enthusiasts. The drone is aimed at tracking snow sports and cycling, but it can be used much more widely than this and the new accessory ecosystem, which includes physical controller options, greatly extends its application. The X1 PRO offers a variety of autonomous intelligent flight modes, including manual flight. The flight modes can be activated drone-only, with the app, with the Beacon, or with the controller if you choose to buy the physical accessories. The X1 Pro is a lightweight and compact folding drone that's pretty much pocket size when folded at just 4.13x5.86x1.34 in / 105x149x34 mm folded and 6.81x5.86x1.53 in / 173x149x39 mm unfolded. It's small enough to fit in a jacket pocket and weighs just 6.75oz / 191.5 g, so it's also below the all-important regulator-friendly 250 g threshold. The design is highly similar to the HoverAir X1, with propellers enclosed in propeller guards that fold out from below the airframe. These keep propellers, objects, and people safe when the drone is flying close to obstacles. It's also a minimalistic design with just a single button and two directional buttons around this in a circular design, with an OLED screen above to show the currently selected flight mode. Battery life from the 1920mAh batteries comes in close to the advertised 16 minutes of flight time, which is plenty of time for a drone of this type; you typically don't fly selfie drones for as long as camera drones, instead opting for shorter bursts of tracking and manual flight. There are also thermal batteries that can be purchased separately for $99 / £89 and these are designed for use in temperatures as low as -4 degrees Fahrenheit / -20 degrees Celsius. These batteries are essential if you aim to use the X1 PRO for tracking winter sports, and would also be useful for any kind of drone flight with the X1 PRO in winter temperatures. Of course, the normal batteries will work in colder temperatures, but the thermal batteries are going to keep you flying in more extreme conditions. There are several control options available for the X1 PRO, but some of these require additional accessories, some of which we'll cover briefly in the next section. For many users, set up and control will be achieved using the Hover X1 app where you can adjust the parameters of the intelligent flight modes, adjust camera settings, control the drone manually and also share X1 PRO photos and videos to the HoverAir X1 community. The manual flight interface has undergone fantastic improvements since the original HoverAir X1. Manual control now works in horizontal orientation within the app, which is much more intuitive than portrait orientation with virtual controls overlaid on the large camera view with gimbal control available. These controls are nothing short of excellent, and although not as effective as a physical controller, you can still achieve complex flight maneuvers using both controls at the same time alongside gimbal movements. Setting up for flight is incredibly quick and easy and you can be up and in the air in around one minute using either drone only or the Hover X1 app. All you need to do is fold out the propeller guards from beneath the airframe, switch the drone on and select the desired flight mode. To take off, you simply press the main button and the X1 Pro will take off from the palm of your hand, and once finished hold your hand below the drone and it will land. The drone features 32GB of onboard storage alongside a microSD card slot that's compatible with cards up to a 1GB capacity. The feature that defines the X1 PRO is the intelligent flight modes that use advanced AI algorithms to track the subject and to keep them in the centre of the frame. The X1 PRO does a fantastic job when tracking or flying around subjects, and the Follow mode is particularly effective with a flight speed of up to 26mph, and bursts of up to 37mph available. Whether or not this is truly possible is difficult to say, but when cycling as fast as possible on a mountain bike the drone was able to keep up without any issue. However, with manual flight control, flight speed is extremely pedestrian and remains slow. This is despite increasing the speed rates for the drones within Joystick settings in the Hover X1 app. Flight and controls are still extremely smooth during manual flight, which is great and it offers a wind resistance Level 5, which equates to 24mph. The intelligent flight modes include Hover, Zoom Out, Follow, Orbit, Bird's Eye, Dolly Track and Side Track. The intelligent flight modes are excellent with impressive tracking, but Follow, Dolly Track and Side Track are the most fun and interesting of what's available. The X1 Pro is also able to navigate complex environments with ease with just active rear-side collision detection provided by a proximity sensor. Other useful features include Return to Home functionality, but without full collision avoidance sensors, you have to take care when using it by watching the video feed for potential obstacles and taking manual control if required. Also, when OmniTerrain is active, the X1 PRO can be flown over water, snow, cliffs and at night, unlike the original HoverAir X1 which cannot do this. To extend the capabilities of the X1 PRO, the optional accessories are fantastic if you can stretch your budget to include them. Without going into full detail, the Beacon improves tracking capabilities and can be paired with the Joysticks for a one-handed motion controller, used together with the Beacon screen providing the camera view, or all of the above with your smartphone acting as the screen. These controller options all work exceptionally well and allow for smooth and precise control of the drone. However, when using your smartphone as the screen, you unfortunately can't access or adjust drone or camera settings. This would be fantastic functionality if it could be added with a future firmware update and would further improve the flying, photo and video capture experience. The video quality produced by the X1 PRO is far superior to photos, but this is unsurprising given that it's a selfie drone with advanced subject tracking capabilities, primarily for capturing action videos. Photos are absolutely fine when captured at lower ISO settings, but we'll go into more detail about both in a moment. The X1 PRO features a 1/2in CMOS sensor with an equivalent focal length of 17mm. This is a fantastic wide-angle focal length for a selfie drone that captures both the subject and their environment well. The X1 Pro can be set to follow subjects at different distances, so the wide-angle aspect of the lens makes close following/subject tracking much more effective than a longer focal length. Video can be captured in 4K at up to 60 FPS and 1080p at up to 120 FPS for slow motion capture, which is useful for capturing fast-moving subjects interestingly. You can also capture vertical video, which is cropped on the sensor rather than the camera rotating 90 degrees, and this can be recorded in 2.7K and 1080p at up to 60 FPS. Please note the footage below was shot in 4K but our video player only plays in HD. Moving onto photo image quality, this is good but not exceptional and is much better at lower ISO levels since high ISO noise reduction and JPEG processing are strong at higher settings. The camera only captures photos in JPEG, which is a shame because Raw would open up greater potential for processing and editing, but it's not the end of the world and the X1 PRO is primarily a tracking drone for video capture. Still, it would be great to see this functionality added if possible. Photos are captured in 4000x3000px dimensions, which equates to 12MP and is large enough to produce prints of up to around A3 size. There's also a 2x zoom that captures in these dimensions, so it must use some kind of in-camera software-based interpolation. Image quality only reduces by a small amount with the 2x zoom, which is impressive overall. The HoverAir X1 PRO is available in a Standard kit, which includes the drone, one battery, a USB-C cable and a soft storage bag that costs $499 / £459. The Combo kit includes all of the above alongside a second battery, a charging hub, a 65W charger and a combo case for $679 / £629. This kit is ultimately better because of the additional accessories, but neither option is cheap. There are also useful optional accessories available that enhance drone performance. These include the Beacon and Joystick bundle for $228 / £208, The PowerCase for $169 / £155, the Multi-function Carry Bag for $79 / £69, the HandleBar Mount for $20 / £19 and the ND Filter set for $69 / £65. This certainly drives up the cost of the drone, but they are extremely useful for enhancing the overall HoverAir X1 PRO and PROMAX experience. In terms of selfie drones, the HoverAir X1 PRO and PROMAX (we haven't reviewed the PROMAX) are both the best selfie drones in many respects including size, weight and compact folding design for transportation. The accessory ecosystem also greatly extends their usefulness, but the drone kits and optional extra accessories are more expensive than the original HoverAir X1 and the DJI Neo. The HoverAir X1 PRO is, however, and fantastic selfie drone that's packed with impressive technology and does exactly what it's designed to do. Plus, it does it well. So, if your budget allows, it's most certainly a selfie drone option to consider. The HoverAir X1 is a more basic selfie drone than the X1 Pro but offers the same intelligent tracking modes for autonomous flight and comes in at a more affordable price. The DJI Neo, which we reviewed recently, is DJI's first selfie drone with several options for control ranging from drone only, app control, and standard DJI controller, and it can even be flown FPV using DJI FPV accessories. The DJI Air 3S isn't a selfie drone, it's a mid-sized camera drone, but it offers excellent subject-tracking capabilities making it a versatile option to consider.

I tested the Potensic Atom 2 drone for a month -- here's why it goes toe-to-toe with DJI

Why you can trust Tom's Guide Our writers and editors spend hours analyzing and reviewing products, services, and apps to help find what's best for you. Find out more about how we test, analyze, and rate. I test some of the best drones and nothing makes me happier than taking to the skies and seeing the world from above. Well, I think I've just found the perfect travel buddy in the Potensic Atom 2. This drone is so good that it goes toe-to-toe with the likes of DJI and HoverAir. What I really like about the Atom 2 is that it's a massive improvement over the first-gen Potensic Atom that I also reviewed. I've fallen in love with the smooth 4K video and detailed 48MP stills that I captured with this drone. I also had a lot of fun with its many AI intelligent flight modes and tracking skills. Potensic has improved the controller and the app which makes flying much more enjoyable too. Should you buy it? Yes. Will it break the bank? No. For the complete breakdown, read my full Potensic Atom 2 review. Announced in February 2025, the Potensic Atom 2 succeeds the first-gen Atom. It has a retail price of $329 / £299 at Amazon for just the drone and the new DSRC23A controller. You can also get the Fly More Combo for $449 / £399 which includes three flight batteries, a charging hub and a carrying bag. Similar to the first-gen model, the Atom 2 is a cheaper alternative for those who don't want to spend more on the HoverAir X1 Pro ($499), the DJI Flip ($439) or the DJI Mini 3 ($409). It's slightly more expensive than the DJI Mini 2 SE ($279) and the HoverAir X1 ($299). The Atom 2 hopes to give the DJI Mini 4K ($299) a run for its money, boasting near-identical specs, such as 4K/30fps video, 32-minute flight time, a three-axis mechanical gimbal, and more. And it's a big improvement over the first-gen Atom. The Potensic Atom 2 looks near-indentical to the original Atom -- and bears a resemblance to the DJI Mini 2 SE as well. Both Potensic drones are nearly the same size too, with the Atom 2 measuring 8.26 x 5.98 x 2.28 inches. Its small size means it's great to travel with and it's very lightweight too -- which adds to its travel friendliness. The Atom 2 is slightly lighter than its predecessor, weighing 8.64oz, so I had zero issues carrying it in my backpack or in the included carry bag. This also means that you don't need FAA/CAA registration to fly it -- but I recommend looking at local laws before you take to the skies. However, because it's lightweight, the Atom is susceptible to strong gusts of wind so I'd recommend checking conditions before taking off. The Atom 2's propellers fold easily and stay securely locked in place. Its arms are sturdy and its body is made of high quality plastic that doesn't look or feel cheap. I crashed the drone twice into some tree branches but it was absolutely fine and ready to take off again right after. I tested the Fly More combo which includes eight pairs of spare propellers, 16 spare screws, and two adapter cables for the controller (USB-C and lightning) -- it's nice to see that Potensic took every type of smartphone into consideration, new and old. Whether you get the standard or bundle variant, the new AT2-RC controller will be included. It's brand new and it feels far better than the old DSRC02A controller. It sports a dark grey colorway and feels more durable and premium too. The controller extends to fit most modern smartphones. I was able to use my Google Pixel 7 Pro (with its case on) easily. Two detachable joysticks can be slotted into the controller's underside for easy transport -- and they're very responsive too, making flying the Atom 2 a walk in the park. Potensic says the Atom 2 is 40% quieter than the Atom and it shows. I immediately noticed that it didn't sound too loud or piercing, making it enjoyable to fly. It almost feels like the OG Potensic Atom has grown up and come into its own. The Potensic Atom 2 has a plethora of new features that put the drone on a level playing field with DJI. The Atom 2's maximum flight distance is double the first-gen model's at 6.2 miles, similar to the Neo and the Mini 2 SE. The Atom 2 retains its predecessor's three-axis gimbal design, which results in more stable and smooth footage than single-axis (like the DJI Neo) and dual-axis (like the HoverAir X1 Pro) drones. Wind resistance is also the same, with the Atom 2 being able to withstand winds up to 10.7m/s (level 5 wind). This is similar to the DJI Mini 4K, the DJI Flip and the HoverAir X1 Pro and X1 ProMax. I shot footage in windy conditions and it turned out stable, but like I said, the drone is very lightweight so it did get knocked about and pushed around by strong gusts. Luckily, the Potensic Eve app notifies you if it's very windy and prompts you to land safely as soon as possible. Both the Atom 2 and the Atom can record 4K and 2.7K video at 30fps and 1080P at 60fps. The Atom 2, though, introduces slow-motion video which can be recorded at 120fps. The biggest upgrade that Potensic has introduced is a larger 1/2-inch CMOS sensor (over the Atom's 1/3-inch) which can capture brighter, better images at 48MP. This is a higher resolution than the Mini 4K which can take only 12MP photos, and it's similar to the pricier Flip. However, the Atom 2 can't shoot RAW 48MP photos, allowing little room for post-production. There's no internal storage, similar to many other drones, so you'll need a microSD card which can be inserted into the Atom 2's back, near the battery. Potensic recommends a U3 or V30 rating or higher to ensure 4K recording. The Atom 2 features six QuickShot modes -- Pull-Away, Rocket, Circle, Spiral, Boomerang, and Dolly Zoom -- which use AI subject detection to keep you in frame. All of these work very well and they're especially useful if you want to create quick content for sharing on social media. The Atom featured five of these as well (Dolly Zoom being the new addition), but what's new in the Atom 2 is AI Track, and you get access to three intelligent tracking modes: Parallel, Spotlight, and Follow. The drone needs to be 4m above the ground for these modes to work, and you must be in an obstacle-free environment. I really like Parallel mode. As the name suggests, the Atom 2 will fly alongside you and record you and I can think of a lot of use cases for it: walking on a bridge above a river, a hiking trail, or atop a mountain. Speaking of flying in an obstacle-free environment, it's important to note that the Atom 2 doesn't feature collision avoidance sensors which means you'll have to be really careful when flying next to trees, under bridges, etc. This is not abnormal for the price range, as this feature is also absent from the Mini 2 SE, Mini 4K and other similarly priced drones. But of course, the Atom 2 also has the very crucial return-to-home technology to bring the drone back to its last known location, and this is automatically triggered when the Atom is low on battery. Like I mentioned before, the Potensic Atom 2 is equipped with one camera that takes 48MP JPEG stills -- and they're highly detailed and look gorgeous. Color reproduction is accurate and faithful, as you can see in the images above. The photos were shot on a sunny day in Bath, U.K. with the drone in auto mode. I really like the first photo of the Royal Crescent. Even when I zoomed into it on my laptop, a lot of the detail and sharpness was retained. I could clearly see the individual window panes and even the patterns in the grass. If you want to take charge of the Atom 2's camera, there's a manual shooting mode too. The Atom 2 has a shutter speed of 8s-1/6400s, an f/1.8 maximum aperture, and an ISO range of 100-6,400. All three settings and white balance can be adjusted in manual photography mode. Similar to the Atom, the Atom 2 has a 3x digital zoom when shooting video in 1080P and 2x digital zoom when shooting in 4K or taking stills. You can see the difference between 1x zoom and 2x zoom in the photos above. There is always loss in fine detail when photos are zoomed digitally, as the camera crops into the image, losing resolution -- I've seen this even on the pricier DJI Air 3S ($1,099) so it isn't abnormal. I think the Atom 2 has done a respectable job here, as you can still distinguish between individual buildings and see the ripples on the river's surface. The Potensic Atom 2 kills it when it comes to video work. All footage in this review was shot in 4K at 30fps. You can also shoot in 4K at 25/24fps, 2.7K at 30/25/24fps, and 1080P at 120/60/50/30/25/24fps. In the sample footage above, you can see how crystal clear the recording is. The colors look stunning while the clips themselves are smooth. My favorite clip is the one of the Atom 2 flying over the river. It has captured the sunlight reflecting on the water's surface really well as well as the birds flying and swans swimming. The Atom 2 utilizes a three-axis mechanical gimbal to capture stable footage and it works extremely well, as you can see in the video above where I pan and stop. The transition between panning and stopping abruptly is almost effortless. There are no shakes and the scene is immediately back in focus. Another thing I like about the Atom 2 is that while flying it, the live transmission feed will show you flying tips at the bottom of the screen. If you're flying in a city, it will warn you to be wary of high-rise buildings and to not fly over groups of people. If there's a sudden gust of wind, it will tell you to land immediately and carefully, and that's what I did in the video above. It had been a windless afternoon and I wasn't anticipating many strong winds, so I really appreciated being told by the app. And of course, the shades of green in the trees and grass look lush -- watching the video now from my home office is making me want to go lie down on a patch of grass! It's like the list is never-ending! Here's another new addition to the Atom 2: AI Night Mode. Flying in low-light conditions is tricky as visibility is hampered and it's difficult to maintain a visual line of sight (VLOS). Not just that, but the footage you get at night won't always be of the best quality. To improve video quality at night, the Atom 2's AI Night Mode boosts shadows to reveal more detail while smoothing out noise. The Atom 2's ISO range is also boosted. In Normal Mode, it's between 100 and 6,400, but in AI Night Mode, this jumps to a whopping 25,600. You can see a comparison between Normal and AI Night modes in the video above. With AI Night Mode enabled, you can see the outlines of buildings better and, in one frame, you can also see the bridge in the distance more clearly. You can also see rows and rows of houses in the far distance. I, personally, prefer the look of the video shot in Normal mode as it looks more natural to me, but AI Night Mode is a welcome feature. Since the Atom 2 doesn't feature any obstacle avoidance, it will help pilots fly better at night too as they'll be able to see buildings more clearly. While I didn't have any major issues with the original Potensic Atom's smartphone app, I much prefer the new app. The Potensic Atom 2 is accompanied by the Potensic Eve app, available for free on iOS and Android, and it looks like the brand has taken a page out of DJI's books as the app sports a similar user interface to DJI Fly -- and I much prefer this over the old app. The app is crucial to flying the drone, as you need to hook it up to the controller to see the live feed. I noticed a slight lag and fuzzy transmission at some points but this will depend on how many satellites the Atom 2 is connected to and what the data signal is like in the area. You can also use the app to see low-res previews of videos and photos stored on the Atom 2's microSD card, update the drone's firmware, view flight logs and data, and even access Potensic Academy to learn about drone photography. I criticized the old app in my Atom review for not having a handy map that displays flying spots and local/national restrictions -- how the DJI Fly app does -- and this still remains an issue with the new app. Thankfully, you can use free websites, like the official FAA website in the U.S. and the CAA website in the U.K. which are updated frequently. Remember to familiarize yourself with them before heading out to fly. The Potensic Atom 2 retains the same battery life as the first-gen drone: 32 minutes on a single charge. That's one minute more than the DJI Mini 2 SE's and the DJI Mini 4K's 31-minute flight times. It's worth investing in the Fly More Combo if you want to avoid running home to recharge the Atom 2 between flights. The bundle includes two spare batteries so you'll be able to bump the total flying time to 96 minutes. The charging hub uses a proprietary cable to charge all three batteries simultaneously and, in my testing, it took just under two hours to go from zero to 100%. Each battery also has a USB-C port for direct charging. I really wish Potensic had opted for a USB-C port on the charging hub, as it uses a proprietary cable, this time around -- hopefully third time's the charm. The Potensic Atom 2 is well worth the money. It's a massive improvement over its predecessor which helps it face off against the likes of DJI and HoverAir. Featuring a larger sensor, the Atom 2 captures beautiful, detailed 48MP stills and 4K/30fps video. It also comes with an AI Night Mode which makes flying in dimly lit environments easier. With new AI technology powering its intelligent flight modes and tracking, the Atom 2 does a great job of accurately putting you front and centre. And how about that controller and app, huh? Both have been improved as well. I really like the new app as it feels more user-friendly, and the new controller feels premium and comfortable to use. If DJI is a no-go, especially for my American comrades, then the Atom 2 is the way to go. It's lightweight, durable, and succeeds in a lot of the same areas as DJI -- it's the bomb.