We’ve had our eyes pretty seriously tracking ZeroZero Robotics ever since we got our hands on the HoverAir X1. Though it surely had some issues (like a few tracking mishaps and a stuck propeller) the foldable camera drone had a compelling design and a good enough camera to compete with DJI’s camera drones. And today, the company launched two, new-and-improved drones: the HoverAir X1 PRO and HOVERAir X1 PROMAX.

Neither of the two models are perfect, but they’re definitely worth looking at. They offer benefits that DJI drones don’t (unique design and 8K camera on the Pro version, to name a few). They come at a ridiculously affordable price point. And at a time when people are seeking out DJI alternatives in response to everything from proposed DJI bans to a desire not to buy DJI drones in order to prevent a monopoly, ZeroZero Robotics has swopped in with two impressive drones.

ZeroZero Robotics announced their new HoverAir X1 PRO and HOVERAir X1 PROMAX drones on Aug. 26. That said, the drones aren’t quite ready yet. Instead, they’re here for pre-order.

ZeroZero Robotics invited me to meet up with them for a preview to fly both the HoverAir X1 PRO and HOVERAir X1 PRO drones. I wouldn’t outright call this a review, as I flew demo units alongside ZeroZero employees who guided me through the experience. I also only took a few flights — all indoors — so I didn’t test full functionality, such as in windy conditions or flying far distances.

But what I did see was pretty impressive. Here’s a look at the new HoverAir X1 PRO and HOVERAir X1 PROMAX drones, including a comparison of ZeroZero’s drones and my take on whether it’s worth pre-ordering:

The August 26 launch entails two new drones, both of which take the original HoverAir X1 that launched in May 2023 and give it a tidy upgrade.

All three versions of HoverAir X1 share the same, unique fully-enclosed portable propeller design and bi-copter design. The two new drones announced today stand out for fancier specs, including better cameras and new obstacle detection.

Here’s how all three drones in the ZeroZero Robotics lineup compare:

Here are a few things that both the HOVERAir X1 PROMAX and HOVERAir X1 PRO drones have in common:

Airframe material: The drone is made out of a HEM (Hyper-Elastic Material) frame, which affords not just light weight but also high durability.

Flight capabilities: Both drones offer 16 minutes of flight time. That’s quite a bit lower than most competing drones from DJI, which can hover in the 30+ minutes of flight time realm. Both offer Level 5 wind resistance (which means you’re generally good flying outside, unless it’s something like stormy conditions), maximum follow speed of 26 mph (42 km/h) and a maximum height of 120 meters.

Powerful in extreme cold: The drones can operate in temperatures as low as -4ºF (-20ºC) with the Thermo Smart Battery (though that specific battery requires an additional fee).

HoverAir X1 PRO

The HoverAir X1 PRO is a better version of the original HoverAir X1, but isn’t quite as spiffed out as the PROMAX version (more on that one later). The drone shoots 4K/60fps video with a 104-degree field of view.

Coming in at just 191.5 grams, it’s well under the critical 249-gram drone threshold, where aircraft heavier than that must be registered and are subject to other regulation in the U.S. (as well as many other countries).

I wouldn’t call it fully crash-proof, though it does have rear-side proximity sensors for active collision detection.

It usually costs $499, though people who pre-order can get it for just $399.

HoverAir X1 PROMAX

The HoverAir X1 PROMAX is the most impressive in the ZeroZero lineup to-date. Coming in at $699 (or $599 if you pre-order), it has some specs that outpace even DJI’s best drones. Most notable with the HoverAir X1 PROMAX is the camera, which shoots 8K/30fps video with a 1/1.3” CMOS sensor. The custom 7-layer lens offers 14 stops of dynamic range and a 107-degree field of view.

Though ZeroZero Robotics is targeting “professional content creators” with this drone, the sub-$1,000 price point could be within reach of even relative newbies.

It’s just a hair larger than the PRO, coming in at 192.5 grams. So again, you do not need to register this drone if flying in the U.S.

And the PROMAX is also the only one in ZeroZero’s current lineup that I’d consider a follow-me drone. That’s because it has an additional computer vision sensor that the PRO version does not. Follow-me features get even better when you throw in accessories like the Beach (more on that later).

New HoverAir X1 accessories

With this launch comes all sorts of new accessories. Though, you will pay extra for these items. New accessories for the HoverAir X1 drones include:

Beacon: This is perhaps the most useful and unique of all the accessories to come. Called the Beacon, it’s primarily a 1.78″ OLED display so you can see what the drone is seeing in real time.

Additionally, it activates HoverLink for high-precise tracking (meaning you’ll want this if you intend to use it as a follow-me drone). It also offers up to a 1 km video transmission range, meaning the drone can safely fly longer distances. Plus, it allows voice commands to control the camera flight trajectory, and it can record sound. AI-powered noise cancellation mitigates background noise (including whirring propellers).

One or two-handed joystick controllers: From there, you can add on modular pieces in what is the company’s patented, tri-state modular design. With a single piece, the Beacon becomes a one-handed controller that clips onto the right-hand piece of the Beacon. This gives you single hand joystick control, including motion control.

With the two-handed controller, you also add on a left-hand piece. This turns your Beacon into more of a standard, two-handed RC controller. You can also use an even bigger extended monitor screen by way of your smartphone with this piece’s USB connection port.

Power Case: This is my favorite accessory of the bunch. It’s a portable charging case that charges your drone on-the-go, and it can even handle charging in temperatures as low as -4°F. That means you could take it out skiing with you in most conditions and recharge it from your ski jacket pocket.

Plus, it doesn’t charge just drones. As a 12,000 mAh power bank, you can use it to charge other items, like phones.

ND filters: Both the HoverAir X1 PROMAX and PRO support ND filters.

Assorted accessories: The company has also made some sport-specific accessories. For example, a handlebar mount targets cyclists, alongside a magnetic adapter. There’s also a charging hub to get multiple batteries going.

HoverAir X1 PROMAX and PRO review: how do these products stack up (particularly to DJI)?

Like most drones, this drone offers all sorts of built-in flight modes, like follow-me as well as modes where it can fly a circle around you, or zoom and pan. This one has 10 customizable flight modes, which you can select from on the HOVER app. Here are a few other key features to know (and compare):

Camera quality: This is where HoverAir X1 PROMAX absolutely takes the cake. It’s hard to argue with 8K. And 8K video in a drone under $1,000? Incredible. You can see from my own Instagram sample videos, but the image quality is truly so sharp. This is a key reason why paying the extra $200 for the PROMAX version versus just the PRO is worth it.

Flight time: Where the drones are particularly weak is flight time. While the 16 minutes of flight time on the HoverAir X1 PROMAX and PRO is certainly an upgrade from the paltry 11.5 minutes on the original HoverAir X1, it’s still not a lot. Compare that to a drone like the DJI Mini 4 Pro, which is capable of 34 minutes (and 45 minutes with the Intelligent Flight Battery Plus).

Operation: This drone is designed for palm takeoffs, either through touch or voice command. It feels quite jedi-like, and I like it. To get that full joystick control — which many drone pilots favor — know that you’ll have to pay extra for a controller, which may be annoying. For what it’s worth, many drones these days (including DJI) have been adopting an a la carte model where the controller costs extra.

Internal storage: Internal storage is a nice to have feature in drones lately, and it’s certainly nice here. I find this so convenient in me not messing around with memory cards. It makes the transfer process that much easier too. The PRO offers 32 GB internal storage, while the PROMAX offers 64 GB.

Follow-me: Its follow-me mode is also generally good, but its not perfect. Back when we thoroughly tested the HoverAir X1, we experienced an issue where the drone lost our tester subject and instead crashed right into a tree branch.

I experienced similar issues in my brief flying of this drone. At one point, I set it up to follow me. It must have latched onto the guy behind me, because it zoomed right past my head and tried tracking him. I was surprised it even flew that close to my head, which gave me pause on the true safety of its obstacle avoidance features (and thank goodness for that full enclosed propeller design!).

Design: Speaking of the design though, I generally love it. The fully-enclosed propellers feel so much more safe. It’s so tiny and portable. I love the charging hub, that in itself is small enough to fit in a large coat pocket. While the short flight times are annoying, I do appreciate how efficient charging is.

Quality: But while it looks nice, the quality is ho-hum. I actually broke a piece of the controller during my test flight (sorry ZeroZero) because I tried to force the rotating pieces open. They’re pretty finicky, and they turn easily if you get them from the right angle. If you get them from the wrong angle, you may end up forcing them out the wrong way (as I did) and ultimately break them. Be careful.

Is ZeroZero Robotics a legit company?

Yes, ZeroZero Robotics is a real company. It’s a Chinese-based drone company, so its drones aren’t for you if your goal is to shop from American drone companies. Though it does have offices in the U.S. And in fact, the company was co-founded in 2014 by Stanford Phds, MQ Wang and Tony Zhang.

Between then and now, it’s amassed capital from investors including IDG and ZhenFund. Its built up staff, which together have received more than 140 core patents.

Its first real drone, the Hover Camera Passport, launched in 2016 with a design similar to these HOVERAir X1 drones. It took a huge deviation from that style when it launched the V-Coptr Falcon in 2021. Unlike the HOVERAir X1 drones, this holds an impressive flight time of 50 minutes.

The company really took hold as a potential DJI competitor though in 2023 with the launch of HoverAir X1 on Indiegogo. Unlike many other crowd-funding programs that fail, this one thrived. After netting 5,000 backers, it successfully fulfilled all of its orders (which is a surprisingly rare feat). It actually holds the title of 2nd-highest funded project on Indiegogo for 2023.

After the Indiegogo campaign, ZeroZero began fulfilling retail orders directly through the ZeroZero Robotics website. It also sells through major retailers like Amazon.

Its certainly not as large as DJI. But it’s nice to have a competitor in the consumer drone space. Since the drones are made in China, that won’t appease folks who are vehemently opposed to using Chinese-made tech products. Then again, if you’re reading this on a MacBook or iPhone, or a Google Pixel (and many other tech products), you’re using something that was likely made in China anyway.

Should I pre-order the HoverAir X1 PRO or HOVERAir X1 PROMAX?

The drone isn’t available now for shipping — just pre-order. I flew a version close to what you’ll get if you pre-order. But since it’s still in production, you should always expect changes.

That said, I generally had a blast flying this drone. I especially loved its portability, and it seems like an awesome product especially for on-the-go flying. Travelers and action sports enthusiasts will love this product.

By pre-ordering now, you get two benefits. First, you can call yourself an early adopter, which comes with its own cachet. Secondly, you also save $100 on each drone, which is fairly significant. For the PRO version, that’s a 20% discount.

Here are a few other considerations to make before pre-ordering:

Indiegogo’s new Shipping Guarantee program

If it is something you think you want though, here’s a relief. Zero Zero Robotics is an inaugural partner in what’s called a Shipping Guarantee program. This new guarantee from Indiegogo solves the pain points of drones launched on crowdfunding sites before. I usually rarely recommend buying crowdfunded drones because there generally is no guarantee products will actually launch.

Lily Drone was the most egregious example of this. The company sold about $34 million in pre-sales, before shutting down and never delivering anything. Though it did promise refunds to customers, the whole ordeal was messy and complicated.

Indiegogo’s new Shipping Guarantee program is an invite-only program. For companies like ZeroZero Robotics that have a proven track record of successful crowdfunding on Indiegogo, participants get a stronger guarantee. If the shipper doesn’t send their product as promised within a specific time frame, backers (aka those who pre-ordered) are eligible for a full refund.

What about DJI?

That shipping guarantee at least offers some peace of mind that you won’t be left with nothing should you fork over hundreds of dollars to ZeroZero. That said, it won’t ship immediately.

And rumors are already stirring that DJI will launch a new drone possibly as early as this week. By the looks of it, it could be a strong competitor to not just existing DJI products, but also these new ZeroZero Robotics drones.

Most people will only buy either a new HOVERAir drone or a DJI drone, but not both. By launching a limited-time pre-order discount, ZeroZero Robotics is all but guaranteeing you’ll buy their product and not DJI’s. If you want to wait to do some more thorough comparison shopping, it might be worth forgoing the potential $100 pre-order savings to make a fully-informed opinion.

What’s more, DJI often is ready to ship its products immediately upon reveal. That means folks who save their money for a potential new DJI drone might have the latest gadget in their hands before those who pre-ordered a new HOVERAir X1 PRO or PROMAX might have. Though of course, that’s all speculation too.

What’s your initial reaction to the HOVERAir X1 PROMAX and HOVERAir X1 PRO drones? Tell me in the comments!

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