As much as it works, you won't want to rely on it for more than the most basic of maneuvers.Ī feature that's not new to the Skydio 2, but was launched after I reviewed the R1, is the ability to follow cars as well as humans. There's also a rudimentary virtual joystick to "fly" the Skydio manually. There is the usual selection of "auto shots" - pre-defined movements like "orbit" and "dronie" (the awful portmanteau of selfie and drone no one asked for). Once it's up in the air and tracking, more on-screen controls let you adjust the drone's height, distance from its target and rotation. And your first flight will be effortless - simply hold the "launch" button in the app on your phone and select the person you want it to follow (so make sure the drone is pointing in your/their general direction when you set it down). Batteries connect magnetically, with a satisfying "thunk" and pairing with the app is seamless, something even DJI can't seem to manage. Mostly, because I'm not sure it could get any easier. One thing that hasn't been upgraded is how easy the drone is to use. It's when you use them in conjunction with one of the new controllers, though, that they become most exciting. All this to say, the Skydio 2 still has supreme obstacle avoidance skills. And pushing the Skydio 2 to dangerous limits (flying at telegraph cables and so on) is not something you should ever, ever do intentionally. If only because the R1 already tackled everything I threw at it. With the Skydio 2, the cameras dotted around the drone are much higher resolution, meaning it can see in more detail, and theoretically, avoid more things with more precision. It worked really well, but Skydio still saw fit to improve it. The R1 used an array of cameras to "see" in 3D (and 360-degrees), all in real-time. The core use-case of the drone (to follow and safely avoid obstacles) has also been upgraded. Both cost $149 and both have their own strengths, which one is right for you will depend on your goals. One is a wand called the "Beacon" and the other is a conventional two-stick controller. To the point where I'd say buying the Skydio 2 without at least one of these accessories is doing yourself a massive disservice. They'll cost you, but they're definitely worth it. With the Skydio 2, the app controls are still sparse, but there are now two new ways to fly the drone. It had rudimentary controls via the app, but sweeping landscape shots, or any sort of independent flight, was incredibly limited.īy subscribing, you are agreeing to Engadget's Terms and Privacy Policy. My biggest gripe with the R1 was that you couldn't really do anything beyond basic "follow" shots. If it wanted to compete with DJI, Skydio needed to add more functionality and, thankfully, it has. So the drone is smaller and cheaper, but that alone merely makes it a better proposition than its predecessor. The nearest DJI drone by price is the Mavic Air ($919), which also comes with a case, plus a handheld controller - something that costs extra with the Skydio 2. The $999 base package includes that case, one battery and some spare propellers. It doesn't fold down like most DJI drones, but it's small enough to slide into any backpack, and there's a hard carry case that can easily be worn like a satchel. As I mentioned in my original hands-on, at 10.7 by 8.7 by 3 inches the Skydio 2 is much smaller than the R1 (13 x 16-inches).
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