HoverAir X1 PRO review: the ultimate selfie drone

HoverAir drones person dominated nan selfie drone arena for immoderate time, and moreover pinch nan merchandise of nan DJI Neo, nan HoverAir X1 PRO and PROMAX support their position arsenic nan marketplace leaders. They're some incredibly easy to usage and exceptionally good made, and nan features connected connection alongside nan optional accessories create an awesome ecosystem. Image value is fantabulous overall, but it's not perfect, and pricing is arguably a small steep.

Why you tin spot TechRadar We walk hours testing each merchandise aliases work we review, truthful you tin beryllium judge you’re buying nan best. Find retired much astir really we test.

HoverAir X1 PRO & PROMAX: one-minute review

With each nan caller hype surrounding nan motorboat of nan DJI Neo, we can't hide that it was nan HoverAir X1 that primitively delivered highly effective and, indeed, breathtaking selfie drone functionality to nan mainstream. Building connected nan occurrence of nan HoverAir X1, ZeroZero Robotics has created 2 caller models aimed astatine much demanding users, pinch upgraded cameras, improved capacity and immoderate absorbing caller accessories.

The HoverAir X1 PRO and HoverAir X1 PROMAX are much precocious models that will beryllium alongside nan original HoverAir X1. So, this puts much precocious selfie drones astatine a full of 4 to take from. I've flown and reviewed some nan DJI Neo and nan HoverAir X1, and though some are awesome drones, for maine it's nan HoverAir drones that excel successful this niche yet increasing area of nan drone market.

With camera drones and FPV drones dominating, nan occurrence of selfie drones is simply a invited surprise, and they connection thing different. The HoverAir X1 PRO is aimed astatine snowfall sports and cycling, while nan higher-end HoverAir X1 PROMAX is aimed astatine master contented creation. However, some execute arsenic good successful those scenarios, truthful costs and camera requirements will beryllium nan deciding facet for galore people.

Without going into excessively overmuch detail, and focusing connected nan profound similarities betwixt nan HoverAir X1 PRO and HoverAir X1 PROMAX, some drones connection a assortment of intelligent formation modes pinch drone-only activation, and manual formation power pinch nan smartphone app and a separately disposable controller.

So, what are nan cardinal differences betwixt nan 2 models? We'll spell into much item later, but nan PRO tin seizure 4K video up to 60fps pinch FHD disposable up to 120fps, while nan PROMAX tin seizure 8K video up to 30fps pinch 4K and FHD disposable up to 120fps alongside 4K 10-bit HLG up to 60fps. Both seizure photos successful JPEG format.

HoverAir X1 Pro: specs

HoverAir X1 Pro: merchandise day and price

• Released September 26 2024
• Several kit options are available
• More costly than nan DJI Neo

The HoverAir X1 PRO & PROMAX were first disposable via Indiegogo aft a successful crowdfunding campaign, and are now disposable connected nan HoverAir website pinch a shipping day of November 2, pinch aggregate kit options and accessories available. The Standard kit, which includes nan drone, 1 battery, a USB-C cablegram and a soft retention container costs $499 / £459 for nan PRO while nan PROMAX costs $699 / £639. Pricing for Australia is successful USD.

The Combo kit includes each of nan supra positive a 2nd battery, charging hub, 65W powerfulness adaptor and a combo case. The PRO type costs $679 / £629 while nan PROMAX type costs $879 / £799. This does make nan 2 drones rather costly for nan 2 main kits that are available, and will apt mean they look fierce title from nan little costly DJI Neo.

There are besides respective accessories available, truthful here's a breakdown of nan prices for immoderate of nan options available. The PowerCase is $169 / £155, nan Beacon and Joystick bundle is $228 / £208, nan Multi-function Carry Bag is $79 / £69, nan HandleBar Mount is $20, and nan ND Filter group is $69 / £65. Buying a Combo kit and respective accessories takes nan costs of a HoverAir X1 Pro aliases PROMAX kit into nan aforesaid value bracket arsenic nan DJI Air 3, truthful this is thing to consider.

• Price score: 4/5

HoverAir X1 Pro: creation and handling

• Compact folding design
• Enclosed propellers
• Excellent manual formation power via nan app

Both nan HoverAir X1 PRO and PROMAX characteristic an identical lightweight folding creation that makes them a akin tallness and width, but somewhat shorter than a VHS cassette erstwhile folded. At conscionable 6.75oz / 191.5g and 6.79oz / 192.5g respectively, you'll hardly moreover realise you're carrying them, and some will easy fresh wrong a overgarment pocket.

The wide creation is minimalistic, pinch conscionable a azygous fastener surrounded by a directional selector fastener pinch a mini OLED surface above. This is each you request to initiate formation pinch conscionable nan drone, though to set settings and intelligent formation mode parameters you will request to link nan drone to nan smartphone app.

The propellers are afloat enclosed successful a reliable integrative framework that keeps nan propellers, group and objects safe. Plus, they tin withstand bumps and crashesm – and, yes, this was put to nan trial erstwhile I turned quickly connected a skateboard ramp and knocked nan drone retired of nan aerial onto concrete.

The PRO and PROMAX are awesome astatine pursuing subjects, but erratic movements wherever guidance is changed successful a divided 2nd tin beryllium problematic, because nan drones can't respond quickly enough. Most of nan clip successful these situations, nan drones simply suffer nan subject.

The 1920mAh batteries are advertised to supply up to 16 minutes of formation time, and I was achieving formation times adjacent to this successful autumn temperatures, truthful this appears to beryllium reliable.

Of course, this is obscurity adjacent arsenic agelong arsenic a accepted camera drone, but nan PRO and PROMAX are much suited to short bursts of flight, whether utilizing nan intelligent formation modes aliases manual control. Thermal batteries are disposable separately for usage successful acold climates pinch temperatures arsenic debased arsenic -4F / -20C.

(Image credit: James Abbott)

(Image credit: James Abbott)

(Image credit: James Abbott)

(Image credit: James Abbott)

(Image credit: James Abbott)

To hole nan drones for flight, you simply fold nan propeller guards retired from beneath nan airframe and you're fresh to spell erstwhile they're switched connected and nan desired mode is selected. This tin beryllium pinch conscionable nan drone, utilizing nan Hover X1 app aliases utilizing a beingness controller that's disposable separately and we'll screen that successful nan adjacent section. Once you've vanished flying, simply move disconnected and fold nan drone and nan gimbal tilts down to protect nan lens.

Going backmost to nan Hover X1 app, nan manual formation interface has been drastically improved and now useful successful horizontal mode pinch near and correct virtual controls, overlaid connected nan ample camera view, which allows you to bask nan aforesaid level of power arsenic a beingness controller.

Admittedly, it's not arsenic bully arsenic a beingness controller, but I was capable to execute analyzable maneuvers utilizing some controls astatine nan aforesaid clip while besides incorporating gimbal movement.

This whitethorn not sound overly impressive, but for app-based drone power I was hugely impressed and this is nan champion exertion of virtual controls that I've ever used. I tin confidently opportunity that moreover if you were to not bargain nan beingness controller, you tin still bask camera drone-style manual flight, albeit astatine a shorter distance, pinch conscionable nan Hover X1 app.

• Design score: 5/5

HoverAir X1 Pro: features and performance

• Fast travel formation speeds
• Intelligent formation modes
• Palm return off

The main formation facet of nan HoverAir X1 PRO and PROMAX is nan intelligent formation modes that usage precocious AI algorithms to some way nan taxable and support them successful nan centre of nan frame. Just for illustration nan original HoverAir X1, nan PRO and PROMAX execute superbly erstwhile search aliases flying astir some fixed and moving subjects. One characteristic that makes flying and landing elemental is thenar take-off and landing, though you tin onshore nan drones for illustration a camera drone erstwhile utilizing nan beingness controller.

Both drones tin execute a travel formation velocity of up to an awesome 26mph, pinch bursts up to 37mph. During testing, while cycling, some had nary problems keeping up, but what was absorbing and to a grade frustrating was nan seemingly slow horizontal formation erstwhile flying manually. This was moreover aft expanding nan velocity rates for nan drones wrong Joystick settings successful nan Hover X1 app wherever 22.3mph should beryllium possible.

The PRO and PROMAX person upwind guidance Level 5, which equates to 24mph and is precocious erstwhile you see nan size and weight of nan drone. It wasn't tested successful winds of this level, but successful gusts approaching 20mph, nan 2 drones showed nary signs of struggling and video remained smooth. Both tin besides alert complete water, snow, cliffs and astatine nighttime erstwhile OmniTerrain is active.

(Image credit: James Abbott)

(Image credit: James Abbott)

(Image credit: James Abbott)

The PRO and PROMAX, dissimilar nan HoverAir X1, characteristic progressive collision discovery pinch nan PRO having progressive rear-side collision discovery acknowledgment to a proximity sensor, while nan PROMAX offers this alongside vision-based rear-side collision discovery utilizing a imagination sensor for much effective collision avoidance. Both systems activity good erstwhile utilizing nan intelligent formation modes, but collision avoidance connected nan full isn’t arsenic effective arsenic a 360-degree system.

The intelligent formation modes see Hover, Zoom Out, Follow, Orbit, Bird's Eye, Dolly Track and Side Track. All of these activity arsenic you'd expect, pinch Follow, Dolly Track and Side Track being nan astir fun.

Tracking capacity is besides fantabulous and nan drones were capable to navigate analyzable environments pinch ease. There's besides Return to Home functionality that's peculiarly useful erstwhile flying nan drone manually, but you do person to support an oculus connected nan video provender for imaginable obstacles.

Another quality betwixt nan 2 drones is nan magnitude of onboard retention they offer, pinch nan PRO having 32GB and nan PROMAX packing successful 64GB. This makes consciousness since nan PROMAX is tin of capturing 8K video which has precocious retention demands. Both tin besides return microSD cards up to a 1GB capacity.

One facet of nan PRO and PROMAX that hugely improves useability and extends capacity is nan optional accessories. Whether aliases not you'll request these will travel down to you, but they are each cleverly designed and toggle shape nan PRO and PROMAX into much of a drone strategy than elemental selfie drones.

The Beacon is simply a mini portion pinch a surface that improves taxable search and tin moreover beryllium utilized to power nan drones manually, though this is fiddly. The Beacon does amended search and provides nan expertise to alteration intelligent formation modes alongside displaying nan camera position wherever you tin seizure video and sprout photos.

(Image credit: James Abbott)

(Image credit: James Abbott)

(Image credit: James Abbott)

(Image credit: James Abbott)

(Image credit: James Abbott)

(Image credit: James Abbott)

This does undoubtedly supply reliable search arsenic tested erstwhile cycling utilizing nan HandleBar Mount, but nan search nan drones are tin of without nan Beacon is truthful effective that it's not imaginable to opportunity really overmuch amended nan Beacon is. The Beacon surface pinch video grounds and photograph buttons alongside nan Live View is still useful and utilizing nan Beacon does instil confidence.

The Beacon is champion paired pinch nan Joysticks that tin beryllium utilized to create a one-handed mobility controller, utilized together pinch nan Beacon surface providing nan camera view, aliases each of nan supra pinch your smartphone acting arsenic nan screen. The Joysticks connect to nan extremity of nan Beacon pinch grips that fold down to supply an awesome controller option.

Using nan Beacon unsocial aliases arsenic portion of a controller action extends nan scope of nan drone from up to 1640ft / 500m pinch nan app to 3280ft / 1km pinch nan Beacon. For nan former, I'm not judge really reliable this is because erstwhile flying astatine 80m straight overhead I mislaid nan video provender successful nan Hover X1 app, though I did support power of nan drone.

Beacon-based power useful well, though utilizing early firmware has thrown up immoderate connectivity issues erstwhile utilizing a telephone attached to nan controller; these were being ironed retired pinch updates during nan testing period. There's besides a Magnetic Clip for nan Beacon to connect it to clothing, a Magnetic Adaptor Mount and a Handlebar Mount which make attaching nan Beacon to yourself aliases your motorcycle incredibly simple.

(Image credit: James Abbott)

(Image credit: James Abbott)

One accessory that's incredibly innovative and, indeed, useful, is nan PowerCase for X1 PRO and PROMAX. This is simply a difficult lawsuit wherever you connect an adaptor to nan PRO aliases PROMAX and nan lawsuit provides astir 2.5 artillery charges. There's a model that allows you to spot nan existent complaint level connected nan drone's OLED screen, and a strap tin beryllium attached for easy carrying. This lawsuit allows you to return retired conscionable nan drone and a azygous battery, pinch plentifulness of complaint for a time out.

Other accessories see a group of 4 ND filters for controlling shutter velocity erstwhile capturing video. These are comprised of ND8, ND16, ND32 and ND64 filters successful a mini difficult case. There's besides a Multi-functional Carry Bag, which is simply a awesome measurement to transportation nan drones astir and nan container tin besides beryllium attached to nan crossbar of bikes by unzipping nan centre of nan container and utilizing nan enclosed Velcro straps.

• Features & capacity score: 5/5

HoverAir X1 Pro: image and video quality

• PROMAX offers nan champion image quality
• Video is awesome pinch some drones
• Photo value is bully but not awesome

Being a selfie drone pinch intelligent search capabilities, some nan PRO and PROMAX nutrient amended value video than photos, pinch nan PROMAX being nan superior of nan two. It's besides nan camera section wherever these 2 near-identical drones disagree pinch nan PRO sporting a 1/2in CMOS sensor pinch an balanced focal magnitude of 17mm. The PROMAX features a 1/1.3in CMOS sensor and 7-layer lens, alongside up to 14 stops of move scope and an balanced focal magnitude of 16mm.

The cognition of nan cameras and settings is identical for each drone, but nan PRO is tin of capturing video successful 4K astatine up to 60fps and 1080p astatine up to 120fps for slow mobility capture. The PROMAX expands greatly connected this pinch 8K up to 30fps, 4K astatine up to 120FPS for slow mobility capture, 4K 10-bit HLG up to 60fps and 1080p up to 120fps. Image value from some is awesome overall, though nan PROMAX does excel present pinch improved image value for some photos and videos.

File sizes for 8K videos are huge, and nan request for astir group to export astatine this solution is limited. But pinch nan PROMAX you tin seizure astatine 8K and export astatine 4K to nutrient crisp results pinch a future-proofed original resolution. But only if you person nan retention disposable to support specified ample video files. There are besides 2.7K and 1080p vertical video options pinch some drones astatine framework rates up to 60fps.

(Image credit: James Abbott)

(Image credit: James Abbott)

(Image credit: James Abbott)

(Image credit: James Abbott)

(Image credit: James Abbott)

(Image credit: James Abbott)

(Image credit: James Abbott)

(Image credit: James Abbott)

(Image credit: James Abbott)

(Image credit: James Abbott)

Photo value is good, but you tin only seizure stills successful JPEG format and JPEG processing is visible astatine each ISO levels. Plus, naturally, colour rendition is reduced arsenic nan ISO mounting is accrued truthful higher ISO photos do look little saturated than those taken astatine little settings. With nan PROMAX being aimed much astatine contented creation, nan expertise to seizure photos successful DNG format would make consciousness but is unluckily unavailable.

The PRO captures photos astatine 4000x3000px pinch nan expertise to usage a 2X zoom that produces photos astatine this solution pinch small nonaccomplishment successful image quality. The PROMAX tin seizure successful this mode pinch nan zoom characteristic available, aliases astatine a higher 8000x6000px resolution. The larger sensor of nan PROMAX undoubtedly produces amended image quality, but nan PRO remains awesome overall.

• Image and video value score: 4/5

X1 Pro Max Beacon search video

X1 Pro Intelligent formation modes video

X1 PRO App and controller video

HoverAir X1 PRO & PROMAX: testing scorecard

Should I bargain nan HoverAir X1 PRO aliases nan PROMAX?

Buy it if...

Don't bargain it if...

HoverAir X1 PRO & PROMAX: besides consider

How I tested nan HoverAir X1 PRO & PROMAX

• All features and functions tested
• All accessories tested
• Flown successful challenging conditions

The HoverAir X1 Pro and PROMAX were tested chiefly for their taxable search capabilities utilizing slower and faster-moving activities to trial this. Each formation mode was utilized alongside manual formation pinch nan Hover X1 app and nan Joysticks attached to nan Beacon for a camera drone-like experience.

All video and photograph modes were tested successful a scope of lighting conditions extending from agleam sunlight to overcast to debased ray astatine dusk to push ISO settings. All accessories were besides tested to spot really overmuch and really good they enhanced nan wide useability of nan PRO and PROMAX.

Having antecedently reviewed nan HoverAir X1 and nan DJI Neo, I was alert of what to expect pinch drones of this type. But pinch enhanced features including faster formation speeds, it was imaginable to push these drones harder to afloat acquisition their capabilities.

First reviewed October 2024