HOVERAir X1 Self-Flying Camera | TechManPat

What is the HOVERAir X1?

The HOVERAir X1 is a small camera drone built primarily for automated flight rather than manual control. It can follow or film a person from set distances, hover in place, orbit a subject, move like a camera dolly and rise for a bird's-eye view.

The review discusses an Australian price of $649 for a package including two batteries and an external charger. The drone weighs around 128 grams, while its documentation lists 125 grams. It is therefore considerably lighter than a DJI Mini 3 or Mini 4, which the review compares at around 250 grams.

Video quality and flight modes

The camera is mounted on a gimbal and can record at 2.7K and 30 frames per second, 1080p and 60 frames per second, or 1080p and 30 frames per second with HDR. The review describes the footage as crisp, rich and stable for such a small camera.

The X1 has 20 listed flight modes, including Hover, Zoom Out, Follow, Orbit, Bird's Eye, Dolly, Track, Side Track and Smart Control variations. Users can adjust settings such as the flight duration, distance and altitude. A vertical recording mode is also available, although the review notes that it crops the frame and reduces the available resolution.

Tracking performance and limitations

The main strength of the X1 is its automated tracking. During testing, it kept the subject centred and produced smooth footage while the subject walked, hiked, cycled or moved through open spaces. The tracking speed is limited to approximately 24 km/h, so faster cycling, skiing and snowboarding can cause the drone to lose the subject.

The X1 has no obstacle avoidance. It can follow a curved path towards the subject, but it may fly into branches, trees and other objects. The review found that it sometimes moved above or below a branch, but a direct collision with a tree could stop recording and leave the drone on the ground. It is not suited to bush bashing or obstacle-heavy routes.

Battery, durability and audio

The stated flight time is 11 minutes, while testing produced around 10 minutes with some variation. That is enough for individual shots, sections of a hike or a short cinematic sequence, but additional batteries are useful for longer sessions. The bundle includes two batteries and a charger, and the drone has 32 GB of built-in storage.

A flexible cage surrounds the propellers. After multiple crashes, the review found that the cage could be put back together by pressing its pins into place. The drone should still be kept away from water and high winds. The review says winds above level four, approximately 7.9 metres per second, can push it off course, even though it can rise to 15 metres.

The drone itself is loud. For recorded speech, the companion phone can act as the microphone, with the supplied noise reduction system intended to suppress propeller noise and synchronise the phone audio with the video. Wireless earbuds with a microphone are suggested as a practical arrangement.

Who is it for?

The strongest use cases are holidays, hikes in open areas, scenic walks, walk-and-talk videos, social media content and low-budget filmmaking. It can provide hands-free shots when there is nobody available to operate a camera, and it can add follow, dolly and overhead footage without cinema-grade equipment.

The review also sees potential for creators filming ride-on devices, such as electric scooters, because the drone can capture a follow shot while the rider keeps both hands on the handlebars. It is less suitable for high-speed activities, water sports, windy conditions or users who want a conventional manually controlled drone. The review describes its manual controls as limited and laggy, because the product is designed around automation.