Said to be a cut above all other drones, the DJI Mavic Pro is the most popular selling drone on the market at the moment.  It has tonnes of technology packed into a tiny 83mm x 83mm x 198mm drone, including a 4k video camera, a 4.3 mile flight range and a 27 minute flight time.  Don't let its size fool you into thinking that DJI have compromised on features and abilities because this could not be further from the truth.  It also has a 3-axis mechanical gimbal at the back for ultra high video stabilisation, a 21 sensor GPS and folding arms and propellers for ultra portability.

The DJI Mavic Pro comes with a clever little controller which attaches to your Apple or Android smart phone, turning both units into a fully fledged controller with joysticks, gimbal controls and an onboard LCD screen displaying the battery indicator and aircraft data, plus the video screen of your phone.  The drone can be flown using either Remote Control (greater range) or WiFi and you switch between the two by flicking a switch on the side of the aircraft.

The DJI Mavic Pro has a top flight speed of 40mph, and it can identify and track a vehicle if you want to film yourself riding a motorcycle for example.  The video quality is outstanding in both 4k and 1080p, with the 4K filming at 30fps and the 1080p filming at 96fps.  The 4K footage is more detailed but the 1080p is smoother.  The 12MP stills are also incredible quality, however the camera does not perform as well in poor light.

In addition to the main camera there are four other cameras on board to aid in flight stability and crash prevention.  Two downward facing cameras help keep the drone stable in areas of poor GPS coverage, whilst two others face forward and stop the drone crashing into obstacles.  There are no cameras on the sides though so beware the drone can still crash if travelling sideways!  The Obstacle Avoidance also stops working if the drone is travelling at more than 22mph.

The quoted flying time per battery charge of 27 mins is pretty accurate unless you are in Sport Mode which requires more battery power.  A battery charge takes 1 hour and DJI Mavic Pro Spare Batteries are readily available if a little pricey.

In terms of flight performance the DJI Mavic Pro is precise, stable and easy to control.  In Sports Mode it will hit an impressive 40mph whilst still remaining responsive and agile, and it ascends and descends at 6.6ft/s and 3.3ft/s respectively, thus not draining battery power whilst it reaches your preferred aerial filming height.  It is resistant to winds of up to 24mph, and has all the flight features of the DJI Phantom plus a few fabulous extras.  You can set the Mavic to orbit around a set point with Point of Interest Mode, follow your own movements with Follow Me mode, and have it take a selfie of you with Gesture Mode.

Build quality is excellent, the DJI Mavic Pro is sturdy and tough and has withstood some pretty rough crashes (albeit onto grass rather than concrete).  If you do manage to damage it then DJI Mavic Pro Propellers can be purchased fairly cheaply.  More serious repairs however are difficult and expensive as the drone needs to be returned to DJI. 

Our Verdict

Whilst probably not the ideal beginners drone due to its cost and features, the DJI Mavic Pro is a spectacularly impressive drone and outshines the Phantom 4 with its extra features, longer range and super portability.  Absolutely the best drone on the market for its price right now.

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Yuneec Breeze 4K

The Yuneec Breeze 4K is a well built yet simple design, though with a weight of 385g and dimensions of just under 20cm x 20cm, it is not quite as compact and portable other pocket selfie drones.  This is compounded by the fact that the foldable legs and props but not foldable arms, however it comes with a compact hard case so it is easily made travel-ready, and the extra weight makes it more resilient to wind.

The Yuneec Breeze 4K is shipped with 2 batteries, so will give you a maximum flight time of 24 mins with a charge time of 45 mins for each battery, but you can also buy additional Yuneec Breeze Spare Batteries .  It has several flight modes and features including Return to Home, Selfie Mode (for close ups), Orbit Mode, Journey Mode (flies away and back to you) and Follow Me, all of which work really well.  It uses a smartphone app to control it, and has 16GB of internal storage and videos and images can be easily downloaded to your smartphone/PC or shared directly to social media. The Yuneec Breeze 4K comes with a full set of extra propellers, and also propeller guards which are recommended for use indoors.  Changing the props requires a 1.5mm hex key which is not included with the drone, and neither are the instructions on how to do it!  If you break the spare ones you can buy additional Yuneec Breeze 4k Spares easily and cheaply.

It is extremely easy to fly, and its 2 x GPS means it holds its position brilliantly when flying outdoors.  It also has a Pilot Mode, which gives you full control of the drone and is used for example when flying indoors or in built up areas when GPS signals may be impaired.  The Breeze is equipped with Indoor Positioning Sensors which use textures on the ground to hold its position and altitude indoors.  It also has an optical sensor on the bottom which helps with smooth landings, however if you are flying over water it can get confused due to reflections, and cause the drone to fly lower than it should so beware that you don't lose it in the sea.

You can change between 3 different camera resolutions within the app, namely UHD (4K) = 2160p @ 30 FPS, FHD = 1080p @ 30 FPS with digital stabilisation and HD = 720p @ 60 FPS with digital stabilisation, and it will also stream 720 HD live to your smartphone.  The camera is controlled by a different app on your smartphone so you have to switch between the two when flying and filming but this is pretty easy.   The Ultra High Definition 4K video is not stabilised and there is no gimbal but the camera is encased in a soft rubber socket so the video does not jump around too much, however obviously it cannot compete in terms of quality with a gimbal mounted camera.

Our Verdict

This drone is simple to fly with excellent build and software quality, and fantastic, reliable flight features.  On top of this the camera quality is superb, what's not to like?  Brilliant value for money and 5 stars!