SYMA X500Pro GPS Drones with 4K UHD Camera for Adults, RC Quadcopter with 50 Minutes Flight Time, Brushless Motor, 5G FPV Transmission, Follow Me, Auto Return Home, Included Carrying Bag

First of all, I have owned this done for two months and counting. Myself and my kids (11,9 and 7yrs) use this a whole lot, infact almost everyday! We used to have fun with it outdoors but with the winter we fly it indoors. It comes with a hard case which is very durable and so I am not afraid to leave it with the kids or carry it along to a friend's house for play date. It packs up really neat and nice. Battery life is good, last over 30 mins with constant use. The buttons are really soft and easy to manipulate. This drone has crashed into anything you can think of; trees, furniture, snow and it is still working perfectly. The design was well thought of. The wings fold in nicely when packing it back into the case. The picture quality is amazing for the price you pay. The video quality is also good but the pictures are a whole lot clearer and better than the video. Best to take pictures from top down. Overall, I am enjoying this drone. For my kids to be having super fun with this, it tells you that even a first timer will do very well with this. I recommend this drone over and over again.

After playing with its smaller cousin, the Syma X300 drone for a little over a month, I decided to take a step into a higher level drone and bought the X500. I wanted to explore the features and feel of flying a larger drone complete with GPS and a camera that enables FPV flight. After searching brands and price points, I decided to get into the 500. Between the x300 and x500, I’ve gained valuable flight experience all for just over $250 ($189 for the x500 and $75 for the X300). I’ve put in a lot of hours on the X500 and am getting to the point where I feel comfortable dropping $1k plus on a drone. Let’s talk about some great points on the X500; It folds up compact and comes with a very nice form fitting carry case which holds the drone, extra battery (comes with 2 batteries), charger, and controller. The case is small and fits nicely in a backpack. I threw it in my hydration pack and took it on a hike so I can capture some really great imagery. The camera has motion command. If you fly it in front of you and hold up your hand, it will automatically snap a still image so you can be hands free instead of holding a remote. The possibility of great photos in areas with high exposure (cliffs, etc) makes it safe and easy to capture photos of you and your group. One of the greatest features I could not find in any under $200 drone: The Syma X500 has built in GPS. What does that mean for the pilot? It means that if you get into a situation where you are in a panic….hit a button (the green lights on the drone will turn red) and let the automation / GPS take over the flight controls landing the drone safely where it took off. You can also program it to fly to waypoints on a map so it can run video capturing missions without the need to fly it with the controls. This has been great fun for my son who has a huge interest in robotics. You can program the waypoints on your smartphone easily using the Syma App (free) and even get into the picture if you decide to record video. Or use the “follow” mode and the drone will follow you (or whoever has your smartphone) like a personal flying videographer. You can capture some really cool footage while riding a bike or trail running. The “Orbit” Mode is another fun feature which allows the drone to focus the camera and circle around any point you designate which makes for interesting composition on a video. You never have to worry about losing the drone if you run out of battery power. The battery lasts around 25 minutes and if you run it too low, it knows to return to the point you took off and will do so without you having to fly it home. The camera is 4K which gives great HD imagery, but I would recommend flying it in low to no winds if you want to really get good video. There is no image stabilization in the camera and if that is important to you, you’ll need to spend a lot more money. But again, my goal is to learn how to fly drones and explore the features. I would be afraid to step right into a $1200 plus drone and that is my eventual goal. The controller is really easy to use and holds your smart phone which you get real time imagery of where you are flying so you really get the feel and understanding of FPV flying. SYMA has a solid name and is not a newcomer to the drone market. I attend CES every year in Las Vegas and their booth is always a “must see” with consistent crowds. My experience in owning the x300 and now x500 has been great and also a great activity for my teenage sons. If you want to get into flying drones or get your kids interested in robotics (which is a fast growing industry to forge a career in), I would not hesitate to buy the X500.

**Another round with me Basic Unboxing 101** Some time back last month in July, I saw a listing with one of Syma's newest drones. At first I thought was a Zino (Saving that reference for another time). Closer glance it was modeled after the Zino. Now, for those of y'all who don't know what a Zino is. It's a 4k capable drone that folds, has 28 minutes of battery life, moddled after one of DJI's last gen model. The only difference here with the X500 hundred and the Zino is the price and some features. The price being 200 dollars apart, feature wise is how the front facing camera can gimbal at 90 degrees, and some app features with their respective controllers are different. The X500 is controllable like any other radio/GPS bound drone. With other the Android/ios app, or its radio controller. Let me go ahead and break down the fundamental pros: -Build quality ***** stars. I can't count how many times I crashed this drone. Be it treesa, buildings, concrete, rocks, trash can (Don't ask). This drone was built too last! -The battery life ***** Stars. It comes with 2 large celled ion batteries. Charge time for both is around 160 minutes. When it can to flying the drone, either recording, taking pictures, flying at full speed, the battery clocked in around 22 minutes. About 4 mi minutes off from its 26 minute claim, but still decent enough. -The radio controller layout likes its predecessors is the same. Which is a good thing. As I fully rely on my muscle memory. -4k capable and streams to your phone. Nuff said on that -It's folds, comes In carry case that's padded, all of its accessories and controller fits in with it. Now, that's it for the positives. Time for a reality check with the model that I received: -Off the bat abysmal app on both Android and ios. Screen size makes a difference when you want to see what settings you are getting yourself into. -The app says it supports 5ghz wifi, but to no avail on both Android or ios does this work. Let me explain, on both versions the app itself has a tendency to swap back over to 2.4ghz. In no shape or form did I change it it after the in app setup. Since obviously you can't use 2 wifi networks at the same Time on both Android or ios. So, you have to rely on Mobile to get the job done. Which brings me to my next problem. -GPS coverage and mobile network support. If you don't have more than 8 sattelites, or a decent mobile internet connection you are screwed. Have fun with with a drone that loves to stray away on its on. -The gyroscope on my model might be a bust. I'm not exactly sure, but during my test runs I've noticed after 17meters (with in direct line of sight) the drone loves to sway backwards on its own. For whatever reason why this is unavoidable on both the app controls and its radio controller. -The drone is unresponsive with both the app and radio controller. It could be one of several things. Such as interference, not enough satellites, poor reception, FAA doing uncomprimised tests to sabotage my work! (Just kidding) That's about all of the nity bity nit picks I have with this drone. It's decently built right, battery slides in and out, comes with extra parts for replacement, carrying case, the drone folds, and has 2 cameras (front gimballed mount, and bottom firing camera.