Best Xiaomi Drones | Amazing Drones Under $500
I am a drone aficionado, and there's something that is magical about being able to fly these tiny devices. Being a camera enthusiast at the same time makes drones one of the best inventions in my opinion. I love shooting aerial pictures and videos while being rooted to the ground. Over the years, I have seen drones being used as toys to being a professional tool, either in the cinema/photography industry or defence. Check out our list of the Best Xiaomi Drones.
While I can't use drones for defence purposes(lol), I certainly love using them to satisfy my love for photography. There are a lot of companies to choose a good quality drone from, but I feel like Xiaomi offers the best set of features and performance for the price. Xiaomi has multiple drones in its rooster now, and this article is to highlight the best drones from Xiaomi. Read on to know more about the Best Xiaomi Drones.
After having reviewed all the Xiaomi Drones in the market based on various factors like design, features, function, performance and price; my team and I zeroed in on 3 Xiaomi drones that stood out. These 3 were further put through a series of tests to determine the best. We found that:
The best Xiaomi Drone is the Xiaomi FIMI X8 SE. It has a lightweight and portable design which helps not only with aerodynamics but also user control. Additionally, it is also a foldable device. So, it's quite easy to store and carry it. Furthermore, it can last up to 35 mins and range of 8000 meters.
Best Xiaomi Drones
Xiaomi FIMI X8 SE
If you are looking for one of the best drones in the market, look no further. The Xiaomi FIMI X8 SE stands out for its excellent feature set backed by its specs. It's one of the Best Xiaomi Drones.
Design
Right from the design, the FIMI X8 stands out with a white body with shades of grey that make it look premium. The 3-Axis gimbal camera is situated in the front for easier navigation. The drone is also foldable making it portable which is a nice to have.
While the controller doesn’t feature screen, you can connect your phone or tablet to it offering more flexibility in the control department. The Xiaomi FIMI X8 also features three LED lights to help you navigate with, they are bright and enhance the visibility of the drone at night.
Overall, the drone looks simple and elegant, is portable and yet doesn’t compromise on the build quality.
Features
The FIMI X8 is feature-loaded and can put some of the drones in the same price range to shame. Some of its most notable features are HDR Photo and Video recording, HEVC support.
The camera also supports CineShot for cinema-like shots, Panorama, Time-Lapse and Night Shot. Other features of the drone include Search and Rescue mode, precision landing, and flight modes with smart tracking built-in.
Performance
No matter how good the design or feature set is, a drone should be assessed based on its performance. And if you are looking for a drone at Xiaomi FIMI X8 SE’s price, you will find none that performs better. It will be hard to find one better than the X8 at a higher price range too.
The FIMI X8 can do pretty much anything you can ask from a drone. With a max flight time of up to 35 mins and range of 8000 meters, you can use it for long shoots. And talking of shoots, the 12MP camera with the Sony sensor is capable of some stunning picture quality.
Videos from the FIMI X8 are stellar with up to 4K resolution and excellent stabilization from the 3-Axis gimbal.
The Xiaomi FIMI X8 SE is the absolute best offering from the Xiaomi making it one of the best drones you can buy right now. You will never be disappointed with the FIMI X8 SE.
Xiaomi Mi Drone 4K
The Xiaomi MI Drone 4K is completely designed and developed by Xiaomi itself. And it doesn’t come as a surprise as it is one of the best drones under the Xiaomi family. As you can make it from the name, it is a 4K capable drone. It's one of the Best Xiaomi Drones in the market
Design
From a design perspective, the Mi Drone 4K looks really good with the white color and gold accents. At first glance, the Xiaomi Mi Drone 4K may look large and clunky, but it is an intelligent and practical design. The Mi Drone 4K also feature four LED on the underside of each propeller for navigation.
These LEDs are bright and can be seen from far away like that of an aeroplane, making it great for navigation. The feet are foldable making it portable. The drone has its propellers colour-coded to make it easy to fit. The assembly process of the Mi Drone 4K is also completely toolless making it very convenient between shoots.
Like the FIMI X8 SE, the Mi Drone 4K doesn’t have a screen on the controller. However, you can connect you phone which doubles as a video feed and offers more control option. All in all, the Mi Drone 4K is a practical drone with some good looks.
Features
The Xiaomi MI Drone 4K doesn’t lack in terms of features, in fact, it might just tick all the features available. With a 3-Axis gimbal, 4K camera and excellent flight features, you won't miss any feature that other drones offer.
Excellent flight features like planning routes, circling around a fixed object, and map control makes it one of the best drones. The Mi Drone 4K also features Glonass+GPS for precise positioning and control over the drone. Safety features like automatic return, GPS tracking, and detection of no-fly zones are nice to have.
Performance
The performance of the Xiaomi Mi Drone 4K is very good. The Xiaomi Mi Drone 4K is powered by a 5100 mAh battery which translates to 26 minutes of flight time and a range of 4000 meters. This ensures long flight and shoot times.
The 5 GHz connection between the remote and drone ensures seamless connectivity and transfer of data. And finally, the camera performance is just top-notch. Featuring a 12MP Sony sensor ensure that both pictures and videos are clear, sharp and full of detail.
Everything considered the Xiaomi Mi Drone 4K is one of the best Xiaomi drones you can buy as it ticks all the right boxes. There is nothing to hate about it and a lot to love about it.
Xiaomi FIMI A3
The little brother to the FIMI X8 SE, the Xiaomi FIMI A3 is an excellent drone if your limited by budget or don’t need the bleeding edge in drone technology. While it is cheaper than the FIMI X8 SE, the FIMI A3 has few tricks up its sleeve that the X8 doesn’t.
Design
The design of FIMI A3 doesn’t differ much from the FIMI X8 SE. It is a slightly trimmed down version of the X8 SE both in terms of design and features. The smaller size and battery make the FIMI A3 lighter at just 560gms.
The FIMI A3 houses the camera in front similar to the X8 SE on a 3-Axis gimbal. Though lighter and cheaper than its elder brother, the A3 is still built as good as the X8 SE making it a durable drone.
Features
Coming to the features, the FIMI A3 holds its own in the price category. The FIMI A3 comes with a camera capable of recording Full-HD videos that are housed on 3-Axis gimbal for stability. With support for FPV system that connects you to goggles that you can use for visual feed.
It is also easy to use as you don’t need apps, or you don’t have to configure before a flight. And overall, the best feature of the FIMI A3 is that it comes with a remote controller that also acts as a video feed with the built-in screen. This makes it easy to use, just power it on and you are ready to go.
Performance
The Xiaomi FIMI A3 is no slouch on the performance side of things. It is powered by a quad-core processor and advanced flying algorithms. And given the price, the FIMI A3 performs exceptionally well. With a range of 1000 meters and a flying time of 25 minutes thanks to its 2000 mAh battery, you can use the FIMI A3 for a decent chunk of time.
The drone can also reach altitudes of up to 500m and fly at speeds of 18 m/s. The camera is decent and a higher resolution camera would have been better but you can really argue for the price.
The controller works like a charm with a large 2900 mAh battery for multiple flights. It is truly an amazing drone for the price and there is nothing to complain about it and that’s why it features in this Best Xiaomi Drones list.
If you are someone with a shallow budget or if you are someone new to the world of drones, the FIMI A3 is a great starting point. It delivers well over its price with great features and excellent performance.
Best Xiaomi Drones - Final Thoughts
Drones are an amazing tool, and do you know why? Because the enable you to see and shoot from places you can't. And since moving away from being a device to have fun, drones now serve as a professional tool for photographers and cinematographers. They enable a whole new level of flexibility and possibilities for professional to shoot in the best way possible.
Like most other devices, it can be hard to find the best ones given the plethora of options out there. But if you have read this article, you can now choose between 3 of the best drones in the market from Xiaomi. And why choose a Xiaomi drone? Because they offer the best of features and performance while looking great and costing lower than their competition.
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