Hoverair X1 Pro review - your personal VIDEOGRAPHER?!

A proper look at the Hoverair X1 Pro - a tiny, foldable fully-automated follow-me drone that can record in 4k. I run through all of the flight modes and talk about what I like, what I don't like, and hopefully help you to make up your mind on whether it's worth spending your hard-earned cash on.
Want to see anything in particular? Let me know in the comments, and I'll cover your questions in future videos!

[@mike142sl]

Hi, enjoying your reviews and I know this is a couple of months old, but there is now a care package. However, I'd like to know if its possible to use this for 'still' photography, particularly selfies? All the you tube reviews just talk about the video capabilities. Perhaps that's all it does, but if not it would be interesting to see how to use it in some sort of photographic mode.

[@cailife]

Hi Mike - thanks for the kind words! It is indeed, as it has a ‘photograph’ mode that’s easy to use via the app and Beacon. I’m a photographer primarily so this was of importance to me, too!

[@mike142sl]

Useful to know. A potential section for a future video perhaps. I'd be interested in how that works and your views on quality etc.

[@shred3005]

As an X1 user for the last year and a cyclist, the X1 Pro upgrade was almost a no brainer. I got mine a few days ago and as mentioned, had no issue linking the Beacon (although not sure if I’ll use that much as I like it just 100% autonomous). I briefly looked at the DJI Neo but realised it had the same limitation as the original X1 which is that it’s too slow for the cycling adventures that me and my mates go on. The original X1 couldn’t keep up unless you’re soft peddling or going uphill. But I love the folding form factor and all that other autonomous modes for creating an adventure video. With the pro to be able to hit over 40 KPH as exactly what I needed. On the internal memory front, the internal 64GB losers 11.7 GB to firmware. But 52 GB is pretty good and I’ve added a 128GB micro SD card I’ve never had an issue with the gimbal getting knocked around in its cloth bag in my jersey pocket or ¼ frame bag on the bike. But it could be better protected with an aftermarket slip cover to go over the front of the drone. You don’t want to lose that nice slim 32 mm thick form factor when it’s folded (142mm x 100mm x 32mm folded)so any protection should just be a slim slipcover in my opinion. I’m sure they’ll be turning up on eBay or Amazon soon!

[@19ab59]

Hi Cai, another video with the X Pro 😉 As a cyclist and ex owner of the previous X1 thanks for taking the time. Thank god no unboxing this time 😁 I used the X1 in the Dolomites and had lot's of fun with it. Agree on the use on urban roads with lots of traffic. Also your remark about the protection of the gimball. I made that suggestion to ZZR with the first one and like you and others about the new drones. It should come with a protective cover. I hope they solve the problem with the beacon soon. At least before I receive my Pro 😁. Keep posting more vids and happy flying!

[@cailife]

Welcome back! Hey, I’m not here to shame those with unboxing kinks 😁 for sure it needs gimbal protection…it’s such an obvious weak point, and I can see lots of people totalling their drones just in their pockets / whilst carrying

[@shred3005]

I got my X1 Pro with Beacon a few days ago. Updated the firmware of both drone and beacon out of the box and the beacon connects just fine. Not everyone is having an issue. This isn’t the firmware that ZZR announced they were working on to fix the beacon connection - that’s still to come.

[@cailife]

@@shred3005 glad to hear you're not having issues!

[@ReginaldoKono]

Finally, someone comment about a similar Care program for the hover, which one doesn't have. Thanks for the video! This is an important point for me, since I'm going to use it on the beach, dunes, and mountains, and definekty I need a care program, so I can almost with risk free traine and hit the drone with no fear. Once I'm good on my training, then I'll think about the hover or other drone with superb camera quality . For me, hover is missing a robust controller for at least 3km of reach, a similar care program, and since hover's motor are stronger then the neo it would be better for FPV then the Neo. But as for now, I'll go for the Neo due its very low price, care program, remote controller for many km, and it's FPV capabilities for beginners as me.

[@cailife]

Thanks for the comment! I think this is absolutely fair - there’s no doubt that there’s always a risk of trashing a drone, and sometimes not through user error. I would’ve liked to have seen a care program for this, and it definitely would’ve given me more confidence in the brand. Time will tell whether my X1 PM will withstand some inevitable bumps and bruises!

[@ReginaldoKono]

​@@cailifehover pro is also made to abusive impacts, I hope you will be fine with its body. But, keep payimg attention on its gimble/camera, I do not feel they are robust for impacts. Hope you will be all fine, and provide us more videos form it's camera quality in 4k slow-motion or 8k.

[@SFBenjaminK]

I bought the Promax combo come with the all accessory, can't wait to receive it, F neo

[@cailife]

Yessssss excited for you, you’re going to LOVE it - especially the 8k quality of the PM.

[@gregb1599]

Which is crazy as most modes, including the most popular "follow," do not yet support 8k! Future firmware to hopefully fix that!

[@moose_and_squirrel1006]

okay i don't care much for drones but i have to admit that's one cool lil device. the way it tracks you is insane.

[@cailife]

I’m the same - too much faff with a big boy drone. The combo of image quality + tracking + small size makes this so cool!

[@shred3005]

As an X1 user for the last year and a cyclist, the X1 Pro upgrade was almost a no brainer. I got mine a few days ago and as mentioned, had no issue linking the Beacon (although not sure if I’ll use that much as I like it just 100% autonomous). I briefly looked at the DJI Neo (been using a DJI Mini for years but that’s not autonomous - it’s a whole different thing) but realised it had the same limitation as the original X1 which is that it’s too slow for the cycling adventures that me and my mates go on. The original X1 couldn’t keep up unless you’re soft peddling or going uphill. But I love the folding form factor and all that other autonomous modes for creating an adventure video. With the pro to be able to hit over 40 KPH is exactly what I needed. On the internal memory front, the internal 64GB loses 11.7 GB to firmware. But 52 GB is pretty good and I’ve added a 128GB micro SD card I’ve never had an issue with the gimbal getting knocked around in its cloth bag in my jersey pocket or ¼ frame bag on the bike. But it could be better protected with an aftermarket slip cover to go over the front of the drone. You don’t want to lose that nice slim 32 mm thick form factor when it’s folded (146mm x 100mm x 32mm folded)so any protection should just be a slim slipcover in my opinion. I’m sure they’ll be turning up on eBay or Amazon soon!

[@cailife]

Thanks for the comment - hard agree with what you’ve said here. I couldn’t get the OG X1, for the speed limitations…it’s too easy to outpace on the flat let alone a descent. The improvements to flight speed made this infinitely more attractive! Once somebody releases a gimbal cover, this’ll feel much safer ‘on the road’. As you say, nothing that’ll destroy one of its USPs - it’s small form factor!

[@19ab59]

@@cailife A 3D printer cover could work fine. I had one for my X1 but that one was to tight. I like the ones DJI has on their drones. And that small form factor of the Hover sure is a USP!

[@TravelsByTrike]

Thanks for the video - looks like a lot of fun. Can you do a video filming you cycling with the drone in front flying backward? So far, everyone's video is only showing the drone following and it seems to do that very well. Thanks again.

[@cailife]

Thanks for dropping by! There’s footage in this video of me using the dolly track (flying ahead of me) feature, and I’ll be putting that up as a short again today 🫡

[@TravelsByTrike]

@@cailife thanks!

[@laloelsalamanca]

As a runner and someone who wants to video document some of my own trail runs and after a disastrous experience with DJI Mimo app and their inability to export edited files app to phone I will get Hover for sure, the foldable factor, the image quality and follow mode are all I need.

[@cailife]

Agreed with the above - this fits my use case for sure. I’m a runner and cyclist, and this is such a cool thing to have for content creation in those situations - getting content off of the drone is super easy via the app or computer, too!

[@ChiefComplaintX]

Wow! Best review i've seen so far! I made the same contribution as yours. Still waiting for delivery. Have you used it above water? Have you use the beacon as a mic? I believe it doubles as a mic which automatically filters the drone noise.

[@cailife]

Very kind words - thanks for dropping in! I haven’t tried it above water, yet - I feel like I might start with a puddle or small pond to mitigate against disaster. And yes, I talk a little about using the Beacon as a mic in my latest video reviewing the Beacon itself - definitely useful re its noise gate!

[@davies3288]

This looks awesome. How much were custom fees on top of postage? Would it be better to wait for it on Amazon?

[@cailife]

No custom fees! I was surprised by this myself, actually.

[@gregb1599]

The Neo is actually smaller in one by quite a bit of the dimensions, the Neo is shorter at 104mm vs X1 pro at 149mm, thickness Neo 45mm vs X1 Pro 34mm, width the Neo is wider by 45mm. So both are very compact.

[@cailife]

This is fair - the Neo is also small, for sure. But the folded form of the PM’s WxH of 105x34 vs the Neo’s 157x48.5 is a big advantage for me, personally. The portability of the folded Pro Max is just really handy!

[@gregb1599]

@cailife Yep, just mentioned as my Neo does fit in my jacket, yes no way it can fit in my pants pocket, but at least with the gimbal cover on quite sure it's safe in my pocket. Of course, I will wait until the Hoverair X1 pro is available to purchase in a retail store, so it offers much better backup support. Of course the price will be much higher.

[@cailife]

@@gregb1599 no doubt that the X1 is more at risk without a gimbal cover. Let me know if you end up getting a Pro as backup!

[@gregb1599]

@cailife I probably will not as the Neo does everything I need. I really hope that DJI release the new Mini 5 pro with all the benefits of the Neo/X1 pro with the benefits of the Mini 4 pro. It would be great to be able to use the Mini without the controller or phone, but still have the amazing ability of the Mini series, the Neo has voice control so no reason it can not be added to the Mini 5 for selfie use. The Neo is only good in light winds, but flying it out at 120 metres high and 1km away is quite scary as even on days when the wind app says it's safe to fly I still get high wind warnings! The X1 is slightly bigger a bit more heavy but still probably not great in wind gusts. My Neo has already been flipped over in 45kph wind gusts lol I know silly winds! Was only set on low height in following mode so no risk of losing it.

[@AshleyBrayson]

Thanks for this very informative video.

[@cailife]

Thank YOU for stopping by 🫡

[@stanfordevans12]

Hi there, I've had the Hover air x1 pro max for a week, I have only been able to use it a couple of times and I think it is a great piece of kit. However, an update this morning, (27th Jan) loaded an indoor flying mode, that looks good thought I, so tried it. The drone promptly flew into the door and broke a prop blade. Bu**er! So, if you get the update, be careful. Nice video though, thank you.

[@cailife]

Hey bud! I read about this update, and I have to admit, I was immediately skeptical - considering that there were warnings AGAINST flying it indoors on launch and that ambient light being low could equal erratic behaviour and a crash. Sorry that it seems like this is what’s happened to you, man!

[@BearCreekFishing]

I’m a you-tuber, that makes videos while I’m fishing in my boat. Mostly rivers, and fresh water lakes. Would like to take videos, while I’m catching fish. Questions, working over water ? fast deployment? maybe the hard battery case puts in sleep mode where it is ready to deploy in seconds? Does it always come back to your hand? Maybe also the beacon would help? Not interested in 8k, the videos are too large in size, your thoughts.

[@cailife]

Hey bud, thanks for dropping in! The X1 Pro has an omni-terrain feature - unlike the original X1, it’s designed to be able to fly over water and uses its underside sensors to handle flying over water - win! It will literally deploy within 3 seconds when it’s on - from off, it takes about 10 seconds to fully power on ready to fly. It always comes back to your hand, apart from in hover mode, as it’s designed to stay in place but continue to track you. Every other autonomous mode will come back to your hand, but you can use the app or beacon to manually activate RTH, too. I’m with you in considering the Pro Max’s 8k overkill btw, both in fidelity and file size. Hope this all helps!

[@AnotherCG]

My question is can you change the modes in flight from the beacon? And can you change the position of the tracking under the same mode from the beacon similar to the focus tracking on DJI mini 4 pro. When biking I like to just tap a button and make it move parallel or tap another button and make it do Dolly track all while following me

[@cailife]

From what I can tell, this is definitely a crazy flaw as of right now. The Beacon acts as an extra tracker and display, and bizarrely, it also lets you ARM the Hover’s mode but not actually ACTIVATE it - but most importantly, it doesn’t seem to give you the option of changing flight modes mid-flight - at least not in its follow-me / autonomous mode. This feels like something that can be updated in the firmware but for sure, not being able to change modes whilst in follow-me mid-flight seems like a current ‘miss’.

[@moose_and_squirrel1006]

congrats on unlocking 3rd person pov irl!

[@cailife]

IRL GTA vids incoming 😂

[@chickenporkadob0]

19:50 main character moment 😂

[@cailife]

😂😂

[@ninomoga]

Que tal? Me sale un dibujo con tres puntitos que no se que es y no puedo hacer nada Ayuda por favor Gracias

[@cailife]

Hola amigo? Donde esta es el dibujo? En el beacon o el drone?

[@fanom1]

The cycling package costs nearly $900...you can buy a nice small proper DJI drone for less than half of that. I have the simple X-1...very happy what it does...

[@officiallyglobalvlogs]

Is it worth the purchase? Considering buying the 8k version

[@cailife]

I think this question comes down to two questions - can you afford it, and will you realistically use it? The PM has 8k and the ability to shoot in HLG HDR, which for me wasn’t worth the extra cost. However, if the extra cash hadn’t been an issue, I would’ve just gone for the best and future-proofed myself, so to speak.

[@sibertiger17]

I really want to see the beacon in full use

[@cailife]

On it - stay tuned!

[@gregb1599]

Many owners are having problems connecting to the beacon. Seems only old owners that know how the system works from owning the previous X1 are getting it to link. Which of course does not help people brand new to drones or the X1 pro

[@lowlightRN]

have you encountered any glitch or error?

[@cailife]

The Beacon itself is pretty glitchy - sometimes it refuses to establish a connection, sometimes it’ll drop it once established. The firmware seems pretty raw and it definitely needs some improving.

[@garyadams5201]

Where and when can we purchase this Hover Air X-1Pro drone model?

[@cailife]

Hey! So this was launched via an IndieGoGo campaign, which I jumped on back in August. I’m sure it’ll be available via Amazon soon, as the original X1 model is on there ✅

[@phantomraptor8851]

4:00 no the dji gimbal cover comes standard lol

[@cailife]

Ah my bad - that’s definitely a +1 for the Neo

[@GumbyPW]

I ordered the same one that you have. But my order is in the 6,000 So it's gonna be a while for me. I have a question about the specs the X1 pro versus. the Pro Max. depending on the Data sheet you look at, on board memory on the pro. is 32 GB on the Pro Max It's 64 GB and on another spec sheet. They're both 64 GB. What is your on board memory. and how fast does it fill up?

[@cailife]

Thanks for the comment, brother - can confirm that the X1 Pro also has 64gb on board. My first flight, which contained about 15-20 mins of footage @ 4k, came nowhere near filling up the on board. I’ve now whacked in a 256gb card for safety!

[@SamCordery]

Are you really using that on public roads to track your cycling? Please apply some common sense. Heaven help you if somebody walks out to cross behind you and gets that in their face, or it goes awry and clouts another road user. My X1 has developed a mind of it's own on more than one occasion! Ahhhh - just got to the 20m mark and heard you mention that you'd not do that again! Good call!

[@cailife]

Don’t worry - I test these things so that other people don’t have to 😂

[@fanom1]

I have the original X-1....and the DJI Neo...I will NOT be bying the X-1 pro / pro max....way, way, too expensive....The Neo is a third of the price and 100% more capable...

[@cailife]

Fair enough! I think if you have the Neo, it doesn’t make much sense to own that and the X1P / X1PM, anyway. The Neo’s price is definitely a huge advantage, and it’s a great product.