A 99 g Drone You Can Fly Almost Anywhere — the HOVER Air X1 Smart Is a Lifesaver for Aerial Shots

Hi, I’m Hide — tech journalist and part-time house-husband. Here’s an amazing drone that’s easy to use even under Japan’s super-strict drone rules.

It weighs just 99 g, so it isn’t bound by Japan’s current drone regulations. (*Note: you still can’t fly it on private property that bans drones, like some campgrounds.)

On top of that, you can switch between modes without an app, and it has built-in storage, so you can pull it out and start shooting right away.

I’m planning a YouTube video about how impressed I am, but first, let me tell you what makes it so great.

**Official site: [HOVERAir](https://jp.hoverair.com)** **Product site: [HOVER Air X1 Smart](https://jp.hoverair.com/products/hoverair-x1-smart)**

For my articles, I sometimes receive products on loan or as samples from companies, within the bounds of Yahoo! News’ rules. However, if a product doesn’t meet my standards for writing about it after actually using it, or if its downsides significantly outweigh its good points, I return it and don’t write about it. I don’t receive any payment from companies.

A savior for flying drones in Japan

Japan is the only place with drone rules this strict. You have no idea how much they’ve frustrated me… Combined with the Radio Act, you can’t fly far, and you basically can’t fly in urban areas… I get that safety matters, but with this many restrictions, it kills your motivation as a creator.

I’ve gotten my license and plan to get the national certification too, so I’m fine, but that’s a big ask for regular people.

That’s where the HOVER Air X1 Smart comes in. At 99 g, it’s not subject to aviation law restrictions. It has propeller guards, falls won’t cause serious injury, and it shoots with a Full HD gimbal. All upside.

Most drones are flown by connecting to a smartphone, but the HOVER Air X1 Smart can take off with just the controls on the drone itself.

Pick one of several flight modes, press the power button, and it counts down and takes off from your palm.

With the button, you can easily choose from six modes, like hover mode that recognizes and follows your face, follow mode that chases you from behind, and bird’s-eye mode that rises straight up.

Being able to fly it with just the drone itself and record to internal storage is what makes it so easy to use.

The app opens up even more options

Even more impressive: you can set things in detail in the app. Flight height and distance for each mode can be set in the app, so you can tune it for your environment and be ready to go.

For example, when shooting somewhere without obstacles, extending the flight distance a bit gives you more dramatic shots. Presetting things makes it even handier.

There are also features that unlock the more you use it. After a few flights, for example, you unlock a mode where it follows you from the front — it keeps things fun.

Unlocking advanced modes only after you’re used to it also helps prevent unexpected accidents. Really smart design.

Easy to carry, quick to shoot — just excellent

I’ve used lots of drones, but none this easy to shoot with. The propeller noise is pretty quiet too, and so far it hasn’t bothered anyone around me.

You can get angles you couldn’t shoot alone, which is great for posting videos on social media.

As a dad, I love that it easily captures shots from behind or the side, kids included. I’ve been sharing them with my parents as memories.

Wi-Fi-only transfer is a weak spot?

It’s Full HD for now, so it’s not a huge deal, but a 4K model seems to be coming, so only being able to transfer video over Wi-Fi bugged me a little.

Downloaded files go straight to your iPhone’s camera roll, which is convenient, but the transfer speed leaves something to be desired.

There’s a USB-C port on the drone, so fast wired transfers would make it even better.

A great drone that could be a game-changer in Japan

Still, how easy it is was genuinely great. Drones used to mean using your phone as a controller even for small ones — I questioned how practical they were. This standalone HOVER Air X1 Smart came along, and how often I use a drone shot way up.

If I’m being greedy, a hard case would make carrying it more reassuring, but it’s plenty convenient as is.

At this point I can’t wait for the 4K model. If I get the chance, I’d love to review it as a follow-up.

It’s a fantastic product that will definitely make my top 5 gadgets of the year.

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For my cooking and daily life as a house-husband, check out my Instagram. [Parenting, chores, cooking, and everyday life] Tech journalist / part-time house-husband. Renovated a 50-year-old danchi into a smart home. Writes the “Hidenori Kimura’s Tech Magic” column for BCN+R, official Yahoo! News Expert, GIZMODO writer.

https://www.instagram.com/hidenori.kimura/

This story was originally published (in Japanese) on Yahoo! News Japan Expert.