I Flew the HoverAir X1 Pro Max Drone That Shoots 8K Video and My Head Is Still In the Clouds

Do you have aspirations of becoming a drone pilot and some extra cash you can spend on a premium unit that’s small and easy to travel with? If so, consider the HoverAir X1 Pro Max. While this unit looks a lot like a toy, it’s anything but. It has an advanced camera system that’s able to shoot high-resolution, 48MP still images and up to 8K resolution video at 30 frames per second.

The HoverAir X1 Pro Max gives you several piloting options. You can use the Hover X1 smartphone app, the optional joystick controller, or one of the 10 autopilot flying modes. First and foremost, this is a drone designed for pro-level videography. It’s ideal for people who are adventurists and want to capture visually stunning, wide angle aerial footage of themselves cycling, skiing, or participating in another high-action sport – with no need for a separate drone pilot.

The folks at Zero Zero Robotics, the China-based company that manufactures and sells this drone via its own website, through Amazon, and a small group of other online sellers, recently sent me a review unit of the drone, along with most of the optional accessories available for it.

Once it arrived, I set out on a drone piloting adventure at Borderland State Park in Massachusetts to experience how easy this drone is to fly. Of course, I also tested the versatility of the built-in camera system. Keep reading to learn more about this drone and how well it performed during my testing.

Specifications

Price: $700 (Plus accessories).

Camera Video Resolution: Up to 8K 30 fps or 4K 120 fps.

Camera Still Image Resolution: Up to 48MP (8000 x 6000 pixels).

Camera Field of View: 107-degrees.

Camera Zoom: 1x or 2x.

Camera Sensor: 1/1.3” CMOS.

Max. Flight Time Per Battery Charge: 16 minutes.

Max. Flight Altitude: 18,000 feet.

Onboard Storage: 64GB (Expandable up to 1TB using a microSD memory card).

Max. Follow Speed: 37mph.

Flight Modes: 10 (Including Follow, Dolly Track, Hover, Orbit, and Zoom Out).

Collision Detection: Yes.

Wind Resistance: Up to Level 5 (between19 mph and 24 mph).

Size: 5.86 inches wide x 6.81 inches wide x 1.53 inches thick (Unfolded).

Weight: 6.76 ounces.

Pros 

• Offers fully automated flight modes.
• Extremely compact and lightweight design.
• Shoots up to 8K (30 fps) video.
• Camera lens offers a wide, 107-degree (16mm) field of view.
• Large selection of optional accessories available.

Cons

• Expensive.
• Short flight time per battery charge (just 16 minutes).
• 1,920 mAh batteries max out at 100 recharge cycles.
• The drone and accessories are not water resistant or waterproof.

Is the HoverAir X1 Pro Max Drone Suitable for Beginners?

This is a tricky question. Yes, the HoverAir X1 Pro Max is easy to fly and designed for hobbyists, frequent travelers, and people who enjoy participating in action sports (like cycling, biking, or skiing), but this is not a drone I’d consider buying for a child (or even a typical teenager). While it’s small and cute looking, it’s not a toy and its price point reflects this. I discovered, however, that an adult can get this drone up in the air and be able to pilot it rather effortlessly.

The camera built into the drone makes it easy to capture ultra-smooth, impressive quality video at up to 8K (30 fps) resolution. One of the drone’s best features is that it offers over 10 automated flying modes, so it can be set up to fly hands free, yet capture the exact video footage desired. If you want to capture yourself taking part in an outdoor activity, you won’t need someone else to pilot the drone and operate its camera on your behalf.

Getting the HoverAir X1 Pro Max Drone Ready for Flight 

The trick to getting the most out of the drone is to pre-plan the type of footage or photos you want to capture, and then choose the appropriate automatic flight mode, or consider the designed flight plan if you opt to manually pilot the drone. Knowing where you want to fly and the content you want to capture will allow you to best utilize the 16 minute flight time available with each fully charged battery.

As you’re planning the flight path, consider potential obstacles. Sure, the drone has anti-collision detection, but it’s not at all foolproof. If you plan to have the drone follow you as you’re running or cycling along a path, that path must be at least five feet wide. 

Likewise, if you plan to have the drone take off and perform an orbital maneuver, dolly track, or 360-degree spin, it’s the pilot’s responsibility to make sure the drone won’t encounter obstacles like power lines, buildings, or trees. When manually piloting the drone, I sometimes found it to be a bit sluggish in its navigational response time.

Next, as part of your preflight check, make sure the drone, smartphone (if applicable), and all optional accessories you plan to use are fully charged. When piloting any drone, nothing is more frustrating than having to cut a flight short or be grounded altogether because the drone or one of the accessories isn’t properly charged before a flight.

Piloting the HoverAir X1 Pro Max Drone

One of the very best things about the HoverAir X1 Pro Max is that you have multiple options when it comes to piloting this drone. You can use the basic onboard controls to select an automatic flight mode, and then have the drone takeoff and land on your outstretched palm. This option does not require a smartphone or any optional accessories. 

Another piloting option is to use the Hover X1 mobile app on your smartphone to set pre-flight options and then either rely on an automatic flight mode or manual piloting. If you want maximum control for manual piloting, consider investing in the optional Beacon and Joysticks. When used together, there are several configuration options. You can pilot the drone using one joystick, just the Beacon (for automatic flight modes), or set up the Joystick and Beacon for one- or two-handed control. 

Using the Joystick and Beacon, you can connect these devices together and also connect your smartphone, so you have two handed joystick control and the larger screen of your smartphone to see a real-time aerial view of your flight, plus have maximum control over the camera. This option takes the most practice, especially when manual flying.

The best option to choose should be based on your flying location, the activity you’ll be taking part in, and the type of video or photographic content you want to wind up with. Shot at 4K resolution, the following is an edited compilation video shot using the HoverAir X1 Pro Max drone at Borderland State Park.

I found that if capturing video or still images is the goal of a flight, using one of the automatic flight modes is the best solution. But, if you’re looking to have some fun piloting the drone, fly it manually using your smartphone or the Joystick and Beacon combo option. It’s the easy to select automatic flight mode options and the multiple control options available that help to set the HoveAir X1 Pro Max apart from competitors. 

It’s the camera mounted to the drone that relies on a two-axis gimbal with electronic image stabilization, horizon leveling, a 107-degree (wide angle) field of view, and ability to capture video content at up to 8K (30 fps) that I believe are what people should purchase this drone to use. It’s primarily this feature set that helps to justify the drone’s high price.

The HoverAir X1 Pro Max Offers Plenty of Accessories

The HoverAir X1 Pro Max is Zero Zero Robotics flagship drone. While the drone itself (with one battery and a charging cable) starts at $700, there is a selection of accessories for this drone that can dramatically increase the overall cost if you opt to purchase them. 

Some of the done’s popular accessories include:

• HoverAir Power Case ($169) – This is a hardshell case for the drone that also contains its own battery pack, so the drone can be charged two-and-a-half times without an external power source. 
• 65W Power Adapter ($39) – The drone comes with a USB Type-C to USB Type-C charging cable, but the power adapter for plugging the HoverAir X1 Pro Max into an electrical outlet to recharge is sold separately. 
• HoverAir Beacon ($138) – With its 1.78-inch built-in, full-color display, the Beacon offers a real-time video preview of what’s being shot and allows the user to adjust camera settings while the drone is in the air. The drone operator can carry the Beacon. However, there’s an optional wrist strap, magnetic mount, and magnetic clip available for it. This accessory has a 0.62 mile wireless range (from the drone).
• HoverAir Joystick ($89) –  This is a one- or two-handed remote control piloting solution for the drone. It works on its own, or with the Beacon.
• Additional Pro Max Batteries ($69 each) – Each fully charged battery provides the drone with up to 16 minutes of flying time. Each battery is rated to last for around 100 charges before needing to be replaced. To get the most out of the drone piloting experience, I highly recommend having at least two or three fully charged batteries on hand.
• Beacon Wrist Strap ($39) – Use this wrist strap to wear the Beacon accessory and remotely monitor what the drone is filming and be able to change camera settings and automatic flight settings.

• Charging Hub ($79) – This is a dual battery charger that plugs into an external power source. It can recharge one battery in 45 minutes or two batteries (at the same time) in 60 minutes.
• Multi-Functional Carry Bag ($79) – This is a Hover-branded carry bag that can safely store the drone and a collection of accessories.
• HD Camera Lens Filter ($69) – This filter set includes an ND8, ND16m ND32, and ND64 filter that snaps onto the drone’s built-in camera. These are used to create an impressive cinematic blur effect when shooting in bright environments. 
• Magnetic Adapter Mount for Beacon ($15) – This is an adapter that makes it easier to mount the optional Beacon accessory onto the equipment you’re using. It works with the HandleBar Mount.
• HandleBar Mount for Beacon ($20) – Use this mount to attach the Beacon accessory directly to a bike.
• Magnetic Clip for Beacon ($15) – Use this accessory to securely mount the Beacon accessory to a collar or backpack strap.
• microSD Memory Card (up to 1TB) – The drone is compatible with any microSD memory card that’s rated for storing high resolution video footage. If you plan to be shooting 8K video, I highly recommend choosing a V30 (Class 30) rated memory card with a fast read/write speed and a 1TB capacity. The SanDisk Extreme Pro 1TB can be purchased for around $110 on Amazon and is just one example of a microSD memory card that works nicely with this drone. 
• HoverCare ($89/year) – If you purchase this plan, you can receive discounted replacement, factory maintenance, and exclusive repair discounts should something go wrong with the drone. The HoverAir app, which encourages new users to subscribe to this service, does not mention the additional “discount” prices if a repair or replacement is needed, aside from stating a 15 percent discount is offered on repair services for accidental damage. 

Based on how and where you plan to use the drone most frequently, at the very least you’ll want to invest in two or three additional batteries, the Charging Hub, and at least one or two extra microSD memory cards. That said, I’d also recommend purchasing the Beacon and Joystick accessories. When used together, you get more options for piloting the drone and remotely controlling its camera system.

Houston, We Have a Problem…

After a few short, but successful flights outdoors at Borderland State Park, as I was still testing each of the drone’s autoflight modes, I ran into a problem. While the drone was about 20 feet in the air, the motor suddenly went dead, the propellers simultaneously stopped, and the HoverAir X1 Pro Max immediately crash landed (after falling out of the sky). 

The outer body of the drone was undamaged, but something happened within its inner workings. Unfortunately, the drone refused to power up again while at the park. After returning home, I removed and recharged the battery and reset the drone. It immediately started working again, but initially would not work with the fully charged replacement batteries I had with me at the park.

My Final Thoughts: Is the HoverAir X1 Pro Max Worth It?

After piloting a bunch of flights using either the Beacon and Joystick combo or my smartphone, and taking advantage of both manual piloting and the HoverAir X1 Pro Max drone’s automatic flight modes, my overall experience was a favorable one. 

The drone does exactly what its creators promote. I was able to capture some impressive aerial videography with minimal practice. Setting up and getting the drone ready for flight is a quick process. 

I’m also a huge fan of the compact design of the HoverAir X1 Pro Max, which makes it easy to bring along on adventures. That said, unless you need to capture smooth, wide-angle aerial video content at up to 8K resolution, I find it hard to justify spending so much money for this drone when less expensive options that have cameras that max out at 2.7K or 4K resolution are readily available. 

Featuring a similar design, the DJI X1 Drone ($439) is a less costly alternative to the HoverAir X1 Pro Max. It can capture video at up to 2.7K (30 fps).

Even though a handful of discounted bundles that include the drone and popular accessories are available, there are other less expensive drones on the market that have a similar form factor and that are just as easy to operate. 

For people who are outdoor adventurers and who want to capture their activities using a drone that basically flies and films content by itself, the HoverAir X1 Pro Max can be a fun and worthwhile investment, especially if you’re looking to improve your social media content. 

Yes, the HoverAir X1 Pro Max is a great drone. However, I think it’s just too expensive once you add all the accessories you’ll want or need to get the most out of your flying experience. On the plus side, it does periodically go on sale and you can save even more purchasing the drone with a preset bundle of accessories.