I want to begin with saying this is my first drone and I'm certainly a novice to the hobby. Anything from experience that I learned was from my father-in-law whom has had one for some time now. Also I started with issues initially because I thought my phone was "new" enough to connect to the controller but alas, it wasn't. Because when they say new, they mean devices with the USB C port which are only truly making the change with releases this year. I will get into this more below. Fortunately I found an adapter on Amazon that I can confirm that works and allowed me to connect my phone (USB C - female to micro USB - male) and use the controller. It came in a two pack with the brand name "Choetech" (I've also included a picture). I have a feeling the key is to use an adapter and the cord supplied so it's possible any adapter may work but be aware a regular USB to micro USB cord does NOT work with the controller. This was good because I didn't have much luck with wifI only. The first time I ended up crashing it because I had the "auto switch" wifi feature turned ON in my phone where if it detects a stronger wifi signal, it automatically changes. Thus I lost control and it went into a wooden post, fell hard into the outside corner of a wooden planter box and to the concrete. Advice - turn this feature OFF on your phone when flying with wifi. The 2nd flight it was ok for less than a minute but somehow started drifting to the same spot and I again lost control/connection. I had to grab it out of the air and quickly "land" it to stop it. I didn't care to try it again until I used the controller. Being in a community we have tons of wifi interference and I know this can cause issues for ANY drone. Perhaps I'll test it again using wifi after a few updates down the road. GOOD: The bright side to crashing however - as my heart sank and I walked over to it's beeping lifeless body, I was shocked to find how it barely had a scratch. Only two propellers on one arm had a slight little roll where it hit and it wasn't even enough to change them out. This thing seems VERY durable and well built! Sound wise I find it a lot more tolerable and pleasant compared to my father-in-laws larger, more expensive DJI (I think it is). On the flip side though, his you can't hear at all once at a certain height while I found the Anafi I could still hear at a significant height. As for the controller, I'm a huge gamer so it feels so great in my hands. I even swapped the joystick controls in the app options to make the controls more like a FPS shooter. I found the response time from the controller input including both flying and camera inclination to be spot on which is great. The gyroscopic camera is also as steady as can be. I had fun testing it flying it quickly side to side and it stayed completely still as far as my eye saw. Visible wind affected it only very little considering how small and light it is which would be expected but also a slight surprise it's not more. A big plus is it did come with an 16 GB micro sd card which is really nice so you're ready to go out of the box. Pictures are indeed just gorgeous as you would expect from something 4K with HDR so going into detail is not necessary, you'll just love it. The 2.7x lossless zoom is so impressive, too. For some reason I was having issues with video recording but it may be the app. It seemed to record even though the app was showing issues, so I can't say much about that. It could have also been user error but if the quality is like the pictures than I'm not worried. The device itself is working as intended which is most important but I have more to say below about the app. I was indeed able to download the media through the wifi to my phone right after flight easily where I could even instantly share it to someone if I'd like. I would have to say because of the 180 degree swivel camera, great capture ability and compact design, I would think this drone would be on the top of the list when it comes to using for functional & commercial use such as real estate, repair/construction jobs etc... I have a two story house so if I have any future issues again myself I will be surely reaching for this thing to investigate before getting on a 25 ft ladder again! Overall it's really fun to fly and with the 4K HDR 180 degree camera and various picture/video features, the potential goes really as far as your imagination. CONS: Couple of gripes here, though. First is you have to pay to unlock both the "Follow Me" and "Flight Plan" modes which according to someone else the cost is $17.99 each. There IS a sale for just .99 cents right now but still. Maybe I'm wrong since I'm not as knowledgeable of all drones currently on the market, but I would think at this price point it would include those. While the concept to keep the selling price low while offering those modes as optional is a good one, the price point makes it a bit ineffective. I'll eventually purchase but for review purposes, I wanted to only use what comes out of the box. Second, while the quick start pamphlet was nice and easy, the booklet only gave basic drone operating regulations/tips/warnings. It really would have been nice if they also had a few pages explaining the interface in the app and what it all means when on the flying screen. Thirdly, you most likely will have to take your phone out of it's case to put in the controller like I had to. This wouldn't have been as big of a deal if it weren't for the fact that it really doesn't seem the most secure in the controller's grasp at all in general. A quick accidental brush is all it takes. I may try to create my own strap in system down the line. Lastly but most importantly is clarification of device compatibility. The box says this was made for iPhones (although Androids work perfectly fine too), and only comes with a USB A - C cord to plug into only the newest device models. I don't know what the exact last model Android/iPhones to have the micro USB port was but I know they were as recent as last year (2017).This means you need an adapter to hook up to slightly older devices. It would have been really beneficial to them if they either supplied an adapter or a second same sized short cord for phones still with the previous/micro USB ports. I feel like they are really limiting their market right now when these newer ports are still only starting to be added to phones. But this may have been intentional due to the current app state. They may have wanted to work on the newest phones first and work their way down. APP - Freeflight 6: While this is currently a "con" it's also something currently improving and undoubtedly will be better in the future therefor it deserves it's own section. Future readers can ignore this part as things will obviously be better as time goes on. Like others the biggest app issue I experienced was video feed issues. In the beginning it was only updating the feed once every 5-10 seconds but at least it worked. Eventually the feed completely went out and made the picture/video features lag for minutes and then stopped working all together. The drone controls, including the movement of the camera, were flawless this whole time though so that was comforting. After the latest update it seemed to stay working for the most part other than losing feed here and there which worked after restarting the app. Still dealt with the video feed lag though but I can deal with that for now as long as it works. Now one thing is clear by my own experience and other reviews on Google Play of the app - it's having a lot of problems right now. But the Parrot team is working tirelessly sending out updates. There has been 3 I think in the past week alone and people have already seen improvements (including me with the last one). I do believe things will continue to improve. With that said, I WOULD recommend this drone BUT perhaps for some waiting may be the best course of action. I'd keep watch at the forums and updates from the app to see how things are going in the meantime.

This drone’s compact foldable design is perfect for the photographer on the go. The 4K camera with 180° rotation and lossless zoom will ensure you capture that perfect shot. The lack of obstacle avoidance may be a deal breaker for some, but if you’re in the market for a high-quality camera drone at a fraction of the price, you should strongly consider the Parrot Anafi. The Parrot Anafi isn’t the best, nor the most advanced drone the market, but honestly for the price, it is hard to beat. The lack of obstacle avoidance really holds this drone back, but as long as you fly responsibly and stay aware of your surroundings, you will not have any issues safely piloting this drone. The controls and app are very intuitive and respond quickly with very little lag. The GPS lock helps maintain stability with little to no drifting, and the highly configurable flight controls ensure everyone, from the veteran drone photographer to the first-time owner, has an enjoyable experience. This drone features multiple flight modes ranging from full manual control to advanced object tracking. My personal favorite is “Cameraman”, which enables you to lock onto a target and manually control the flight path of the drone while keeping the subject perfectly centered in the shot. Unlike its competitors, Anafi’s “Follow Me” mode supports camera panning as well as chase shots, whereas most of the competition only offers the latter. The 4K/21MP camera, while extremely small, offers crisp video and excellent photographs. The gimbal is very responsive keeping videos smooth and jitter free. The camera also supports optical image stabilization to correct for any vibration / shaking. I have logged 21 flights since its arrival and have only experienced one minor glitch with the software. On one flight, the SD card reported an error, causing the live video to freeze. I suspect a recent software update was the cause and a reinstall of the app appears to have corrected the issue. Aside from this one issue, my experience with this drone has been flawless. Overall, I’m giving the Parrot Anafi 4 Stars due to the lack of a suitable controller case and for requiring in-app purchases to unlock the drones full potential. (The additional apps are currently on sale for $0.99 now through 9-6-18, previously they were $17.99/ea.) Pros: • Easy to Fly – Perfect for a first-time camera drone owner • Intuitive App • Multiple flight control options. The drone can be controlled directly from your phone, tablet or SkyController with or without a phone. • Excellent video and picture quality • Very quiet compared to other drones currently on the market– Hardly notice/hear drone 20 ft away • USB-C charging (6% to full charge took approx. 1.25h) • 4K camera with Lossless Zoom and HDR • Camera Gimble allows for 180° of vertical rotation so you can capture shots directly above or below the drone, without obstruction by the propellers • Fast start – Unfold the drone and you’re ready to fly • Storage case included • Long Flight time (20-25 minutes) • Lightweight, but solid construction • USB-C cable included • Expandable Memory • OTA firmware updates • Very responsive and configurable flight controls • Advanced target tracking – Superior to DJI • Does not enforce No-Fly Zones! Cons: • Micro SD card uses a tray style holder, if the cover falls off it can be lost, making it impossible to properly mount the SD card. I would prefer an SD slot. • No protective case for the handheld remote; Thumb Sticks exposed, could potentially become damaged when placed in a backpack. • No obstacle avoidance • The handheld controller does not support thicker phone cases • In-App purchase required to unlock all flight modes.

[SHORT STORY] Parrot ANAFI quadcopter drone is a must buy if you like plug and play simplicity. Pros: -USB C port -Micro SD expandable memory -4K camera -solid build quality -Battery removes easily -Storage case is premium quality and looks nice -Easy to fly -Stays where it hovers -Picture and video looks good -Lens cap cover Cons: -Does not include power adapter that plugs into wall (i used my Nexus 6P power supply) -Case has no room for spare battery -Didn't really care for the expandable memory slot location under the battery or how it opens/closes -Drone is loud (sounds cool though) [THE LONG STORY] Everything about this drone is simplicity. To the Super Quick Start Guide that reads like an ikea instruction card. The card has pictures that show 8 the simple steps will get your drone in the air after of you do the following: Register with the FAA so you can get your UAS number. So I have flown those cheapo helicopter and drones you find at end caps of grocery store/electronic stores. Very hard to fly and always end up wrecking them. Well let me ease your fear or wrecking this sweet Parrot ANAFI quadcopter drone. I opened the flight app, powered on drone, powered on controller (looks similar to xbox one s controller), and was ready for lift off (don't forget to remove camera lens cap). Drone propellers started spinning and the ANAFI started rising about 2 feet and hovered ready for me to control it. Left thumbstick controls height and right controls direction. You can either fly with just the controller and/or your cell phone. Live map and camera view show up on your camera. It is pretty sweet! I flew for about 20 minutes and the app showed the battery on the drone had about 4% battery life so I brought the drone close to original take off point, switched to landing on the application and this auto piloted the drone down without incident. That was very awesome that I didn't have to call Maverick to bring me in for a landing. For the whole time besides landing I was on manual pilot mode. For the most part the drone stayed hovering where it was. There was minimal breeze and saw very little drift of the drone if any. The controller has buttons to take pictures, zoom camera, etc. There is also feedback on android app that show field of view the camera has in red. The only issue I had was fitting my Google Nexus 6P in the holder of the controller. Maybe if I took my phone case off it would fit better. Also had to orient phone so the holder didn't squeeze the volume keys of the phone. I also had to go to my USB settings on phone and select file transfer in order to get the phone to recognize the controller. If not then the phone thinks the port is only for charging. I had a few people come out and watch my drone fly over an empty field. I didn't test the full range of height and distance but I feel confident it will go wherever I want to take it (of course following proper safety guidelines), The flight and controls are exact enough I could follow a friend who is mountain biking and document the ride for fun. I couldn't find any flaws with the unit. It was just so easy to use and fly. I hope to unlock more features as I continue to log more flight time. If you a blogger, real estate picture person, hobby flyer, etc I feel this drone would be a good fit for everyone. One thing that future models could improve on is a more colors options for the drone. If one thing it is a pretty bland color.

Truth be told, I’ve never owned a drone until now. I’ve known about Parrot for a long time as I own their incredible Zik 3.0 headphones. But a drone was something I figured is complex and not something I’d likely buy. After reading multiple reviews and seeing how easy people said the Anafi is to get up in the air, coupled with the high quality 4K video ability, I decided it was time to give one a try. The package arrives nicely put together. The drone itself is housed in a really nice zipper hard carrying case, the controller is next to it and there is a SDXC adaptor, a USB to USB C cable for charging and two documents, a quick start guide and a book about Flight Safety. Also, there is a box with extra propeller’s for the day you may not land safely and you need to replace them (plus a tool to install them). I wish they had included an actual user manual, but for that you can go out to www.parrot.com, click on the Anafi drone and download the full user guide. I really needed the user guide because it just wasn’t that clear to me where the MicroSD card was or how it should be removed or used. I actually sent a technical support question to Parrot at 10:00 PM, mind you and it was very impressive when I received an immediate response. It’s nice to know someone was responding to customer questions after hours. So it was time to start charging the drone and the controller. Only one USB to USB C cable is provided, but I have extras on hand, so I was able to charge both at the same time. If you don’t have an extra cable, you might want to get one so you can do the same. Otherwise, you’ll be charging them separately, which will take more time. Next up was to download the FreeFlight 6 app from Parrot in your App Store for either Android or iOS. Note that in the Apple Store, you don’t look for Parrot. You look for FreeFlight 6. The App is free, which is good. But no so great is that for the ability to have your drone follow you, you have to make an in-app purchase. It’s only $.99 right now, but it stated that after September, the price goes up to $15. Given this drone isn’t exactly inexpensive, it’s a little surprising you have to buy add-ons like Follow Me. I was aware that flying a drone which weighs more than ½ pound, requires you register with the FAA. With the battery attached, the Anafi weighs about ¾ lb. You can do this online and once you pay a modest fee, you’re provided with a 3 year Small UAS Certificate of Registration, a card to carry with you and a UAS Certificate Number, which is supposed to be affixed to the drone itself. Once you’ve got everything charged and the app downloaded, you need to connect to your drone, which is very easy and intuitive. You launch updates from Parrot and if necessary, calibrate the camera. This is a perfect for a newbie like me. It’s pretty much idiot proof. Here’s what I thought was great: *Small and compact and easily stored *The hard-shell zipper case makes storing the Anafi safe and sound *The FreeFlight6 app is easy to use and very intuitive *The camera takes great videos – REALLY GREAT *I love the HDR capability – Colors just pop in super clarity *The camera swivels up and down *You can also take a still shot in high resolution – pretty cool! *It’s pretty darn quiet in operation Here’s what I thought could be better (and it’s not much): -I wouldn’t use the Anafi if it could rain as it doesn’t seem very weather proofed -The controller is rather large, but my iPhone does fit snugly -How the MicroSD card is stored is not ideal. It would have been better if there was a SD card slot -It’s disappointing to have to pay extra for extra functions, like Follow Me and Flight Plan -16GB isn't much memory. But you can add up to a 256GB memory card -There’s no carrying case for the hand held controller So there you have it. If you’re an experienced Drone user or a newbie like me, I’m sure you’ll love how compact and easy the Anafi is to set up and use. Parrot is VERY well known in the drone world and I know this will provide years of fun experiences backed by a company who stands behind their products with excellent after sales service.

The ANAFI Parrot is my first experience when it comes to drone ownership. Hands down the greatest fear of ownership is the fear of crashing or losing it. Being brutally honest, I was absolutely scared senseless because of this. I had fears of crashing the Anafi within seconds of lift-off and being left with an expensive and cool looking "paperweight". I actually had the drone for five days before I mustered up enough nerve to venture outside with it for a test flight. Today being the fifth day, I finally ventured out and took it for a ride. I would suggest that all first time drone users take their drones to a large empty field in order to have lots of space. Let me put you at ease, as flying the Anafi drone was super easy. I was never ever close to losing control of it, and or crashing it. The controller has a take-off and landing button which when pressed automatically launches your drone to a height of 3 feet or will safely land it. Easy and mistake proof. The drone will hover their until you give it directions to fly, i.e. up, down, left right, etc. I guarantee if you take it slowly, you will have a great time flying it. I would read the online manual thoroughly and become familiar with the joy stick/toggle switches and their functions. I took pictures of the controls from the online manual, so that I would have them for a quick reference. Literally, I was flying the drone within 5 to 10 seconds with no problems, so I am pretty confident that if I could do it, you could also. The drone seems very well made and its shape reminded me of an insect. It is marketed with its own semi-hard carrying case. The quick start guide has picture illustrations which indicate the needed steps will get your drone operational. Even with this guide, I did not feel at ease in the use and operation of the drone until I read the manual. A quick note regarding the WIFI password. It's located on the inside cover of the semi-hard drone carrying case. Pros: Easy to fly and pretty much so stays were it hovers (drift is not a problem) Drone seems to be built with quality in mind USB C port Expandable memory 4K camera takes awesome video and pictures with the 21mp camera Pretty decent battery life (25 minutes) The range of the drone is 2.5 miles, but I have no inkling of how to measure that claim. Top speed of the drone is around 31 miles per hour. Cons: The biggest drawback is the lack of obstacle avoidance. Drone is not supplied with a power adapter (it comes with a cable only). You will have to supply your own power source. Memory card is located under the battery and is cumbersome to access and is super flimsy. My gut feeling is that the device that holds the memory card (after repeated removals and insertions) will fail. In-App purchases are required for the Follow Me and Flight Plan modes of operation. NOTE - I fail to see the rationale of the maker of the Anafi drone charging $.99 cents each for these two purchases, as the Anafi is around $700.00 dollars plus tax. These should have been included in the overall pricing of the Anafi drone. I hope that the makers of the Anafi will in the future, push down these two programs free of charge. The Anafi comes with a remote control unit. Its spring load clipping mechanism is meant to "cradle" and hold your phone. I found that I had to remove the Otterbox case from my IPhone 7 Plus, as the mechanism was not wide enough to hold my phone. I would suspect that many users will also have to remove their phone cases so that they can mount their phones onto the controller. The supplied controller does not have a built in screen which means that you have to fly your drone by "visual sight". The controller toggle switches are not indicated with a picture or symbol (of what each toggle does) so if you are a first time user, you have absolutely no idea of what the toggle switches control. I feel that symbols should have been imbedded into the plastic for reference. The Anafi drone took some video clips of the flights. I was very impressed with stabilization of the videos ad the overall quality was stunning. The Anafi has the capability of aiming the camera upwards towards the sky, which is a nice option. I found download of videos to be slow. Overall, the Anafi was quite pleasing and easy to fly. Camera is real decent and won't disappoint. Definitely worth your attention.

Quick Info Phone Used OnePlus 5T 6" screen and Dash Charger and cable. The Anafi is my first introduction to a drone, not counting the RadioShack Christmas specials. And so as my summary states, I'm definitely a beginner and I have to say I was quite nervous as I was pretty scared to crash the thing. I read a few reviews first and people said it just took off on them and crashed and there are no replacement parts for control arms. Checking the website, you get battery packs, controllers, and blades. That's about it. As of writing I received the drone in the mail 7 days ago and our weather has been a little crazy so I've had to delay frequently my time to try it out. Today was bright and sunny, but had a good 4-5 mph wind. And it didn't phase this thing one bit. It stayed and hovered just were I would leave it. Again as a beginner, I couldn't be more pleased. I did crash it twice, once into small tall brush. Hard enough it collapsed a control arm and sent a warning to the controller screen. The second time I ran into a group of pine trees and it landed on the ground with arms in full lock, ready to fly! So its at least sturdy enough for that. When it comes to walls and such I'll let you be the judge. Also as a beginner I think they could do a few things better: -Have a bit more info in the packaging: there are two pamphlets one labeled a "Super Quick Starter Guide", you can see in the photo, and they mean super quick, like 8 photos. The second was FAA regulations in about 100 hundred languages, that is about 8 pages per language. Any real info is found on the support site and they have it setup as a Q&A style which tells me they really did me to give very limited explanation of things. Which I'm not one to complain about saving a few trees, but a bare minimum would be to have the charging specs included with the drone. The support site had this info. But without a charger included, I'm not just going to throw any old charger on it. I have a laptop that charge off of USB-C, but wasn't sure if it would deliver too much power, verdict is still out. Ended up using my phone charger. -Include a charger, for the price it's not going to be much more and most people these days don't have one that is USB Power Delivery certified to get the fastest charging times available. -As well a bit more info on just how to fly the thing. After my first flight I've realized that its just that simple to fly, it still could have a simple short video tutorial, the FreeFlight 6 app at least has the joystick layout (feels like a video game setup) but it also doesn't give much explanation into all the settings that can be changed and advantages/disadvantages. It definitely has a learning curve in the UI department. I would really like to see a demo mode either in the app or on the website to play with the settings and see how they affect the drone. -How to turn it on/off! The "Super Quick Guide" could at least two double clicks to get it into pairing mode with the remote. -My phone is the max size of what Parrott says is the range of 6". It's not the best design, it's quite crazy trying to get it to fit in, but honestly given the setup you don't want a small screened device. -It did drop GPS signal a couple of times and that didn't disrupt my flying at least at the distances I was flying; not far. It did say that I could do a planned route. I could keep going, but you get the point...too much guess work. Maybe being a beginner this is all stuff that veterans know? I'm pretty comfortable with tech, but this is out of my normal element. Honestly, that's why I gave it 4 Stars, while there is a lot of guess work, at least its easy to fly. Its not so easy you feel like a pro. Currently I'm only flying by sight not the screen, but I do live near a small forest, so I'm not ready to rely on my on screen depth perception. Closing Arguments: It's definitely worth the investment, do take into consideration that if it breaks, its probably broke. Accessories: Considering an extra battery for longer flight times. Maybe having some sort of harness for the controller would help to prop the arms up higher to fly using the screen.

The Anafi is a small, lightweight, foldable and highly portable drone with great camera capabilities, and is Parrot’s answer to DJI’s Mavic. My review comes from the viewpoint of an FAA Part 107 pilot and DJI owner, so I know a little about drones and their abilities. First off, the best feature is the camera. Excellent 4K quality with built-in HDR capabilities to enhance photos & videos in changing brightness environments. Still photos are shot at a very impressive 21MP, which substantially beats DJI’s best offerings. Also unique to drones in this price point is the ability to control the camera to not only look straight forward & downward, but can also be angled up 90 degrees. This allows a look at sights from their undersides (like bridges) or provide a great transitional effect to or from the sky as you shoot video. On by default, the HDR setting eats memory on the micro SD and a single 25-minute flight will nearly fill the included 16GB SD card. The drone starts off in “Filmmaker” mode, which is a nice, slow, easy-to-control mode that keeps you from making overly-jerky moves that screw up your videos. The movement of the drone & camera in this mode makes for extremely easy shoots, even for a beginner. My son was able to pick it up for the first time, without prior drone experience, and made some really great videos. You can change into other modes like “Sport”, which flies more like a normal mode on other drones (it’s not going to go 40mph in sport mode). It’s not a racing drone, but that’s not why you’re buying this anyway. If you want to configure it to fly faster in each mode you can do so in the app. But I suggest leaving the modes as-is to get the best video. Digital zoom is available with the device, but better yet the camera also has lossless 1.5x zoom when shooting in HD. Other modes for shooting video include options for following a subject, orbiting a subject or point of interest, etc. One of the most ridiculous things about other modes, however, is they require in-app purchases, so you’ll end up spending another few dollars to fully unlock the app. This has to be the dumbest decision; if you’re spending $700 on a drone there is no reason to nickel & dime the user for another few bucks for a full-option app. Range is spectacular for both distances flown and HD video feedback to your phone. It is also a very quiet drone as compared to larger drones like a DJI Phantom. Battery life is around 25 minutes (comparable to other manufacturers). The drone folds up small enough to easily be placed in a backpack or even your cargo shorts pocket. However, the controller has no case and no way to secure it, which makes no sense. I understand the idea of making it small & packable, but they completely ignored the ability to pack the controller along with the drone, which is kind of a basic thing to carry with you. I suggest looking for a case to put both in to fully protect & more easily transport both together. The controller is shaped a little like a Playstation controller with a flip-up combination phone holder/antenna. It has far less controller options than DJI, but for beginners this makes it perfect. Now for the cons: - Construction: The plastic used for the body & camera just looks cheap. I’m hoping to never crash it, and it may hold up fine, but just from a strictly aesthetic standpoint it looks inexpensive. - NO COLLISION AVOIDANCE. This would be my #1 complaint about the drone overall. There are ZERO sensors to stop the drone from crashing into something at-speed. DJI quads all include forward sensors, and some include full 360 sensors. This looks to be the riskiest thing about this drone, and certainly threatens its existence. Use a spotter or stay well away from obstructions. - Landing Gear: The landing gear are short, landing it almost directly on its belly. There is a fan on the underside to cool the battery & motor, and if you launch or land in dirt or grass the fan can end up sucking debris into it. I suggest using only concrete for an LZ or buying a portable landing pad to deploy from. - Extra Batteries: I had difficulty locating extra batteries for the device. It was only after 2 weeks of owning it that Best Buy finally started stocking the batteries. Amazon also has limited options for batteries. Worst case you can order directly from Parrot. - In-app purchases: As mentioned, I shouldn’t have to spend more to unlock features after spending hundreds of dollars on the drone. - Single Click Power On: With DJI as a safety feature you have to press, release, then press & hold the on/off button (2-step process) to turn the drone on or off. On the Anafi if you just tap the button it turns on. This could lead to accidentally turning the device on when installing a battery or placing back in the case. I would like to see it require a little longer of a press to turn the device on or off. - Phone Fit in Controller: The controller’s flip-up phone holder/antenna will only accept “standard” sized phones. Phones with “plus” in it (Galaxy S#+, iPhone Plus, Galaxy Note, etc.) will not fit in the holder. Likewise, thicker cases like Otterbox will keep your phone from fitting. It will not fit tablets at all, although there are adapters available on the market. - No Case for Controller: Would like a way to better protect the controller. Also a way to carry spare batteries. Look for a 3rd party case after getting this. - App Doesn’t Show No-Fly Zones: BE CAREFUL. I live just outside DC and there are tons of restricted areas around here – DC security zones, airports, certain buildings, etc. DJI warns or outright locks out flight around airports or in no-fly zones as a safety feature. The lack of restrictions could lead you into dangerous situations or land you in trouble with authorities if you’re in a no-fly zone. Make sure you consult the FAA B4UFly (or similar) app to verify you’re good-to-fly where you’re at. Failing to do so can result in hefty fines, jail, or worse yet a collision with another aircraft. - SD Card Slot: The card tray is very fragile. Be extremely careful inserting or removing the SD card. - No charger included: It comes with a USB-C cable, but no indication on the number of amps needed to properly charge the battery. I’m using a 2.1-amp phone charger with it and it takes about 90 minutes to charge the battery. Not sure if that’s the recommended amp range or not. Conclusion: This is a good drone with an amazing camera. While I would say the price point makes this a great beginner drone, the lack of collision avoidance sensors makes it hard for me to argue that this would work well for beginners, since most issues with drones involve crashing into things. I’m rating it 4 stars only because there aren’t half stars. I feel this deserves a 3.5 rating heavily based on the lack of collision avoidance features, lack of case for the controller, and required in-app purchases. I think Parrot is on the right track, and look forward to their future releases, hoping the include some of the public’s feedback about the device.

I was really excited to be getting a drone with great video and picture capability. I was impressed with the packaging, and the drone appeared to be solid build quality right out of the box. I got the drone and controller all charged up, downloaded the app, did the update, and took it out for it's first flight. First flight - everything seemed to be working fine, but I couldn't figure out how to get the camera to pan up and down. After all, that is one of the major benefits of this particular model. I continued to fly for about 24 minutes anyway and put it back on the charger while I tried to figure out the camera. It turns out I was using the right button, it just wasn't responding. After un-installing the app and re-installing it; re-pairing the drone to my phone, and pulling the battery 4 times, it finally worked! Time for another flight! Second flight - I tried the launch mode this time, which is pretty cool. You basically throw the drone and it just stops and hovers in that spot. While it was hovering I tested the camera button, and the camera was moving! So off I sent the drone to get a picture of a beautiful sunset. I sent it straight up about 100 ft and snapped some pics. Then I brought it back down to about 20 ft and flew around for a minute. The drone was about 40ft away, at 20ft, and I still had a good video feed. It was starting to get dark and mosquitoes were out, so I pulled the stick back to fly it back in my direction. It started coming back, and as it got closer, I released the stick. It didn't stop. I pushed full forward on the stick. It didn't stop. I hit the Return Home button. It didn't stop. It hit a tree limb. It stopped. Then it fell 15-20ft into the grass and landed upside down. One small piece of plastic had broken but it was otherwise intact. I pushed the power button and it started right up. The propellers did their little movement and the camera panned around. Seemed like I was all set, although I was a little nervous that the drone has a supposed 2 mile range and at 20ft it was un-responsive. I launched it again and noticed I had no video feed. I can move the camera, but there is no picture. If I pan all the way down and push the button to take a picture, the camera just goes back to it's default position. So as of now, I have a really expensive quad-copter that can't take picture or video. I reached out to Parrot support 4 days ago seeking to troubleshoot this before I wrote a review. I've had no response. So I give it 2 stars because when I had those 5 minutes or so where everything was working, I could see the promise of this drone. The build quality is good as well. But lack of response from Parrot tech support, issues out of the box that a less technical person might not have been able to sort out, and losing the connection 20ft away, are why I deducted 3 stars. My neighbor has a DJI Mavic and has been able to fly it over a mile away from my back yard with no connection issues. It's possible that I just got a dud. Other reviews appear to be loving the drone. But for the cost of these, if you get one and it has any issues out of the box, don't try to troubleshoot it. Return it immediately. By the time support responds to you, you might be out of the return period.