The mini drones seem to be getting better if the FIMI X8 Mini drone that was launched on 6th April 2021 is anything to go by. Imagine a mini drone with a flight range of 8KM, incredible flight performance, a real 4K camera (with night shooting mode) and many more. And no, it is not a DJI Mini.
Pilots can be able to share live videos on their social media, of course, on the drone app. In addition, this mini comes with noise reduction technology and the flight range is quite long at 8KM thanks to the remote controller that supports 5GHz frequency.
Other things that it comes with include the 3X zoom camera, automatic flight functions, long flight range and night shooting mode.
Any downsides? One of them is the price because this mini retails at more than $400. Therefore, to know whether it is worth the money, you should see the features, which we are going to discuss in the upcoming section.
FIMI X8 Mini Drone Features & Technical Details
Since XIAOMI, the mother company to FIMI designed this drone to be a competitor to DJI’s Mini 2; you can expect some good features.
Design and Build Quality
You will not need to register this quadcopter with the FAA since it weighs slightly less than 250g. The FAA requires users to register all drones that weigh more than 250g. In addition, low weight means that you can use this as your travel aerial camera. However, please note that you can choose to buy the drone with a standard battery; it will weigh more at 258g. However, if you get it with a pro battery, it will weigh at 245g.
By design, this is a foldable mini drone. When it is unfolded for flight, it measures 7.9 by 5.7 by 2.2 inches. When you fold it, the size reduces considerably to 6.5 by 3.5 by 1.9 inches.
It becomes easier to pack when you are traveling. Since it comes with split blades, you can fold it with the propeller blades intact. That way, when you need to use it again, you just need to get it out of the bag and fly it.
To protect the electronic parts, the drone is made with polycarbonate material. It is light in weight but resilient at the same time. Therefore, you can be sure that the drone will not rip apart if it crashes.
For enhanced performance, the X8 mini comes with brushless motors. In addition, FIMI says that these are small gap magnetic motors. Therefore, they make the drone wind resistant up to level 5. They are also not as noisy as most other motors are.
Camera Quality
This is where this mini quadcopter excels. Therefore, if you are looking for a high quality aerial camera, you can use this one. It comes with a ½.6 inches 12MP Sony CMOS sensor. This 4K camera sits on a 3-axis mechanical gimbal.
As a result, it is able to remove all distortion from your footage. It compensates well for drone slanting and vibrations. The field of view is large to give you a near-panoramic experience. In addition, the vertical angle of the nose camera is adjustable by up to 80 degrees.
You will also enjoy good FPV transmission over a long range. For that, you will have to download the relevant app and use your smartphone. The overall transmission range of this drone is 8KM.
This drone is also equipped with night shooting mode. This captures details more vividly than you can see with your eyes. Therefore, you can use this quadcopter to take semi-professional footage.
The FIMI X8 Mini Battery
You can get the X8 with one of two batteries. First, you can consider getting it with the lighter in weight Pro battery that has 200mAh higher capacity than the standard one.
Secondly, you can get it with the standard battery, which is heavier. If you get the standard battery, you will have to register this mini drone with the FAA since the takeoff weight will be 258g.
Another thing is that the Pro battery will give you an extra 1 minute of flight time as compared to the standard one. You can get 30 minutes from the standard battery while the Pro one will give you 31 minutes of flight time.
Both are modular, fast charging batteries since they come with a C Port for charging. In addition, the battery is safe to handle and easy to remove/insert in the drone.
Remote Controller
It is light in weight, easy to pack with the drone and quite sturdy. You can go through the entire 30 minutes of flight time with the remote controller without your hands feeling cramped at all.
The remote controller also has a holder for your smartphone for real-time video transmission. The face of the remote controller is not cluttered with too many keys. However, there is a key for every function.
Flight Functions
As a mini drone, it comes with some helpful functions. Although they have not disclosed many of these functions on their website, we know the X8 can do the following things:
Smartphone Flight
Once you download the app, you can fly the drone using the smartphone without using the remote controller. Therefore, perhaps you can even do a gravity-controlled flight where the drone responds to the direction in which you wave the smartphone.
Smart Tracking Modes
These are AI-powered modes. Therefore, you can get the drone to lock onto a target and keep up with it. This function is just perfect for shooting your footage while you are engaging in outdoor adventure.
Tap-Fly function
You can tap out the route that you would like the X8 to follow on the app. When you launch it, it will follow that route.
Livestream
You can share videos as the drone takes them (real-time) on social media. This is similar to doing a Facebook or Instagram live video.
Panoramic Pictures with One Tap
With just one tap, you are going to take panoramic pictures. You can capture awesome aerial footage with just a tap on the screen.
GPS Positioning
This function enables things such as precise hovering, stable flight and always knowing where the drone is. Therefore, you cannot lose your quadcopter. Mostly, drones that come with GPS positioning also have fail-safe features such as low battery return to home and signal loss return home.
This drone also has search and rescue function. Therefore, if it gets lost, you can find its last recorded position on the app to make your search easier.
FIMI X8 Mini Pros
- It comes with wind resistance of up to level 5
- It captures incredible footage with vivid details
- Simple to use, plug-n-play app
- Either battery has a long flight time
- Has wind warning function
- It has a long flight range
- Livestreaming support
- Smart auto tracking
FIMI X8 Cons
- The price is a bit on the high side
Who Should Buy The FIMI X8 Mini Drone?
The FIMI X8 mini is a real competitor for the DJI Mini series. It comes with important features like live streaming and smart auto-tracking that are not present in the DJI mini series (auto-tracking is highly important when filmimg sports like cycling / Surfing / Snowboarding…).
From the price, you will tell that this is not a beginner aircraft. Therefore, if you are a beginner, we suggest that you get something less expensive to help you learn how to pilot and then get this one later.
If you need professional footage, if you would like to engage your audience on social media with your drone hobby, you can get this one. The streaming feature enables you to live-share your footage with your fans.
If you are a constant traveler or outdoor adventurer and you want to record your moments, you should get this drone. It can lock onto you in action and leave you feeling happy with yourself.
Conclusion and Recommendation
This is one of the most exciting mini drones to be released this year. It might make your lock down days more exciting. However, always take the following precautions with your FIMI X8 Mini quadcopter:
Never fly it out of your sight. This means that you will probably never fly the entire 8KM flight range
Always store the drone in the bag that it comes with. This will keep it safe since it is padded.
To enjoy your flights with the X8, fly it in large and open spaces.
