GoolRC GW89 is a marvellous piece of work. It is a lowly priced drone, no denting your wallet for a drone. Whether you are a newbie drone pilot or you have been flying drones for some time, you will be impressed by this one.
This is not the first GoolRC drone that we are reviewing here. A while back, we looked at the GoolRC SG906 drone, which is indeed a specimen that you would be proud to own. It came with robust features and three high capacity batteries.
Does the GW89 pack the same features? These are different versions and are intended for different users. Anyway, GoolRC is known for making awesome drones across different price ranges. Thus, whether you are on a low or high budget, you should always get a good starter drone with camera.
You can choose to get one, two or three batteries with this drone, of course at different prices, but there is not all that much difference. Besides, getting triple the flight time is quite something.
Since that is not all that there is to this drone, let us explore what more to look forward to in the upcoming sections.
GoolRC GW89 Features & Technical Details
Design, build quality and durability
Many selfie drones have been made, but not many of them can meet the threshold that has been set by this one. Honestly, when it comes to the looks, GoolRC makes them really stunning.
This is a foldable drone. Ok, it is already small as it is, and then it is foldable to make it more compact. You will find that the small size does not limit its ability in any way. This is a good selfie drone and as you will see later, the camera packs some power.
The drone has a strong plastic casing (ABS). Because this one is mainly a beginner drone, it is going to suffer some abuse. You do not want a weak drone that will rip open at the first crash with an obstacle.
With matte black finishing, the drone feels good and quite anti-slip in the hands. Thus, you can hold it with confidence all the time. It has a yellow/gold line across the face, which makes it look really cute. It also has yellow markings on the propeller arms.
When this drone is folded, it measures 4.7 by 3.2 by 2.3 inches. When it is unfolded, it measures 10 by 7.9 by 2.3 inches. It weighs 142 g only, so you will not need to register it with the FAA. Just get it out of the box and fly it.
When you get the package, just make sure it has the following items: the quadcopter itself, USB charger, Screwdriver, batteries (1, 2 or 3 depending on your order), 4 protect rings, transmitter and user manual. There are also two spare propellers, which is a bit unusual since most drones come with four spare propellers.
Camera quality
If it is a camera drone, you want it to take good photos and capture nice video footage. The GoolRC GW89 has a camera that meets your selfie needs, making this one of the best selfie drones in the market.
The camera is positioned in the front just under the nose. It is adjustable between the angle of 90 degrees and 120 degrees. It has a wide field of view, which enables it to capture video with a lot of background, which is something that you want for your outdoor clips.
Being a 1080P camera, you can be sure that all videos captured during the day will be of outstanding quality. You can adjust the camera as you like until you get the kind of quality that you want. The camera comes with brilliant optical effect, which gives you a high resolution for your static photos. You will love the photographs that you will capture with this drone.
The goodness does not stop there as this drone is also FPV enabled. However, you will have to use your smartphone for that and connect through the 5GHz frequency. You will also need to download the right app for your FPV experience.
You may also buy the right 3D goggles and enjoy a rich 3D experience, which is pretty immersive and will sweep you off your feet with wonder. Virtual reality has come of age and you can enjoy it in this drone.
Transmission range over the 5G WiFi is 80 meters for this starter drone with camera.
Batteries and flight time
You can buy the GoolRC GW89 drone with one, two or three batteries. They are 7.6V 1200mAh batteries. One battery is going to give you a flight time of 13 minutes. Imagine that! Now, for a little more money, you can order your drone with three batteries and get 40 minutes of flight time. At the same time, charging time is quite good because it is 120 minutes only.
Remote controller
The remote controller is beautiful. It is ergonomic in style, it is easy to use it for the entire 13 minutes of one battery without feeling cramped. It requires 3 AA batteries but it does not come with them, so you have to buy them separately.
The only beef, something slight that we may have against this transmitter is that the smartphone holder is at the bottom. Now, if you have large hands, you may brush against the smartphone, thus accidentally changing its settings. Well, it is just a thought and so far, there have been no complaints on this design, so it remains just a thought for now.
The remote controller uses 2.4GHz frequency. Transmission distance is 100 meters.
Flight features
There are many flight features, some made for the convenience of first time owners and some made for the fun and the thrill.
Here are some of the most important ones:
One key takeoff and landing
This is a standard feature in any starter drone with camera right now. It is included to help beginners just punch it and fly the drone, or bring it to land without too much of a hustle. When flying the drone, you may come across obstacles that you had not anticipated in the flight path. Just hit the one key takeoff/landing and the drone will turn back to come and land, immediately.
Headless mode
Like the auto takeoff and landing key, the headless mode is also for the benefit of the beginners. When the drone flies out of your sight, it can be hard to know where the drone is facing. That is why you need to engage headless mode so that you can be assured that it is flying in the right direction.
Trajectory flight
You can draw the trajectory flight on the app and when you fly the drone, it will fly along that route without deviating. This is a fun feature, and it is also effective when you want to fly the drone in hands-free mode. You can draw a route connecting different points that have the most beautiful scenery so that you include it in your video shots.
One Key Return
When your drone meets an unexpected obstacle, or when it seems to start losing signal or battery power, just engage the one key return and it will turn back immediately. While we think of this as a feature for newbie drone pilots, it is reassuring to know you have it there and that your drone is safe.
360 degree rolls and flips
It is not like GoolRC to give us a drone that misses fun features. The GW89 comes with 360-degree rolls and flips. Surprise your friends with this feature.
Short Summary of Feedback From Existing Owners
If you are a total beginner in drones, you should go for this one You will find it extremely easy to use. Everything is so straightforward. Rick T.
This is my second GoolRC drone, and I bought it just for the price. I went for the one battery to save money and so far, I have been more impressed than I expected, especially with the camera quality. Shan P.
We took this small drone to the beach with us a few days ago and shot awesome videos and selfies. It has become our official aerial camera for the family. Nice starter drone with camera! Debbie J.
I had some problems with the app, but after uninstalling it and re-installing again, I had no issues at all. With all these features, I think this drone is quite a steal. Freddie F.
Ok, my friend and I bought this drone, one for each. He crashed his a few days later, and it has never flown again. This makes me a bit apprehensive. I do not want to crash mine and never get to fly it again. I am really keen how I fly it. Bronco B.
With 13 minutes of flight time – as advertised, I think the transmission range for both the FPV and remote controller should be longer. Ted H.
I fly mine from time to time, so far so good. I haven’t had any issues with this drone whatsoever. Becks N.
Pros of GoolRC GW89
- Long flight time from each battery
- Sold with one, two or three batteries as you may choose
- Good quality for the videos and the photos
- Easy to use even for the newbie drone pilots
- Quite stylish, appealing to the eyes
- Has many features for such a price
- Gesture video/photo feature allows you to shoot hands-free
Cons of GoolRC GW89
- Camera quality is affected when used in low light
- Some people have reported problems with the app, especially Android users
- No GPS
Who Should Buy GoolRC GW89?
Beginners, beginners! If you are looking to gain some skills flying drones, this is your opportunity. Cut your teeth on a specimen that is not only easy to use, but has many features that make it quite a thrill and fun drone to fly all the time. The user manual is easy to follow, and anyway, the drone is quite straightforward with no major learning curve. As a beginner, you also want a drone that can save you some money, so that you can upgrade to a more advanced one in future. Just get the GoolRC GW89.
Conclusion and Recommendation
When you have bought your starter drone with camera, you will always feel the urge to get it out of the box and start capturing video footage. Hold your horses a bit. Before putting this drone to flight, read the user manual keenly. It contains important instructions for how to remove and insert the battery, how to attach rotors and so on. Do not crash this drone. It may be made of high quality ABS plastic, but a crash can render it useless. Fly it in open spaces. With caution, you should enjoy flying your GoolRC GW89 drone for a long time.
