Over the last few years, mini drones have become more popular. Most of them, including the Potensic Atom SE mini drone that we will review here, weigh less than 250 grams. This means you don’t have to register it with the FAA before you can fly it.
The Potensic Atom SE drone is not exactly the DJI Mini SE quadcopter, which we reviewed earlier. But it does give advanced and beginner pilots a thrilling flight experience.
The camera, with a Sony sensor is decent, the flight time is excellent and for the price … Many drone enthusiasts agree that this is the real deal, coming real close to the DJI Mini SE.
While this seems like a superb adult beginner drone, it still has some issues, reported several times over, so it is not an isolated case.
The controls are too sensitive such that it is very easy to overshoot your target. If you touch a joystick accidently, the drone can dive, fly away fast.
You will also need a fast SD card to store your footage in high resolution. If you have a slow SD card, the video recording will fail.
Potensic Atom SE Features
This is a feature-rich drone, and it has many functions such as wind resistance, beginner mode, follow me and so on.
Its design also puts it ahead of many of its peers. Here are some of the features it comes with:
Design and durability
This drone has a nice and foldable design. It also comes with a Velcro tape that holds everything together once you fold it.
It also folds down to a small size that can fit in your pocket. Storing or traveling with a foldable drone is easier than managing a rigid one.
When unfolded, the Potensic Mini measures 11.8 by 9.5 by 2.3 inches. When you fold it, the size reduces to 3.5 by 5.6 by 2.3 inches.
With a takeoff weight of 249 grams, this drone is perfect for a person looking for a pick ‘n play type of aircraft.
This drone is also supplied with a high quality case for traveling and storage. It has enough pockets and packs everything that comes with the drone. While it just has a hand carry strap, the case keeps everything organized.
Camera quality
This quadcopter comes with a high quality 4K HD camera. The photo resolution is 4608 by 2592P while the video resolutions are 4K at 30FPS, 2.7K at 30 FPS, 1080P at 60 FPS and 1080P at 30 FPS.
With electronic image stabilization courtesy of the ShakeVanish fun, the quality may not be really up to par with what you would get with mechanical gimbal stabilization. However, it is still decent and removes all distortion that would be caused by the shaking and movement.
To store your footage in the high resolution, please use the recommended SD cards, which are 4 to 256GB/Class 10 or U1.
This drone supports first person view, so you will have fun seeing everything that the drone can see as it flies.
The image transmission distance is long enough so you are going to have a lot of fun through the entire flight time.
Batteries and flight time
You will get two 2500mAh batteries, which can give you 62 minutes of flight time, collectively. These batteries are safe to handle and to use. They have overcharge protection, so when it is full, it just stops charging.
Inserting and removing the battery is so easy. They snap tightly into place so there is no danger of the battery falling out.
Please note that only the Fly More Combo comes with two batteries as the standard package comes with one battery, of course, at a lower cost.
These are modular batteries, so they charge out of the drone. The charging time for one battery is about 4 hours, but make sure you use the charging cable that’s provided.
Remote controller
If there is something that Potensic gets just about 100 percent right, it is the remote controller. It is small, sleek and lightweight. It is also very good looking.
This is a 5.8GHz remote controller, for long-range transmission (the flight range of the drone is 4000 meters).
This controller is also compatible with many modern devices, so you should have no trouble attaching your android or iPhone mobiles for your FPV.
The drone connects to your mobile phone using the provided USB Type C connector cable. The connection is quite good and seamless.
You will also notice that the remote controller holds your smartphone in the middle. Instead of having a foldable or retractable phone holder, it has the place for your phone carved out in the middle. You will enjoy the experience of having your smartphone between your hands.
Potensic Pro App
The drone’s app is responsive and does not freeze. When you download the app, you open up a whole new world of flight and fun. For instance, you can unlock sport, normal and video flight modes.
You will also be able to monitor the flight, battery and other important stats of the aircraft as it flies.
You can download the app directly from the app stores or you can scan the QR code on the multi-language user manual.
Flight Functions
Like many other mini drones in the market, the Potensic Atom Mini also comes with several flight functions that make it easy to fly for beginners.
The good thing is that when you are done learning how to fly it, you can try the “freer” modes for more fun.
Here are some of the flight modes:
GPS Assist
This drone has a built-in GPS function. There are many benefits to this. First, as long as you are within the radius of 50 meters from the last point that you flew it from, you do not have to calibrate the drone before every flight. Just keep the drone in GPS mode.
If you want to bring the drone home, just press the return to home button and it will come back immediately.
SurgeFly Control
The SurgeFly is a system designed to enhance the flight experience for the Atom Mini SE user.
By downloading the app, you access the Video, Normal and Sport flight modes for more flight fun. When you engage Sport Mode, the drone can fly at 16 meters per second.
Follow me, Waypoint and Circle Mode
All of these are GPS-assisted flight modes. The drone connects to the GPS module on your phone and responds accordingly.
In Follow Me mode, the quadcopter locks onto and follows you, maintaining a proper distance. In Circle Mode, the aircraft can fly around a landmark keeping to a set radius and capturing footage from all angles.
In Waypoint, open the map interface on the app and draw a route that you would like the aircraft to follow.
Level 5 wind resistance
In windy situations, the drone is going to remain stable and it will still respond to your commands. However, it is better to not fly it in high speed winds because it can vanish easily. Actually, just choose a calm day and fly it in a large, open space.
OPTI Vision positioning
The Potensic Atom mini drone comes with a ToF sensor, which helps in flying, controlling and stabilizing the drone when you are flying it indoors or in areas without GPS accessibility.
Testimonials of Potensic Atom Mini SE owners
This is a good drone for the money. However, at such a price, I would not buy it for children because it has few fail-safe features. For a skilled pilot, it gives a good thrill. Peter Bowser.
The only grudge I have with this quadcopter is the super sensitive controls on the remote controller. A feather touch can have the aircraft flying unexpectedly. Apart from this little “anomaly,” everything else is as advertised. John Singh.
This drone takes good footage even over long distances. However, I have realized that sometimes, the video seems to freeze especially if you fly it over a long distance. I love to use the follow me mode function when I am jogging so that I can use the footage for my Instagram reels. Wilson Brumfield.
I love that this drone comes with a number of cords for charging and connecting the remote controller to your phone. The battery time is also a winner! I have been able to do a full 29 minutes of flight, and I still brought the drone home without it going off on me. Alex Babcock.
What speed is level 5 wind? I am a bit apprehensive about flying the aircraft in any sort of wind so for now I have been holding back, only flying it on calm days. I love its performance, especially in sport mode. David Graham.
Potensic Atom SE Pros
- Good flight time for the battery
- Incredible performance in sport mode
- The cost is good considering the features
- Comes with a variety of cables for connectivity and charging options
- The camera takes decent footage
- It has a geo-fencing function for beginners
- Brushless motors for high flight performance
Potensic Atom Mini Cons
- The bag does not have a pocket for the batteries
- The controls on the transmitter are too sensitive
- Not very good for beginner kids
Who Should Buy The Potensic Atom SE?
This is a good drone for just about everyone, that is, beginners as well as advanced pilots. It has the features for both scenarios. As a beginner, you can use the normal speed mode and the geo-fencing function that locks the drone to a minimum height and flight distance.
As an advanced pilot, you will want to try the sport mode and watch as the drone kicks to 16m/s in less than 3 seconds!
If this is your first drone to buy, you will not outgrow it. You can also use it to learn the ropes of aerial shooting.
Conclusion and Recommendation
The Potensic Atom SE Drone has a good camera, comes with two batteries in the Fly More Combo to offer you more fun and a longer flight time. It is an exciting drone to fly.
But before you can fly it, you need to do a few things first. Read the user manual so that you can know how to calibrate the aircraft, how to use the remote controller, charge batteries, and many other things.
Also, make a habit of flying your drones on calm days and in open spaces to avoid crashing into things. Avoid flying the aircraft in areas with animals and people because it can spook them.
