Xiaomi MI Drone teaser photo announcing that it will be revealed at an event on May 25. (Photo : Twitter/Hugo Barra)
The idea of Xiaomi drones with all the major features as any other popular drone at only a fraction of their cost has always fascinated the tech giants around the world. However, the fact how the company is able to do all this is still a mystery for all.
So far, the Chinese manufacturer has kept a majority of products at bay to tease the curious audience residing in other countries, especially in the US. The company has limited its distribution of products to other countries, but it is speculated that the case might not be the same with the new Mi Drone.
Xiaomi's first drone, also called Mi Drone, is ultra cheap, as compared to the major ones already available in them market. The company announced its two Mi Drones 1080p and 4K, on May 25, Wednesday. While Mi Drone 4K will be made available to beta testers in July, Mi Drone 1080 has been crowdfunded in the Mi Home app.
The Mi Drone matches all the features of its competitor, the DJI Phantom 4. The new drone can fly for about 30 minutes and a single tap on the screen can let the user plan routes and send it at a desired distance. It can shoot 4K video and fly up to a distance of 2 kilometers, Mashable has learned. The drone also has a feature to return back to its home when the battery gets low or on a click of a button.
The Mi Drone is similar to the DJI Phantom 4, except for the obstacle detection feature. However, the difference in their cost is huge. While the DJI Phantom 4 costs around $1,399, the new Xiaomi drone costs just $457.
So far, the company has not announced whether they look forward to supply the drones to the US market. However, the new Xiaomi drones could potentially transform the enthusiastic and curious US drone market, if it happens to arrive there.
"Xiaomi exists as a company that loves to make awesome technology available to anyone. A drone is a good example of a product that is typically an expensive product for rich people," Hugo Barra, Xiaomi International Marketing Head, said during the live unboxing of the Mi Drone.
Barra further said that the company believed that it can make such a high-end tech with all the features that too for a price that can be easily afforded by the drone enthusiasts.
The following is a full video for the live unboxing session conducted by Barra:
