Drone On 

New hobby? Essential service? Around for good? Yes. Drones are taking up a lot of roles. As precision and standards improve, drones can be used to do everything from capturing aerial footage for your family Christmas video to delivering emergency medical supplies.

• What drone brands are out there?
• How do different drone brands compare?
• How are drones repaired?

As technology steadily climbs, there are various tiers of drones. Some are great for hobbyists and others have military applications. You can imagine the gap there is wide. Here are some of the more highly recommended commercial-facing drones, how much they cost and what they can do.

The Best Drones

The best drone for hobbyists or light business users will have a great quality camera (or mount for compatible equipment), an easy-to-use remote controller with screen and a good battery life. This ensures that whether you want to film the sunset or capture footage for a real estate business, you’ll get the outcome you’re looking for without reshoots or too much hassle. Here are some other specs to look for as you shortlist the drone of your dreams:

• Automated flight modes
• Obstacle avoidance
• HD or 4K photos or video
• Image stabilization
• Gimbal or fixed camera

Newegg recommends choosing the right drone for you based on these three criteria:

• Budget: how much do you want to pay?
• Experience: how much tech knowledge do you have?
• Intention: what are you using the drone for?

With those questions in mind, here is a brief overview of some of the best drones on the market.

Autel Robotics EVO

Autel Drones record in 4K and has real-glass optics. It can record in-flight for 30 straight minutes. You get a 3.3 inch screen to provide you with a live camera feed (no mobile device needed). Choose from single shot, burst shot, time-lapse or regular video mode. Autel Robotics EVO price: starts at $1,049 Great for all-inclusive features/hardware and plug-and-play use.

Ryze Tello Drone

Fun, chunky, durable: this is a kid-friendly drone that’s easy to use. Compatible with VR headsets and with a simple, integrated app, you can get Tello off the ground and soaring through the air in no time. Whether you’re 8 or 80, this is a good drone to play around with. It has 13 minute flight time and HD video. Ryze Tech Drone price: starts at $99 Great for kids or beginners.

Parrot ANAFI

Parrot ANAFI is another 4K drone but has the distinction of 5-axis stabilization. Built with a Sony optical sensor, it carries the optical avoidance features and has a 180 degree camera which can capture a lot of detail. You get 25 minutes of battery life and do have to download an app and use your phone as the device screen (to see what the drone is capturing). Parrot ANAFI price: starts at $699 Great for traveling, smartphone-free use and a mid-range investment.

PowerEgg X by PowerVision

PowerEgg X is packaged to feel like prehistoric meets space age. In an egg-shaped cylinder, you can set this into drone mode or camera mode. It boasts futuristic features like SyncVoice and AI face recognition, as well as a 4K camera and 30 minute flight time. The Wizard version has waterproof accessories for flying in any weather. Bonus: it can pick up and record sound. PowerEgg X price: starts at $1,099

Dji Drones

For photog or video enthusiasts, Dji has a full range of camera toting drones that can get you the shot of your dreams. Depending on your budget and equipment integration needs, you may be interested in a few different Djj drone models.

Djj Mavic 2 Pro

Regularly considered to be one of the best small drones on the market, it has all of the important features. Great battery life (30 min.), obstacle avoidance, high quality images and video. The camera is a Mavic 2 Pro Hasselblad. You also get two zoom options to control captures while in flight. Djj Mavic 2 Pro price: starts at $1,599 Great for high-quality, complex image and video captures.

Djj Mavic Mini

The “everyday flycam” is a sleek, simple and easy-to-use drone that is small enough to hold in your hand. One Djj Mavic Mini review states that it’s the best beginner drone. If you’re looking for drones with cameras, this one is plug and play, from getting in the air to getting the footage onto your computer. No IT credentials required. Djj Mavic Mini price: starts at $399 Great for a starter drone. Djj makes a lot of drones, quadcopters and smart-phone integrated accessories. To see more of their catalogue in various price points and with various features, tap here. Remember that drones aren’t kites or small hobby airplanes. While some are super accessible with affordable price points and easy use, many are sophisticated machinery that can invade aircraft space. Some drones require FAA license and registration. Check with the make and model you buy and adhere to all flight rules before firing up your drone.

Drone Repair Near Me 

Whether you’ve had a collision or are stuck in a software update, a drone that doesn’t work is an expensive piece of decor. We can help. The team at Gadget Genie is fully equipped to assess, diagnose and recommend the right repairs for your drone. We can provide Djj drone repair and repair for all other brands, makes and models of commercially sold drones. Not local? We may be able to help out with a remote service. Contact us to learn more!