Akaso A31 Drone

Akaso A31 Drone Review

Akaso A31 Review 2023 – is the Akaso A31 quadcopter worth the money? Review of features, pricing, flight duration, battery, camera and more.

AKASO A31 Drone with Camera WiFi 1080P FPV Live Video...

$59.90 5 used from $43.99
3 new from $59.90

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For a lot of buyers, $100 is the magic number for drone purchases. So just how much drone does this kind of money provide? In the past, you wouldn’t get a very good product as most decent models were worth several hundred dollars. These days, you have many more options in this price range and their performance can provide pleasant surprises. One such model is the Akaso A31 Drone. It may not be the most popular flyer out there but those who have it swear that it provides a good bang for the buck. You might even find it at a lower price at some places. Let’s get to know this beginner drone.

Build

The Akaso A31 won’t turn any heads but it is built to last. The black body is perfectly symmetrical with fixed arms adorned with blue stripes. The propeller guards keep the blades in good condition despite drops and crashes. The power button is located at the top while the camera is underneath, protected by the landing gear. The package comes with an LED module, a transmitter, a battery, extra propellers, a USB charging cable, a screw driver, and a user manual. The unit itself is around 13 inches on each side with almost 4 inches of depth. It weighs 750 grams.

Camera

This has a 1080p full HD camera that has a 120-degree wide angle lens. This should be able to see a little more than common cameras that have 110 degrees of viewing. This is a good thing since the camera has limited movement. It is capable of delivering footage to a smartphone for first person viewing with the companion phone app. It works well enough but users should have modest expectations about the quality. Those who want production-level footage should look instead for drones with camera mounts and use their GoPro or similar action cameras.

Battery

The battery can be found at the opposite side of the camera. It should slide right off and be ready for charging. You should be able to reach 100% in 90 to 100 minutes. The flight time is around 8 to 10 minutes depending on the level of use. This battery is 3.7V with 750 mAh of capacity. It’s not a big battery by any means and there is no spare included. This can severely limit training times so plan your excursions accordingly. It you need a longer battery life, then look elsewhere.

Controls

The remote control has a maximum range of 100 meters. If your drone gets out of range, then you won’t be able to make it come back. Keep a close eye on it and use the one key return feature to make it go back to its original position before it’s too late. Try to avoid strong winds as the drone will be harder to control and might even get damaged. FPV Wi-Fi range is even less at 50 meters so keep it close for smooth videos. Stunts like barrel rolls are possible with one click. Take time to practice and master the unit.

Features

It has almost everything that you would expect from a drone of this price. For example, it has headless mode to prevent confusion when steering the drone in your preferred direction. It will always follow your point of view so you don’t need to keep track of its nose — an especially difficult task for the Akaso A31 given its symmetric shape. You can also use the trimming function to make micro adjustments to the drone’s tilt. This ensures steady hovering despite slightly adverse conditions. You will be able to get steadier shots as a result, especially when using the altitude hold function.

Among the trickiest moves to master in flying are the take off and the landing. Fortunately for beginners, the A31 keeps it simple with a single button for these movements. By automating the tasks, you can make sure that anyone can go fly within minutes. The LED lights will keep the unit visible from afar even in low light conditions. Just make sure it doesn’t drift too far. Novices should take advantage of the speed control to slow things down while training. They can always pick up the pace once they become adept at the controls. If you prefer using the app, then you can draw the trajectory and the drone will follow it.

What People are Saying

The Akaso A31 is worth your money if you are looking for ¬a decent shooter that won’t stress you out while flying. Lots of features are geared towards beginners so you should be able to take it out for a spin out of the box. It won’t be a long flight given the small battery but it should be a nice experience. You will have to purchase spare batteries separately but they should not be hard to find. One-key take off and landing makes flights a breeze while preventing damaging crashes. You can keep it steady while taking a sweeping shot of the surroundings. Just keep it away from strong winds and you should do just fine. Perform calibration carefully to make sure that it flies level and goes the way that you want it to.

Comparison with Other Drones

Some of its direct competitors include the Snaptain S5C and the Holy Stone HS110D. The Snaptain only has a 720p camera but it has voice control, gesture control, and an extra battery. Similar features include one key take off and altitude hold. As for the Holy Stone, you will get a 1080p camera with 120-degree viewing just like the Akaso 31 drone. The battery is bigger at 1,000 mAh with flight times of about 10 minutes or slightly longer, depending on use. This is the best-seller in its category and only has a price tag of $80. The Simrex X900 is another suitable alternative with similar specifications but this one is foldable for ease of travel. The bigger battery allows flights of up to 15 minutes.

PROs & CONs Listing

PROS
– Easy to use and control
– Headless mode, one-key take off
– Very steady altitude hold
– Good camera for the price

CONS
– Short flight time of 8-9 minutes
– Limited control and Wi-Fi range
– No extra battery included
– Cheap plastic feel

AKASO A31 Drone with Camera WiFi 1080P FPV Live Video...

$59.90 5 used from $43.99
3 new from $59.90

in stock

Buy this item

Tyler West

Tyler West received a Bachelor Degree in computer science from The University of Texas Austin. Tyler has been working as a full-time computer programmer for the past 3 years. In his spare time, Tyler’s favorite hobby is flying drones. One of Tyler’s life goals is to become a full-time drone pilot.