Hubsan H216A X4 Drone

Hubsan H216A X4 Drone Review

Hubsan H216A X4 Drone Review 2019 – is the Hubsan H216A X4 quadcopter worth the money? Review of features, pricing, flight duration, battery, camera and more.

HUBSAN X4 H216A WiFi Drone GPS APP Compatible FPV Drone...

$69.00
2 new from $69.00

in stock

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Right out of the box, you’ll discover that the Hubsan H216A X4 Drone also known as the Desire Pro, is superior to other drones priced around $80. The drone kit arrives with the drone, transmitter, protective cover, USB charger, user manual, 2 pairs of extra propellers and a set of blade protectors. The drone is ready to fly, except for adding the propeller guards. Unfortunately, you have to remove the propellers and install the guards, but nothing’s perfect.

The battery is an upgrade from the usual 7.4V LiPo to the more powerful 7.6V, 750 mAh LiPo. It’s incredibly easy to get started by downloading the app that connects your phone to the drone. Unfortunately, the controller doesn’t work independently, so you need a phone connection to operate the drone. Battery charging is fast, but it’s hard to tell when charging is finished because the red blinking light just slows down instead of switching off completely.

However, there is an advantage to the unusual setup. Usually, you need both the controller and your phone to control a drone, but you can control the H216A X4 with just your phone and leave the controller at home.

Flying Performance of the Drone

With all the drone’s impressive features at a low price, there are bound to be some problems. The Desire Pro seems to fly sluggishly, but it’s not overwhelmingly noticeable unless you’ve fown a lot of drone models with advanced flying power. The H216A X4 is designed as a great bargain drone for beginners, children and commercial users who want to learn the ins and outs of flying a drone before they invest in more expensive equipment. The Desire Pro drone makes a great starter set to begin earning your airtime miles.

Pros and Cons of the H216A X4 Drone

The pros of the Desire Pro include a controller that links to your phone by Bluetooth, but you will need to supply four AAA batteries. Get ready for a big list of pros and cons because the H216A X4 Drone has lots of great features but many drawbacks.

Pros

• Affordable but highly functional
• Withstands crashes well
• Comes fully assembled
• Flies acrobatic patterns
• Connects to your phone by WiFi
• Good, but not great, flight time of 10 minutes
• Batteries from other Hubsan models that can be used interchangeably, such as the H502S and H502E
• LEDs under the motor to provide orientation from a distance
• Flies well in wind
• GPS and altitude hold
• High image quality even in direct sunlight
• USB charging that allows you to recharge while traveling
• Micro SD card slot for storing videos and photos
• 1080P HD video and 2MP stills at 1920 X 1080 resolution
• Control range of 50 to 80 meters
• Headless Mode
• Automatic Takeoff and Landing
• GPS feature
• Connects with iOS and Android phones
• 130 minutes charging time

Cons

• Flight time could be longer.
• No camera, but you can record on your phone
• Controller that requires a phone to work
• The range is limited by WiFi unless you buy a repeater/amplifier.
• The fixed camera without a gimbal points in one direction and doesn’t adjust.
• The propeller guards shift out of place and don’t provide much protection.

Flying the Hubsan H216A X4 Drone

You can fly the drone using the X-Hubsan app or your smartphone to transmit signals from the controller. This isn’t the best solution because you can’t use independent transmitters. The short flight time and limited range are fine for beginners, but you will want to upgrade as you gain flight experience. In the meantime, buy some extra batteries to extend your flying time.

Fortunately, the Desire Pro earns high marks in other areas for beginners who want to check out the possibilities of drone flight. The X-Hubsan app is engineered perfectly, unlike the apps for other inexpensive drones. The emulator stick appears instantly with a touch on the left side of the screen at the spot you touched. Fixed-position emulators can be difficult to use in some flying situations.

The app is user-friendly with a smartly designed interface. It always seems to provide stable control. One of the most advanced drone manufacturers, DJI, has trouble with its apps, so it’s refreshing to find a bargain-priced model with a superior app.

GPS Flight Distinguishes the Desire Pro

The GPS features of the H216A X4 include position hold, Follow Mme function, orbit function, return-to-home utility and Waypoint Navigation. These PGS-powered features enable some incredible navigational tricks and automated flying. The return-to-home function seems to have a few bugs, perhaps related to the short flying time. However, Waypoint Navigation makes up for the weakness in spades.

Waypoint Navigation is really designed for pilots with some experience, but how are you going to get experience unless you experiment a little? You can set waypoint coordinates, including target,altitude, hover time and flight speed. The quadcopter flies like a pro; it just doesn’t seem to want to return home on command. You can compensate for buildings, trees and hills in the flight path, but a note of caution is in order. Even if your drone loses its WiFI, it will continue along its waypoint route.

The Desire Pro has failsafes when losing the WiFI signal or running low on battery power. It’s supposed to return home automatically, but the feature doesn’t always work. If you don’t keep it in range, the drone will likely crash or drift away. Despite these obvious drawbacks, the Desire Pro is still a good bargain for entry-level flying and learning about aerial photography, but the camera isn’t good enough for commercial use.

Camera Limitations

The WiFi FPV Camera videotapes in 1080P HD quality, but the drone isn’t really suitable for commercial purposes. The camera doesn’t have a mechanical gimbal, and it’s placed in a fixed position. Without the ability to rotate and compensate for wind, the camera can end up filming at extremely awkward angles. The image quality under ideal conditions, however, is extraordinary for such an inexpensive drone.

You can view real-time video streaming on your phone for an unforgettable experience. Beginners can enjoy the excitement of a bird’s-eye view as the drone travels automatically along a waypoint path that you’ve programmed.

Comparisons with Other Models

Comparisons of the Desire Pro with similar models often prove valuable when choosing which drone to buy. A less expensive alternative for kids is the Hubsan H111, which is really a bargain at $18. This is a great drone for flying around the house. The entry-level drone is small, but it’s a great choice for teaching young kids how to fly drones. The battery only powers the drone for about 5 minutes, but it’s a great experience for children who aren’t ready for fancy flying and video taping.

The Hubsan H107L retails for $30, but it’s more than just a toy. The drone is ready to fly outdoors.It doesn’t have a camera, but cameras can prove distracting for those learning to fly drones, and they detract from the excitement of pure flight. The drone flies between 5 and 10 minutes, depending on your speed and weather conditions.

The Hubsan H122D Storm Racing Drone is great for beginning drone racers of all ages. Priced at $80, the drone is a good bargain for an entry-level racing drone that can travel 25 miles per hour. The drone flies for about 8 minutes, which is fairly short, but speed drains the battery when you push the drone to its limits. You can also choose the Hubsan H122D Storm Pro kit, and it comes with a virtual reality headset. It retails for $119.

Accessories for the Desire Pro Drone

Spare part availability is an important thing to check before you buy any drone, and the Desire Pro has a full line of spare parts from which to choose. These include:

• Body Shell H216A-01
• Flight Control PCB Module H216A-02
• 1080P camera module H216A-03
• Geomagnetism Sensor—compass
• Yellow propellers
• HT005 relay
• Battery for Drone H216A-04
• Bluetooth Remote Controller HT009
• Screw set
• Battery cover
• Shaft sleeve H502-08
• Motor Holder
• LED Kit
• Lamp base A/B
• GPS module

Final Thoughts

Hubsan is a Chinese company that’s well-respected worldwide for toy-class drones and inexpensive advanced models that feature serious features, advanced functions and great cameras. Each drone fulfills a niche in the company’s vision, and the Hubsan H216A X4 Drone is designed for high-quality flying for beginners and less experienced pilots who still want top-of-the-line features.

The verdict is that the 216A X4 Drone more than fulfills its role at an incredible $80 price. There is a big list of potential drawbacks, but these mostly relate to more experienced flyers and commercial users instead of beginners. Most users will thrill to the waypoint flying capabilities, high-definition camera system and affordable price. If you don’t have a lot of money to spend, this drone is perfect. It’s user-friendly, takes stunning videos under ideal flying conditions and provides the features of an advanced camera drone.

HUBSAN X4 H216A WiFi Drone GPS APP Compatible FPV Drone...

$69.00
2 new from $69.00

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.