Snaptain SP650 Quadcopter Review
Nothing feels better than a drone with a bunch of features. The Snaptain SP650 Quadcopter has an amazing build quality and design, the things that make it worth buying. Besides this, the SP650 has voice control. Just start the voice control mode and speak the specific commands that you want the drone to follow. Don’t think this drone is just for professionals, this quadcopter is just as good for the beginners because it packs many beginner-friendly features. So if you are looking for an affordable but impressive quadcopter for your son or a friend the Snaptain SP650 that we’ll review here might be a good choice.
Specs:
- Quadcopter Weight: 125g
- Dimensions: 10.6 x10.6 x4.40 inches
- Camera: 1920*1080p 120° FOV
- Drone Battery Capacity：1000 mAh
- Battery Quantity: 2 Li-ion Battery
- Flying Time: 12 mins per battery
- Charging Time: about 120 mins
- Video Transmission Range: about 60m//180ft
- Transmitter Operation Range: about 80m/240ft
- MINIMAL Operating Systems: IOS 7.0 or Android 4.4
Design and build
At first glance, the drone looks like the DJI Phantom 4. It has big landing gear, just like the P4. Due to this build, the camera and the body is placed so high that the drone won’t be in any danger during landings. But that’s not all, for perfect protection it also has some soft rubber shock absorbers. So even if you’re a beginner and you execute a rough landing, the shock won’t affect the drone.
The drone is built from strong ABS plastic casing that shields the delicate hardware parts inside very well. The SP650 weighs 125 g, which is surprisingly little, but at least you don’t have to register it with the FAA. The drone measures 10.6 by 10.6 by 4.4 inches.
Controller
The controller has a nice ergonomic shape that will fit just right in your hand. It has matte coloring so that you can hold it safely even if you have sweaty palms. It has small icons next to the buttons which clearly indicates every action. The range of the controller from the drone is 80 meters, this is a nice controller. So be careful to don’t fly too far away with it.
Battery
With the standard package, you get two batteries for the drone with a capacity of 1000mAh. Each battery will give you 12 minutes of flight time. But if you prefer, you can order an extra two batteries so that you have an extra flight time.
The batteries need 120 minutes in order to be charged fully. The charger you get in the package can handle two batteries at the same time. These batteries are smart modular batteries and they are easy to remove and insert into the drone. When the battery starts to run low, it will alert you with a beep so that you can bring the drone back home safely.
Camera
The main reason why people buy drones is so that they can have a nice aerial camera to record their precious or cool moments. And this drone camera is just perfect for this purpose. The SP650 comes with a 1080p HD camera with a manually adjustable angle. However, it is placed to capture as much ground for your photos as possible, so you won’t need to adjust it. It has a 120 degrees wide field of view so you won’t miss anything.
The drone also features FPV, which means that you can follow the camera’s action in a live feed. For this, you will have to download the manufacturer’s app which is available for both Android and iOS devices. The controller also features a smartphone holder, so you won’t have to hold the phone in your hand. The FPV range is only 60 meters. This is not a big number, but if you keep the drone close, it should be enough.
As for the footage, the drone has a slot for a memory card, unfortunately, you have to buy the card separately. But you’re in a good situation anyway because having a memory card as your main storage is so much better rather than to save the footage on your phone. For a drone with this size and range of features, you will have a great experience capturing your moments from the aerial viewpoint.
Performance and flight experience
In order to make clear photos and usable videos, you will need to have smooth control and some flight options that help you with this. Luckily the drone flies very smoothly and responds quickly to the orders. But there are still some flight options that will help you to create memorable footage. So here are the flight options that this drone is capable of:
Trajectory flight
This mode is also known as Point of interest. In this feature, you can fly the drone with a pre-programmed flight path. All you have to do is mark a few spots on the map. This feature works only using the app. The drone will follow this path until it reaches the last point. This way you can fly the drone hands-free.
Voice and Gesture Control
Now, these are some cool features that show the real value of the drone. If you show a “V” sign to the camera it will start to capture images in a few seconds. If you show your Palm to the drone it will start to record a video.
The voice control feature has been present in the Snaptain drones since 2019, but it’s still a fun feature. Now with all the virtual assistants from Apple and Google that replies to your voice commands this can be really handful. However, in this case, there are only some specific commands that the drone can understand. You can find them in the manual or on their support page.
Others
Besides this, it can also do one-key take-off and landing, altitude hold, headless mode, 3-speed mode. But I won’t talk about these because these are some basic features that come with basically any camera drone.
Conclusion
My final verdict is that the Snaptain SP650 Quadcopter from our review is a well-designed drone with a bunch of good features that could be really a handful in some situations. However, the cheap price reflects on the low-quality hardware inside, which leads to the low flight range and FPV. But if you want a cheap drone with a lot of features you won’t find any better drone out there.
If you’re interested in purchasing the SP650 you can buy it from Amazon.
