It’s hard to believe that the now rapidly growing drone industry is just a few years old. Not long ago, drones were a novelty but now they are brought all over the world by travelers to add a new perspective to their holiday photos and videos. DJI single-handedly created the consumer drone market of today with the first Phantom quadcopter. Since then, they’ve added high quality cameras and taken the technology farther than anybody could have imagined.
A recent entrant in the space is Yuneec, headquartered in Shenzhen just like DJI. With their Typhoon H, they have built a competitor to the Phantom, but the question is, which one is better for travelers? Let’s find out!
Camera and transmission
Both drones come with integrated cameras capable of 4K video and 12 megapixel photos, mounted on three-axis gimbals to keep them stable. They also transmit live HD video to the pilot’s smart device so that they control the camera more accurately.
The Phantom 4 has a clear edge here, though. While the Typhoon H has a range of around 1 mile, the Phantom 4’s innovative Lightbridge technology increases range to up to 3 miles, so you can fly out to the perfect spot for your shot and not worry about losing contact with your Phantom.
Performance
Performance is where the Phantom 4 clearly stands out. First of all, its hover performance leads the market thanks to DJI having had years and four iterations to improve both hardware, sensors and software algorithms. It flies well inside thanks to its Vision Position System and can easily handle moving from indoor to outdoors.
The Phantom 4 leads in terms of speed too, with its Sport Mode that goes up to 40 miles per hour. The Typhoon H, in contrast, only reaches 22 miles per hour. This may have something to do with the Typhoon’s extra weight — a full pound extra. This extra weight means it’s also harder to transport plus it’s chunky body and remote makes it difficult to carry on planes. Not ideal for travelling around the world.
Smart Features
Both drones feature intelligent visual sensing and tracking. DJI’s to main features are called Obstacle Avoidance and ActiveTrack, whereas Yuneec’s is an Intel system called RealSense.
While DJI’s system is proven and clearly effective, making it easier for beginner pilots to fly safely, Yuneec’s tech has yet to reach the market and is therefore. For those wanting collision avoidance t o make sure that their UAV won’t crash or lose control, the Phantom 4 is probably a better choice.
Conclusion
Considering the points of range and transmission performance, speed and smart features and taking into account that the Typhoon H costs $1,299 while the DJI Phantom 4 is $1,199 this comparison has a clear winner. The best drone for travel is: the DJI Phantom 4.