The Mantis Q is a great drone so far, and ready to compete. Now, DJI is not the only monster player in town if you would like a small, relatively strong drone with a semi-reasonable price tag. Yuneec has launched their latest travel drone in the US. Pre-orders was started back in August 2018 for the new travel drone the Mantis Q, a robotic flier that blurs the lines between drones such as the Spark and higher-priced counterparts such as the Mavic Air.

The Mantis Q Price and Facts

For mere $499.00, you are mostly getting technologies that would ordinarily require a lot more expensive outlay, including 4K video recording, infrared- and sonar-based indoor stabilization, and foldable arms which make it easy to push in a backpack. There are even comparatively rare features like voice command, face detection, 44MPH top speed and a relatively lengthy 33-minute flight period. This is the best flight time in consumer drone market.

 Yuneec Mantis Q Foldable Drone Using 4K UHD Camera and WiFi Remote Mobile Move Kit Landing Pad, VR FPV Goggles, Backpack, Higher Speed Memory Card & One Year Warranty Extension Bundle

The Mantis Q Release Date

Pre-orders for the Mantis Q could be put on Yuneec’s official website, and shipping is anticipated to begin on the 3rd of September 2018. The drone can be bought in the X package or the setup. The setup includes spare propellers, battery, remote control and a charger which charges up to three batteries. The X Bundle consists of three batteries, the controller and two sets of propellers.

There will be sacrifices. It is indeed more significant than the Spark drone in 6.6 inches and weighs just over 16 oz. You are also looking at a vertical-only camera gimbal that will not please committed drone cinematographers. This is more for shooting your holiday or taking an aerial selfie than creating an excellent video.

Yuneec has not stated when the Mantis Q will send, but regular drone navigators may wish to be patient. A $650 X-Pack package will provide you with two additional batteries and a shoulder bag when it arrives later on n 2018. It likely won’t tempt you when you are mostly concerned with picture quality and the size of the feature checklist. It may, however, be tempting if you would like more than a starter drone without paying as much as you might on a beautiful computer.

Mantis Q Camera and Gimbal

Rather than incorporating a 3-axis gimbal, Mantis Q is intended to stabilize videos up to 1080p. Technically, the drone of Yuneec is produced to shoot at 4K videos up, but image stabilization works for video around 60fps.  Mantis Q is packed with features that provide other similarly-priced customer quadcopters a run for their money. But the absence of a 3-axis gimbal has to be taken under account, particularly for drone pilots seeking to film videos with a little shake as you can.

Digital Stabilization Video vs. 3-axis Gimbal

Digitally stabilized videos could be sufficient for social media articles where video quality is less of a priority, but drone videos captured on 3-axis gimbal almost always beat electronically stabilized videos, especially since electronic stabilization typically plants the movie. If ultimate drone videos are essential, if constant, consider waiting before pre-ordering for any flight footage or testimonials the Mantis Q.

The drone has three automatic flight modes: “traveling style,” which flies on a direct, designated route; “point of interest,” which circles an assigned item; and” return to home,” which returns the drone close to its takeoff area. The Mantis Q will have the ability to recognize faces from around 13 feet away and can take photos either via gesture controller mode when the user waves their hand, or via a voice command such as, “Take a selfie.”

Yuneec’s offered the less expensive Breeze 4K since 2016, but it costs $400, has a flight time of 12 minutes, and does not include voice controls. The new Mantis Q is intended to compete with DJI’s customer drones such as the Spark, which costs $400 and even consists of this attractive LINE bear alternative. Though the Mantis Q is $100 more expensive, it makes up for the price using a battery life that is almost three times as long and has the benefit of voice controls.

What do you get with the drone?

The drone ships with a controller, battery, cables, charger, and an extra set of propellers– but you will need to pair your smartphone to it if you need a video linkage. The hand controller also contains a  return-to-home button to aid with landing for novice pilots.

The Mantis Q is available now. Here is the best price package we could find online, and it even comes with a 1-year warranty. 

Is the Mantis Q drone better than the DJI Spark and Mavic Air? Yes, and here is why.

Yuneec Mantis Q vs. DJI Spark, Mavic Pro, and Mavic Air? Here’s a comprehensive breakdown on how the Yuneec Mantis Q stacks up v.s the DJI Mavic Pro, Mavic Air, and Spark drones.

Yuneec has remained the competitor in disrupting the monopoly over the last couple of years of DJI while DJI dominates the on all fronts. Does a chance stand against the extensive lineup of consumer drones of DJI?

The DJI Mavic Air appears to be the best option if you’re merely searching based on specs alone. It’s less expensive than the Mavic Pro but offers many officially useful features, like internal storage (so the drone records your video footage in the event you don’t have a memory card), and forward and backward obstacle avoidance.

The standout difference with the Yuneec Mantis Q is the flight time and flight speed– 33 minutes the DJI Sparks and 16 minutes more than even the DJI Mavic Pro’s 27 minutes. That alone makes the Mantis Q worthwhile for most shoppers.

Here’s a useful chart that shows how the Mantis Q by Yuneec stacks up v.s the Mavic Pro, Mavic Air, and Spark drones.