Holy Stone HS165
Amazing Value For Money Drone
The Holy Stone HS165 is a compact foldable quadcopter that will cost you less than $200.
It is easy to fly and boasts a range of advanced features that allow you to capture great aerial images and record quality video footage; just what you need to document your fun adventures if you are constantly on the road.
Holy Stone HS165 Review
If you are looking for your first drone experience, it is natural that you’d want to go for an affordable model in the market. After all, you don’t want to spend a fortune on something that you are still trying to wrap your head around its operation.
However, this doesn’t rob you of the right to get a quality quadcopter!
The HS165 is a great example of a budget drone model with high-level features that will impress even the intermediate drone enthusiast. In this review, we take a closer look at what you can expect from its specifications to determine if it’s right for you!
Key Specs | |
Charging Time | Around 120 Minutes |
Flight Time | 15 Minutes |
Control Range | 400m horizontal range, 120m (maximum vertical range) |
Battery | 880 mAh 7.4V lipo battery |
Camera | 1080p HD FPV Camera |
Holy Stone HS165 at a Glance
If the most customer reviews I’ve gone through are anything to go by, the latest pocket-size drone from Holy Stone seems to tick all the boxes.
The manufacturer has focused on producing an affordable quadcopter with more than decent features to make drone flying easier and more enjoyable for you.
Here is an in-depth look at the various features:
Flight Time
According to Holy Stone, the HS 165 offers around 15 minutes of flight time, which is pretty remarkable for a quadcopter in its price range.
You can credit this to the 880 mAh 7.4V Li-po battery that powers the drone; a new kind of modular range batteries that have been designed to store the charge longer and prolong the playtime.
I must confess that 15 minutes sounds good on an entry-level drone, but it may not be enough for any first-timer who’s just discovered the joy of drone flying.
If you want to make the most of your playtime, I advise that you purchase extra batteries to fully enjoy the features on the HS165.
Range
You’ll be able to fly the HS165 to a maximum horizontal distance of 400m and a vertical distance of 120m with the remote controller. This is an impressive range for such a small drone and will allow you to document hard-to-access objects and physical features with relative ease.
Its 2.4GHz transmitter comes with an ergonomic design and a lightweight build that will fit naturally into your palms. All the controls are straight-forward and easy to understand, making it more user-friendly for inexperienced pilots.
The transmitter is powered by a 3.7V 300mAh Li-po battery which can run for approximately 30 minutes. The battery comes pre-installed and is rechargeable to save you the trouble of getting extra batteries.
On the controller, you’ll notice a smartphone attachment right in the middle that will accommodate a big phone. This means you can also fly the drone with the help of Wi-Fi transmission, which allows you a maximum range of about 300m.
Camera
One of the greatest features of this drone should be the camera. The HS165 is fitted with a 1080p HD camera that enables you to experience the world from above with utmost fanfare.
The camera boasts a 90° wide-angle field of view that allows you to capture more details in your shots and video recordings.
Although you don’t get 4K capabilities, the resolution is decent enough for your home videos and when playing with friends.
You’ll also be able to enjoy live HD video footage transmission to your smartphone through the drone’s 5G Wi-Fi, which makes the experience even more fulfilling.
There is no image stabilization gimbal on the camera, but the drone’s 6-axis gyroscope will minimize any sort of distortion in your videos and images.
Furthermore, there is an SD card slot on the drone that you can insert to store images and video files from your smartphone. The SD card will, however, only accommodate cards with a maximum memory of 32GB.
Overall, the HS165 has a remarkable camera for its price range! I can’t promise you’ll win any photography awards with this camera, but the quality you get offers a great bang for the buck.
Flying Experience
Flying the HS165 is a joy to both beginner and continuing drone enthusiasts. The GPS module on the drone allows it to maintain a stable position in the air and a barometric function analyzes air pressure changes to help it sustain a certain altitude.
The use of GPS on this drone makes for smart flight systems that easen the task of flying for new pilots while making it exciting for advanced pilots.
The quadcopter can be flown autonomously using modes such as Follow Me, Orbit Mode, and you can even customize your flight track system.
Aside from these intelligent flight functions, a bunch of safe flight features on the HS165 ensure that you can never lose sight of your drone. Should you fly it out of range, a “Smart Return to Home” feature will bring it back to you.
Automatic take-off/landing also keeps the drone from crash landing when it runs out of battery.
What Do We Like?
There are many great features on this pocket-size drone. My personal favorite is the 1080p HD camera, which offers more than you can expect for a machine in this price range.
Apart from the decent-quality images and videos, you also get to stream live footage on your phone and share files on your social media.
The drone is lightweight and compact, measuring just 26 by 18 by 5 inches and weighs around 170g. This makes it quite easy to carry around when you are traveling.
Despite its small build, the HS165 features a high-quality plastic construction that protects it from minor bumps and crashes.
The transmitter has an ergonomic design that remains comfortable in your hands even after prolonged use. Furthermore, all the controls have been marked to make it easy for new users to operate.
The HS165 offers an impressive flight time that can easily rival drones in a higher price category.
New modular range batteries have been fitted on this drone and its controller to increase their usage, and you can still buy extra batteries to extend your playtime.
This drone offers a range of intelligent flight modes that enhance its performance in the air and the safety flight functions ensure that the drone is always within reach. As a result, the experience is satisfying for both new advanced drone pilots.
What Don’t We Like?
There are not many things on the HS165 that will leave you unimpressed, however, there have been notable complaints by customers regarding the lack of response from the transmitter controls.
Additionally, this drone does not come with an obstacle avoidance feature, and this requires that you fly it cautiously in the open field to avoid any risk of mid-air crashes.
Another grievance is that the drone propellers do not have guards, which exposes them to easy damage.
PROS
CONS
Advice to Buyers
Overall, the HS165 drone is an exciting choice for both the beginner and advanced drone enthusiasts. It comes with a slew of remarkable features that you’ll be lucky to find in a quadcopter in its price range.
As a novice, you get a great introduction into the drone world with an easy-to-fly drone, and as an advanced hobbyist, you get a feature-rich drone with quality specifications to take your budget drone experience to the next level.
Everything considered, I’ll have no second thoughts about investing in a quality drone like the HS165.
Summing it all up...
It is clear that the HS165 is a unique drone with impressive flight performance, and it would be the perfect gift for anyone who appreciates drone technology.
But before you start enjoying the glory of this quadcopter, remember that it has no obstacle sensors, so try as much as possible to fly it in the open field where there are few or no impediments.
For drones similar to the Holy Stone HS165, check out our list of some of the best drones under $200!
Last update on 2024-09-11 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API This article contains affiliate links which for which the owner of the site may receive a commision.
