The Syma X500 4K drone is a great entry-level drone that you’d want to carry around during your outdoor adventures. It might come in a compact package, but packs more high-performance features than expected in its price range. While it is best suited for learners, experienced pilots can still have decent fun with it!
SYMA X500 4K Drone Review
Beginner drones have come a long way ever since their introduction into the market. Despite their continuous drop in price, the current range integrates many cool features that you’d ordinarily find on more expensive drones.
The Syma X500 is a great example of the high-quality you stand to get in a contemporary entry-level drone.
From a 4K camera to 25 minutes of flight time, this is just a taste of what you get on this compact drone. But there’s more to go around as we shall see in the following Syma X500 4K drone review. Let us look at what it has to offer.
Key Specs | |
Charging Time | 3 Hours |
Flight Time | 25 Minutes |
Control Range | 350m |
Battery | 1200 mAh LiPo battery |
Camera |
|
Syma X500 at a Glance
The Syma X500 is a well designed foldable quadcopter that looks like any other high-end drone in the market. It comes fitted with various cool features to provide a memorable flying experience for both rookie and experienced drone pilots. Below, we put the X500 under the spotlight by examining its features individually.
FLIGHT TIME
According to the manufacturer, the Syma X500 offers a flight time of between 25-28 minutes. However, flying it in real-world conditions delivers just about 20 minutes of playtime, which is still pretty decent for a beginner drone.
But what will impress you is that the package contains an extra battery to provide you with unlimited drone flying fun. You can credit the long flight time to the 7.6V 1700mAh battery fitted on the drone. The modular battery can be switched effortlessly without posing a risk to your safety.
Furthermore, it only requires 3 hours to fully recharge, which is one of the shortest times in the industry. It won’t be long before you continue having fun with your quad.
Control Range
Just like the quadcopter itself, the controller’s design is based on that of the DJI products. The X500 employs a compact and minimalist 2.4GHz transmitter that can control the drone to a maximum distance of 350m and a ceiling of 100m. This will be more than adequate for a rookie pilot still learning how to fly a drone.
When managing the flight via the FPV feature, the transmission range notably drops to 300m. A couple of GPS-supported flight functions allow you to have a safer flying experience, which is what you’d want as a blunder-prone beginner.
For instance, the Auto Home Return function ensures the drone flies back to the point of take-off when you fly it out of range. The same happens when the battery is running low on power to ensure that you never lose your prized possession.
You’ll like the ergonomic feel of the transmitter, which fits snugly inside your palms. Its small and lightweight frame also ensures that you won’t get tired of holding it during those long flying sessions. Included is a smartphone mount which allows you to mound your phone to enjoy the FPV feature.
Finally, the remote boasts an eco-friendly design with no AA batteries, which should appeal to any drone enthusiasts with a soft spot for the environment.
CAMERA
A camera is one of the first features that potential buyers look for in a drone and the reason why some models have become so popular over the years. However, if you want to take professional-level pics and videos, you might have to spend more than the $200 range the Syma X500 finds itself in.
I have to admit that the inclusion of “4K” in the description of the X500 might be a little bit misleading. This is because the X500 doesn’t have a true 4K camera. While it can shoot still images in 4k, it can only record videos in 1080p. So, don’t assume you can use the drone to capture professional footage.
Having said that, the camera is pretty acceptable for a drone in its price range. It also features a wide-angle 120-degrees field of view, that allows for maximum details in your shots. You can also adjust the lens through 90 degrees to get different viewing angles when capturing your footage.
Regrettably, the Syma X500 camera has a slight fish-eye effect. Unlike other drones such as the DJI Tello, it doesn’t have a reliable stabilization feature, and this compromises the quality of the recording in breezy flying conditions.
For a more immersive flying session, you can take advantage of the FPV feature to access footage of the drone in real-time. Additionally, a micro-SD card is conveniently included to cater to your file storage needs.
FLIGHT EXPERIENCE
The Syma X500 offers a relatively comfortable flying performance. The fact that it’s a GPS drone means you get a range of GPS-assisted flight modes to simplify the process. But aside from that, an optical flow sensor at the bottom of the quad allows for a more stable hover, which will prove useful when recording footage.
Overall, the drone is pretty nimble in the air, thanks to its lightweight and compact frame. It can perform various aerial tricks like 3D flips whenever you want to show off to your family or friends.
Other interesting in-flight modes on the X500 include Follow Me, which gets the drone to track your movement as it flies. The Gesture Control lets you issue commands through simple hand gestures while Tap fly makes for interesting photo capturing sessions.
To further make flying easier for rookie pilots, you can’t miss basic quad flight modes like the One-key Takeoff/Landing and Return to Home buttons. Overall, the drone responds well to commands and proves to be an ideal choice for inexperienced drone pilots.
What Do We Like?
For an entry-level drone, the Syma X500 comes with a range of decent quality features that will make for the perfect introduction into the drone flying world. Firstly, the quadcopter only weighs 205g, which is conveniently under the FAA weight limit for drone registration. This saves you all the bureaucracy, as well as extra costs, in registering a drone.
I also like the compact and foldable design that the X500 borrows from the DJI Mavic Air. This makes it pretty portable and great for moving around. The package even comes with a dedicated carrying case to keep the device safe during transportation.
Another impressive aspect about this drone is the inclusion of an extra battery in the package. The 1700mAh battery is already strong enough to deliver just over 20 minutes of flight time, which is already a lot at this price range. So, you can imagine the favor offered by the manufacturer by including an additional battery.
The integration of GPS in the drone allows the pilot to benefit from a range of intelligent modes. From safety functions like Auto Home Return and One-button Takeoff/Landing to Follow Me, Gesture Control, Headless Mode, and Tap Fly, the X500 is not only easy to fly but also exciting for intermediate quad operators.
Although not the best in its class, the camera is still pretty decent for the price. Furthermore, it offers a wide-angle field of view and the opportunity to adjust the angle when shooting your footage.
Considering all the features you get on a drone that will cost you a little over $200, the Syma X500 offers a great bang for the buck! Overall, it impresses with the convenience of easy operation for newbie pilots mixed with the range of intelligent modes for a satisfying flying experience.
PROS
What Don’t We Like?
The Syma X500 is not equipped with a reliable aerial stabilization feature. Although you get optical flow sensors at the bottom, these are not enough to keep the drone as stable as you may want to capture clear footage. That’s why the X500 struggles with shaky recordings that are nowhere near professional-level.
Also, the drone can be a little unresponsive when using the app and radio controller. This could be the making of anything from interference to poor reception and the lack of enough satellites. Whichever the reason, it can be very frustrating for a pilot.
Finally, the drone doesn’t feature obstacle avoidance sensors, which is something you’d want on a beginner drone to reduce the likelihood of bumps and crashes.
CONS
Advice to Buyers
Generally, I believe the Syma X500 will be an excellent drone choice for a beginner looking for a memorable first-time flying experience. While it is simple enough to let a rookie pilot manage the flight with little hassle, there are enough high-quality features and in-flight modes to make the experience as exciting as possible.
Furthermore, it is cheap enough to keep you from spending a fortune on your first drone without sacrificing the quality. So, if you are in the market for a high-performance entry-level drone, I suggest you try out the Syma X500.
Conclusion
The Syma X500 attracts positive reviews across a diverse range of online platforms for a good reason. It is pretty compact and lightweight for portability and boasts various high-performance features.
As if the battery is not powerful enough, you are rewarded with an extra unit in the package while GPS allows you to benefit from interesting in-flight modes.
Although there is a notable oversight as far as obstacle avoidance and aerial stability is concerned, the quadcopter performs satisfactorily across the board. I don’t see you regretting the decision to make it your maiden drone purchase!
Last update on 2025-02-19 / 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.