Xiaomi Mi Drone

Xiaomi officially unveiled its first drone today, ending a week of teasers about it, and the low price of the product might bring some serious competition to the popular drone makers DJI. Like other Xiaomi products, the company didn’t actually create the Mi Drone itself. Instead it is working with Chinese-based company Flymi, which creates the devices. Xiaomi is putting its considerable brand behind the drone and selling it via its channels, which include its Mi.com online store.

The Mi drone is priced at 2499 CNY which are around 340 Euros for the 
entry-level device with a 1080P camera and 2999 CNY which are around 400 Euros for the more advanced model with a 4K camera. When comparing to the market leaders DJI they are a whole lot cheaper where as the cheapest 4K DJI starts at around 720 Euros.

Xiaomi tells us that the cheaper model will be “crowdfunded” inside the company’s Mi Home app from 26 May 2016, while the 4K drone will be made available for early testing via an open beta program at the end of July. It is still undecided whether the Mi Drone will be available outside Mainland China. The Mi Drone can fly for up to 27 minutes per session thanks to the 5,100 mAh battery and to a range of 3km. The Mi Drone specs are well competitive when compared to the high-end DJI drones. It also includes a 360-degree camera that can shoot 4K video, and handheld remote which has the option of attaching a smartphone for a live-feed view from the drone. The pieces seem to be modular, which means replacing them — and the battery — is possible.