Xiaomi Mi Drone unveiled: the first modular consumer drone
The first Xiaomi drone has just gone official: welcome the Xiaomi Mi Drone.
At first sight, the Mi Drone is not much different than your regular quadcopter: it features a fully-rotatable 4K camera (a cheaper version with a 1080p cam will also be offered) stabilized on a gimbal, and there is a remote with a holder to attach your Xiaomi smartphone and use it as a viewfinder.
A $450 drone with a 4K camera, 3km range and 27 minutes flight time
The really innovative feature of the Mi Drone, however, is the fact that you can detach certain parts of it and the drone is easily serviceable and practically modular: you can detach the camera module, as well as the rotors.The Mi Drone ships with a 5,100 mAh battery on board and it should be able to fly up to 27 minutes on a single charge. Expected range is 1.86 miles (3 km).
The good news is that the prices for the Xiaomi Mi Drone are really affordable in a typical for the company fashion. The Mi Drone with a 1080p camera will cost some $380 (2,500 yuan), while the one equipped with a 4K camera will retail for nearly $460 (3,000 yuan).
Keep in mind that like most Xiaomi products, the Mi Drone will be sold first in China with no news about availability in the United States or Europe.
source: Mi.com (translated)
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