That would seem to support the 200Mbps video bitrate claim. I quite like the idea of built-in storage, since I've forgotten to install the SD card more than I care to remember!

The downside is Hubsan will probably charge quite a bit more than the going rate for storage. I'm guessing the jump from 64G to 128G will be $100, with 128G only being enough storage for about 1 hour of video at max settings. Hopefully there is also a micro SD option that just didn't make it into the spec sheet since most of us have some extra SD cards lying around, although maybe not fast enough for 200Mbps video.

That's true - Apple certainly gouge iPhone buyers! On the plus side, the bill of materials cost may be the same as for a "normal" drone, since there's no need for a card holder. Let's hope there's a USB3 connection to a pc in addition to any 5.8g wifi link.

Am I the only one thinking this stretches the bounds of credibility? It almost seems magical. Is it possible to have a 200g drone with these specs, or would the battery life be severely compromised?

Originally Posted by SamMateo

Am I the only one thinking this stretches the bounds of credibility? It almost seems magical. Is it possible to have a 200g drone with these specs, or would the battery life be severely compromised?

Well, minus the weight factor, they haven't achieved these spec's on their larger version '2' drones yet right?

The DJI mini 1 had a 200g option for Japan with a smaller battery.

Originally Posted by misterpepper

A new spec sheet has been posted by Hubsan. I'm especially excited about the new Gary color for the remote. Interestingly it doesn't mention use of a separate SD card, only internal memory in the drone for video storage. Mostly the specs look really good. No mention of aperature control for the lens and time-lapse (hyperlapse) photography is listed as TBD, but waypoints, vision tracking, sub 250g, grade 5 wind resistance, 200Mbps video bitrate and 40 minute flight time are all confirmed. There will even be a 200g model for Japan it seems.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LAZVkwBUh4Y

Originally Posted by stevea3342

Interesting, Grade 5 wind and built in memory card 64/128gb. I could see where they could have problems with SSD card speeds and didn't want to deal with it.

@misterpepper & @stevea3342
Thanks for the update and great insights! Sorry I've missed the input of others as I've just begun reading your responses to the spec drop above.

This drone is quite the engineering feat that resets the bar for sub-250g camera drones. I didn't think we'd see anything like this for many years to come, particularly if we waited for DJI to take the lead within the constraints of their marketing strategy -- devised to avoid cannibalization of their multi-tier consumer market which leverages price for features. If Hubsan delivers with sufficient refinement in the first generation at under $500 USD, this has the potential to make Hubsan a household name, while no doubt changing the trajectory of all sub-250g camera drones. I'm not even sure I believe these specs are possible within that weight limit in a sufficiently robust pocket drone. Enough speculation and troll feed.

64G/128G eMMC Memory:
Great catch and insights on the eMMC (embedded MultiMediaCard). This will no doubt reduce customer support headaches as you've mentioned, but 200Mbit/s sequential writes shouldn't be a problem either way in light of inexpensive U3 MicroSD cards. Not to mention a new generation of XC II bus cards. eMMC is typically rated at 400MByte/s for sequential writes while U3 XC I SDXC is rated at just 39MByte/s minimum. Now keep in mind that 200Mbit/s is only 25MByte/s. Most of my U3 cards benchmark between 47 and 85 MByte/s for sequential writes. Obviously real-world scenarios differ from specs and benchmarks so perhaps there's a true necessity for eMMC in this drone. After all, the Fimi X8 SE series writes two video files simultaneously to the SD card, perhaps to provide proxy files for editing...?

This spec could be setting up a price difference for a 64GB model versus a 128GB model (aka Apple).

But lets hope there's an SD card option because if internal memory is the sole option, then this will prove clunky.

• Cable or wireless download from the drone may require that the drone be powered on.
• Exclusive internal memory would also limit a flight session because 200Mbit/s will fill 64GB (59GB nominal) in one battery's flight time, while only doubling that with the 128GB (119GB nominal) option.
• Many of us swap memory cards with each battery swap in order to preserve the footage potentially lost with subsequent SD card corruption or drone loss.

Camera:
A variable aperture would add complexity and perhaps significant weight. But the f/1.85 aperture combined with a 1/1.3" sensor should be superb in low-light. And the 48MP sensor indicates Quad Bayer filter traits which extends the flexibility and overall performance considerably (as I outlined in a previous post above, and as we've seen from the Air 2 and EVO 2 8K). The only bummer with this camera is the limited framerate at 4K (4K@30). That's likely a thermal limit based on the gimbal size, but I sure wish it were 4K@60. Let's hope 4K@30 translates to 2.7K@60 and 1080p@120 minimum. In any case, this camera threatens to drive consumer expectations and end the era of dumbed-down camera-drones in the sub-250g space.

Dual Antenna:
This showed up in a drone category as opposed to a remote-control spec. Just like O3 (Ocusync 3.0) adopted 4 drone antennas, this step-up to dual drone antennas will no doubt improve FPV reliability and perhaps control during cinematography that includes significant yawing or rotation. That's why I've often said that range tests are an inadequate indicator of the cinematic utility of a drone. And that's why our friend aiolosimport of the Fimi X8 SE thread has opted-out of long range testing while replacing it with slow 360 yaw turns at various altitudes out to maybe 2km max.

Obstacle Avoidance (OA):
Like the camera, this really steps-up the game among sub-250g camera drones. The forward, back and down sensors stop short of full 360 OA, but this is a welcome feature that's critical with some Tracking duties.

Li-ion battery chemistry:
The 16m/s top speed at 40 degrees tilt combined with 40 minute flight time from a mere 2S battery pak is super impressive. These sub-250g drones are perhaps the perfect match for Li-ion with it's limited but adequate 8C discharge rate and superior energy density. But you'll still have to choose between Sports mode or flight time as with any drone. But based on the power-curve of Li-ion, it's not likely to maintain grade 5 wind resistance below 20% battery levels (beyond ~30 minutes flight time). No big deal, but a significant point of education and consideration in practice.

Tracking, Headless, Waypoints and Ray flight modes:
Actually I don't know what Hubsan means by 'Ray flight' but I hope it's a Spotflight function leveraging tracking capabilities...? I don't see any Quick Shot options but the listed Hubsan flight modes are arguably more useful if you fly more often than once a month. I would personally miss a more steadfast GPS-based Orbit and Spiral, but the listed modes are a huge step-up from my DJI Mini 2. And I think some level of Sports Tracking is the minimum consumer expectation for any pocket drone.

Precision Landing:
Last but certainly least, are questions surrounding this gee-wiz feature. Will Hubsan utilize the optical flow camera or main camera for landing pad identification? The latter risks camera damage in some cases and hasn't proven reliable with previous Hubsan drones.

You forgot the most important item from the spec list.
Colour = Gary

It doesn't get any better than this :-)

I'm happy to see tracking and Waypoints. DJI will probably have to step up and not leave things like this to Litchi if they are found working well in what the trolls will call Toy Drones.

I've certainly been having fun exploring the waypoint features of my "toy grade" X8.....

Reading the user reviews of the X-Hubsan2 app doesn't fill me with confidence, no matter how impressive the drone's specs are.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/d...llReviews=true

You really need to read between the lines with online reviews. Bear in mind there are a ton of stupid things people do, and important things they miss. I'm more inclined to judge it by forum threads and YT reviews.

Originally Posted by IanGB

Reading the user reviews of the X-Hubsan2 app doesn't fill me with confidence, no matter how impressive the drone's specs are.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/d...llReviews=true

Yep. We all know Hubsan well enough to know that it will take a miracle for them to deliver a sufficiently refined drone at launch. That's why we've joked about the Zino Mini Pro 2 Plus being the realistic target in 18 months while early adopters serve as beta testers along the journey. Lets hope we're wrong.

This pricing looks familiar from the Fimi Mini launch ;-)

https://www.banggood.com/Hubsan-ZINO...p-1841971.html

At least it's not geekbuying or whatever was the disaster from the previous Hubsan launch.

Looks like it has 'fast transfer' feature. Maybe to move video from drone to your phone?

No sign of a controller yet... Maybe they haven't gotten around to building rendering one yet.

Originally Posted by stevea3342

This pricing looks familiar from the Fimi Mini launch ;-)

Their Australian pricing is a very precise AU$913.48 (+AU$6.89 shipping.)

At that price, it would have to live up to the specs! It would have to comprehensively outperform the Mini2 to get any market share. The thing I'm most doubtful of is the claimed 40 minute flight time with a 2400mAh LiLon battery, I just can't see how they would get 30% more endurance than similar drones. There are no advances in props, motors and ESC's that could explain it, and the battery is more or less the same capacity and weight as the ones used in those other drones.

Originally Posted by 2Doggs

At that price, it would have to live up to the specs! It would have to comprehensively outperform the Mini2 to get any market share. The thing I'm most doubtful of is the claimed 40 minute flight time with a 2400mAh LiLon battery, I just can't see how they would get 30% more endurance than similar drones. There are no advances in props, motors and ESC's that could explain it, and the battery is more or less the same capacity and weight as the ones used in those other drones.

They are even doubling down on their time estimates with specific info on reaching those times. I agree, I don't see how it is possible but I would at least assume the times don't include recording video at the same time.