Is the Parrot AR.Drone 2.0 still worth it?

Drone Reviews Forum
1

I’ve never owned a drone before, and the Parrot AR.Drone 2.0 seems to meet most of my needs and fits within my budget. But it’s been out for about 3 years now, and I’m wondering if it’s still a good buy, especially if a newer version comes out soon.

Is this drone still worth getting? If not, does anyone have suggestions for alternatives? My budget is $500AUD ($350USD) and my requirements are: HD camera with video recording, smartphone controlled, around 40m range, 10 minutes flight time, and protection around the blades.

2

I played with my friend’s AR.Drone 2.0 out in the country. It was a lot of fun! But there are some issues: it’s not great in strong winds, hard to see its orientation sometimes (my friend repainted it to help with that), and using a smartphone or tablet in bright sunlight was a bit tricky.

3

It checks off all the boxes for what you need, but don’t expect top-notch video quality.

4

It’s a great starter drone, affordable, with plenty of spare parts and good repair guides. It records 1080p video to a USB drive.

The Wi-Fi control can be spotty, it’s not very stable in the wind, no pan/tilt camera, short battery life, and limited range.

Overall, it’s solid for the price and a good drone to learn on.

5

It’s a really fun toy, but don’t expect the video quality to compare to what you see online.

6

I wouldn’t buy a drone that’s controlled through a touchscreen if you’re planning to fly it regularly.

7

It’s stable in most conditions and pretty quick, but I personally prefer using a transmitter. The video quality could also be better.