Skydio 2 Drone Review and Comparison

The Skydio 2 is a top-of-the-line drone that's packed with features and capabilities. It has a 5.1-mile range and can fly for up to 23 minutes.

Its camera is capable of shooting 4K video at 60 frames per second, which is perfect for capturing smooth and stabilized footage. The drone also has a 3D obstacle avoidance system that allows it to navigate through complex environments with ease.

One of the standout features of the Skydio 2 is its ability to follow subjects automatically, using a combination of cameras and sensors to track and maintain a safe distance. This makes it a great choice for filmmakers and photographers who need to capture high-quality footage without the hassle of manual tracking.

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The Skydio 2 is an incredibly capable drone that offers several key features that set it apart from other drones on the market. It's equipped with a 40MP camera that captures stunning 4K video at 60fps.

Its advanced obstacle avoidance system allows it to fly smoothly and safely, even in complex environments. This feature is made possible by its 13 cameras that provide a 360-degree view of its surroundings.

One of the standout features of the Skydio 2 is its ability to capture professional-grade footage with ease. With features like cinematic mode and hyperlapse, you'll be able to create stunning videos that look like they were shot by a pro.

The Skydio 2 is a game-changer for videography, capturing 4K video up to 60fps with HDR, powered by Sony's IMX577 1/2.3” 12.3MP sensor.

Its obstacle avoidance capabilities make it effortless to fly through complex environments, allowing you to capture video that would be otherwise impossible.

The drone's image signal processor is Qualcomm's RedDragon QCS605, which helps it take brilliant, cinematic shots automatically.

However, getting a specific shot can be challenging, especially for photographers who want to take control of the drone.

You'll need to be ultra-familiar with the drone and have spent a number of flight hours with it to get the exact shots you want.

The Skydio 2 captures images at 12MP, but the still photography quality is mixed, especially for close-up shots where there's some distortion and a fisheye look.

For videography, the Skydio 2 shines with its obstacle avoidance and cinematic shots, making it a great choice for photographers who want to capture stunning video.

You can purchase a filter set from PolarPro, which includes an ND8, ND16, and ND32 filter using Cinema Series Glass, for an additional cost.

The Skydio 2's tracking feature is incredibly effective, consistently keeping you in frame even in dense environments. It prioritizes obstacle avoidance over tracking, which means it may not always be exactly where you want it to be.

In obstacle-dense areas, the drone takes creative paths to avoid collisions, but still manages to track you well. I found it to be very consistent in keeping me in frame, except when changing direction while fully occluded by an obstacle or during dynamic avoidance maneuvers.

The Skydio 2 can track you running through dense trees with ease, even when changing its tracking angle frequently. It's also fast enough to keep up with you on a bike, even while avoiding tree branches.

However, the drone will lose you if you ask it to follow very close behind you in tight spaces, but it fails more or less gracefully by bailing to a safe spot. This is a good thing, as it knows better than to put itself into situations it can't handle.

After getting used to the drone's tracking feature, I found I could set it to track me and then forget about it while I rode my bike or did other activities. This level of trust is something I don't think would be possible with any other drone.

This feature is perfect for individuals who want to track their daily habits, such as exercise, sleep, or water intake. The habit tracker allows users to set reminders and receive notifications to stay on track.

Small business owners can benefit from the feature, as it enables them to manage their daily tasks and responsibilities. The feature helps them stay organized and focused on their goals.

For those who struggle with procrastination, the feature can be a game-changer. By breaking down large tasks into smaller, manageable chunks, users can make steady progress and stay motivated.

The feature is also suitable for students, who can use it to plan their study schedule and stay on top of assignments. The calendar view allows users to visualize their tasks and deadlines.

The Skydio 2 is a powerhouse of a drone, and here are some key technical details to keep in mind.

It has a maximum flight time of 23 minutes, giving you plenty of time to capture stunning footage.

The drone's camera is a 12-megapixel sensor with a 1/2.3-inch CMOS image sensor, which provides excellent image quality.

This camera is also capable of capturing 4K video at 60fps, making it perfect for capturing smooth and detailed footage.

The Skydio 2 also has a 3-axis gimbal, which helps to stabilize the camera and reduce shake and vibration.

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The Skydio 2 is a game-changer in fully autonomous cinematography. It's an attempt to rectify issues with industry-leading computer vision.

The Skydio 2 hits the market at a highly competitive price point of $999, significantly cheaper than the Mavic 2. This is a huge surprise, especially considering it's over $1,500 cheaper than the original R1 upon launch.

The Skydio 2's camera captures 4k video at 60 fps in full HDR. The Sony 1/2.3”, 12.3MP camera is a significant upgrade.

The battery life has been bumped up from 16 minutes to 23 minutes on a single battery. This is a notable improvement.

The Skydio 2 can hit a top speed of 36mph. It's also portable enough for aerial photography on the go.

Under the hood is an NVIDIA Jetson TX2, which is the fastest, most power-efficient embedded AI on the market. This powerful processor won't let you down.

Skydio is so confident in its tech that it will repair or replace crashed drones for free, as long as you're operating within its 'Safe Flight guidelines'.

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The specs of this device are quite impressive. It has a 6.1-inch AMOLED display with a resolution of 1080 x 2244 pixels, providing a vibrant and immersive viewing experience.

The processor is a quad-core Apple A13 Bionic chip, which delivers lightning-fast performance and efficient battery life. It's a big upgrade from previous models.

The device comes with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage, which is plenty of space for most users. You can always add more storage with a microSD card.

The battery life is excellent, lasting up to 10 hours on a single charge. This is thanks to the device's power-efficient design and optimized software.

The camera system is a major highlight, featuring a 12MP main camera and a 12MP ultra-wide-angle camera. It's perfect for capturing stunning landscapes and group photos.

The Skydio 2's camera is a solid 12-megapixel Sony camera that captures 4K video at 60 fps in full HDR.

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The camera is supported by a three-axis gimbal, which provides fantastic video stabilization that can make the video footage feel underwhelming because it's so smooth.

You can record 1080p video at 120 fps, and the camera is capable of capturing decent HDR photos, although the HDR option didn't impress the author.

The video stabilization is so good that you might wish you could turn it off to get a more dynamic experience, but unfortunately, that's not an option.

The drone itself doesn't record audio, but the app does, so you can combine the audio from your phone with the drone video, although the quality won't be great.

The Skydio 2 is a powerhouse when it comes to performance. With its 12-megapixel camera, it can capture stunning footage in 4K resolution at 60 frames per second.

The drone's processing power is also impressive, with a quad-core processor that enables fast and smooth video rendering. This means you can review and edit your footage quickly without any lag.

The Skydio 2's obstacle avoidance system is incredibly advanced, using a combination of cameras and sensors to detect and avoid obstacles in real-time. This allows you to fly with confidence, even in complex environments.

The drone's battery life is also noteworthy, with up to 23 minutes of flight time on a single charge. This gives you plenty of time to capture the shots you need without worrying about running out of power.

The Skydio 2 is priced competitively at $999, which is comparable to other high-end drones on the market. From a regular drone user's perspective, the price point shouldn't be a deterrent.

The Cinema Kit, which adds an additional $900 to the price, includes a controller, beacon, filters, an extra hardshell case, and filters for the camera. This is similar to the "Fly More" package offered by the Mavic Pro, which costs around $1,800 total.

The Skydio 2 app is user-friendly, with an easy-to-use interface that allows you to launch the drone and access basic controls. However, it lacks the polish and features of DJI's Fly app, which provides a more comprehensive and intuitive user experience.

The Skydio 2 is available for $999.

You can reserve your spot in line by placing a $100 reservation on the Skydio website.

The Skydio 2 was initially expected to start shipping in November with a limited supply for this year, but no specific shipping date is mentioned for the next batch.

The Skydio 2 app is a decent tool for controlling the drone and saving video clips, but it's not as polished as the DJI Fly app.

Launching the drone from the app is a breeze, requiring only a tap of the Launch button.

The Skydio 2 app has a nifty feature that records audio in real-time, which can be useful for syncing your voice or other sounds to the drone's flight.

However, the app doesn't have the robust tools for editing footage and syncing it to music that DJI's app offers.

The DJI Fly app has a more intuitive design, with buttons placed in locations that are maximally intuitive and a more guided experience that walks you through every step of your flight.

The Skydio app is missing features like connecting the drone step-by-step and providing information about the airspace you're in, which are available in the DJI app.

To compete with DJI, Skydio will need to iterate on its app to match DJI's standards and build a more harmonious user experience.

The Skydio 2 Review Video Highlights will give you a good idea of the drone's capabilities. The video is 7 minutes long and features 4K, 30 fps footage straight from the drone.

The footage is quite smooth, but it's worth noting that the drone is capable of recording in 4K 60 fps.

The reviewer mentions that the only editing done was cutting clips together, no stabilization or color correcting was applied.

The Cinema Kit is a significant upgrade to the Skydio 2, adding a controller, beacon, filters, an additional hardshell case, and filters for the camera for an extra $900.

The price point of $999 for the drone plus $900 for the Cinema Kit is actually in the normal range for drones of this type.

The Cinema Kit gives you a more professional setup, similar to the Mavic Pro with the "Fly More" package, which costs around $1,800 total.

Having the Cinema Kit added a few pros to the mix, but it's worth noting that the price might seem steep at first glance.

The DJI Mavic is a popular drone, but its obstacle avoidance system has some limitations. It's primarily designed to prevent accidental collisions, but it's not as advanced as the Skydio 2's system.

You can't rely on the Mavic's obstacle detection to always work, as it only functions most of the time. I've had instances where the safety system failed to kick in, leaving me with a close call.

The Mavic's obstacle avoidance is fundamentally different from the Skydio 2's system, which is designed to plan several steps ahead and avoid obstacles altogether. The Mavic is meant to be piloted, and I'm a careful pilot, so I don't worry about its limitations.

The Parrot Anafi, another drone I use, doesn't have obstacle avoidance at all, but I'm comfortable piloting it anyway.

The Skydio 2 drone has some amazing features that make it a great tool for solar contractors. It does a great job with flying autonomy, thanks to its six 4k cameras and NVIDIA graphics cards that analyze images at incredibly fast speeds.

The drone's camera quality is also top-notch, with a crisp and clear 4k image even when zig-zagging around obstacles. It's comparable to a Mavic Pro 2 and better than a Mavic Air 2.

The Skydio 2 also has a premium look and feel, with all the pieces fitting together seamlessly and securely. The beacon feature allows you to fly the drone without the controller or phone, which is especially helpful for live action tracking.

However, the drone's size can be a bit cumbersome, especially when traveling from site to site. It's not foldable like some other drones, such as the DJI Mavic Air.

The magnetic battery attachment can also be a bit confusing, but it didn't cause any problems during test flights. The controller, on the other hand, feels a bit cheap and may not be suitable for extended use in the field.

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The Skydio 2 is a game-changer for solar contractors. Its on-board obstacle avoidance feature is incredibly efficient, automatically navigating through trees and dealing with high winds. This feature is powered by six 4k cameras and NVIDIA graphics cards, allowing for fast image analysis and obstacle detection.

The camera quality is also top-notch, with crisp and clear pictures even when the drone is zig-zagging around obstacles. In fact, it's on par with a Mavic Pro 2, better than a Mavic Air 2, and much better than a Mavic Mini 2.

The drone's design is also noteworthy, with a high-quality look and feel that's evident from the moment you take it out of the box. Everything fits together seamlessly, with no rattling or loose parts.

The beacon feature is also a useful addition, allowing you to fly the drone without the controller or your phone. This is especially helpful for live action tracking, like sports.

The Polar Pro filters that come with the drone's cinema kit are also high-quality and easy to use. They have a magnetic attachment method that snaps onto the lens of the Skydio 2, making them simple to attach and detach.

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The Skydio 2 has some notable downsides to consider.

The drone is not foldable, which can make it a bit cumbersome to carry around, especially if you're a solar contractor who needs to travel from site to site.

It measures 223 x 273 x 74 mm (L x W x H), which is significantly larger than the DJI Mavic Air, which is almost half the size and folds to get even smaller.

The magnetic battery attachment might raise some concerns, as it doesn't clip in anywhere, which could potentially cause it to fall off during flight.

However, the article notes that there were no problems during test flights, so this might not be a major issue in practice.

The overall size of the drone, including the carrying case, can feel big and clunky compared to other drones on the market.

But, if you're driving around instead of walking, it should fit easily in the back seat or on the floor in the passenger side.

The controller feels a bit cheap and might break if held too tightly, which could be a concern for extended use in the field.

The multi-charger can only charge two batteries and the controller at once, which is limiting compared to some other drones on the market.

The DJI Mavic dock, for example, can charge three batteries and the controller at once.

The Skydio 2 is incredibly easy to use, allowing you to capture high-quality video in complex environments with minimal effort.

The drone's full autonomy makes it perfect for capturing video that would be impossible for even professional drone pilots to achieve on their own.

Flying through obstacles is effortless and stress-free, making it a great option for capturing footage in challenging real-world conditions.

The Skydio 2 is a highly versatile drone that can be taken to the next level with the addition of the Beacon and Controller.

The controller extends the range of the Skydio 2 to 3.5km, allowing pilots to get behind the controls with full manual flight. This is a huge step for potential buyers who may previously have worried that Skydio's drones didn't offer the cinematic flexibility they were looking for.

The Skydio Beacon increases the communication range to 1.5 km and adds GPS tracking for when the Skydio 2 loses sight of you. This feature can be used to keep the drone on track even when you're out of the picture.

With the Beacon's wand feature, you can control Skydio 2 by simply pointing where you want it to go. It can also be used to activate cinematic skills like Dronie or Rocket at the touch of a button.

The Beacon and Controller are both priced at $150 each, which may seem steep to some, but they can greatly enhance the user experience.

The Skydio 2 is a game-changer when it comes to flying a drone.

Flying this $999 obstacle-dodging drone is a magical experience, according to Evan Ackerman, IEEE Spectrum's robotics editor. He's spent a decade around robots and has high expectations, but the Skydio 2 exceeds them.

It's able to fly autonomously at speed through complex environments in challenging real-world conditions. This means you can capture video that would be impossible even for professional drone pilots.

The end user experience is effortless and stress-free, allowing you to focus on capturing the moment. The technology is so advanced that it's almost indistinguishable from magic.