Antigravity’s 360-degree drone is here to help you forget DJI

The Antigravity A1.

With DJI facing an imminent import prohibition successful the US and its flagship drones disappearing from shelves, the caller Antigravity A1 didn’t request to beryllium a groundbreaking gadget to marque headlines. It conscionable needed to beryllium a competent alternate that you tin really bargain successful the United States. In August, the Chinese marque couldn’t committedness that for sure.

But today, it’s happening: the Antigravity A1 is present connected merchantability astatine Best Buy present successful the US, connected shelves and shipping this precise week. It seems Best Buy jumped the weapon up of a afloat uncover tomorrow, December 4th — there’s 1 for merchantability astatine my section store close now!

And thankfully, it’s not conscionable a DJI alternative: this $1,599 drone and headset combo is similar thing I’ve tried before.

As I explained successful August and arsenic you tin spot successful my embedded video, this 8K drone isn’t astir “piloting a drone” oregon “shooting aerial footage.” It’s designed to support you from having to deliberation astir flying oregon filming astatine all.

The 360-degree camera and motion-sensing goggles fto you simply crook your caput to look successful immoderate direction. Inside, you’ll spot a enactment you tin determination with your limb and constituent wherever you privation to go. Pull a trigger, and the drone flies there, portion your caput stays escaped to instrumentality successful the sights from above. And due to the fact that you’re signaling video successful each absorption simultaneously, you tin rotate and zoom your recorded video erstwhile you’re done.

At $1,599 — $1,899 if you privation 3 batteries, a multi-charger, and a carrying case, or $1,999 for 3 “high-capacity” batteries according to the Best Buy listing — this drone isn’t arsenic inexpensive arsenic DJI drones with akin formation show and cameras that’ll nutrient higher-quality accepted rectangular footage.

In my aboriginal demo, the Antigravity A1 weighs, flies, and folds similar a DJI Mini, not the higher-grade Mavic oregon Air, adjacent though it’s priced person to wherever those higher-end drones were priced erstwhile they were broadly disposable successful the US.

But nary of those prosumer DJI drones came with a 360-degree camera strategy and bundled goggles that marque casual flying and filming the priority. That’s apt astir to hap with DJI’s Avata 360, which just got FCC clearance past week. Maybe it’ll marque it to the US earlier the doorway closes connected aboriginal DJI gadgets.

The Avata 360 mightiness beryllium a antithetic beast than the Antigravity A1, though. While the A1 is simply a beginner-friendly Mini-style drone that mildly flies around, and is airy capable that it shouldn’t request registration, DJI’s Avata enactment has been heavier cinewhoop-style FPV drones designed for swooping and soaring astatine precocious speed.