HOVERAir X1 PRO Basic Combo
HOVERAir hoverair.com $679.00 Price as of 09/14/2026 View on Amazon → ⓘ We may earn a commission when you buy through our links. This helps support MacSources and keeps our content free. Thank you!The HOVERAir X1 PRO makes automated aerial photography remarkably easy with excellent AI tracking and Follow Me features, but connection issues and limited obstacle avoidance hold it back.About
HOVERAir is a company focused on making aerial photography and video much easier and more accessible, rather than building traditional drones that require a lot of practice and a dedicated pilot. The company’s X1 series is designed around the idea of a “flying camera” that can take off from your hand and use AI-powered tracking to follow you automatically, making it especially useful for creators, travelers, cyclists, runners, and anyone who wants to capture themselves without needing another person to operate the camera. The HOVERAir X1 PRO takes that concept further with a lightweight 192-gram design, 4K video, automated flight modes, and subject tracking designed to keep up with fast-moving activities.
Unboxing and Setup
Opening the HOVERAir X1 PRO package, I was immediately impressed by just how much I had to work with. I should point out that I have a complete bundle of accessories for this review, but this is not necessarily a single bundle that HOVERAir sells as one package. Included is the X1 PRO drone, controller, Beacon, additional batteries, a two-bay charging hub, a nice leather case and the other accessories needed to get everything up and running. Having all of these accessories together gave me a chance to really see what the X1 PRO experience is like when you have the full ecosystem available.
The X1 PRO itself is surprisingly small and lightweight, which makes it easy to pick up and handle right out of the box. After getting the drone and accessories unpacked, the initial setup was relatively simple. I installed the HOVERAir app on my phone, connected the X1 PRO, and followed the on-screen instructions to get the drone paired and ready to fly. The app also provides access to the different flight modes and settings, making it easy to get familiar with what the X1 PRO can do before taking it outside.
Setting up the Beacon and controller was also straightforward. Once everything was connected, I was able to use the Beacon for tracking and the controller when I wanted more direct control over the drone. Having multiple batteries was also a big advantage during my testing. Rather than having to stop and wait for a single battery to recharge, I could keep additional batteries ready to go. The two-bay charging hub also made managing the batteries much easier since I could charge two at the same time.
Overall, HOVERAir has done a good job making the initial setup process simple. Even with all of the additional accessories I received, I never felt overwhelmed trying to figure out what connected to what. Within a relatively short amount of time, I had the X1 PRO, Beacon, controller, and batteries ready to go, and I was ready to see how well this little flying camera performed in the real world.
Real World Usage
After spending quite a bit of time flying the HOVERAir X1 PRO, I found that there are essentially three different ways to use it. You can fly it without a controller using its automated AI flight modes, such as Follow Me, you can use the Beacon and controller for more traditional control and tracking, or you can connect to the drone over Wi-Fi and control it directly from your smartphone. Of the three, I ended up having a very different experience depending on which method I was using.
Beacon and Controller
Unfortunately, this was the area where I ran into the biggest problem with the X1 PRO. When using the Beacon and controller, I repeatedly experienced connection issues whenever the drone got any real distance away from me. Even when the drone was directly above me at around 120 meters, I would lose the connection to the controller. This wasn’t something that happened once or twice during testing. It happened every time I used the Beacon and controller when the drone was at any distance.
When the connection is lost, the drone essentially just hovers in place. I couldn’t find any setting in the Beacon or controller that allowed me to change what the drone should do when the connection is lost. That became a pretty serious issue during my testing because you’re left with a drone sitting in the air waiting for the connection to return.
The first time this happened, the drone eventually returned and landed on its own after roughly 10 minutes as the battery was getting low. While that was certainly better than having the drone simply disappear, I quickly realized how problematic this could become depending on where the drone happened to be when the connection was lost.
Unfortunately, I experienced exactly that situation during testing. The drone was flying safely above a tree with plenty of clearance, but after the connection was lost and the battery began getting low, the drone started descending fairly quickly and ended up going directly into the tree. The drone did sustain some minor damage from the incident. In a wide-open area, I found that the drone generally did a much better job of eventually landing itself when the battery was depleted, but having it happen repeatedly when using the Beacon and controller made me uncomfortable flying it very far away.
Because of these issues, I found myself having to keep the drone relatively low and close to me whenever I was using the Beacon and controller. That really defeats some of the purpose of having a system that should allow you to control the drone from a greater distance. Based on my experience, I would not recommend purchasing the Beacon and controller specifically for traditional long-distance control unless HOVERAir addresses this connection issue.
There was another annoyance with the controller as well. The phone holder on the controller did not accommodate my iPhone 17 Pro Max, so I couldn’t simply mount my phone to the controller when I wanted to use it. That’s a relatively small issue compared with the connection problems, but it was still frustrating.
Wi-Fi Control
My experience was almost completely different when I switched over to Wi-Fi control. With this method, I was able to connect my phone directly to the X1 PRO and control the drone through the app. Surprisingly, this worked extremely well during my testing.
Even when I took the drone up to around 120 meters, I didn’t experience the connection problems I had with the Beacon and controller. I was able to fly the drone much more confidently and had a much better overall experience using my phone. The app also includes a setting that allows you to trigger a return-to-home and landing if the connection is lost, which gives you an additional safety option that I would have liked to see available when using the Beacon and controller.
Thankfully, I never actually had to use that feature because the Wi-Fi connection remained solid during my testing. Still, knowing that the option is there provides some additional peace of mind.
AI Flight Modes
Where the X1 PRO really impressed me, though, was with its automated AI flight modes. The tracking and Follow Me functionality worked really, really well. Once I had the drone locked onto me, it did an excellent job keeping up with me and maintaining its position without requiring me to manually control the drone.
This is really where I think the X1 PRO’s concept makes the most sense. You don’t necessarily need to be a drone pilot to get some impressive footage. You can launch the drone, select the appropriate automated mode, and let it do the work for you. For activities where you want to capture yourself without having another person operate the drone, this is incredibly useful.
My biggest concern with these automated modes is the lack of front-facing collision sensors. The X1 PRO can track you extremely well, but it doesn’t have the obstacle avoidance capabilities I would expect from a drone in this price range. If there is an obstacle in its flight path, the drone can run directly into it. The tracking itself works extremely well, but you still have to pay close attention to what’s around and in front of the drone.
Overall, my real-world experience with the X1 PRO was a bit of a mixed bag. The AI tracking and automated flight modes were some of my favorite features, and Wi-Fi control worked surprisingly well. Unfortunately, the repeated connection problems I experienced with the Beacon and controller were a major issue and made me hesitant to fly the drone at a distance using that setup. If you’re primarily interested in the automated flying features or controlling the drone through your phone, my experience was much more positive. However, I would be very cautious about relying on the Beacon and controller for longer-distance flights until the connection behavior is improved.
Conclusion
After spending a good amount of time with the HOVERAir X1 PRO, I have to say that I really like the overall concept of this drone. It is small, easy to carry, incredibly simple to get into the air, and the AI flight modes are genuinely impressive. The Follow Me and tracking features worked much better than I expected, and they make it possible to capture some really great footage without needing another person standing there controlling the drone. The Wi-Fi control was also a pleasant surprise for me. I had a much better experience flying the X1 PRO from my phone than I did using the Beacon and controller.
Unfortunately, I can’t overlook the connection problems I experienced with the Beacon and controller. Losing connection every time I tried to fly the drone farther away made me uncomfortable using that setup, especially after one connection loss eventually resulted in the drone hitting a tree and sustaining some minor damage. I also found it disappointing that I couldn’t find a way to customize what the drone does when the connection is lost when using the Beacon and controller. The lack of front-facing obstacle sensors is another limitation, particularly when using the otherwise excellent AI tracking features.
Ultimately, I think the HOVERAir X1 PRO is a really interesting flying camera, and when it works the way it is supposed to, it is a lot of fun to use. The automated flight modes and Wi-Fi control are the highlights for me and are what I would recommend focusing on if you’re considering the X1 PRO. However, I would personally skip the Beacon and controller until the connection issues I experienced are addressed. With those concerns aside, the X1 PRO offers a unique and surprisingly capable way to capture aerial footage without having to become a traditional drone pilot.
For more information, visit hoverair.com
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