Amazon.com Ever wanted to fly a drone that can let you switch flight mode? How awesome would that be if you could just do that? Recently, Holy Stone released a brand new flexible and adaptable foldable quadcopter dubbed as the HS220 drone. This minuscule, professional-looking drone features two flight modes within the quadcopter itself.
Before I start talking about the HS220 drone, I want to inform you that I received this product in courtesy of Holy Stone for a transparent and honest review. Without further ado, I am going to get the propellers spinning. Read below to find out if HS220 drone is a perfect match for beginners like you.
⯅ First Impression of HS220 Drone ⯅
Upon receiving the drone product, it comes in a nicely packed box. I am always impressed with how Holy Stone packs its drones in a nice and neat stacking format. Inside the box comes with a remote controller and accessories that are stored in a container. Furthermore, the box includes foam that keeps the drone protected. Perfect for traveling around without having to worry too much about moving pieces during the trip.
⯅ Drone Aircraft in the Box ⯅
Upon unboxing the package, I see an HS220 drone that is nicely placed in the middle encased by light foam. When removing the foam, the drone is secured by strong styrofoam that provides protection. On my first impression, it certainly looks like a professional-grade drone designed for beginners and kids. So far, a plus for HS220 drone.
⯅ Accessories and Parts ⯅
So, this is what you will get when unboxing the HS220 drone package (see the price on its product page). You will get a drone, remote controller, charger, two batteries (one for the drone and transmitter), extra propellers, screwdriver, propeller spanner, and instruction manual. The small parts are secured in plastic bags that make it easy for you to keep items safe from losing. The instruction manual is easy to read and understand.
⯅ Folded Flight Mode ⯅
As I mentioned previously in the HS220 drone review that it has two flight modes. First, this is called the folded mode which means the motor arms are folded. You can pilot the drone while it is in this stance by activating folded mode on the remote controller. This will switch the drone’s gyroscope to inform that it is in the folded mode for stability and smooth flight controls. My friends and I have flown the HS220 drone in folded mode, we found it to be an interesting and fun experience for rooms with little space.
⯅ Wing Flight Mode ⯅
There is a second flight mode called the “Wing Mode”. As you can see, the drone motor arms are extended from its body framework. This feature doesn’t require you to activate a special mode button on the remote controller. The wing model is nice if you want to be able to record and take pictures with the HS220 drone. Its extended motor arms also act as a frontal shock absorber that gives the drone plenty of distance against objects if you accidentally collide into them.
⯅ Modularized and Rechargeable Battery ⯅
The HS220 drone comes with two rechargeable batteries that can be used by both the drone and transmitter. A single battery on average gives a flight time of 9 minutes for the drone. While it gives around 15 to 16 minutes for the transmitter. To recharge the batteries, you need to install the battery on the transmitter and charge it directly from a USB port. It takes around 60 to 70 minutes to fully recharge a battery.
⯅ Built-in 720P HD Camera ⯅
You only can capture pictures and videos with its built-in 720P HD camera in wing flight mode. It is not possible to do in folded flight mode because the motor arms block the camera. However, on our flight tests, the quality of the image is good. Not the best as you will normally see on more professional camera drones, but it still makes a great training drone for beginners who wants to learn how to fly a quadcopter. In addition to that, developing their aerial photography skills. Since it uses Wi-Fi signals to send video in real-time, piloting the drone in FPV mode is not recommended.
⯅ Stylish HS220 Drone Remote Controller ⯅
One thing that captures my attention of the remote controller is how stylish it is. The remote controller comes in two colors that contrasts: white and black. The black part in the middle with the Holy Stone logo on top of it is a phone mount holder. You can easily unfold it and insert your smartphone such as iPhone 7 Plus. The catch is that you need to download the app specifically for this drone in order to see videos from the camera. The buttons come with an inscription on it that makes it very easy to understand what each button does.
⯅ Shoulder Buttons on the Remote Controller ⯅
On the shoulder region of the HS220 drone remote controller, there are two more buttons. The left part of the remote controller is called Speed Mode. It consists of four-speed levels that provide a smooth and gradual learning curve for beginners and kids. On the first flight, the speed and performance of the drone will be dumbed down so that you can learn the flight basics. Once you master the controls, you can increase the speed so that it will perform better and stronger in the outdoor setting. Also, the HS220 drone comes with the ability to perform a 360-degree flip. Perfect for impressing the audience who is watching you fly the drone.
⯅ The battery on the Remote Controller ⯅
The transmitter uses the same battery that the drone has. In fact, both of them are interchangeable which makes it super easy to switch. Because the box comes with two batteries, it might not be enough for some pilots who want to fly the drone over multiple sessions. I highly recommend purchasing an additional two or three batteries to extend your flight sessions. The battery on the transmitter can last up to 15 – 16 minutes. It is good for two flight sessions before you have to recharge the remote controller.
⯅ Customer Experience ⯅
The HS220 Drone has an average rating of 4.1 out of 5 on Amazon. Seventy-six percent of this comes from four-star and five-star reviews. Those who are happy with this drone say that this drone’s best qualities are its nimbleness and flight speed. They assure other buyers-to-be that for the price, you definitely won’t be disappointed.
⯅ Final Verdict of HS220 Drone Review ⯅
My three good friends and I flew the HS220 drone over multiple flight sessions on each mode. We all thought this foldable and adaptable drone is one of the best professional-like toy-grade quadcopter crafted by Holy Stone so far. It is easy to control, the learning curve is smooth and very beginner-friendly. All three of my good friends haven’t ever flown a drone before, yet they were able to pilot it with grace.
I also tested its performance outdoor where there was little to moderate wind. The HS220 drone handled it just fine with level 3 to 4 speed. Watching it performing flip mode was very fun that captured some bystanders’ attention. Even one came to me and asked me where he can buy this drone because it looked way too cool. You can buy it for under $100 by visiting the link here.
Amazon.com 
