Potensic recently released a brand new foldable camera drone that features a powerful brushless motor and integrated GPS / GLONASS module. Introducing the Potensic D88 camera drone for beginners and recreational remote pilots. If you are looking for the best GPS drones to buy. Then, you have come to the right place because Potensic is a well-known drone company that has been selling high-quality drones.
Potensic D88 is the latest addition drone to evergrowing market that rivals popular quadcopters such as HS700 Ophelia, Eachine E511S and more recently Mavic 2 Pro. The drone company appears to be making a drone that resembles a similar appearance to the popular Mavic series. Although, the design is unique that features a much more boxy style rather than sleek curvature as seen on standard drones such as Phantom 4 and less expensive models like SS41 The Beetle.
We assembled an in-depth review of the Potensic D88 camera drone to help shoppers like you make an informed decision. In our in-depth review of the Potensic D88 drone, we will go through design, inside the box, features, performance, camera quality and such. At the end of the article, you will be able to decide whether to buy a Potensic D88 camera drone or not. Without further ado, let’s find out if this camera drone is worth $300.
What’s Inside The Box:
Before we get started with the Potensic D88 drone review, we are going to talk about what is included in the box. Just like every other product that you want to buy. You are going to want to know what is inside the box. So that you can be prepared to make additional purchases such as drone batteries for Potensic D88 drone, if needed to. Since this camera drone comes with a travel case, you can pretty much expect it to be a complete setup. Aside from the fact that it only comes with one drone battery, purchasing an extra battery is highly recommended if you want to maximize your fun with this camera drone. Let’s find out what is included in the box:
Package Content:
- Potensic D88 GPS Camera Drone
- Remote Controller
- Battery
- Battery Charging Hub (Supports up to two batteries)
- Travel Case
- User Manual
Design & Build Quality
The Potensic D88 drone features foldable motor arms that make it a very compact and portable quadcopter. It weighs approximately the same as a can of soda. You can easily store the folded camera drone inside a travel case or if you prefer to go the lightweight method, you can store it inside your traveling backpack. These motor arms are equipped with incredibly powerful brushless motors called 1350KV. Which minimizes the power consumption and delivers exceptional performance.
In the front, the drone is outfitted with a built-in 2K HD camera. It is mounted on a 1-axis gimbal stabilizer that provides relatively smooth footage. But not that smooth as 3-axis gimbal camera drones such as DJI Spark or Mavic Air. Additionally, the Potensic D88 drone is coated with high-grade material that provides its exceptional durability. If you are a first-time user, you will not have to worry about impact since this camera drone is durable enough to withstand on its own.
Furthermore, this camera drone features aerofoil technology which means these propellers are foldable. It helps ensure that the drone stays compact and flexible enough for traveling around the world. To power on the drone, all you have to do is simply push the button and the drone will activate. The battery is located on the back that can be easily inserted and hot-swapped with a fresh pack if need to.
Flight Performance
When it comes to flight performance, the Potensic D88 GPS camera drone owns up to the sky. Thanks to its integration of the GPS / GLONASS module, flying this smart camera drone has never been that easier than ever before. If you are a first time user with no prior flying experience. You will find out that it is incredibly easy to pilot the Potensic D88 drone. Due to its GPS module, it communicates with the satellites. Which in exchange provides the drone precise position that helps it maintain a steady and stable flight.
In addition to that, this camera drone has an outfitted optical flow system. Which acts like visual sensors as seen on professional-grade camera drones. This feature is an important component of the drone’s performance that ensures its safety and superior flight controls. Along with that feature, the Potensic D88 camera drone also can perform intelligent flight modes. That means you can command this drone to do a 360-degree Orbit Mode, Follow You and even tell it to move accordingly to your hand motions.
In terms of flight performance, the Potensic D88 drone delivers up to 20 minutes of flight time. It has a maximum remote control distance up to 1,300 meters that make it a strong rival against some of Holy Stone’s best drones lineup. At the price tag that this camera drone is going for, it is a strong performer for beginners and experienced drone pilots. Not to forget to mention that it comes with speed mode which makes it flexible enough for beginners to get a grip of flight basics.
Imaging Quality
If you are vying to become a professional aerial photographer but need a stepping stone to learn how camera drones work. You have come to the right spot because the Potensic D88 makes an exceptional camera drone thanks to its built-in 1-axis gimbal stabilizer and 2K HD resolution quality. While you still can learn the basics of aerial photography on low-end models such as Contixo F22 or HS160 Pro, the Potensic D88 is still the best option due to its quality and performance.
As mentioned previously that you can command this camera drone to perform intelligent flight modes. Its built-in camera can capture quality footage with a great level of detail. Thanks to the 5MP camera sensor, it does a great job of grading the images and absorbing the lighting that provides a more natural and accurate resolution that goes nicely. Not to mention that these stills and footages captured on the Potensic D88 drone can be shared on social media using one-button tap through the app.
If you prefer to retain high-definition quality stills and footage. We highly recommend purchasing either a 64GB micro SD card or 128GB micro SD card to go with this drone. While the product page says it supports up to 32GB micro SD card, we tested the micro SD cards with bigger capacity size and they work just fine. If you upgrade to a better drone, you still can use the same microSD card. No need to worry about memory storage since they are big enough to store plenty of files.
Smart Features
Potensic D88 has lots of smart features, including an incredible compact foldable quadcopter. This drone pretty much can do everything one of these smart camera drones does. For instance, it can perform customized flight paths and record videos at stunning 2K HD resolution quality. In addition to that, it has an integrated 5G Wi-Fi transmission. It delivers the footages lighting fast to your mobile devices.
Not just only Potensic D88 camera drone is capable of doing these advanced flight functions. It comes with beginner-friendly features such as automatic takeoff and landing which simplifies the whole flight process. Furthermore, it has a speed mode that allows a smooth and gradual learning curve. This is handy for beginners to master the basics of flight controls. Once you understand the flight control basics, simply disable beginner mode and fly the drone at its full force.
Plus, it has integrated smart return to home features and built-in tracking location. With this, you always can keep track of your drone’s whereabouts. If you can’t detect your drone or is unsure where it is. Simply press return to home and it will automatically fly back to the home point. All of the features focus on safety while providing you various ways to make your flight experience fun and engaging.
Customer Experience
Those who purchased the Potensic D88 are happy with the drone. With an average rating of 4.3 over 5 in Amazon, 67% of its reviewers gave the drone a 5-star rating. According to them, the drone is easy to fly, very responsive, and a quiet flier. Some even mentioned that they liked the drone’s carry case because it neatly puts everything in place. Others love it as well, but the only few fallouts they point out is that it only comes with one battery even though the charger and case have an extra slot for another battery.
Final Verdict of Potensic D88 Drone
If you were to ask me whether to buy this GPS drone or not. I would say yes. Potensic released this camera drone a few weeks ago. And it is already popular among customers due to its strong performance and stellar reviews. It is hard to pass this smart camera drone. Besides, its price tag might be a little bit too hefty for some customers. Especially those who want to try out flying a drone but don’t want to spend that much money.
If you are one of those who prefer to spend less money on their first drone, I recommend you check out our top 10 best drones under $100 for beginners which consist of the best quadcopters handpicked by me. Another good option similar to the D88 is the Ruko F11 Pro Drone. It has similar features and is close to the same price.
Overall, the Potensic D88 is a solid smart camera drone that focuses on flexibility and portable features. It closely follows the popular DJI Mavic Pro steps so if you are a fan of DJI drones, then you will love this quadcopter.
Potensic D88 drone can be bought here on Amazon for under $300.
