Our drone expert James Abbott reviewed the Potensic Atom last year. He thinks it is one of the best beginner drones available and deems it to be one of the best drones you can fly for less than $400, so it's even better now it's less than $330! It did dip to $319 for Black Friday so the price is already on the rise. It's already back up to $359.99 at Adorama. Don't miss out on a saving.
Get the Potensic Atom bundle $91 cheaper now just $323 today at Amazon
This drone is stiff competition for the ever-popular DJI drone brand and the features and functionality you get for a drone at this price point are impressive – even more so when it's on sale.
- We're constantly checking the best prices on our Black Friday space deals page for big discounts on the best telescopes, binoculars, star projectors, cameras, drones, Lego, streaming and more.
We'll start by saying that if you're looking for a drone that has collision avoidance, like most drones in this price bracket, the Potenisic Atom doesn't have it.
It has subject tracking, which is an automated flight pattern that follows a predefined moving subject while capturing video. It also features the handy 'Return to Home' feature so you can be sure the drone will return before the battery runs out
It weighs 249 g and folds down to a compact 3.5 x 5.6 x 2.3-in / 88 x 143 x 58 mm so you can take it anywhere. We found that the flight time averages around 25 minutes before Return To Home was initiated (when the battery level gets to 16%). You can override this, but always ensure you have enough power to get the drone back to where you stand, or you will have to take a long walk to retrieve it!
James tested the drone when the wind was gusting at around 33 kilometers per hour (21 mph), and this nifty little drone performed well. When flown to higher altitudes (where it was windier than at ground level), the app gave a warning and suggested reducing altitude to keep the drone safe.
Overall, it flies very well with easy-to-use responsive controls, and plenty of flying modes to make slick-looking 4K videos. The 16:9 stills photos are impressive too, though you'll find you may have to do a bit of editing to bring out their full color and sharpness potential.
Key features: Sub 249g, smartphone app, GPS positioning, subject tracking, 'Quickshots' (automatic flight patterns), 12MP photos in JPEG and RAW, 4K video, 3-axis mechanical gimbal.
Product launched: 2023
Price history: The price was a few dollars cheaper on Black Friday, we expect it to return to normal price tomorrow.
Price comparison: Amazon: $329.99 | Adorama $359.99
Reviews consensus: The Potensic Atom is a beginner-friendly drone that offers impressive features at an affordable price. It boasts a 4K camera with 3-axis gimbal stabilization, ensuring smooth and high-quality video capture. The drone is lightweight, weighing just under 250 g. It has intelligent flight features and a user-friendly app, making it accessible to new drone pilots. However, it lacks collision avoidance and has a fixed-focus lens, which may limit its versatility in some environments.
Featured in guides: Best beginner drones
✅ Buy it if: You're a beginner or enthusiast who wants one of the best feature-rich beginner drones on the market without having to break the bank.
❌ Don't buy it if: You want a drone with collision avoidance, for that try a model like the DJI mini 4 pro or the DJI Air 3.
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