The Yuneec Mantis Q is a small, foldable drone that makes a lot of claims like having the best battery life in its class and 4K video capture. However, the actual battery life, while good, falls short of what Yuneec claims, and the 4K video is shaky and, quite frankly, useless. Spend a little more money on the DJI Mavic Air—both are far superior to the Mantis—if you want a small, affordable drone that can shoot in 4K.
Design
The Mantis Q is a sleek, futuristic-looking drone that has arms that can be folded up against its body to form a package that measures about 6.2 by 3.7 by 2.2 inches. The arms are folded out and locked into position for flight. The remote control has a convenient, foldable smartphone holder and is slightly smaller than the drone. During testing, our iPhone XS fit into the holder with ease. On the controller’s back are two fold-out Wi-Fi antennas, a USB Type-C port, and a USB Type-A port for connecting a smartphone. For connecting to Android phones, a USB Type-A to USB Type-C cable is provided. Apple Lightning-to-USB cable must be used with iPhones
Yuneec Mantis Q review: Features
The Yuneec Pilot companion app is compatible with Apple devices running iOS 9.0 and above as well as Android smartphones running Android 5.0 and higher. Although it has fewer options, it has what may be charitably described as a “similar look” to DJI’s Go app. Although the ease of use is pleasant, some people might prefer the granularity of DJI’s app because it offers such extensive control and configuration customization.
The Mantis Q is a drone that falls short of the safety features of the Mavic Air. The drone has GPS-based location tracking to keep it out of no-fly zones and enable it to automatically return to its take-off point in the event of a lost signal or low battery. However, there are no sensors on the back or front to help prevent collisions. The downward-facing sensors help with indoor stability. You must exercise caution when flying.
The Mantis Q is shockingly quick and responsive, especially when you set the controller’s Sport mode on. It has a top speed of 72 km/h and a flight time of 33 minutes per charge, which makes it great for endurance flights. The Mavic Air has a maximum flight time of 21 minutes, but it is not as nippy or responsive as the Mantis Q. ..
Flight modes
The modes available through the Yuneec Pilot app will vary depending on the model of drone you have, but some of the more common features include: facial recognition for more precise follow modes; headless mode, which allows you to control your drone without having to look at it; and automatic return to home, which helps keep your drone safe if it loses connection with you. ..
Instruct the drone to take off, take pictures and videos, land, and more during a typical session. You don’t have to worry about distance or drone noise interfering because your mobile device is the one that hears the voice commands. You won’t need to look around on the fly for the camera button because the voice controls work in tandem with manual controls as well.
Video Quality
The Mantis Q’s 4K camera has been promoted by YUNEEC as a selling factor, but in practice, you’ll probably never use the entire 4K resolution. Why? As a result of the Mantis Q’s lack of a gimbal, digital image stabilization was chosen. When shooting in full 4K resolution, the camera has no stabilization, which results in disorienting footage if you don’t fly slowly and straight.
The Mantis Q drone adds some digital picture stabilization to the image by lowering the resolution to 1080p (the same as the competing DJI Spark). Compared to the unsterilized 4K footage, this is a great improvement, but it is still noticeably shaker than video shot with the DJI Spark and its physically stabilized gimbal. In addition to lacking stabilization, the Mantis Q’s video has a dull appearance in general. ..
The DJI Spark is a great drone for beginners, but it’s not as good as the majority of drones on the market. The camera is poor in low light and can’t take advantage of the Spark’s tiny sensor. Overall, this drone is great for people who are just starting out and don’t have a lot of money.
Yuneec Mantis Q review: Image quality
The electronic image stabilization system on the Mantis Q is less efficient than stabilizing gimbals found on drones like the Mavic Air 2. These drones capture video that is higher resolution, sharper, and more fluid. Additionally, we discovered that the Mantis Q’s stabilized video had the annoying habit of jumping.
This drone can only be flown at a resolution of 1080p. While 4K appears sharper, it is far more prone to motion blur than 1080p, which is also very soft. Low light presents significant challenges for the tiny sensor, and even in broad daylight, the JPEGs have some grainy noise. Many people could probably live with it, but once again, the DJI Mavic Air captures footage much more effectively.
Yuneec Mantis Q review: Performance
In Sport mode, the Mantis Q moves quickly and easily to high altitudes, making it a great choice for those looking to fly higher than normal.
The Mantis Q has a range of only 4,921 feet, which is significantly less than the range of most other drones. This means that you can only fly it around within a very small area. The Mantis Q also has a button that lets you return to your home base easily. ..
The Mantis Q is a mid-level drone based on its hover performance. Its accuracy continues to astound us, and it can be problematic when you’re close to the ground; take caution when you’re at very low altitudes or a few feet from a wall or other obstruction.
Battery Life
While Yuneec claims that the Mantis Q can hover for over a half hour, our tests indicate that it can only do so for about 20 to 25 minutes — and that’s without even pushing the drone to its absolute limits. Given its performance in typical flight, we predict it would perform similarly in “Sport mode” to the Spark and the majority of other drones at this price point.
The Mantis Q drone is able to charge its battery in about 50 minutes from full discharge and the controller charges in about two hours using the supplied USB-C cord. That’s not particularly impressive, but it’s also not terrible. It is convenient that the battery can charge up to four batteries at once. Additional Mantis Q batteries are reasonably priced at $60 each, but it is more advantageous to buy them as part of the $650 X-Pack option when you first buy the drone. ..
Conclusion
The Mantis Q is a foldable, 4K drone that is reasonably priced. However, the Mavic Air costs a little bit more and adds a gimbal and object identification. The Air’s shorter battery life means that you’ll lose out on flight time, but we think the better bit rate and stabilized footage make up for it. If the Mantis Q were equipped with a gimbal and an improved camera, it would become a far more competitive option.
