HoverAir X1 Promax: A rugged DJI Neo alternative with 8K and tracking put to the test

With the HoverAir X1 Promax, the manufacturer aims to offer a flying action camera. At least in testing, the drone proved similarly rugged—though you wouldn’t actually want to push that durability to its limits in a real-world test. The weak obstacle detection system causes collisions even during casual running or relaxed cycling as soon as obstacles such as trees or traffic signs are nearby. Consequently, buyers should—or must—limit themselves to less demanding environments, which, depending on the intended use, could be a deal-breaker.

This is quite frustrating, as the X1 Promax essentially demonstrates that, with better obstacle detection, it could capture impressive footage. The drone is therefore hardly suitable for off-trail running, but it is well-suited to filming bike tours on open trails or skiing. Priced at 699 dollars, the X1 Promax is also quite expensive.

The image quality itself is decent. A clear advantage is its flexible usability and the well-designed control system consisting of a Beacon and joysticks. Since their use is optional, the drone can be operated quickly and easily—even without accessories—thanks to its display and hand-launch feature; when folded up, it can even be conveniently carried in a pants pocket.

The base model of the HoverAir X1 Promax is available directly from the manufacturer for 699 dollars. The controller bundle we tested is priced at 1,069 dollars.

The HoverAir X1 Promax is a drone with 8K recording capabilities, protected rotors, and options for manual control.

The controller bundle we tested includes the drone itself, two batteries, the charging hub, the Beacon with joysticks, a 65-watt charger, several cables, and separate sturdy cases for the drone and the control accessories. The drone has a foldable design, making it easy to carry even in a slightly larger pants pocket. Integrated magnets reliably hold the housing together when closed.

On the front, the camera is mounted on a gimbal; however, it can only tilt and cannot rotate sideways. While this isn’t a problem for recording itself, the combination of a 3-axis gimbal and more powerful obstacle detection that always faces the direction of flight could potentially provide even better flight performance. Nevertheless, the camera system would be much more mechanically exposed on a 3-axis gimbal. Additional sensors are located on the underside and the back. The four compact rotors, which are quite loud during operation, are excellently protected by enclosed cages. HoverAir includes a sample of its Hyper-Elastic material in the package—and indeed, despite a double-digit number of collisions, some of which were quite hard, neither the rotors nor the housing nor the camera sustained any visible damage.

Only once, after an impact, did the battery partially slip out of its mount. On the top is a display for easy mode selection. Charging a battery that has been discharged to 10 percent in the charging hub takes about 40 minutes. The realistic flight time when recording in 4K is about 14 minutes, including a safety reserve of around 15 percent.

During testing, I encountered two fairly significant issues. First, the camera can overheat, especially when recording 8K video—and by no means only at midsummer temperatures of 35 °C. During testing, the problem occurred even at 25 °C and in direct sunlight. This tends to happen when the drone is stationary or moving only slowly, as the cooling airflow from flight is apparently lacking in these situations. When recording 4K footage, overheating occurred much less frequently. If the drone overheats, it reduces the recording quality.