A bird in the hand
Wave hello to the DJI Spark – this tiny but talented drone can be launched from your palm and even controlled by gestures
For most of us, drones are still a bit like camcorders were in the 1980s – great gadgets to have around, as long as someone else is responsible for them. They’re just a bit needy. First, there’s the cost. Then carrying the thing around. Followed by finding somewhere to fly it. And then a humiliating tree-based incident as you can’t get the hang of that intimidating controller.
But the DJI Spark is different. Its controller is an optional extra, because it’s aimed at complete beginners. You can control it by tapping your smartphone’s screen or even by waving your hand, thanks to some clever auto-flying modes.
This alone would be enough to make it a bundle of joy, but it’s also impossibly tiny. And despite weighing the same as a compact camera, it’s packed with high-end tech, including a two-axis gimbal for steadying its 1080p video.
The DJI Spark may not be a perfect (or cheap) drone, but it is one of the most fun gadgets we’ve played with in years.
1 Precious little
When you consider what the Spark can do, it is astoundingly small and light. Mini drones aren’t new, but ones this capable are. At 300g, the Spark is less than half the weight of the Mavic Pro and 200g lighter than its closest rival, the Parrot Bebop 2.
2 Social eyes
The Spark has a forward-facing vision system (to stop it flying into things), a downward-facing camera that helps it auto-return to the exact spot it took off from, and the main 12MP 1080p camera, which is stabilised very nicely by the two-axis gimbal.
3 Life’s too short
There’s no 4K, but the Spark’s 1080p video is good enough for Youtube. More of an issue is the 10-15-minute battery life. You will really need some spare batteries. These cost £55 each, or you can get two plus the controller with the £699 ‘Fly More’ bundle.
4 Flappy bird
This drone’s sci-fi party trick is Gesture mode, which lets you use hand signals to fly it and take still photos. Yep, no controller or phone needed – just your arms. It’s fun when it works, but success rates vary significantly with the current firmware.
5 Up, up and away
The Spark has four quick-shot modes: Rocket makes it fly vertically upwards with the camera facing down; with Dronie it’ll fly backward and upwards away from you like a 100m-long selfie stick; and with Circle and Helix it’ll fly around you.