YuneecB reeze
Is Yuneec’s newest 4K flying camera as easy to use as the name sugg ests ?
Breeze by name, breeze by nature? We find out whether Yuneec’s latest drone is as easy to fly as the name suggests
Outside the world of topend consumer drones like DJI’s Phantom range, there’s an emerging trend of lifestyle and fun-focused personal flying cameras, designed to capture those extreme selfies and life-affirming moments as they happen. The collapsible design and minimal 385g weight of Yuneec’s Breeze make it a take-anywhere aerial accessory, and the ability to share your shots direct to socials from the Breeze Cam app makes it the serial selfie-snapper’s dream.
The supplied 1,150mAh battery takes just 40 minutes to charge, but the average 11 minutes of airtime between charges was barely enough to get our shots in the bag, let alone give us the scope for multiple uses through the day – spare batteries are a must. (Parrot’s similarly priced Bebop 2 shoots Full HD rather than 4K, but delivers a credible 25 minutes of flight per charge.)
Control is via the Breeze Cam app (iOS or Android), which connects to the drone’s own Wi-Fi network. Firmware updates are handled in-app, and take-off and landing are automated. Pilot mode gives the option of manual flight, using onscreen or accelerometer/tilt controls. Reactions are precise and smooth, but we’d still opt for physical control sticks any day of the week.
The autonomous features are the real headline grabbers if you want to take your selfies up a notch, and the app guides you through each mode clearly. Selfie mode is exactly what it suggests – position the drone using on-screen sliders for altitude, distance and camera angle, and tap the screen to take a snap or shoot a video. In Orbit mode, the drone flies in a circle, using the controller as the focal point. Again, distance and height can be set within the app.
The Breeze sailed through our Orbit testing, and produced some surprisingly slick footage. Follow Me mode tracks the subject holding the controller via GPS. Accuracy is spot-on at a slow pace, but anything faster than a brisk walk and the Breeze struggled to keep up.
With a top speed of just 5m/s, the Breeze never feels out of control. GPS antenna, and optical and infrared ground sensors keep its position in the air, but turbulence did unsettle the tiny drone at altitude. Wi-Fi suffered beyond 30m, but built-in contingency flew the Breeze back towards the take-off point until signal was regained – a nice touch.
What about the camera? It’s not a premium shooter by any means, but our 4K footage was impressive for the price, although a lack of active image stabilisation produced some distracting image judder. Dropping down to Full HD engages image stabilisation, which considerably improved the smoothness of our footage – it’s certainly Insta-worthy.
The purpose of these auto drones is to make taking footage for your socials easy and fun. If you want a slick gadget to bust out on family outings, then give the Breeze a shot – just don’t forget spare batteries.
T3 Rates Small footprint and weight; app is simple and clear.
T3 Slates Short battery life; no image stabilisation at 4K means footage suffers; unreliable Wi-Fi signal.
T3 says Battery life aside, the Breeze is a capable and portable point-and-shoot drone that will supercharge your lacklustre selfies and deliver a whole new perspective on your adventures.