Review
The Holy Stone HS720 is a lightweight and compact foldable drone that is super easy to carry around and travel with. It is one of the most popular consumer drones on the market because it has several cool features at a reasonable price point. Here are some of the features that set the HS720 apart from other mid-level drones.
Why You Should Choose Holy Stone Drones
Holy Stone has made a name for itself with its wide range of reasonably priced drones. Unlike other popular high-end brands like DJI Mavic, known for sophisticated drones with tons of features, Holy Stone targets drone hobbyists looking for just a few useful features at an affordable price point.
Besides the excellent value for money, Holy Stone drones are ruggedly built and can remain intact even after frequent hammering into obstacles like trees.
Accessories choice
Holy Stone drones are also popular because of the tons of accessories they come with. The HS720, for instance, comes with a built-in metallurgical gear shaft that allows for smooth and carefree movements. A carrying bag is also included for easy storage and portability.
You also get a USB cable, charging station, and spare parts. A complete set of spare propellers with a matching screwdriver are also included, giving you excellent value for your money.
Construction
The Holy Stone HS720 comes in a small and lightweight foldable design that is convenient for the everyday user. It has an attractive futuristic overall look with a metallic grey color scheme. Here is more about the drone’s rugged construction;
Materials
The Holy Stone HS720 is made with high-quality ABS plastic which is incredibly durable. It can withstand occasional crashes when it hits the ground or obstacles like trees during flight. The drone looks and feels premium because of the materials used to make it.
Controls
The HS720 comes with a well-designed remote control that makes flying the drone a breeze. It is compact and feels comfortable in the hands. The remote control features an LCD screen that displays all of your flight data like the drone’s speed, how far it has gone, and the battery level for both the drone and the controller.
The controller is powered by 2AA batteries, which, unfortunately, you have to buy separately. If you want to use all the features of this drone, then use the Ophelia GPS, which is the Holy Stone app. You can download it from Google Play Store or Apple App store. Ensure your phone has enough memory because the app uses a lot of memory.
Propellers
The HS720 is one hell of a fast drone, thanks to its propellers. Even on the lowest speed mode, the drone is relatively fast. It features four powerful brushless motors that work better than brushed motors in providing extra thrust and fast speed. It flies at 44 miles per hour which is pretty impressive for a mid-level drone. It even rivals high-end brands like DJI. If you are a newbie drone pilot, you need to be extra careful when flying this drone for the first time.
Dimensions and weight
As mentioned before, the HS720 is a compact and lightweight drone. It measures 36cm by 33cm by 7cm with its arms expanded, and it weighs 500g. When folded, the drone measures 17cm by 10.5cm by 6cm, which is small enough to fit in a large trouser pocket.
If you live in the US, keep in mind that the FAA requires you to register Trusted SourceHow to Register Your Drone Register your drone at FAA DroneZone either under part 107 or the Exception for Recreational Flyers. If you are not sure what kind of a drone flyer you are, check out our User Identification Tool or visit our Getting Started webpage to learn more. www.faa.gov a camera drone that weighs more than 250g. The UK and other countries also have a similar law. Be sure to check all the drone laws in your area to avoid trouble.
Performance
The Holy Stone HS720 is one of the top-performing personal drones, and here is why;
Ease of use
Using the HS720 is hassle-free thanks to the intuitive remote control and multiple flight modes that you can access from the Ophelia GPS app. The LCD on the remote control has basic telemetry that anyone can read.
All the functions on the remote control are also straightforward. With a single click of a button, you can fly the drone and land. You can also change the angles of the camera from 0 to 90 degrees with a single press of a button on the remote control.
Furthermore, the HS720 has a great hovering capability and can maintain a steady altitude, thanks to its dual GPS feature. The headless mode default setting makes the drone super easy to fly as the controls are much easier to understand in the mode. The drone also features optical flow positioning sensors that give you an easier time flying indoors where the GPS signals are weak or any area where it is difficult to lock in the GPS signal.
Battery life
High-end and expensive drones are loved by many for their long battery life Trusted SourceEnergy use and life cycle greenhouse gas emissions of drones for commercial package delivery The use of automated, unmanned aerial vehicles (drones) to deliver commercial packages is poised to become a new industry, significantly shifting energy use in the freight sector. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov . The HS720 has a fair battery life for a mid-level drone. You will get to enjoy 26 minutes of uninterrupted flight time, which is pretty great for a drone that costs less than 300 bucks. The flight time is not the best in the market, and it’s also not enough to fully enjoy a drone.
You only get one battery for this drone and a charger that can hold up to two batteries should you get an extra one. You should definitely get an extra battery for a longer flight time.
Charge time is 5 to 7 hours which sounds long but is quite standard for a mid-level drone. An audible alarm will alert you on the remote control when the battery is nearly discharged. You will also notice the drone’s lights flashing slowly.
Flight modes
The Holy Stone HS720 has a couple of intelligent flight modes like every other modern drone out there. The flight modes make it easier to fly as well as take high-quality images and videos. The flight modes include;
Follow me – this allows you to lock the drone to follow you. You have to be in close proximity with the drone for this mode to work. It comes in handy when you want to record yourself on a hike or when riding a bicycle.
One-key return home – this is a safety feature that allows you to bring back the drone to its original take-off point with a simple click of a button. The feature activates itself automatically when the battery runs low, or when you lose control of the drone.
Custom flight path – this feature allows you to draw a route on the Ophelia app so that the drone can follow it and return to its original take-off point.
Orbit mode – this mode allows you to lock the drone to orbit around a certain point of interest at a height and distance you set on the Ophelia app. It is perfect for taking hands-free selfies when you are on holiday.
Durability and warranty
The HS720 has an exceptional build quality with a solid ABS plastic casing that can withstand regular use and occasional crashes. Holy Stone offers a 30-day warranty for the whole unit. You can return it if you notice any quality-related issues. For the accessories, Holy Stone offers a 90-day warranty and allows you to return if you notice any quality-related issues.
Price
Like all other Holy Stone drones, the HS720 is reasonably priced. As at now (January 2022), the drone goes for 259.99 dollars which is incredibly fair compared to the prices of other mid-range drones.
Media
Media quality is the top consideration for drone enthusiasts. Here is how the HS720 camera performs.
Video quality
The HS720 comes with a decent 4K UHD camera that allows you to take great aerial footages. With such top quality, you are only limited by your imagination. The camera lens has a 110 degrees wide angle field of view that allows you to capture more detail. It also features a 1/3 CMOS sensor that guarantees the best image clarity.
You can rotate the camera up to 90 degrees to face up or down using the remote controller. Although it doesn’t feature gimbal or any stabilization feature, the HS720 camera has a shock absorption holder that works to minimize distortion on videos.
When flying at optimal conditions, you can live stream video footage from a distance of 800m. The standard FPV range is about 600 to 700m.
Photo quality
The HS720 takes great quality photos. Thanks to its shock absorption holder, you can take good quality still pictures even when there is a lot of vibration. The wide field of view is also a huge plus as you get to capture so much at once.
PROS | CONS |
|
|
Conclusion
Our detailed Holy Stone HS720 review clearly depicts the drone as the best in its class. The mid-level consumer drone’s hallmark is that it offers excellent value for money with its load of incredible features at such a reasonable price point. Anyone looking for a personal drone can make the most out of the Holy Stone HS720 because it offers exceptional image and video quality with its 4K UHD camera. It also has a rugged and attractive construction that will make you enjoy using it regularly, not to mention a fancy carrying case.