1.0 out of 5 stars | Lost it the second day
The drone was easy to fly with lots of nice features comparable to more expensive drones. However, on the second day after taking off, it started to fly higher and further away. It would not respond to the RTH command, would not respond to the takeoff/landing key or the joy stick. It was completely unresponsive to the remote control. There was no way to bring it back. The out of range or signal lost auto return did not work neither. I just lost $330 on an unreliable drone. Buyer needs to be aware of this defect and the potential of losing the drone.
Reviewed in the United States on October 10, 2018 by J Wong
5.0 out of 5 stars | This is a great drone but you need to know some things before your first flight
Drones are getting better and better. And the technologies in more expensive drones are being incorporated in less expensive drones. But, I have learned the hard way (having lost two drones recently), you have to know a number of things before you fly; otherwise, it is really easy to lose the drone in less than five minutes. First of all, no drone, including this one, has great instructions; it is unfortunate but it is what it is. You need to watch some Youtube videos before your first flight. Second, don't fly in an area with lots of trees and power lines (maybe, I say maybe, when you become a more experienced pilot). On this drone, make sure the GPS switch on the remote control is in the "on" position; if you it isn't, it is really easy to lose the drone. Read every single word of the instructions before you fly. If you prepare and do things right, this is a wonderful and really fun drone to fly, especially at this price.
Reviewed in the United States on October 22, 2018 by Don G.
5.0 out of 5 stars | EASIEST DRONE FOR BEGINNERS!!
Here's my review of the HS700. I'm by no means an expert or anything. This is my second drone that I've owed/flew. First impressions: The box was very nice with great images of the product and lots of info about the drone and has a carrying handle to boot. Opening the product: The drone was very well packaged and did have some minor assembly required (landing gear, camera/camera mount, and attaching the props). The drone itself felt like it was made of a sturdy plastic and was light weight, but not too light weight to make it feel cheap. The remote feels like it's made with the same materials and is ergonomic in hands. The phone holder is great. It grips my Galaxy Note 8 with full case on it and feels very secure. It also has a very nice battery explosion bag to place charging or charged batteries in for safety. Only major downfall I had was there was only one battery, no on/off switch on the drone itself, a launch/landing mat, and (after reading the instructions fully) a 5 hour charge time. First flight: After completing the Configuration and downloading the Ophelia app, all I can say is this is the EASIEST drone to fly, ESPECIALLY for BEGINNERS!!! The controls are smooth and the drone is pretty agile, but not too fast to feel out of control. The camera has amazing video and camera quality, not as good as let's say DJI, but for the price, it's great. The Ophelia app is amazing easy to use. It has different view modes, return to home, follow me mode, camera/video controls, take off and land, and rotate. It also gives the Google map of the controller and drone locations. It let's you know distance and height of flight and how many Satellites you are currently connected to while in GPS mode. You connect with the drone via WiFi signal from the drone and the app let's you know your connection status. When you are a good distance away from the phone/controller, the camera can become a little laggy, but it's not horrible. The app is perfect for this particular drone. The drone handles great in wind as well, which is a plus where I live since it's always windy in the Texas Panhandle. Not being able to adjust the camera while in flight is a bummer, but as long as you have it set at a good angle, it's does the job just fine. Latest flight (Video/Pic Attached): the video is quite long and I flew after the sunset to see the video quality in low light and to try out some night flying. I pushed my skills limits with this flight. I did full bank turns, figure 8s, quick direct changes, full speed forward and reverse and finally height. I took this drone to 85 meters up before my battery dropped to low and the drone started to panic for low voltage. I will be pushing this limit further after a full charge. I'm 100% comfortable with this drone and would highly recommend it. I know that the $330 price tag seems steep for a drone the is classified as a child's toy, but I truly feel that you won't be disappointed with this drone. I believe I touched on everything.
Reviewed in the United States on September 22, 2018 by Casey
3.0 out of 5 stars | Great value intermediate drone with a laughably BAD battery charger design.
This drone is my first- but was extremely easy to set up, initialize, and fly manually in a calm setting. While not cheap, there was no way I was 1) going to purchase a toy drone or 2) spend 1000 on a pro-drone I might destroy on day 1. This drone is the best value in this price range- Long range (0.5 miles+), battery life (20 min), solid construction, good camera (1080p). Reliable operation. I lost control a few times... when battery began to exhaust it returned home. Investment saved! I did make some compromises with this model. On the downside, you do have to read the instructions closely as some basic operations (e.g., start the props) require a combination of button presses on the controller. So you need to be able to read at a minimum. Sadly I subtract two reviewer points for the comical battery charging system. From a USB wall charger (not supplied) use the typical USB 2 cable- BUT that connects into a black box with charging lights. Amazingly, the output cable from the black box is proprietary and connects (yes, in a proprietary way) to the battery. Add the long 4hr required charging time and your nice drone battery is best used as a stationary nude art subject. 2 cables needed - really??? Not sure how such a nice drone was saddled with such a poor charging system. Not good business sense.
Reviewed in the United States on September 26, 2018 by Alamo Sam
1.0 out of 5 stars | Great drone, worthless made in China app.
I bought this to do aerial patrols of the big property that I manage. First, I never flew this drone, I couldn't. The worthless Ophelia app simply could not link my brand new Samsung Note 9 phone with the drone itself. I followed the instructions numerous times, it simply would not work, thus rendering the drone useless to me. I had read several negative reviews of the drone app and they appear to be true and have merit as I encountered the same problem. If Holy Stone wants to sell drones they need to provide a current, up to date app to seamlessly pair smart phones to their drones. I fault the app itself for my return and negative review. My rating is negative stars as I simply could not use this brand new drone. Don't buy.
Reviewed in the United States on November 26, 2018 by bill
