Summary: The Tello is probably the best performing drone around $100 that you can currently get; flight time and stability in particular are both class-leading. The Tello's controller app now works on all the Apple and Android devices I've tested it on, but I still recommend using an Apple device as you're still less likely to run into issues and may get better performance/range too.
I'll start by saying I'm not a drone expert; I've been interested in them for awhile but haven't actually owned any until just recently. I have, however, been doing a lot of research in hopes of making well-informed purchasing decisions. Other reviews have praised the Tello's great performance, and my own experience with it has found this to be true. As far as actual flight performance (stability, maneuverability, flight time, etc), I'm pretty confident that this drone is the best in its class, and probably by a fairly wide margin too. Friends of mine that own other similarly-priced toy-class drones have commented on how much more stable the Tello was in flight than their drone, and so on. If I had to guess, DJI's hand in engineering the Tello is probably the main reason that the flight performance is class-leading. I will note that, although it is plenty capable for indoor flying, it isn't meant for anything more than light outdoor flying; it has distance/altitude limits well below that of a "real" drone (max of 100m distance and 10m altitude), and is not recommended to be used in any wind (in my experience it can handle a light breeze at most). However, this is to be expected considering it's a lightweight "toy" drone.
Now, the video/picture quality is better than most all other "toy" drones in this price range, but keep in mind this drone is only $100 to begin with (and already excels in flight performance too), so it's unrealistic to expect it to have video/photo quality good enough for serious use. The video is streaming-quality 720p with EIS; it lacks an SD card slot to save directly from the camera, so what you see in the controller app's live feed is what you get in your video recordings. Pictures are better quality than the video (5MP), but good lighting is necessary if you want them to look decent. Again, this is just a lightweight "toy" drone that costs only $100, so don't have unrealistic expectations and think it can replace a "real" (and much more expensive) drone for cinematography/photography.
As far as the Tello's app/controlls go, I never had any issues when running the Tello's app on a 2017 iPad, and I'd imagine that any comparable Apple device would run it just as well. I had zero real issues controlling my Tello from the app on my iPad, even with multiple other wi-fi routers/APs in the area, and the lag, although present, was reasonably low. Again, as a "toy" drone in this price range, it's unreasonable to expect it to come with high-end radio signaling and/or a hardware controller with a dedicated link that would allow for super low latency control, but I never felt like the app controls had enough lag to really inhibit my control of the drone. However, I must say that, when I first tried it on two of my Android devices (Nexus 9 & Nexus 7), I wasn't even able to get the app to start without crashing. Now with a updated version they have since released, it currently works fine on my Nexus 6, although the video quality and range is a bit less than it is with my iPad. Your experience may vary depending on which Android device you have, and it's possible you could get performance comparable to what I got out of my iPad with another Android device, so I'm not going to say that Android device owners shouldn't try it. However, Apple devices tend to have more consistent hardware and software, and it's also likely that Ryze put more effort in to the iOS version of the app than the Android one, so overall I still recommend using an Apple device if you can... there's a good chance it will work better with one.
Also, there is something else to note about the Android version of the Tello app; namely, I'm concerned by the amount and kinds of permissions that it has... many seem unnecessary and even suspicious for an app that (should) just have the job of being a remote control for a wi-fi drone. (Below the body of my review I have a list of the (IMO) most concerning permissions.) It's unfortunate that it has (or at least tries to get, depending on the version of Android your device has) all these permissions which could allow for collecting metadata, even in the background (when you aren't running the app). And Ryze being a relatively unknown Chinese company makes it all the more concerning. Now, I'm not saying they are definitely collecting metadata (I haven't done any technical analysis of network traffic/data or such to prove/disprove it), and some of these permissions it requests could be used for compatibility with older versions of Android, but it is still rather suspect IMO, and because of it I have refused to install the app on my main smartphone (or any Android device which may contain personal data/accounts). On the flip side, I don't have to worry about this with Apple devices, since iOS doesn't allow apps nearly as many permissions in the first place, and even the ones it does have the app must always ask for permission first. FYI, the only permission it asked for on my iPad was location, and I denied that and the app still worked fine anyway (Tello is not a GPS-capable drone, so other than maybe for geotagging your photos/videos, there isn't any reason it needs to know your location).
All-in-all, if you're looking for a fun but surprisingly capable little "toy" drone to fly indoors (or outside only with little to no wind) and don't want to spend much, I recommend the Ryze Tello. I recommend it even more-so if you have an Apple device to use with it; in fact, the reason I rated it 4 stars instead of 5 was because of my privacy concerns and some issues I had with the Android app (if they remove those permissions and continue to improve the app, I will consider updating my review to 5 stars). On a side-note, if you are looking at getting in to drone piloting on a more serious level, I would not recommend this in place of a "real" drone... it may set new standards for the capabilities of "toy" class drones, but even a very good "toy" class is not enough learn real drone piloting. (For a beginner drone for serious drone piloting, I would highly recommend the DJI Spark instead, as it's (IMO) currently the cheapest drone with serious flight capabilities). In my case, I bought this in addition to the "real" drone I already had, so I could use it for indoor and casual flying (rather than risk my main drone).
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List of potentially concerning Android app permissions:
- access precise GPS location - the Tello does not use GPS so no reason knowing my precise location should be needed for flying-purposes... perhaps for geotagging photos/videos maybe, but once the app has this permission there's nothing preventing them from collecting my position data either
- read phone device ID - with this it could read your phone number or IMEI/MEID; older Android apps used to use this to get a unique device ID or check your mobile connection, but newer versions of Android have better/safer ways of doing these, so there's little legitimate reason for them to need this permission now-a-days
- see all running apps - uh, no good reason it needs to know what other apps you are running
- run at startup - why does it need to automatically run in the background when it's just a drone controller app... unless it actually does this so it can gather information constantly in conjunction with the other permissions it has... definitely suspicious.
- modify system settings - it's possible they use this to try to help automatically configure wi-fi/bluetooth/controllers for you but it's still concerning
- android.permission.MANAGE_ACCOUNTS - this is a permission that was used more on older Android versions; it's unclear what exactly this allows the app to do on newer Android versions (it may be harmless), but since this is a newer Android app they shouldn't need this permission anyway...
- read Home settings and shortcuts - why? ...this is random and without a doubt entirely unnecessary
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From the manufacturer
EZ Shots
Capture Great Pictures and Videos
Equipped with a high-quality image processor, Tello shoots incredible photos and videos. Even if you don’t know how to fly, you can record coordinated short videos with Circle, 360, and Up & Away and share them on social media from your smartphone.
Learn & Create
Programming is More Fun than Ever
Now available for Tello is a mobile programming app that supports Scratch. Students can command Tello to perform corresponding movements by dragging coding blocks on their smart mobile device. Students can also develop programming skills by playing games and completing levels. Discover the fun of programming!
Accessories You'll Love
 Tello Flight Battery |  Tello Quick-Release Propellers |  Tello Propeller Guards |
|---|---|---|
High-quality cellsThe high-quality cells distribute power evenly and recharge rapidly. | Specially made for TelloLightweight and durable propellers specially designed for Tello. | Protect the propellersProtect the propellers and aid in flight safety. |
Easy to mountThe battery is also quick to install, connecting simply with the aircraft. | Easy to useIt's easy to mount and detach. | Easy to mountSmall, lightweight, easy to mount and detach. |
Consumer Drones Comparison
 Tello |  Tello Boost Combo |  Tello Iron Man Edition |  Mavic Air 2 |  Mavic 2 Pro |  Mavic 2 Zoom |  Mavic Mini | |
|
Dimensions
| 3.9×3.6×1.6 in. | 3.9×3.6×1.6 in. | 3.9×3.6×1.6 in. | 7.4×3.8×3.3 in. (Folded) | 8.4×3.6×3.3 in. (Folded) | 8.4×3.6×3.3 in. (Folded) | 5.5×3.2×2.2 in. (Folded) |
|
Max Flight Time
| 13 min | 13 min | 13 min | 34 min | 31 min | 31 min | 30 min |
|
Max Speed
| 17.9 mph | 17.9 mph | 17.9 mph | 42.5 mph (S-mode) | 44 mph (S-mode) | 44 mph (S-mode) | 29 mph (S-mode) |
|
Camera
| 5MP (2592x1936) | 5MP (2592x1936) | 5MP (2592x1936) | 1/2" CMOS, 48MP | 1” CMOS | 1/2.3” CMOS | 1/2.3'' CMOS |
|
Battery
| ×1 | ×3 | ×1 | ×3 | ×1 | ×1 | ×1 |
DJI
The Future of Possible
DJI is the global leader in civilian drones, aerial imaging technology, and creative camera technology. Find out more here in our DJI Brand Store on Amazon. The company is dedicated to making aerial photography and filmmaking equipment and platforms more accessible and easier to use for creators around the world. Its products are used every day by customers in over 100 countries for filmmaking, construction, inspection, emergency response, agriculture, conservation, and beyond.
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First off, be clear, the Tello is a TOY and should in no way be considered anything more.The Tello can be so much fun and is well suited for young children, seniors, experienced UAV pilots and anyone else who is even remotely interested in what the whole drone thing is about.One of the things that makes the Tello different than other toy quads is you can program it, using Scratch, an easy to use free programming language created for children ages 8-16. The intent is to help get children become interested in coding, creativity and problem solving while having fun.Tello does have a basic camera capable of 5MP photos and 720P HD video. I found the photos to be quite good and videos though not great, they aren’t horrible. The kids will love the camera.For us old folks, ok kids too. It’s just FUN to play with. My wife and I fly DJI UAVs, a Mavic Air and a Phantom 4 Pro, both are far from toys but we love playing with our Tellos. The Tello is best suited for indoors but we play out in the yard, you just need to stay inside if there is any wind at all (Tello + wind = FAIL). We have three Tellos, Mine, Her’s and a spare. There are four ways we play with our Tellos. 1) Just flying around the yard practicing maneuvers and tormenting the dogs. 2) Plain old racing. 3) Obstacle corse race, around the tree, under the chair, over the table, through the tire kind of thing. 4) This is why we have a backup Tello. Dog Fighting or our version of. Flatten a small ball of poster hanging putty on top of the Tello then stick a LEGO people into it then fly around and try to knock each other’s LEGO guy off (without crashing) much fun and very difficult. We thought we would destroy at least one of the little birds in short order but the worst so far has been a couple lost props (Tello comes with two sets).The Tello is controlled by your cellphone or tablet and supports both Android and iOS. I have only used current iOS devices and have had 0 problems. I have seen where some Android devices were not working 100% so I recommend you check the Ryze web site to see if your device is supported. Also worth mention,the Tello does not come with a battery charger. To charge the battery you will need a battery charger with a micro USB output. Most cellphone chargers work fine but you may need an adapter or separate cable. There are many 3rd party chargers available if you need to purchase one.Now for the EXTRAS. Not required but recommend (by me), additional battery, or two or... you can never have to many (we have 8). Standard charge time is +-1 hour, it can put a damper on the fun flow. Today’s price for a Tello battery is $19 usd. Second thing to consider is a game type controller. Not required but it does make everything come together and make for a more enjoyable experience. We are using the GameSir t1d controller (today’s price $28 usd) works flawlessly with current iOS devices but again not all Android devices so check into it before you purchase.All this to say, buy a Tello. And by the my wife and I are in our 60s.FULL DISCLOSURE: UNFORTUNATELY, NOBODY GAVE ME ANYTHING IN EXCHANGE FOR THIS UNBIASED REVIEW. (I just love the Tello).
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Class-leading flight performance for a $100 "toy" drone, but note that it may work better with Apple devices
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on March 28, 2018Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on March 17, 2018
Top reviews from other countries
Gonza92
el mejor en su rango de precio
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Lo recomiendo ampliamente.
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Un drone perfecto para dar tus primeros pasos
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