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Was considering getting a DJI Mavic, but didn't necessarily want to drop that much money on my first drone. I had $40 in Amazon credit, so I picked this up for $60. It's a fantastic drone for under $100.
I've flown it three times since receiving it yesterday and gotten nearly 12 minutes of the purported 13 minutes of flying time from the battery each time. It's very responsive and quick (in fast mode - almost 20mph). The range, vertically, is about as advertised (30') - horizontally, it's probably more like 80 meters in open space, not 100. The auto-flight modes all work (flips, throw-and-go, etc.). It's very stable - I haven't had to run the calibration routine yet. The Intel sensing tech works very well when there's plenty of light, so it stays put when hovering and maintains altitude when moving forward/backward/left/right. Moves well outside, but if you encounter any real wind, it's a problem to control, since it's so tiny and light. The photos (5mp) are surprisingly good in environments with decent light and when the drone is still. The video would be exceptional (the Intel stabilization feature is pretty good), if not for the oddly low bitrate (4mbps?!) - this results in HD (720) video coming back to the phone from the drone, but you get a stuttering effect every 4 seconds because of the shallow throughput. [UPDATE: Turning Bluetooth off seems to have stopped the stuttering issue for me.] It's a little disappointing to see decent video later on your phone, but have it ruined by these halting periods throughout. Connecting my Pixel 2 was easy, save one quirk. Since it's peer-to-peer WiFi, you connect directly to the drone. Once connected, you'll get the alert/notification that says "Connected , but limited services" or whatever. Normally, when connecting to cameras and other devices, I just swipe that away and start using them. However, if you do this and then start the Tello app, the drone will not show as connected. In order for it to be recognized (at least for me), you have to tap on that alert-notification and then click "OK" each time - then open the Tello app and it shows as connected.
The only real downside is that I cannot get the Tello software to recognize the GameSir T1s Bluetooth controller. This is the controller they list as compatible on both the DJI and Ryze sites, as well as in the manual (as well as in the videos they show of the product being used). I emailed support and they were quick to respond, but their solution did not work. I've read elsewhere of others not being able to get this to work either. Hopefully, it will be fixed/work soon, as flying with sticks is more tactile than pushing virtual pads around on a screen.
All in all, very happy with this as first drone. I'll probably get a Mavic or a new Spark when the next iteration comes out.
[Update: Despite the GameSir T1s being listed as compatible and shown in use with the product videos on the Ryze & DJI sites as well as Ryze support's initial email response saying it WILL work with the Tello, I've received a follow-up from Ryze support saying the GameSir T1s actually will NOT work with the Tello and will NOT be supported in the foreseeable future. Only the GameSir T1D is compatible - and it hasn't been released (nor is there a date for its scheduled release). So, if you've got an Android phone and plan to buy a GameSir T1s to use with your Tello, don't because it won't work. Amazon is accepting the return for my controller, so not a big deal. Still a great little drone - just have to get used to the phone screen controls.]
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