Best Drone in 2022

The FIMI X8SE 2022 is a compact, lightweight and foldable midrange consumer drone from electronics maker FIMI.

It offers an impressive set of features for its class and price point, including competitive battery life and transmission range. With a weight of 765g (1.69 pounds) it falls about midway between DJI’s Air 2S and Mavic 2 Pro in size.

The FIMI X8SE 2022 has a top speed of 64.8 km/h (40 mph) and delivers up to 35 minutes of battery life, which will keep you in the air longer than many comparable models. The aircraft doesn't have obstacle avoidance sensors, but it features what FIMI calls a Precise Visual Position System for precision landing. Its compact batteries are good for travel.

If you're looking for a compact, affordable, easy-to-use drone, or even an alternative to the numerous DJI models on the market, the FIMI X8SE 2022 is a good pick.

The camera uses a relatively small 12MP, 1/2.0” CMOS sensor with a 25mm equivalent lens and fixed F1.6 aperture, providing an 79º FOV. It can capture both JPEG and Raw images, and includes a built in panorama feature that works in both landscape and portrait orientations.

Video clips can be captured up to 4K/30p, 2.7K/60p or 1080p/90p at a bitrate of 100 Mbps using the H.265 codec. The drone includes an F-Log gamma profile, though it appears to do so only with 8-bit color, which limits its utility. It has 3x digital zoom and supports hyperlapse capture.

The remote controller is able to support smartphones and small tablets including the iPad Mini. FIMI claims a range of up to 10km. While you don't want to fly that far, this means that you'll likely get superior transmissions for flying and live feeds, especially in congested areas.

The X8SE 2022 can intelligently track subjects, and you can set waypoints in the app so the drone can fly a pre-planned route. A Smart Shots feature is also available which includes Rocket, which flies upward, Circle, Dronie and Spiral. The FIMI Navi 2020 app allows you to share a live aerial feed online via social media.

If you're looking for a compact, affordable, easy-to-use drone, or even an alternative to some of the more popular brands on the market, the FIMI X8SE 2022 is a good pick.