I think a lot of the basic features have been covered pretty well already by the thousands of reviews, so forgive me if I glaze over the things that have been talked to death, like the image quality. I'm going to go straight into the issues I have before I talk about what I love, so if you're skimming, keep in mind that I really do like this quad and I really do recommend it for beginners. The camera had little to do with my reasons for buying this quad. I wanted something basic and inexpensive (but sturdy) that I could fly around to improve my piloting skills. I have a DJI Mini 2 for the camera, and it's a rock solid platform with all of the gadgets helping to save you from yourself. You want that for a camera-focused quad. And even if I wanted more control, I certainly didn't want to make mistakes on a $500 machine. Then I have a Blade Nano QX, the exact opposite. Ultra light, and the only help it gives you is (optionally) return to hover when you release the sticks. With that feature turned off for maximum maneuverability, it's ping-ponging off the walls in three seconds. It's not very sturdy, meaning repairs are common, and the batteries only last 5 minutes. So I saw the Tello. It's made by DJI, who in my opinion has earned their excellent reputation. It has slow and fast modes, and has options to do tricks like flips. I guess I incorrectly thought that if you could do automated flips, there must be a way to defeat the safety mechanisms and do manual tricks as well. But that's not the case. That's my fault for making that assumption, but the forced handholding doesn't end there. Slow mode isn't terrible for moving around the house and for getting pictures, but if you really want to improve your skills, you need to stick to fast mode. But fast mode turns itself off all the time, mid-flight. There seems to be a "feature" where fast mode is disabled when you're less than about 8 feet in the air. So you could be zipping around in fast mode when without warning, the quad just slows down because you passed that altitude threshold. It's jarring because the software just takes over and all of a sudden the quad isn't doing what you're telling it to do. I don't mind if this is an optional safety feature for kids, but there's no way to defeat the behavior. There's also no way to defeat any of the other protection features, like auto-hover or the minimum altitude limitation. Fast mode limits the propeller angles to a maximum of 25 degrees, and you can only reduce this, not increase it. This means no manual flips or tricks. The only way to do those is through the software, and they only work when the battery is at or above 50% charge. Indoor flying is clearly the primary focus of this quad, but some of the features require outdoor levels of light to work. Even during the day with all of my living room lights turned on, I still get a warning that there isn't enough light so hover may not work correctly (generally it's fine anyway, although it may drift a little). Using it outdoors is fine when it's really calm out, but a light breeze can make it harder to maneuver. If you're below that minimum altitude for fast mode, it's easy for a breeze to take it away because slow mode can't compete with even light breezes. One of the reasons I chose this quad was the option to pilot with a real controller. I connect my PS4 controller to my phone via Bluetooth, and use the controller to fly rather than the on-screen controls on the phone. It works really well, but the functionality is lacking. The controller allows you to use the analog sticks for control, and button combos for things like flips, takeoff and landing, still photos and movies. But there's a bunch of functionality left that isn't mapped to the controller, so you have to use the phone. This includes the things like the various video modes like Circle, Up and Away, 360, and Bounce. Throw & Go is also missing on the controller, and the option is made unnecessarily difficult as a result. The idea is to just toss the quad up in the air and have it hover in place, which would be a great quick way to launch, except you first have to tap the Flight Modes button on the app, then select Throw & Go, then click a confirmation button on a dialog, and THEN throw the quad. So much for quick. A button combo on the controller would make this so much more convenient. Don't hold out much hope for any of this to change; the last firmware update for the quad is from 2019, and I'm guessing it's reaching the end of its life and we'll see an updated version of this quad in the near future. Still, for all of the complaints I've listed above, I still enjoy the little guy. The build quality and feel is leaps and bounds better than the Blade Nano QX. It's survived a few interactions with tree branches resulting in 10-foot falls onto concrete, and when I can find a space to keep it above the fast mode altitude threshold where it won't end up in a tree, it can be fun to zip around outside on windless days. Practicing piloting around the house by camera only can be a bit of a challenge too, since I do best when my eyes are on the quad. I wish there was more room to grow with this quad. The handholding and safety mechanisms get in the way of that. But if you're new to quads and/or new to R/C flying in general, this would be a great way to learn the ropes, and still have something easy to play with even after you've outgrown it from a skill standpoint.
