Drone review: Holy Stone RC Drone HS100

I would like to believe your keen interest in drones brought you to this review where we introduce you
to one that is suggested as a good model to get going, especially if you are a beginner. Drones are
getting cheaper and we find more models with diverse advanced features coming into the market. No
time like now to look around and buy a good drone that suits your interest.

It is common to find beginner and basic level drones with portable form factors and good quality 4K
cameras providing super-steady video stabilization. While operating a drone does not require much
expertise, choosing a drone could be a task and we hope this review helps.

Features of the Drone

Holy Stone HS100 Navigator comes with an advanced GPS system and a HD camera that enables good
quality aerial visual coverage. This intelligent RC quadcopter can be set to stay centered above you
automatically, with the camera capturing every move of yours, thanks to its ‘follow me’ feature.

The HS100 drone features a newly developed intelligent battery that provides flight times of up to 15
minutes. You have no worries of losing the drone since it has GPS assisted flight and its Built-in Return-
to-Home (RTH) function ensures a safe return when the battery is low or the signal is weak. The Wi-Fi
camera is optimized for 1080P resolution and can be adjusted across 90°. The drone can be quite fast
and its speed can be fine-tuned using a scroll wheel and you can save the recorded photos and videos
using an onboard micro SD card slot. IT has a first-person view (FPV) option that can be accessed with an
app that also provides built-in VR support (VR goggles not provided in the pack).

Beginners will appreciate its headless mode, altitude hold and one key takeoff and landing features that
take away their concerns of orientation, height and the hard part of landing and takeoff. You would have
as much fun assembling the drone as you would, flying it since it comes semi-knocked down. It runs on
chargeable batteries (provided along with USB charging cable) and comes with a transmitter, 8G TF Card
& Card Reader, 8 propellers, 2 extra propeller guards, and 4 extra propellers apart from the screws, pads
and other smaller components. It is a bit sizable at under 20 inches (length and breadth) but weighs less
than 2 pounds. Please note that the drone has to be with the FAA online before usage.

Who it is for

In terms of the usage and functionality, we would suggest the model for the beginners and entry-level
users, in mid to late teens specifically. It looks like it has been targeted at the mid-range market segment
with respect to quality and price.

Pros

The transmission range on the drone is very good even at heights over 100m, making it very responsive,
controllable and stable while providing admirable quality video. The Auto Return and one-key take-off
and landing button on the transmitter is a good feature.
It can be connected to a smartphone over 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi channel while the iOS app provides good VR live
streaming and other features. The readout on the drone is quite thoughtful and impressive and shows
the current height, distance, battery level in the controller and the battery level in the drone.

The camera on the drone is steady without any jello effect or camera wobble, normally seen on low to
mid-range segment drones. The camera’s other useful feature is the electronically adjustable 90° tilt
that can be manipulated by using a scroll wheel on the transmitter.

Cons

HS100 drone is not equipped with obstacle-avoidance and needs to be flown on open ground.
Smartphone connectivity keeps dropping after reaching higher altitudes. The directions on the manual
and video are not quite helpful while some of the parts are quite small to enable easy assembling.

The transmitter beeps continuously during video recording and is a pain. The smartphone connectivity is
limited and is lost after reaching a certain altitude. It can improve its battery charging time, taking about
3-5 hours to for a full charge now.

Final opinion

A beginner would find the Holy Stone RC Drone HS100 quite a champ with some exceptional features
and quality level on key parameters and features. You would fall for its features such as Follow me, GPS
assisted flight, RTH and its decent flight time, if you are a beginner but you also wish it were a bit less
expensive.