Customer Ratings & Reviews

My experience this far with the SOLO Drone by 3DR has been one of highs and lows. Luckily none of the lows have included flyaways or crashes, but unfortunately the highs were dampened by poor GPS connections, a delayed gimbal delivery date, and shorter than promised radio range in all but a perfect environment. Leaving the delayed gimbal aside (I'll take it as a sign that I need to work on my patience), there are still two main issues which I and many others have experienced when flying the Solo. The first is that almost every time I go to fly my Solo it has trouble connecting to the satellites to get a GPS lock. Sometimes this means that I just have to wait 5-10 minutes (the Phantom 3 will GPS lock in less than a minute even in urban environments) but other times I have had to skip flying altogether out of fear of flying without a return to home point created and set. Now even though I am hoping that this can be fixed with a simple firmware update, many people online believe that it is a hardware issue, attributable to the lack of a GLONAS receiver or a raised GPS mast. The second issue is the decreased radio range. 3DR promises streaming video and radio control of up to half a mile, and even though I assumed that just like a car’s mile per gallon rating it was a best case scenario, I didn’t expect to only ever get half of what was promised. I live and fly in pretty rural areas without any obstructions to speak of and yet I have only ever been able to get 1500’ feet away before I lose radio connection (luckily it returns to home). I had to look up how much a half a mile was (2640’ FYI) because I was so sure I had my numbers wrong. Maybe you can get the range they promise flying from the top of a sand dune in the desert but in real world situations you won't achieve anything close to the range they promise unless you upgrade the controllers antennas. Now other than those two major problems, I have had a great experience with the Solo. Landing and taking off is a breeze, the app is smooth, it flies predictably and fast, and return to home is incredibly precise (if you can get a GPS lock that is). I will hopefully update this review, if I can, once the gimbal has been released and 3DR releases another firmware update. I'm really hoping for the best, but this might just be the risk of buying a first gen product.

This craft is awesome in comparison to the DJI Phantom 3 Pro that I had and returned. Even though the Phantom 3 is ready to go out of the box with camera & gimbal, I prefer to stick with the Solo. The Solo is more solidly built and you can program it to fly by itself. It is really easy to fly and it is very steady even in windy conditions. Provide your own GoPro 3/4 camera and you are all set and that's a plus because if GoPro decides to update to a 5, you can still use it on the solo. This might not be true if have the gimbal though which by the way does NOT come with it. It is sold separately and it won't be released until sometime in July. With the Phantom, you are stuck with the camera and gimbal that comes with it. It has fail safe features that will recall Solo back to its launch location should something go wrong. This is a keeper!

This is a great quadcopter. It is very easy to fly, but be aware that this ease is provided by software that requires a good GPS signal. Therefore, for safe, easy flying, use it in areas without trees, overhead wires, large metal objects, etc., that can interfere with the GPS signal. Can be flown w/o GPS, but flying in manual requires practice. The photos and video I have shot with this quad (GoPro 4 Black - 4K) are FANTASTIC - very smooth when using the optional gimbal. The smart shots work well and look very professional. But, read some 3DR Solo forums before purchasing, so you know what to expect. This is a great tool - for sure not a toy!

This is probably the best quadcopter you can buy for the price point because it is truly an amazing aerial recording unit. I am getting shots that I only see in big blockbuster movies which is pretty amazing in my book and the fact that it is future proof at least for a while is another great aspect. On top of all this, it is American made and comes with the only fly-away warranty so I mean what more can you ask for. I can't wait for an optical flow sensor, the ballistic parachute or other gadgets for the expansion bay to release in the Made for Solo program. It is also good to note that in my experience, which is almost 100 hours of flight time now, I have not had the 3DR Solo fly-away or do anything it wasn't supposed to. As long as you fly it properly and safely, it will do anything and everything you want it too without a hitch.

Have had my drone for about 3 months now, made 30-40 flights and can say I'm glad I got this drone. The 3DR solo is stable in flight, easy to learn on, and more than capable to capture advanced video. I purchased it with the gimbal, extra battery and extra props. Have since added 4 batteries and the backpack - I use it with an iPad Air 2 using the extended clip holder, and built my own sunshade from black foam board. For camera I have a GoPro Hero Black and a 5 lens sun filter pack (UV-ND16). Typical GPS lock takes 2-3 min - range is about 1/3-1/2 mile @ 100-200' elevation over a large neighborhood with LOTS of wi-fi interference. Battery life is about 15-16 min w/ gimbal and 20+ % of battery reserve. Beginner mode is easy enough our 8yo next door neighbor flew it without a problem - turn up the performance and I've clocked it at 57mph (but best video film quality is at medium flight speed, camera 2.7K @ 60fps - sor HQ still photos, you can switch settings from video to camera and back even changing settings while in flight. Has follow me, selfie, orbit, zip-line, waypoint modes - geofencing, altitude celiling limit, pause, and return to home -- camera gimbal is excellent with tilt adjustable and displayed by degree on controller screen (pan speed also adjustable) I have only used the iPad for display (would not link to my iPhone 6S Plus) - haven't tried Android products - video is good quality and rarely skips, and is recorded directly to iPad, but is also captured on GoProCamera memory w/ perfect quality - Negatives: 3DR is stopping drone hardware production (good for price drop, bad for hardware parts in distant future), software is really good and feature rich for cinematography, but app shuts down a lot (mostly when changing settings or modes vs flight or executing a flight pattern), nice thing is drone continues to fly stable and pauses and app restarts and reconnects quickly - more annoying than anything. I've had 2 crashes, both my fault - flew under my back patio and got too close to obstacles on day 2 - overconfident, and landing fast while flying forward, flipped over upside down -- both times no injury to Solo, this thing is built like a tank very solid ! I would easily recommend and would buy it again, especially at this price point.

Really nice quadcopter. Key reasons to buy this: 1) works with a gopro hero when you buy the gimbal 2)smart shots make it easier to make amazing video cinematic shots3)easy to fly 4) 3dr has excellent customer service if you need help or have an issue, can't say the same for dji phantom.

This is the second drone that I've owned. The first was fun to fly, but the Solo has been fantastic. GPS keeps it hovering solid as a rock, even in decent wind. The app allows you to adjust the performance of the drone to suit your flying style. Smart shots allow you to do some really cool video shots that would take two people to do with another drone. The only thing negative is that the gimbal is still not available at the time of this review.

The best Quad Drone on the market!! DJI, Eat your heart out!!!! This is a rock solid platform! Easy to fly, even a 5 year old can do it!! My website will be forthcoming with pictures and video within the next few months, and when the gimbal comes available.

Sorry this review is a bit long but I hope it helps. I'm writing this review of the Solo by 3D Robotics (3DR) from the UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) enthusiast standpoint and not as a quadcopter/drone toy buyer. 3D Robotics, an American company, billed as the “First Smart Drone”, which it was at the time of its inception. 3DR was a powerhouse in the world of UAV technology (hardware and software) and they prided themselves on being open source, which to enthusiasts such as myself, is an awesome thing. It originally had a price tag that matched many of the other UAV’s on the market at approximately $1,450! As the UAV/drone market opened up and companies such as DJI, out of China, has taken the UAV/drone community by storm with their high end, smart drones. As with any market competition and time the prices on these drones has gone down and the technology has progressed tremendously. However, being proprietary does not allow for the UAV community to flex its collective brainpower. We, as a community, can only use what DJI and others have implemented into their drone platforms, maybe with some developer tools available. Since 3Dr announced a few months ago that they will no longer produce the Solo and has started selling them through Best Buy at a significant discount. The time to get into the UAV space is now! You see, if you want a package that is pretty and takes pretty pictures right out the box, the Solo is not for you. If you want dive into the emerging community of UAV’s and open up to the possibilities that the Solo’s open source platform affords, the Solo is for you. The future of UAV’s isn’t so much in toy drones or photography because these applications are easily done, right now, with many UAV’ on the market. The real future is payload applications. The Solo will and is equipped for this future. The Site Scan option for Solo is already an amazing product, though quite pricey. Hope, other super high resolution camera’s like Sony’s ILCE-QX1 Lens-Style Camera will be available for Solo. As an open source platform, the Solo allows the UAV community to use its collective power to design and implement hardware and software for the Solo platform. It’s an exciting time to fly! The Solo UAV itself is a great machine but there are some issues. The GPS right out the box isn’t strong due to a design flaw and can result in fly-offs and very slow satellite connecting. This can be easily fixed with 3DR’s Solo GPS shield or replacing Solo’s original GPS module with a third party GPS/GLONASS module. Solo’s range can also be extended with different antennae for the controller. All-in-all, Solo is a very robust platform and I totally recommend it for those who want to experiment and get their hands dirty. I hope to purchase a few more Solo’s before they are gone.

I purchased this as an "Open Box" item. I have several 3DR Solos. The box was fine and I inspected the components prior to accepting it. The only flaws were very minor scratches on the handheld transmitter. These were designed with a very shiny black surface and show fingerprints and fingernail scratches immediately upon use. I was content. Once it was home I charged the aircraft battery and the transmitter's battery. the transmitter has a visual charging image just like most android phones when they are charged while turned off. This image of the battery's capacity remains visible until its finished and you unplug the charger. However, the charge never got higher than 80% or so. It should completely charge in an hour or so. I left it charging all night. Maybe the first owner returned this for that reason. It remains to be seen whether the battery is faulty or the guage is poorly calibrated. Since I have several of these already, I plan to buy a spare battery anyway. 3DR has abandoned any further manufacturing of their aircraft so this is a "dead end" product. Its a wonderful platform that was too expensive to build. Best Buy has been selected to handle the liquidation of their remaining inventory. Take this into consideration when purchasing one of these. The pricing is fantastic and so is the aircraft, if you can stand this predicament. I would recommend this if you are aware and still like the deal.

I like this 3dr solo very stable..very easy to assemble you don't need be a pro. To fly this 3DR !

I flown so many quads before and i'd say this 3DR Solo Quad by far the best quad I ever flown. Awesome so easy and friendly to use more like beginners quad.With the Hero4 GoPro on board sweet videos and pictures so clear.

This was my first drone purchase and so far it has been great. The gimbal works really well with my go Pro (hero4 silver) and takes very smooth videos and awesome pictures. I wouldn't recommend it with a hero 3, it doesn't work well.

Bought my first 3DR quadcopter online and had hoped for a revision B but when it came only 2 days later I was sorry to find it to be a Rev.B...No problem, Bestbuy took it back and found what I needed in their stockroom....The Solo drone fly's great and thanks Bestbuy for the low price on this quad and bundle.

Amazing service and exelente producto thank you guys BEST BUY & 3DRobotics

I've had my eye on this for a year and then one day its for $399 and i jumped on it. Love it. Sucks they are getting out of the hardware business because its well built.

Got this one on sale with free extra accessories as a spare drone . I like it a lot . Can't beat the price and what this drone can do . Good starter drone .

If you have a Go Pro you can't beat this drone for this kind of money.

The 3DR Solo is a great drone, especially for aerial video photography. Many useful features that even a beginner can learn quickly.

I love this drone but am not impressed that the parent company 3DR is no longer producing or supporting this product. Overall it is a wonderful product packed with high quality features and it works exactly as described, highly impressed with the drone, lost respect for the manufacturer though