Review: Have Your Own Little Eye In The Sky With The iSpy Helicopter
October 11, 2013
Company: iHelicopters.net
Product: iSpy Helicopter
Price: $69.95
Compatibility: iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad
Website: www.ihelicopters.net
Date: October 11, 2013
From bugs and UFOs to racing buggies and attack helicopters, iHelicopters.net has a selection of iPhone-controlled toys that can entertain a wide audience. In fact, the company recently expanded its lineup again to include a surveillance-type chopper, the iSpy Helicopter.
At first glance, everything appears in place for a somewhat stealth snooping experience, but does this eye in the sky really have what it takes to satisfy your shoulder lurking craving?
The Product
Before I brandish the video recording ability, let's tour the rest of the design. Similar to the other models, iSpy features a twin main rotor and single tail rotor propulsion and maneuvering system, sleek and simple fuselage, standard landing gear, plus a lot of LEDs, including police-style red and blue flashers and spotlight. In addition, the software controller supports joystick or accelerometer-based steering, individual function toggling, and three channel choices. Despite having an onboard camera, iSpy indeed shouldn't be mistaken for a craft such as Parrot's AR.Drone. Unlike the advanced quadricopter, the fun-sized flyer doesn't stream any footage to your iDevice. Instead, the captured content is stored on a microSD card, watchable once the flight has been completed. The lack of real-time viewing may cause an initial disappointment, however, its enjoyment depends upon your perspective. Whether live or archived, the footage still exists, and delaying the judgement of a peak or poor piloting performance could create some lively laughs and awe-inspiring amazement.What’s Hot
- Being able to record and snapshot your flights
- Full package: charging cable, transmitter, flash card reader, and 512MB microSD card
- Fair level of durability, plus one set of replacement rotor blades
- Able to be piloted by older children and adults
What’s Not
- Use of infrared communication means environment restrictions
- No sound during recordings
- Non-replaceable battery
- Added weight as well as LED and camera power drain can cause reduced runtimes
