Apple Is Switching Gears And Selling Selfie Drones

When it comes to endorsing devices, Apple is pretty cautious. You won’t see just any product pop on their online store. Most are stylish, great quality accessories for iPads and iPhones, although if you look hard, you’ll find the occasional drone (from other industry titans, of course). That’s why we were surprised to find there Hover Camera Passport, a selfie drone we’d discovered last year from a relatively small company, Zero Zero Robotics. Moreover, it appears that only Apple is selling it. The reasons are obvious once you check it out #actionmagic

The Hover Camera (now, with a Passport added at the end) was revealed in spring, last year. We found several things we loved at it – the shape, flexibility and selling proposal. See, Hover Camera Passport is a selfie drone; one that not only follows you everywhere and takes your picture, but that is also easy to carry and foldable just like a book. If Apple was looking to endorse and sell something unique in terms of design, they hit the jackpot with this drone.

Since there’s been exactly one year (give or take a few days) since we talked about it here, on Techthelead, let me refresh your memory. The Hover Camera Passport is a hover drone made from carbon fiber. This material allows it to weigh no more than 242 g. Also, it was designed with portability in mind. In flight, it expands like an open book. The rest of the time, it can be neatly folded just like a notebook and stored in a bag.

To activate it, you just have to know where the power button is – it’s that simple. Unfold it, tap it and then release it in the air, as you’d do with a bird out of captivity. Once it’s in the air, it will hover and wait for your command. To control it, you just have to use the special iOS app found on your iPhone (5 and upwards) or iPad. Because it’s equipped with artificial intelligence facial recognition algorithms it will know you’re its owner and follow you everywhere, keeping you in the shot. You can use the selfie drone to take 13MP stills or record in 4K. 

There are three flying modes you can choose from. “Orbit” is pretty self-explanatory – the drone circles around you recording what it sees. Then, there’s “360 Spin”, which is, you guessed it, a 360-degree panoramic video and finally, “Body-Tracking”. This final one is great when you want a video centered on you and only you. Are you running, walking, doing a tutorial or something like that? Choose this mode.

All the media captured can be viewed in real time on the app, whether it’s installed on iPhone or iPad. Hover Camera Passport comes with a 32GB built-in, non-removable memory so you’ll probably want to download many videos or photos on your Apple devices. This can be done easily, Apple says, through the iOS app (and iOS Albums).

How much does it cost? On Apple, you’ll find it at $499.95.