For a while the drone market was dominated by one name, DJI, but now Potensic is one of the brands forcing consumers to think hard before investing. That's true everywhere in the world, and even more so in the US where an ominous requirement for a government inquiry still looms over DJI.
Potensic's success, though, has had more to do with improving their own tech than the legal environment. At first they concentrated on what I sometimes think of as kids drones – but are amongst the best beginner drones too – but with recent releases, the company has grown a full range which keeps to sensible pricing but can appeal to photographers and creators at a much higher standard.
Oh, and because of the time of year, there seem to be a good few discounts too. Let me show you what I mean:
The Atom SE is clearly inspired by the DJI Mini 4K, and has a similar robust folding design and features like GPS hover and return to home making it relatively easy to use. Impressively, it actually has some better features that DJI declined to include for some reasons, like the ability to plan a mission route using waypoints. This is not only useful, but educational too.
If you are looking for something to just 'get the hang of' drones – with no risk at all – then Potensic also have you covered with the next model up, the Potensic Atom.
Because the new Potensic Atom 2 has just gone on sale (and I'm reviewing it even now), the original Atom is available at a discount if oyu know where to look. Confusingly, you might see this listed as the Atom 3, because AI has mistakenly shortened the title "Potensic Atom 3-axis..." but the '2' is the newest model!
Anyway, the key point is that this version boasts a 3-axis gimbal so the camera is even more stable, while still having all the software and hardware features that impress.
The Atom put Potensic on the map as a serious competitor; it'll be very interesting to see what the Atom 2 (which adopts a similar form factor, though has a re-styled remote) does to move things along. These prices, however, might be enough to tempt me if I didn't already have the Atom 2 sat next to me charging!
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Check my guide to the best camera drones overall (expect to pay a bit more!) and the best non-DJI drones if you're keen to avoid that brand.
