The Antigravity A1 is a new kind of drone that feels like flying in a video game. Spinning out from Insta360, the A1 is a three piece set featuring a drone that captures 8K 360 degree video, a pair of FPV goggles, and a unique motion controller. It aims to challenge established players by focusing on immersive flying and creative editing. The Drone Weighing just 249 grams, the A1 is light enough to bypass some drone regulations. Its standout feature is the pair of cameras mounted on the top and bottom of its body, enabling full 360 degree video capture at up to 8K resolution. Using Insta360s software, the drone body and propellers are magically removed from the final footage. Flight time is around 20 to 24 minutes per battery, and it includes auto lowering landing gear. The camera system uses a 1 over 1.28 inch sensor with an f 2.2 aperture. It can record 8K at 30fps, 5.2K, or 4K at up to 100fps. The drone offers three flight modes. Normal mode is for general flying, Sport mode increases speed and agility while disabling obstacle avoidance, and Cinematic mode prioritizes smooth, slow movement for video. The Controller and Goggles The A1 is primarily controlled not with joysticks, but with a gesture based motion controller. You point the controller where you want the drone to go and pull a trigger. This decouples the flight direction from where you are looking through the goggles, allowing for strafing maneuvers and a uniquely game like feel. The included goggles provide a crisp view with dual micro OLED displays, each with a 2560 by 2560 resolution. A circular outer screen lets onlookers see what the pilot sees. The goggles also feature a touchpad for navigating menus without needing the controller. Performance and Experience In terms of specs, the A1 is not the fastest drone. Its top speed is just under 36 mph in Sport mode, slower than some FPV rivals. However, its responsive controls and immersive perspective make it incredibly fun and intuitive to fly, especially for those with a gaming background. The initial setup and pairing process for the drone, goggles, and controller can be convoluted, with a specific power on sequence and an unintuitive power off method. During testing, transferring files from the drone to a phone via the app was unreliable, often requiring direct microSD card access. Some firmware glitches also caused odd video file behavior. These are hopefully early teething issues. Where the A1 shines is in its editing software. The 360 degree footage allows for incredible flexibility in post production. You can easily reframe shots, create dynamic effects like tiny planets, or crop for traditional horizontal or vertical videos. AI powered tools can automatically edit long flights into highlights. The Deep Tracking feature can lock onto a subject during flight or in editing. Video quality is good in well lit conditions, but the small sensor capturing a full sphere means low light performance is noisy and detail is softer compared to dedicated video drones. A visible stitching seam between the two camera feeds is sometimes apparent. Pricing and Wrap Up The Antigravity A1 is available now. The standard bundle with drone, controller, and goggles costs 1599 dollars. An Infinity Bundle for 1999 dollars adds extra batteries, a charging dock, bag, and a card reader. This makes it more expensive than many FPV drones, but it offers a completely different experience. The Antigravity A1 is a thrilling and accessible entry into immersive drone flying, thanks to its intuitive game style controls and endlessly editable 360 footage. While let down by some software instability and average low light video quality, it stands as one of the most innovative and fun consumer drones to arrive in years.
