Skydio's budget-friendly drone gets a battery and range boost

In a few short years, US drone maker Skydio has gone from relative unknown to a legitimate DJI competitor. In 2019, the company took a big step forward with its Skydio 2, releasing a UAV that had one of the best obstacle avoidance systems we had seen up to that point. With CES 2022 underway, its back with an updated model of that drone called the Skydio 2 Plus that adds both hardware and software enhancements.

The new model features two additional antennas compared to the Skydio 2, allowing you to fly it up to 6 kilometers away in any one direction. By contrast, its predecessor had a range of 3.5 kilometers. Additionally, Skydio claims an improvement in battery life extends the new models flying time by 20 percent. The company has also updated its Beacon remote to extend its range to 3 kilometers.

Alongside the Plus model, Skydio introduced KeyFrame, an AI-powered feature the company says will allow anyone to design impossible camera motion that is smooth, precise and repeatable. As the name suggests, you select a handful of keyframes you want the drone to capture, the software then links them together in one continuous motion. Compared to DJI, Skydio hasnt had the most expansive or robust set of camera modes, so the addition of KeyFrame is an important one for the company.

The Skydio 2 Plus is available today starting at $1099. The KeyFrame feature is also available today on both Skydio 2 and 2 Plus drones.

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