With DJI facing an impending import prohibition in the US and its prominent drones vanishing from store shelves, the new Antigravity A1 only had to be a reliable substitute to grab attention. It just needed to be something that consumers can actually purchase in the United States. Back in August, the Chinese company couldn’t guarantee that.
But now, it’s official: the Antigravity A1 is available for purchase at Best Buy in the US, currently stocked and ready to ship this week. It seems Best Buy acted ahead of a complete announcement scheduled for tomorrow, December 4th — one is even available at my nearby store right now!
And fortunately, it’s not just a DJI replacement: this $1,599 drone and headset combination is unlike anything I’ve experienced before.
As I noted back in August and as showcased in my embedded video, this 8K drone isn’t focused on “operating a drone” or “capturing aerial video.” It’s built to enable stress-free flying and filming.
The 360-degree camera and motion-sensor goggles allow you to simply rotate your head to view any direction. Inside, you’ll find a visual line that you can manipulate with your arm to indicate where you wish to go. Pull a trigger, and the drone will navigate there, while your head remains free to absorb the aerial views. Additionally, as you’re capturing video in every direction at once, you can pivot and zoom your captured footage afterward.
At a price of $1,599 — $1,899 if you prefer three batteries, a multi-charger, and a carry bag, or $1,999 for three “high-capacity” batteries according to Best Buy’s site — this drone costs more than others equipped with cameras that produce superior traditional rectangular video.
In my initial demonstration, the Antigravity A1 has a similar weight and folding mechanism to a DJI Mini, rather than the more advanced Mavic or Air series, despite being priced similarly to where those sophisticated drones were sold while they were widely available in the US.
However, none of those semiprofessional DJI drones came with a 360-degree camera package and included goggles that prioritize user-friendly flying and capturing footage. (Antigravity’s goggles are also more impressive.) But it’s possible that DJI will release its own 360-degree drone, the Avata 360, which received FCC approval just last week. It might arrive in the US before the window closes on potential new DJI devices.
The Avata 360 could potentially differ significantly from the Antigravity A1, though. While the A1 is tailored for novice users with a Mini-style form factor that flies smoothly and is lightweight enough to avoid registration, DJI’s Avata range features more robust cinewhoop-style FPV drones made for high-speed swooping and soaring.
