Ryze Tech Tello Drone: Fun Goes Only So Far
Drones are fun, but they aren't generally educational. The Ryze Tech Tello ($99) aims to be both by allowing you to fly the drone with an app or an optional Bluetooth remote. You can also program the drone using Scratch, an open-source programming language developed by MIT. This simple but powerful language allows you to write programs by dragging and dropping blocks of code, like building a Lego model. Unfortunately, while the drone is enjoyable and simple to fly, the programming could be improved.
Design: Small and Sleek
The Tello is a small drone, measuring just 6 x 6 x 1.3 inches. It weighs just under 3 ounces, so it does not need FAA registration. Most of the weight comes from the battery that slides into the plastic-covered body of the drone, with the rotors around it. These are protected by prop guards that protect the fast-spinning blades in collisions. However, they don't completely cover the blades, so the Tello should be used only by those old enough to know where their fingers shouldn't go.
Photos and Video
The Tello captures 720P video at a resolution of 1280 x 720, and still images at 5 MP (2592 x 1936).
Both are clean and sharp, with good levels of detail and natural, bright colors. When flying over grass, the turf had a natural, vivid color while still showing the details of the blades.
Control
The Tello can be controlled three ways: through an app, a remote control or through the Scratch programming interface. The Tello app is free for iOS and Android smartphones. This provides a touch-screen interface to control the drone as well as a preview of the image from the camera. It's a simple program to use and provides a good level of control for beginners and experienced fliers. Photos and video are saved through this app: The drone itself does not have any storage. We also tested the Tello with the optional $34 Gamesir T1s game controller. This connects with the smartphone, which then sends the commands to the drone. Gamers will feel at home with the two analog joysticks on the front of the controller, and they provide a good degree of fine control over the drone.
The 1100 mAh battery that powers the Tello provided about 3 to 5 minutes of flight time. That isn't long — about half that of the Parrot Mambo — especially if you are trying to use the programmable features of the drone, as it takes longer than that to get up and running.
In addition, the drone has an annoying habit of turning itself off after about 30 seconds if it does not detect a Wi-Fi connection. If you are struggling with trying to get the software running, that isn't long.
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