If you’re looking for a drone that’s fast and fits in the palms of your hands, then look no further than the Syma X12. Despite its small size, this RC quadcopter really knows how to zip through the air.
Also, while it’s not invincible, this little guy sure knows how to take a beating. Its plastic frame does a fairly good job at staying together on rough landings. The X12 has small rubber feet for landing, and even bright LED lights for night flying.
If you love nano quadcopters, this is a great one to add to your collection. Once you get behind the controls, you’ll see that it flies similar to the CX-10. Let’s continue this Syma X12 review to see what else it has to offer.
Syma X12 Review – What to Expect
If you’re new to flying drones, don’t overlook the smaller models as being fun to fly. In some cases, they can actually be more fun than flying the bigger models. That’s because you can zip through areas where larger drones wouldn’t be able to (under tables, inside buildings, etc.).
This drone is perfect for people who don’t feel comfortable flying something bigger. You can hone your skills on this quadcopter, and then when you’re ready, move up to something like the Syma X5C. To give you a taste of what this nano drone has to offer, here’s a flight test:
The Pros
By far the biggest benefit to the Syma X12 is its price. Priced affordably, you’ll get amazing value for your dollar. Another great feature is its ability to perform 360-degree flips.
You don’t need to be that skilled either. Just press the flip button, pick a direction, and the drone will automatically flip for you! It really is as easy as it sounds. Now you can look and feel like a professional flyer, even if you don’t have that much experience.
The Cons
As you can imagine, there’s no such thing as a “perfect drone”. Every model has good and bad qualities. The downside to the X12 is that it has a relatively short flight time of about 4 minutes. When you’re excited to get in the air, this can be frustrating.
To stay in the air longer, I recommend checking out my article on extending drone battery life. Another drawback is that the drone doesn’t hover in one spot.
That’s because it doesn’t contain the sophisticated flight sensors that the more expensive models have. Despite its flaws, it’s still an excellent quadcopter for children.
Features and Benefits
The Syma X12 features everything you’re looking for in a beginner drone. Aside from getting you started flying it right out of the box, it also allows you to operate it efficiently.
Furthermore, it also enables you to perform amazing stunts that will make you feel like a pro. Here are some of the impressive features that you can enjoy in Syma X12:
2.4GHz Radio Control
As a beginner drone, its 2.4 GHz spectrum gives you an acceptable flight distance of up to 20 meters indoors.
To prevent you from losing track of the drone while flying outdoors, flight distance is only limited to 10 – 15 meters.
6-Axis System
One of its amazing features is its 6-axis system that allows you to perform stunts such as rolls and flips in mid-air.
Moreover, you can easily pull these stunts off even as a beginner.However, make sure that the battery is fully charged when executing mid-air stunts because doing so consumes much power.
360 Degree Eversion
The Syma X12 doesn’t only allow you to complete simple rolls and flips; it can also perform 360-degree rotation mid-air. Now that is something to look forward to.
What’s In the Box?
Ideal for beginners, the package contains all the necessary components with no further assembly required. The Syma X12 box includes the following:
1 x Syma X12 RC Quad Copter
Weighing only 14 grams, this tiny quadcopter will surprise you with loads of performance ability. The quadcopter itself measures 2.8 x 1.1 x 1.8 inches, a small quadcopter that packs a big punch indeed.
Plus, you get to fly the Syma X12 straight out of the box (after fully charging) with no assembly required.
1 x 2.4Ghz Transmitter
You’ll be surprised to see that the Syma X12 transmitter looks more like a video game controller than a drone remote control.
The transmitter would require 4 AA batteries. Unfortunately, the transmitter doesn’t have batteries included.
3.7V 100mAh Li-Po
The quadcopter has a built-in 100mAh lithium polymer battery. Charging time usually takes 40 minutes for a fully-charged battery that can provide 5 minutes of sustained flight time. Make sure to charge the battery first before using it for the first time.
1 x USB Charging Cable
The package doesn’t include a charger. However, it consists of a USB charging cable that allows you to charge it using your laptop or your phone charger simply.
Just hook it up with any PC or even some smartphones and allow it to charge for 40 minutes.
4 x Replacement Propeller Blades
A quadcopter’s propeller blades are most likely to be damaged first, especially if it crashes too often.
Having some spare sets of propeller blades at hand allows you to replace broken propellers just in case.
Fortunately, the package comes with a set of replacement propeller blades which can come in handy.
1 x Screwdriver
Why does it include a screwdriver when it already comes fully-assembled? You might ask.
It includes a screwdriver, not for initial assembly, but maintenance purposes. Besides, you can’t stay as a beginner forever.
You’ll eventually try to learn the ropes of disassembling and assembling a quadcopter on your own.
Due to its tiny size, other screwdrivers may be inappropriate for Syma X12. So, it includes a suitable screwdriver explicitly made for this small drone.
1 x User Manual
User manuals are included in the box for a reason. Take time to read the user manual. It will teach you how to operate and maintain your quadcopter.
An Amazing Quadcopter For Beginners
Are you a beginner flyer trying to learn the ropes? Then the Syma X12 is the drone to practice with. Think about it: would you instead crash a cheap or expensive drone? It’s better to crash the first one, so you don’t waste a bunch of money.
After a few weeks of practice, you’ll be good enough to move up to more advanced models like the Syma X8C or Hubsan X4 H107D (both of which have cameras!).
Also, even if you’re experienced flyer, you’ll still have tons of fun with this little drone.
Airframe Design
Designed as a beginner drone, this tiny quadcopter may look delicate and fragile but don’t judge a book by its cover.
Despite its plastic body and small propellers, Syma X12 can withstand impacts from collisions with walls, cupboards, or ceilings.
It features a tiny flashlight at the front end which serves as an indicator of the direction it is heading towards. With that being said, the little headlight isn’t intended to illuminate distant objects but is preferably designed as an indicator.
At the back end of the drone, you can find the USB port through which it can be charged. You can connect the USB charging cable to a PC, mobile charging adaptor, or even a power bank for charging.
The top of the drone has four blinking LEDs. These green and red LEDs are indicative of the direction the quad is moving in, and also are good indicators for when the pairing is lost, or the battery on the drone is about to die out.
Lastly, it features landing limbs located at the bottom to provide a safe and good grip during landing. It has small rubber paddings that also serve as a housing to the built-in battery.
Flight Performance
It is important to point out that the Syma X12 is designed for indoor use and not for outdoor racing. So, don’t expect it to fly as fast as high-speed racing drones. However, it won’t fall short as far as leisure and entertainment are concerned.
With its built-in flip routine, you can impress your friends by performing mid-air flips and rolls. Do keep in mind that there are different levels of aggressiveness and sensitivity in the controls. Refer to the user manual to learn more about these control options.
Transmitter
The transmitter for the X12 comes in a cool red color and is pretty small too. Keep in mind that it’s not that durable.
You might be surprised to hear that the drone is more robust than the transmitter! I broke my transmitter before breaking the drone.
That says a lot about the X12’s toughness and durability. The transmitter will fit nicely in your hands (unless you have huge hands, in which case, it might be tougher to control). The transmitter needs 4 AA batteries to operate which don’t come in the box.
Fly Indoors and Outdoors
No Syma X12 review without mentioning the fact that this drone is a great indoor and outdoor flyer.
Due to its small size, you can fly it around the house without having to worry about breaking your stuff. Just be careful about hitting the ceiling fan!
Likewise, this drone can be flown outdoors as well. The only downside is that it doesn’t handle itself that great in the wind. If there’s even a light breeze outside, you will have difficulty controlling your X12.
Charging the X12
In the box comes a USB charging cable that you’ll use to charge your drone. It takes about 30-40 minutes to charge the battery completely.
A fully-charged battery can provide up to 5 minutes of flight time. Performing stunts such as flips and rolls consume much energy and can significantly reduce battery life.
One of its downsides is that this device can only support one battery. This means that you cannot attach additional batteries to extend the flight duration.
Therefore, we recommend buying a second X12 (since they’re so cheap) so that you can fly one while the other is charging.
Otherwise, you’ll need to wait for a full half-an-hour before getting back in the air! Unfortunately, this model doesn’t allow you to swap out the battery that easily (unlike the Hubsan X4 H107L), so don’t bother buying extra batteries for it.
The Syma X12 only comes with a few sets of extra propellers in the box. If you’ve ever flown a nano quadcopter before, you already know just how quickly the props break.
Because of this, it’s recommended that you buy extra propellers. They aren’t that expensive. You can buy spare sets of propellers for the X12 on Amazon for a decent price. Fortunately, as you become better at flying, you’ll be less likely to break your props, thus saving you money.[/thrive_text_block]
Bottom Line
If you’re shopping for a quadcopter for a kid, co-worker, or loved one, then consider the Syma X12 as a potential option. It’s a beginner-friendly model that’s fun to fly and easy to control. Plus, it won’t break the bank, which is a good thing
You can fly this drone indoors without a problem, and outdoors when there isn’t any wind present.
It may be small, but it is loaded with impressive features that will significantly benefit beginners. Despite its puny appearance, you’ll be surprised to see how durable it can be.
For those who are into small quadcopters, particularly for indoor use, you can never go wrong with Syma X12.
If you want something that’s a little bigger but still easy to fly, then check out the Hubsan X4 H107C. Not only does it have better flight time, but it also comes with a camera! Thanks for checking out this review.
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