Ryze Tello

amazon Ryze Tello reviews

If you’re a videographer looking for a cheap Drone, the Ryze Tello ($99) isn’t for you. Instead, it appeals to hobbyists interested in drone flying rather than video recording and is a STEM tool to get kids excited about programming. We wish the encoding tools were a bit easier to use and its video quality better. But if you’re looking for a quadcopter that’s safe to fly and doesn’t break the bank, the Tello is a solid choice.

Design: Small and light

The Tello is quite small, measuring only 1.6 x 3.9 x 3.6 inches (HWD) and leaning in at just 2.8 ounces. It is light enough that US residents are not required to be registered with the FAA to fly it outdoors. It made sense since the greatest danger the little policeman presented was getting lost on a roof.

Its propellers spin quickly, but while I didn’t stick my finger in their path to test the danger, I have a feeling they’re unlikely to hurt you with any seriousness in the case of negligence. The propeller guards are there to keep them from taking damage if you fly the Tello into a wall or tree.

The props and struts attached to the center body are black, with a silver finish to their engines. The body is white, but Tello offers blue or gold snappers for $9 each and is also available in vinyl leather, sold in sets of 4 for $7.

No memory card slot — videos and photos are sent to your Smartphone wirelessly using the Tello app for Android and iOS. You also don’t get GPS stabilization, so there’s no auto-return function, a major factor in calling the Tello more of a toy than a drone.

You have the sensor pointing down to help keep it in place. Using technology licensed from DJI, the Tello Vision Positioning System does a steady job of keeping it in place by reading patterns of the ground below it. Still, I noticed some deviation during both indoor and outdoor flights. Don’t expect it to move perfectly in a position like a Drone with real GPS stabilization.

Ryze rates the Tello’s battery life as 13 minutes, which you’ll get if you want to let it move in place until the low battery warning pops up and it lands automatically. I was able to practically use it for about 10 minutes while flying around the yard. On-board rechargeable battery via micro USB. Extra batteries are $19, and Ryze sells a 3-pin charging hub for $15.

Fly: Control by Smartphone

There are several ways to control Tello — with a Smartphone and app or using a computer and MIT’s Scratch programming language.

The Tello app, available for Android and iOS, uses your Smartphone as a remote control and recording device. To get started, you need to connect your phone to the aircraft via Wi-Fi — Tello broadcasts its password-protected network for faster, easier connections.

Once connected, you’ll have a live view from the Tello’s nose-mounted camera, along with some joysticks on the flight control screen. The left panel raises, lowers, and rotates the drone, while the right moves it forward, backward, left, or right. There is a big red button to start or stop the video recording. If you’re in still photo mode, the icon is in the same place, but it’s white and triggers a 5MP photo instead of a video.

Flying is quite intuitive, even if the on-screen controls are a bit unwieldy. Performing turns, and other operations are more difficult with the flat panel of your phone. There is a $29 remote available as an optional add-on. It connects to your phone via Bluetooth, so you still need a phone to get around. I haven’t had a chance to use it yet, but Yuneec offers a similar remote for the cheap Breeze that I find much easier to control with the remote. I hope the same is true for Tello.

In addition to basic flights, the Tello can perform mid-air flips, take off and land from your hand, and has an EZ Shots function. It can orbit a point in space, rotate around its axis to obtain a 360-degree view of its surroundings, and levitate and fly away to explore its surroundings.

Unfortunately, the video you’ll get from Tello isn’t great. The resolution is 720p; it wouldn’t be bad to have onboard memory with good compression. Instead, you must stream the video to your Smartphone over the same Wi-Fi connection that provides flight control. The result is a blocky, pixelated video. If you want to scan aerials in 4K, you’ll need to expand your budget and target a Drone like the DJI Mavic Air.

Likewise, still, images are nothing worth writing. Tello captures 5MP JPG images behind what a good Smartphone can manage.

You can certainly get a different perspective from the air, but don’t expect sweeping views or views from above. Ryze says the Tello’s maximum range is about 330 feet (100 meters). Before that, I lost a good video signal, at a distance of about 100 feet, in an area with little or no Wi-Fi interference.

Programming: Scratch

One of Tello’s big selling points is its compatibility with MIT’s Scratch programming language. You will need to install some software on your computer to work, and this is not the easiest thing to do without some guidance. I used this guide to get things going on my MacBook; Windows users can follow these instructions.

Once you’re up and running with Scratch, you can visit the “Other Blocks” section of the app to see what you can ask Tello to do. Blocks can be pulled together to send commands in sequence, and you can start any thread by clicking on it—make sure Tello is on, and your laptop is connected to its Wi-Fi network.

I had a good time using the computer to get the Tello to take off, performing mid-air flips and spinning around its axis. You’ll want to make sure to update the firmware—I could remove and flip it out of the box. But once the latest firmware is installed, the rotation and movement commands should work fine. It’s a pretty basic program, but it’s a great way to get your kids excited about coding, which can be worth the price of admission. One thing to keep in mind, since there’s no built-in memory, you can’t record videos or take photos while controlling the Tello with Scratch.

Conclusion: A fun toy

The Ryze Tello isn’t for serious video work or long-haul flights, but that’s okay. Many more capable and expensive Drones are out there that can handle that, such as the DJI Mavic Air. Instead, it addresses an underserved market much: people who want a quadcopter to run around in their backyard or local park but don’t care about video or image quality. As a $99 tech toy, it works, and you won’t have to cry too much if you end up stuck on the roof.

where can you get a Ryze Tello online

Ryze Tech Tello – Mini Drone Quadcopter UAV for Kids Beginners 5MP Camera HD720 Video 13min Flight Time Education Scratch Programming Toy Selfies, powered by DJI, White: Buy it now

Ryze Tech Tello – Mini Drone Quadcopter UAV for Kids Beginners 5MP Camera HD720 Video 13min Flight Time Education Scratch Programming Toy Selfies, Powered by DJI, White: Buy it now

Ryze Tech Tello – Mini Drone Quadcopter UAV for Kids Beginners 5MP Camera HD720 Video 13min Flight Time Education Scratch Programming Toy Selfies, Powered by DJI, White (Renewed): Buy it now

Ryze Tech DJI Tello Quadcopter Drone + GameSir T1d Remote Controller Bundle: Buy it now