Could the J.ME Drone Be the Ultimate DJI Spark Killer?

When the DJI Spark was released over a year ago, it quickly became the world’s best selfie drone thanks to its mechanically stabilized 1080P camera, great camera image quality (for the price) and compact form factor. Since then, rivals have been trying to play catch up without much success.

Among these is the Yuneec Breeze which was plagued with various connectivity and technical flaws. Other Spark alternatives such as the Hover Camera Passport, Zerotech Dobby and Wingsland S6 featured EIS (electronic image stabilization) for their cameras — an inferior way to “stabilize” a camera when compared to a 2-axis mechanical gimbal setup.

The Walkera PERI — another Spark alternative, looked very promising on paper with its 2-axis camera gimbal system which closely resembled the size and form factor of the Spark’s. The PERI also had a very similar size and design. Although announced at the end of last year, Walkera would later scrap the PERI for reasons unknown which means there isn’t any consumer drone out there currently that can match the Spark’s performance pound for pound.

Or is it?

Enter the J.ME Drone by Feima Robotics — a $350 drone that matches the Spark in almost every detail plus more. The J.ME was released somewhat quietly about a year ago without much fanfare. This wasn’t surprising because Feima Robotics — a newcomer to the consumer drone business, was a relatively unknown brand then and unlike many other Indiegogo drone scams, the company didn’t invest in any slick advertising video to promote the J.ME.

J.ME Drone Product Highlights

  • 23 minute flight time
  • 4K video (30fps) / 13MP photos
  • HD 1080P video (30fps)
  • 2-axis camera gimbal system
  • GPS/GLONASS positioning
  • 32GB built-in storage
  • Optical flow with ultrasonic sensors for indoor flight
  • HD 720P real-time video transmission
  • 550g weight (including battery)
  • 14.4V 3000mAh 4S battery
  • 300m control range
  • 100m FPV range
  • Fly-by-app

This explains why many haven’t heard of the J.ME and what it is capable of. Despite the lack of publicity and brand power, Feima Robotics spent much of 2017 developing it into a pretty decent Spark alternative.

One key selling point of the J.ME is its 23 minute flight time — that’s a whole 8 minutes more than what the Spark is capable of. 15 minutes may be the bare minimum for any serious aerial photography work but from my 6 months experience of owning a Spark — it’s probably the drone’s biggest flaw.

15 minutes may be enough for other drone use such as fast-paced FPV racing but in aerial photography, you’ll need a bit more time to line up your shots and frame them properly. This is one reason why most serious aerial photographers have chosen to go with the Mavic Pro or Phantom 4 instead of the Spark.

Both these drones have a flight time of well over 20 minutes. Besides the longer flight time, the J.ME also has a few other features that trump the Spark — voice interaction, built-in 32GB storage and 4K video.

The J.ME was released a year ago and since then, numerous reviews about it have emerged and they have been generally positive. And we are talking about genuine product reviews here where reviewers have actually tested and flown the J.ME themselves. Most of these reviewers have generally praised the J.ME for its reliability and build quality which they claim is on par with the DJI Spark.

This is an important factor to consider when purchasing any drone. Having fancy features such as 4K video, GPS and a mechanically stabilized camera gimbal amounts to nothing if the drone is prone to crashing or flying away.

Priced at $350 (with remote controller), the J.ME is a highly attractive option for those looking for a good DJI Spark alternative. Of course, getting a Spark isn’t exactly a bad idea. You can buy one with a remote controller for just $400 these days but that 15 minute flight time may be a deal breaker for some buyers.

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