Hello Vantage Community –
This is an exciting week for many reasons. As I’m sure few have missed, Tuesday is election day in the U.S. and it’s a big one. While we have been largely heads down during this important time, focusing on getting Snap into your hands, all of this discussion of values during the election has been a good reminder for us to consider our own values and make sure you understand exactly what we stand for. This is also an significant week because we plan to ship our first beta units by Friday. We’re excited to share more on both topics in our latest update today.
Shipping Update
The team at Vantage continues to work with passion and intensity to get you your Snap and make sure it is right. We have been building beta units with our manufacturer and plan to ship our first ones at the end of this week. We will continue to ship beta units for the rest of November and plan to ship to our pre-order customers in December.
We have solved the issues we mentioned in our last update including the GPS jamming, tooling challenges, and a long list of software bugs. We have been flying and enjoying our internal test units for the last several months. We do continue to find bugs and have additional details we would like to refine, but we are really really close and incredibly excited. Our primary technical focus at this point is video streaming performance, video quality in the widest possible range of conditions, and making sure we nail ease of use (we hate products that make us feel dumb).
All of that being said, we have some updates we need to share. First, our Android app development is behind schedule and we do not expect to have our Android app ready until January 2017. We know this will be a disappointment for our customers with only Android phones and we sincerely apologize for the delay.
Second, we have decided take a slightly different approach regarding DSM support: we are going to offer a free DSM module to pre-order customers who want it and ordered before Nov 10, 2016. This will be an additional accessory that non-pre-order customers, and customers who order after Nov 10, 2016, will have to purchase.
Edit: When the DSM Module is released, we will reach out to all pre-order customers who placed orders prior to Nov 10, 2016. There is nothing to do prior to the release date.
Here’s our thinking: our most recent survey revealed that the vast majority of our customers don’t know what DSM is and/or don’t plan to use a DSM controller. With our in-depth testing using a smartphone and game controller, we frankly don’t think a DSM controller will be useful to our customers in most situations. Furthermore, one key benefit of a DSM controller is increased range, however we found that the internal antenna for the integrated module had significantly less range than the external antenna on an add on module. This also helps us keep Snap affordable for future customers who don’t plan to use it with a DSM controller. Snap is already provisioned for this, and completing and shipping this add-on module will be a top priority after we have shipped Snap.
Stepping Back
While we are in the midst of working through every last little detail, we want to take a moment to step back and talk about the big picture, what keeps us working passionately, and why we believe Snap matters. The drone industry is still in its infancy and Snap is a completely different approach. While Snap is packed with an insane amount of cutting-edge technology, we don’t want you to love Snap for it’s amazing sensor fusion, advanced composites, or meticulous micro-gimbal. We want you to love Snap for what it lets you do, and we think Snap lets you do something amazing. It lets you capture moments that matter in an entirely new way, free from your limits of motion.
We’d like to share a bit about our perspective on what really matters in this highly-technical realm:
Your stories are personal. Forget about flying cameras for a moment. Think about the stories you most want to remember. The stories you most want to share. Your first kiss. Your first love. Asking the big question. Those first steps. Your shared adventures. Now consider how many of those stories have people in them. This is why we made a flying camera designed for use around people. People are what make our stories matter, and Snap is the only flying camera truly made for capturing those stories.
The best camera is the one you have with you. And we want you to be able to take Snap anywhere. This meant leading the industry by scaling down on size, but not on performance. But it’s more than that. Using a quad with unprotected shrouds near people is like smoking at a kids birthday party. We don’t want to be the one making others uncomfortable, which previously often meant leaving existing drones on the ground. Snap’s safe design allow it to be your camera of choice anywhere — one that’s welcome in a crowd. This means you can take Snap to the places that matter.
Feeling smart feels good. So why does so much technology make us feel dumb? We hate this, too, so we designed Snap to make you feel capable. Snap’s design and interface has been considered, tested, and reconsidered with the goal of making great aerial video fun and easy. This means you can stay in the moment and focus on what matters.
Your dollars count. We know quality flying cameras, including Snap, are expensive. We’ve worked hard to keep Snap as affordable as possible, but our primary focus is creating a product that gives you your money’s worth through the length and richness of the relationship you can have with it. Nothing ends a relationship faster than a non-functional product, so we’ve designed Snap to survive those inevitable crashes and make repairs trivial when big accidents happen. We’ve also designed Snap to grow with you over time and stretch the value of your purchase. Snap’s alternative rotor sets and add-on modules will enable you to move faster, higher, further, and longer than any product in the world, so you can continue to expand your horizons.
– – – –
I had to give my Snap to our mobile developer this weekend and it’s absence felt notably significant. I have been infected with the pleasure of this new freedom of movement and perspective. When my son was throwing bread for ducks in a local duck pond, I struggled to find an angle with my iPhone that captured his expression without getting wet. And then when we saw a large parrot up in the trees near us (which is still a bit of a mystery, as I had never seen anything like it in San Francisco, including the famous parrots of Telegraph Hill), I again struggled to to find the angle to do it justice. The list went on from there. While I felt frustrated, it also make me feel even more excited to be able to share this pursuit with the world.
We close with a video I shot during a hike in Point Reyes with my family and one of my closest friend’s family. This reflects many of the values and goals we shared. And I don’t think there is another flying camera in the world that I could have used.
We will be in touch with updates on the Beta program and your specific delivery timing. Thank you as always for your patience, support, and ongoing belief in our adventure. We can’t wait to get Snap in your hands and see what you do with it.
Sincerely,
Tobin and the rest of the Vantage team
PS – Don’t forget to vote!
© 2024 Vantage Robotics
Awesome news then! Shame on the android app, going to have to use my brothers iphone for the time being then. About the DSM controller, how is that going to work out then?
Thanks for the long awaited update!
Nick
Thanks Nick and sorry again about the Android app. We are working really hard to get that out as quickly as possible. At least you get to spend some time bonding with your brother though, right ;). The DSM receiver will mount on top of the body. We will make sure to send all sorts of updates about that later, but just wanted to keep you informed on the new plan.
Awesome news then! Shame on the android app, going to have to use my brothers iphone for the time being then. About the DSM controller, how is that going to work out then?
Thanks for the long awaited update!
Nick
Thanks Nick and sorry again about the Android app. We are working really hard to get that out as quickly as possible. At least you get to spend some time bonding with your brother though, right ;). The DSM receiver will mount on top of the body. We will make sure to send all sorts of updates about that later, but just wanted to keep you informed on the new plan.
Seriously best update ever (obviously). I couldn’t agree more with what is said here about how Snap allows you to get shots that you could not get with any other flying platform currently available and I believe the video with the little kiddies shows that more than anything else. I don’t believe any mother or father would feel comfortable getting those shots with any other drone out there other than Snap.
Thank you to the entire team for working so tirelessly on this project. Kudos to all of us who have stood by you and been patient along the way. I have a strong feeling that those who jumped ship due to frustration of delays may be climbing back on board.
With the regulations regarding the use of drones getting tighter and tighter all around the world…. most notably Costa Rica, Sweeden and Canada, although I am sure there are others, I believe that drones like Snap will receive a different classification in many countries in comparison to the larger open bladed drones. One can only hope. Regardless of the regulations Snap is a major step forward for the drone industry…. akin to anti lock brakes and airbags for cars. Thumbs up! Can’t wait to fly her and help refine those last few tweaks and what have you to make her the best aerial platform ever!
Again great work! Happy voting everyone!
Kevin
Thanks Kevin! We are really excited to get you flying, and kudos for your patience!
Seriously best update ever (obviously). I couldn’t agree more with what is said here about how Snap allows you to get shots that you could not get with any other flying platform currently available and I believe the video with the little kiddies shows that more than anything else. I don’t believe any mother or father would feel comfortable getting those shots with any other drone out there other than Snap.
Thank you to the entire team for working so tirelessly on this project. Kudos to all of us who have stood by you and been patient along the way. I have a strong feeling that those who jumped ship due to frustration of delays may be climbing back on board.
With the regulations regarding the use of drones getting tighter and tighter all around the world…. most notably Costa Rica, Sweeden and Canada, although I am sure there are others, I believe that drones like Snap will receive a different classification in many countries in comparison to the larger open bladed drones. One can only hope. Regardless of the regulations Snap is a major step forward for the drone industry…. akin to anti lock brakes and airbags for cars. Thumbs up! Can’t wait to fly her and help refine those last few tweaks and what have you to make her the best aerial platform ever!
Again great work! Happy voting everyone!
Kevin
Thanks Kevin! We are really excited to get you flying, and kudos for your patience!
I want to thank everyone at Vantage for all the time and effort that you put into this project, and for being honest with all of your costumers about the progress on Snap! Keep up the great work and posting those wonderful videos.
Thanks Al. We are all really excited (but also still super busy) over here!
Hi,
I leave the UK on the 26th November for 6 months and I bought Snap specifically for my trip. Whilst I appreciate you guys are a start up, I feel with every update I receive my drone is just arriving later and later. First October 2016, then ‘Fall 2016’ and now December 2016, which is obviously past my departure date and I have no faith that this will not be pushed later again! The frequent updates are helpful but not reassuring. Is there any chance I will receive this drone before I leave?
Also one concern with the footage, the children running keep moving in and out of frame. Is this being flown by a pilot or on a pre-programmed flight path? Does the software include any object tracking to keep people in frame (A new feature in the Parrot Bepop 2 and DJI Mavic.), it would be great if Snap did! I’m excited for this drone and have been for months now, but if it arrives after I leave I won’t even have the travel content I ordered it for! I’ve always loved the concept behind snap, but as you have always said “the best camera is the one you have with you”.
Please keep me updated.
Good luck with everything, and good luck with the election.
Hi Georgie,
Sorry to cause any stress here. These delays have been a bummer, but we are moving along really nicely right now. Not to nit pick too much, but Fall goes through most of December. In all reality, its not very likely that a pre-sale order could be filled and shipped to the UK in the next 3 weeks. Please email us at [email protected] so that we can sort out your address change or cancellation options.
As far as the footage goes, this was all shot in manual control. We are developing computer vision tracking, but it will come as a software update after we ship.
Hi,
I leave the UK on the 26th November for 6 months and I bought Snap specifically for my trip. Whilst I appreciate you guys are a start up, I feel with every update I receive my drone is just arriving later and later. First October 2016, then ‘Fall 2016’ and now December 2016, which is obviously past my departure date and I have no faith that this will not be pushed later again! The frequent updates are helpful but not reassuring. Is there any chance I will receive this drone before I leave?
Also one concern with the footage, the children running keep moving in and out of frame. Is this being flown by a pilot or on a pre-programmed flight path? Does the software include any object tracking to keep people in frame (A new feature in the Parrot Bepop 2 and DJI Mavic.), it would be great if Snap did! I’m excited for this drone and have been for months now, but if it arrives after I leave I won’t even have the travel content I ordered it for! I’ve always loved the concept behind snap, but as you have always said “the best camera is the one you have with you”.
Please keep me updated.
Good luck with everything, and good luck with the election.
Hi Georgie,
Sorry to cause any stress here. These delays have been a bummer, but we are moving along really nicely right now. Not to nit pick too much, but Fall goes through most of December. In all reality, its not very likely that a pre-sale order could be filled and shipped to the UK in the next 3 weeks. Please email us at [email protected] so that we can sort out your address change or cancellation options.
As far as the footage goes, this was all shot in manual control. We are developing computer vision tracking, but it will come as a software update after we ship.
Great news guys glad to hear. Just a couple of questions about the dsm radio. Will there be one in it when shipped like originally planned or is it just the external module? And will the module ship with snap for those of us that want it. I do use android so i won’t be able to fly it with my phone when i get it in Dec. Correct? Unless the dsm module is with it because i do have a dsm controller i could use until the android app is ready. Thanks again and super excited to get flying.
Great news guys glad to hear. Just a couple of questions about the dsm radio. Will there be one in it when shipped like originally planned or is it just the external module? And will the module ship with snap for those of us that want it. I do use android so i won’t be able to fly it with my phone when i get it in Dec. Correct? Unless the dsm module is with it because i do have a dsm controller i could use until the android app is ready. Thanks again and super excited to get flying.
Congrats! Great update. Very excited.
Congrats! Great update. Very excited.
Does that mean that customers without an IPhone will not be able to use the drone at all when they receive it?
Does that mean that customers without an IPhone will not be able to use the drone at all when they receive it?
Sorry Christian. We are working very hard to get Android up soon. We hope that you can find an iFriend to fly with until the Android app gets released.
You guys really blew a great opportunity here. No Android app? Wow. #FAIL.
You guys really blew a great opportunity here. No Android app? Wow. #FAIL.
Sorry to disappoint you here Christopher. We are working very hard to get this out soon, and hope that you will be able to fly with a friend for a few weeks until the Android app is out. Otherwise, we are really excited about getting Snap out soon!
Thanks for the update and insight. Could you expand a little on timescales for international customers, in my case the UK. Cheers.
We are restricting our Beta program to US customers, but plan on filling all pre-sales (including international orders) right after that.
Thanks for the update and insight. Could you expand a little on timescales for international customers, in my case the UK. Cheers.
We are restricting our Beta program to US customers, but plan on filling all pre-sales (including international orders) right after that.
With the recent announcements of both the GoPro Karma and the DJI Mavik Pro where do you see your competitive advantage as both seem to have the portability and the features that may surpass Snap. It seems you may have missed your window.
Thanks for writing Dick. DJI and GoPro are both great companies, and we are sure that Mavic and Karma will be a great products.
Snap is a very different product though. Mavic and Snap are both small, 4k flying cameras with many similar features. But Snap is really designed to be used around people. Every feature has been focused to make Snap provide the simplest, most intuitive, and safest experience so that you can capture those amazing aerial images around your friends and loved ones without having to be an experienced pilot. And, as your needs vary, Snap’s extensibility will allow for you to specialize your experience. Karma is really designed to be an accessory to the GoPro series.
With the recent announcements of both the GoPro Karma and the DJI Mavik Pro where do you see your competitive advantage as both seem to have the portability and the features that may surpass Snap. It seems you may have missed your window.
Thanks for writing Dick. DJI and GoPro are both great companies, and we are sure that Mavic and Karma will be a great products.
Snap is a very different product though. Mavic and Snap are both small, 4k flying cameras with many similar features. But Snap is really designed to be used around people. Every feature has been focused to make Snap provide the simplest, most intuitive, and safest experience so that you can capture those amazing aerial images around your friends and loved ones without having to be an experienced pilot. And, as your needs vary, Snap’s extensibility will allow for you to specialize your experience. Karma is really designed to be an accessory to the GoPro series.
It’s a big window Dick and a huge market to have some pie. I ordered mine over a year ago and I have watched read and listened to be apart of a game changer. I believe it still is and I can’t wait for the beta if I’m in the 5% or in the first to get shipped in December. Give us all a break with the GoPro thing Dick and try supporting these guys that are leading in something we couldn’t dream about when you were a kid and will change the lives of every kid that plays soccer team Saturday mornings. or little league football where a coach can teach them the game from an entirely different perspective. when your 3’6 and now your 50’6 you see yourself and what you’re doing in a way even a kid can understand. I have a list a mile long of the possibilities for my fleet of them……. King David to his son Solomon on his deathbed regarding the construction of the temple he left his charge said ” Be strong, be courageous, and Do It” this is for those involved in every part of this incredible venture. Thank you and your families for your long hours and long days to come getting this to market. I’m happy just getting the extra battery
Thanks for the support Daniel
It’s a big window Dick and a huge market to have some pie. I ordered mine over a year ago and I have watched read and listened to be apart of a game changer. I believe it still is and I can’t wait for the beta if I’m in the 5% or in the first to get shipped in December. Give us all a break with the GoPro thing Dick and try supporting these guys that are leading in something we couldn’t dream about when you were a kid and will change the lives of every kid that plays soccer team Saturday mornings. or little league football where a coach can teach them the game from an entirely different perspective. when your 3’6 and now your 50’6 you see yourself and what you’re doing in a way even a kid can understand. I have a list a mile long of the possibilities for my fleet of them……. King David to his son Solomon on his deathbed regarding the construction of the temple he left his charge said ” Be strong, be courageous, and Do It” this is for those involved in every part of this incredible venture. Thank you and your families for your long hours and long days to come getting this to market. I’m happy just getting the extra battery
Thanks for the support Daniel
Thanks for the honest update. I look forward to (hopefully) receiving my Snap before Christmas. I sincerely hope my expectations of a superior product, as you have promised, will be realized as I have had several disappointments with other crowd-funded and pre-ordered products. I would rather wait until the product is right than receive a prematurely released version.
After seeing the recent GoPro and DJI announcements, I’m still convinced the Snap is the right choice for me.
Thanks Al. We are really excited to get you flying! On a small note, we are privately funded, not crowd funded.
Thanks for the honest update. I look forward to (hopefully) receiving my Snap before Christmas. I sincerely hope my expectations of a superior product, as you have promised, will be realized as I have had several disappointments with other crowd-funded and pre-ordered products. I would rather wait until the product is right than receive a prematurely released version.
After seeing the recent GoPro and DJI announcements, I’m still convinced the Snap is the right choice for me.
Thanks Al. We are really excited to get you flying! On a small note, we are privately funded, not crowd funded.
Keep up the good work, such an amazing drone!. BTW when can we expect some shots of the iPhone app?
Thanks 777! We are finishing up the iPhone app, and will share more with you soon.
Keep up the good work, such an amazing drone!. BTW when can we expect some shots of the iPhone app?
Thanks 777! We are finishing up the iPhone app, and will share more with you soon.
Dick Stone, to avoid insane amounts of repetition go through some of the blog posts and or facebook page. Vantage Robotics as well as many of us who have done our research have posted dozens and dozens of times an extreme number of advantages that Snap has over Mavic. Karma isn’t even in the same realm as Mavic or Snap so I’m not too sure why you’re even mentioning the Karma. I’d start to list out the advantages that Snap has over Mavic but there’s just so much information out there already that I feel it would be too much like spam. Let me put it to you this way. If Snap was manufactured and marketed by a large company like DJI who could give it a New York City or Los Angeles massive product launch with millions of existing customers and they launched the Snap the exact time they launched the Mavic…. my guess is well over 50% of the purchases would be the Snap over the Mavic. Snap is superior to the Mavic in just so many ways.
Dick Stone, to avoid insane amounts of repetition go through some of the blog posts and or facebook page. Vantage Robotics as well as many of us who have done our research have posted dozens and dozens of times an extreme number of advantages that Snap has over Mavic. Karma isn’t even in the same realm as Mavic or Snap so I’m not too sure why you’re even mentioning the Karma. I’d start to list out the advantages that Snap has over Mavic but there’s just so much information out there already that I feel it would be too much like spam. Let me put it to you this way. If Snap was manufactured and marketed by a large company like DJI who could give it a New York City or Los Angeles massive product launch with millions of existing customers and they launched the Snap the exact time they launched the Mavic…. my guess is well over 50% of the purchases would be the Snap over the Mavic. Snap is superior to the Mavic in just so many ways.
I am very excited to see the progress that has been made. I have been anxiously awaiting the arrival of Snap for over a year now. I can’t wait to get my hands on mine and start flying it where ever I go. Thank you so much for the update.
Thanks Chad. We are really excited too!
I am very excited to see the progress that has been made. I have been anxiously awaiting the arrival of Snap for over a year now. I can’t wait to get my hands on mine and start flying it where ever I go. Thank you so much for the update.
Ease of use , safety , upgrade ability , truely portable in a small backpack , these are the reasons I pre ordered Snap and I don’t think the others compare . Very excited and thank you for the update.
Thanks Peter!
I am glad you feel that way, but as an owner of 2 drones for the past 2.5 years, I can’t see (feature for feature) why you feel the way you do………saying there are too many advantage to post is not terribly helpful…….the last I knew (when I asked a few months back) Snap did not even support Glonass…(an important omission, IMHO)…..if you feel your knowledge of the Snap advantages are too overwhelming to post here, email me as I would be interested in buying Snap should it be superior, but as of today I am not convinced. [email protected]
I am look forward to your email……thanx
In response to Glonass. In order to pick up both Glonass and GPS signals, you need a wider band antenna. This can make you more susceptible to noise and interference. We tested many different modules that included both, and cut no costs in finding the best unit. We are quite happy with our GPS positioning.
I am glad you feel that way, but as an owner of 2 drones for the past 2.5 years, I can’t see (feature for feature) why you feel the way you do………saying there are too many advantage to post is not terribly helpful…….the last I knew (when I asked a few months back) Snap did not even support Glonass…(an important omission, IMHO)…..if you feel your knowledge of the Snap advantages are too overwhelming to post here, email me as I would be interested in buying Snap should it be superior, but as of today I am not convinced. [email protected]
I am look forward to your email……thanx
In response to Glonass. In order to pick up both Glonass and GPS signals, you need a wider band antenna. This can make you more susceptible to noise and interference. We tested many different modules that included both, and cut no costs in finding the best unit. We are quite happy with our GPS positioning.
Awesome to see a mark in the W column for us customers! So – I noticed you guys mentioned you had a make a trip to the manufacturing site yesterday. Does that mean that the majority of Snaps parts are made in the U.S.A? That’s an added bonus to me. I think I picked up on a few things many months ago that the white shell was ordered from overseas (China ish) but the motherboards are local? That’s way cool. If I’m understanding it all correctly.
Either way, I have a picture request ———– Can you guys take a picture of One or two of the Beta Snaps in their case as a teaser? That would be way cool, you know us consumers, we love snazzy cases and packaging 🙂
Snap is made of hundreds of components sourced all around the world. All of those components then come to our manufacturing plant in the SF Bay Area for assembly. Specifically, all of our circuit boards are made and populated in the USA.
Our case looks really good. We will get some teasers out soon…
Awesome to see a mark in the W column for us customers! So – I noticed you guys mentioned you had a make a trip to the manufacturing site yesterday. Does that mean that the majority of Snaps parts are made in the U.S.A? That’s an added bonus to me. I think I picked up on a few things many months ago that the white shell was ordered from overseas (China ish) but the motherboards are local? That’s way cool. If I’m understanding it all correctly.
Either way, I have a picture request ———– Can you guys take a picture of One or two of the Beta Snaps in their case as a teaser? That would be way cool, you know us consumers, we love snazzy cases and packaging 🙂
Snap is made of hundreds of components sourced all around the world. All of those components then come to our manufacturing plant in the SF Bay Area for assembly. Specifically, all of our circuit boards are made and populated in the USA.
Our case looks really good. We will get some teasers out soon…
The delay with the Android app is annoying for me, because I only own Android devices and initially only wanted to use these to control.
Since I plan the use of a DSM controller because of the larger range, I would like to get my SNAP of course with the DSM module.
How can I make this request binding?
Best regards
Thomas Eigendorf
Sorry Thomas. We know that the Android delays are a bummer, and are working super hard to get this out soon. We hope that you can find a friend to fly with until we get this online.
As for the DSM, we have put a lot of thought into this and think that you will get a better product with the receiver as a separate piece of hardware. We will have a lot more information about this in the coming weeks, but wanted to pass this information out to you as early as we could. Stay tuned.
The delay with the Android app is annoying for me, because I only own Android devices and initially only wanted to use these to control.
Since I plan the use of a DSM controller because of the larger range, I would like to get my SNAP of course with the DSM module.
How can I make this request binding?
Best regards
Thomas Eigendorf
Sorry Thomas. We know that the Android delays are a bummer, and are working super hard to get this out soon. We hope that you can find a friend to fly with until we get this online.
As for the DSM, we have put a lot of thought into this and think that you will get a better product with the receiver as a separate piece of hardware. We will have a lot more information about this in the coming weeks, but wanted to pass this information out to you as early as we could. Stay tuned.
Big congrats on shipping the first units! 🙂
Thanks Toby!
Big congrats on shipping the first units! 🙂
Thanks Toby!
Great update, i am in the same boat as Joe Kerby, im thumbs DSM flyer, just prefer it to a tiny handheld like a iphone or android, now im concerned that i wont be able to fly it when it gets to me in December because it wont have the dsm module, correct?? Dissapointing, if true. glad ill get it for free since i ordered bedore Nov 10th 2016′ … but still, thought id be flying here with it soon…maybe the only responces you got from the survey you asked us to fill out was mostly non-dsm users…i filled out the survey and definately marked DSM for my preferred method of flying…hope you might reconsider and include the module with the pre-Nov 10 shipments…tks inadvance…i hope 🙂
Thanks Chuck and sorry to disappoint with the DSM. The DSM module won’t be ready to ship in December. However, if you are worried that you won’t be able to fly with the phone, the bluetooth game controller feature will be ready to go.
Great update, i am in the same boat as Joe Kerby, im thumbs DSM flyer, just prefer it to a tiny handheld like a iphone or android, now im concerned that i wont be able to fly it when it gets to me in December because it wont have the dsm module, correct?? Dissapointing, if true. glad ill get it for free since i ordered bedore Nov 10th 2016′ … but still, thought id be flying here with it soon…maybe the only responces you got from the survey you asked us to fill out was mostly non-dsm users…i filled out the survey and definately marked DSM for my preferred method of flying…hope you might reconsider and include the module with the pre-Nov 10 shipments…tks inadvance…i hope 🙂
Thanks Chuck and sorry to disappoint with the DSM. The DSM module won’t be ready to ship in December. However, if you are worried that you won’t be able to fly with the phone, the bluetooth game controller feature will be ready to go.
James,
A great post for you & the team after so much hard work, Xmas delivery sounds fantastic.
You might all be able to stop drinknig all that coffee soon & be able to take a well earned rest!!.
I’ve sent you an email fyi.
Cheers
Thanks Gizmo. Still lots to do, but we’re really excited all the same.
James,
A great post for you & the team after so much hard work, Xmas delivery sounds fantastic.
You might all be able to stop drinknig all that coffee soon & be able to take a well earned rest!!.
I’ve sent you an email fyi.
Cheers
Thanks Gizmo. Still lots to do, but we’re really excited all the same.
Okay Dick Stone here goes. No need for personal e-mail but thanks. I totally would but all good. Might as well be fully transparent. Sorry for everyone if this is ultra long. Just so you know Dick, I was really REALLY excited about the Mavic. I think it’s design is incredible. It does fold up smaller than Snap which makes it the smallest folded up drone of the two but it is much heavier.
Here is how Snap excels over P3, P4 and Mavic (Not talking about Gopro). Gopro will be Bankrupt in 2 years. Their Karma is a complete flop.
On Camera / Video:
1) No props in frame no matter what angle, what speed or anything.
2) No Prop Shadow in your video ever ever ever. I’ve seen so many video’s that look so armature because of prop shadow. Even when filmed by professional flyers.
**Note that a bigger sensor doesn’t mean a better image. Also note that a smaller aperture does not mean better low light quality. For a camera to be the best camera it has to bring dozens of parameters together. I believe that you will be able to obtain MORE quality footage with Snap per minute of flying than you can with P3, P4 or Mavic due to the loss of quality footage due to props in frame and prop shadow being visible.
3) Although Snap does not have a yaw axis gimbal, the yaw of the Snap is extremely extremely precise. It’s too early to tell but so far I have not been very impressed with the yaw movement in the P3, P4 and Mavic.
Filming / tracking smart modes: **** This is the biggest for me.
1) Autofollow WITH tracking. Mavic can only track the subject in 2 ways. Active track (keeps subject in frame and follows subject using video camera. GPS follow which uses the GPS in the controller and follows the controller but does NOT track the subject. The camera stays fixed on whatever angle you’ve placed it at. Snap on the other hand will follow your phone while it is in your pocket through GPS and also keep you 100% fully in the frame using all of the sensors in your smartphone combined with fancy algorithm stuff that interpret the speed and orientation of your phone and then actively predict where you are going to be before you are actually there and the drone then works to keep you in the middle of the frame. Based on all the “active track” and or GPS follow me video’s currently out there on youtube… quite frankly P3, P4 and Mavic all FAIL horribly at keeping a person in frame during mountain biking, skiing, while on a motorboat, etc. I have still yet to see Active track or GPS follow do a really good job at being the ultimate “selfi-drone”. If you want to get a real wickedly awesome video of you mountain biking. Snap is your best choice over those 3 other drones. This to me is what really REALLY made the decision for me. All other smart flight modes are more or less the same between the cameras. i.e. Orbit POI, Orbit self. DJI’s drones excel in multiple waypoints however I have never seen a finished video where they use this features as when it goes from 1 waypoint to another waypoint the video looks terrible. The panning is just awful. It’s like a robot.
2) The waterproof auto-follow beacon will be huge in being able to get all of these awesome shots of your hot girlfriend (or boyfriend) while surfing or wakeboarding while you still have control of the Snap if need be. (least I’m assuming this is how it is going to work).
Safety / durability:
1) Snap is safe to use near and around people or pets.
2) Snap is significantly safer when involved in a failure or a crash.
3) Snap is 100’s of times more durable than the P3, P4 and especially way more durable than the Mavic. Most recreational flyers are going to crash. We’re not talking Inspire flyers or Hollywood professional productions here we’re talking consumer / pro-sumers. You can fly snap into a wall, you can crash land it, you can fly it into a tree, you can fly it into your face. There are reports of broken mavics all over the internet and facebook and of slashed fingers and ankles and what not.
Obstacle Avoidance:
1) When shipped Obstacle avoidance isn’t quite as important with snap as the re-precautions of colliding with something are a mere fraction of what happens when the P3, P4 or Mavic comes into contact with something.
2) Snap will have full 360 obstacle avoidance in the future without requiring to buy a new drone. Just the 360 Obstacle avoidance module.
Range:
DJI drones have the crown compared to all other drone manufacturers when it comes to radio range. However Snap will have a cellphone tower LTE range module in the future which will give it unlimited range within LTE zones. Snap is really not designed for ultimate range though. It’s focused on getting aerial video of you doing action sports and or with your loved ones and or stuff like that. It’s intent was never really to do an Orbit of the Statue of Liberty from mainland Manhattan.
Ease of use:
Supposedly way more user friendly and way easier to use however we’ll have to all wait and see to really know for sure.
Battery life:
Out of the box we’re expecting the battery life to be relatively close to the P3 series, not quite as good as the P4 series or Mavic however Snap will be coming out with an endurance module which will blow all of those out of the water with a anticipated 60 minutes of flight time. Ooooh I can just picture the amazing aerial sunset timelapses that will be possible with this module.
What I am missing fellow Snappers? I know I’m missing something.
Okay Dick Stone here goes. No need for personal e-mail but thanks. I totally would but all good. Might as well be fully transparent. Sorry for everyone if this is ultra long. Just so you know Dick, I was really REALLY excited about the Mavic. I think it’s design is incredible. It does fold up smaller than Snap which makes it the smallest folded up drone of the two but it is much heavier.
Here is how Snap excels over P3, P4 and Mavic (Not talking about Gopro). Gopro will be Bankrupt in 2 years. Their Karma is a complete flop.
On Camera / Video:
1) No props in frame no matter what angle, what speed or anything.
2) No Prop Shadow in your video ever ever ever. I’ve seen so many video’s that look so armature because of prop shadow. Even when filmed by professional flyers.
**Note that a bigger sensor doesn’t mean a better image. Also note that a smaller aperture does not mean better low light quality. For a camera to be the best camera it has to bring dozens of parameters together. I believe that you will be able to obtain MORE quality footage with Snap per minute of flying than you can with P3, P4 or Mavic due to the loss of quality footage due to props in frame and prop shadow being visible.
3) Although Snap does not have a yaw axis gimbal, the yaw of the Snap is extremely extremely precise. It’s too early to tell but so far I have not been very impressed with the yaw movement in the P3, P4 and Mavic.
Filming / tracking smart modes: **** This is the biggest for me.
1) Autofollow WITH tracking. Mavic can only track the subject in 2 ways. Active track (keeps subject in frame and follows subject using video camera. GPS follow which uses the GPS in the controller and follows the controller but does NOT track the subject. The camera stays fixed on whatever angle you’ve placed it at. Snap on the other hand will follow your phone while it is in your pocket through GPS and also keep you 100% fully in the frame using all of the sensors in your smartphone combined with fancy algorithm stuff that interpret the speed and orientation of your phone and then actively predict where you are going to be before you are actually there and the drone then works to keep you in the middle of the frame. Based on all the “active track” and or GPS follow me video’s currently out there on youtube… quite frankly P3, P4 and Mavic all FAIL horribly at keeping a person in frame during mountain biking, skiing, while on a motorboat, etc. I have still yet to see Active track or GPS follow do a really good job at being the ultimate “selfi-drone”. If you want to get a real wickedly awesome video of you mountain biking. Snap is your best choice over those 3 other drones. This to me is what really REALLY made the decision for me. All other smart flight modes are more or less the same between the cameras. i.e. Orbit POI, Orbit self. DJI’s drones excel in multiple waypoints however I have never seen a finished video where they use this features as when it goes from 1 waypoint to another waypoint the video looks terrible. The panning is just awful. It’s like a robot.
2) The waterproof auto-follow beacon will be huge in being able to get all of these awesome shots of your hot girlfriend (or boyfriend) while surfing or wakeboarding while you still have control of the Snap if need be. (least I’m assuming this is how it is going to work).
Safety / durability:
1) Snap is safe to use near and around people or pets.
2) Snap is significantly safer when involved in a failure or a crash.
3) Snap is 100’s of times more durable than the P3, P4 and especially way more durable than the Mavic. Most recreational flyers are going to crash. We’re not talking Inspire flyers or Hollywood professional productions here we’re talking consumer / pro-sumers. You can fly snap into a wall, you can crash land it, you can fly it into a tree, you can fly it into your face. There are reports of broken mavics all over the internet and facebook and of slashed fingers and ankles and what not.
Obstacle Avoidance:
1) When shipped Obstacle avoidance isn’t quite as important with snap as the re-precautions of colliding with something are a mere fraction of what happens when the P3, P4 or Mavic comes into contact with something.
2) Snap will have full 360 obstacle avoidance in the future without requiring to buy a new drone. Just the 360 Obstacle avoidance module.
Range:
DJI drones have the crown compared to all other drone manufacturers when it comes to radio range. However Snap will have a cellphone tower LTE range module in the future which will give it unlimited range within LTE zones. Snap is really not designed for ultimate range though. It’s focused on getting aerial video of you doing action sports and or with your loved ones and or stuff like that. It’s intent was never really to do an Orbit of the Statue of Liberty from mainland Manhattan.
Ease of use:
Supposedly way more user friendly and way easier to use however we’ll have to all wait and see to really know for sure.
Battery life:
Out of the box we’re expecting the battery life to be relatively close to the P3 series, not quite as good as the P4 series or Mavic however Snap will be coming out with an endurance module which will blow all of those out of the water with a anticipated 60 minutes of flight time. Ooooh I can just picture the amazing aerial sunset timelapses that will be possible with this module.
What I am missing fellow Snappers? I know I’m missing something.
Oh HANDHELD! Not that it’s a big deal but…. lets say you’re hiking…. lets say you don’t own a GoPro Hero camera and you definitely don’t own a handheld gimbal for your GoPro. Well you can use Snap without the propellers attached. Vantage Robotics has repeatedly stated that snap was not designed to be used as a handheld device but I mean look at it…. it just looks so ergonomically perfect for a handheld device…. it’s practically shaped like a microphone. I’ll tell ya right now. I will be using my Snap as a handheld A LOT…. and just think about the battery life you are going to get out of that thing as a handheld! It’s going to be insane!
= D
Oh HANDHELD! Not that it’s a big deal but…. lets say you’re hiking…. lets say you don’t own a GoPro Hero camera and you definitely don’t own a handheld gimbal for your GoPro. Well you can use Snap without the propellers attached. Vantage Robotics has repeatedly stated that snap was not designed to be used as a handheld device but I mean look at it…. it just looks so ergonomically perfect for a handheld device…. it’s practically shaped like a microphone. I’ll tell ya right now. I will be using my Snap as a handheld A LOT…. and just think about the battery life you are going to get out of that thing as a handheld! It’s going to be insane!
= D
Kevin, dont forget the customer service. Vantage Robotics and DJI are polar opposites in this regard. Can you imagine DJI taking the time every day to politely respond to every comment on Instagram, facebook, forums, emails, ect..
Thanks Chris! 🙂
Kevin, dont forget the customer service. Vantage Robotics and DJI are polar opposites in this regard. Can you imagine DJI taking the time every day to politely respond to every comment on Instagram, facebook, forums, emails, ect..
Thanks Chris! 🙂
I’m looking forward to hearing some feedback from the lucky Beta testers & seeing some video from them shortly!.
I’m looking forward to hearing some feedback from the lucky Beta testers & seeing some video from them shortly!.
How is the range on WiFi and Bluetooth? Has that been published yet?
Wifi gives a range of 100-150m.
How is the range on WiFi and Bluetooth? Has that been published yet?
Wifi gives a range of 100-150m.
Danie,
It is not my intention to bash Snap or Vantage Robotics, but having a good deal of experience with drone’s and aerial capture, products have to be competitive to consider purchase and maybe until Karma and Mavic, Snap had a great story on portability, which in many ways has been usurped a bit……..I have flown drones with and without Glonass and stability and sat lock is far greater with it, with over 20+ sats with a wide aerial disbursement. GPS lock in a 3D world requires 6+ sats (often times with GPS alone, only 7 or 8 sats are overhead and any given time and all may not be visible thus the larger the number of available sats the potentially quicker the “lock” and the more robust the stability, especially in wooded areas. If what you see as usage is “close in” work around crowds in a relatively open environment, then this looks fine. For me, an expenditure of this magnitude has to have a more universal use which makes other units more appealing.
Thanks for explaining your perspective. Just to add on what we said earlier, Glonass/GPS modules require antennas capable of picking up signals from two different satellite system frequencies. This requires compromises that result in lower fidelity signals from more satellites, which is an ambiguous tradeoff. There are some scenarios where this tradeoff is preferred, like being in a canyon with such a limited view of the sky that one cannot achieve a 3d lock with only one satellite constellation. However, our experience is that in most circumstances, the improved accuracy of an antenna optimized for a single constellation results in a high accuracy lock. Regarding your experience with other systems, we’ve found that careful RF design to avoid jamming the signal locally is much more important than one vs. two constellation modules. Likewise, sensor fusion implementation with the IMU also has a strong impact on performance. So comparing one drone with dual band to another with single band is likely a poorly controlled test, as it depends as well on the quality of the implementation. We have found the performance of our current solution to be exceptional and highly competitive with the best drones on the market. We look forward to hearing our customer’s experience on this in the coming weeks.
I do not discount what you say given you are flying in a wide open space, however my situation necessitates flying in a lot of areas that are under cover of trees and experience tells me that getting a GPS lock at all with only one set of sats is often impossible or marginal (resulting in loss of positioning, forcing a manual flying experience, thus having 2X as many opportunities to gather positioning info has worked for my situation………as an aside most, if not all drones in the $1000+ arena have both. These are simply features I consider when determining my next investment in aerial videography tools.
I do not discount what you say given you are flying in a wide open space, however my situation necessitates flying in a lot of areas that are under cover of trees and experience tells me that getting a GPS lock at all with only one set of sats is often impossible or marginal (resulting in loss of positioning, forcing a manual flying experience, thus having 2X as many opportunities to gather positioning info has worked for my situation………as an aside most, if not all drones in the $1000+ arena have both. These are simply features I consider when determining my next investment in aerial videography tools.
Guys, thanks for the update. Seriously excited to get my hands on my Snap! The lack of Android app does suck, but I’ve waited this long, another couple months won’t be the end of the world.
That said, does the IOS app support the iPad as well as iPhone?
Chris
Right now, we are just building out iPhone, but do plan on implementing iPad very soon.
Guys, thanks for the update. Seriously excited to get my hands on my Snap! The lack of Android app does suck, but I’ve waited this long, another couple months won’t be the end of the world.
That said, does the IOS app support the iPad as well as iPhone?
Chris
Right now, we are just building out iPhone, but do plan on implementing iPad very soon.
do u folks have a bluetooth game controler which youve tested and perhaps found to work best with the Snap? eg…model, price, et cetera, any info will help me, im a mac/apple user, so do have several ipads, also a ipad mini 4, tks
We will publish a list of controllers that we have tested an integrated. We welcome suggestions for favorites customers would like to see integrated.
What is the cutoff date on pre-orders for beta units?
Sept 2015
What is the cutoff date on pre-orders for beta units?
Sept 2015
Will you be shipping to any reveiw websites or celebrity reveiwers during the beta or pre-order stage?
Will you be shipping to any reveiw websites or celebrity reveiwers during the beta or pre-order stage?
We are using the beta phase to smooth out any bugs, and do not plan on sending any beta units to reviewers. From there, we will mostly focus on filling pre-sale orders. All that being said, we do understand the importance of non-biased reviews. We have contacted some reviewers about giving a test flight, and know that several celebrity reviewers already have pre-sale orders made.
I hope you guys post some photos of those beta units being shipped!
Make sure to follow our instagram or facebook pages. We will be posting pics there more frequently.
I hope you guys post some photos of those beta units being shipped!
Make sure to follow our instagram or facebook pages. We will be posting pics there more frequently.
Yes I agree Scott that would be awesome if they did that. You think they would for their own purposes.
Yes I agree Scott that would be awesome if they did that. You think they would for their own purposes.
Will this be compatible with an ipad? I also own an android phone.
It will be compatible with iPad and with Android, but not immediately.
Will this be compatible with an ipad? I also own an android phone.
It will be compatible with iPad and with Android, but not immediately.
So do people have them yet? Can we see some images of the shipped version + case etc. 🙂 – there is a pic of the case on the facebook page.
Toby,
If the VR team did ship on Friday, I don’t think our $20 for shipping paid for overnight shipping. Unless some of the 5% people live in the local area of VR in California I wouldn’t expect anyone to actually have a Snap in hand until the earliest Tuesday – Friday this week. Judging by the absence of comments that tells me that the team is hard at work packaging and getting the betas to the shipper. I don’t imagine we will hear a great deal of info in the next several days, unless the team breaks away from shipping prep to answer social media. Just my two cents.
V/r
Tibor
Toby,
If the VR team did ship on Friday, I don’t think our $20 for shipping paid for overnight shipping. Unless some of the 5% people live in the local area of VR in California I wouldn’t expect anyone to actually have a Snap in hand until the earliest Tuesday – Friday this week. Judging by the absence of comments that tells me that the team is hard at work packaging and getting the betas to the shipper. I don’t imagine we will hear a great deal of info in the next several days, unless the team breaks away from shipping prep to answer social media. Just my two cents.
V/r
Tibor
As above any photos of the beta Snap’s being sent out with case etc ?
As above any photos of the beta Snap’s being sent out with case etc ?
Looks like they did not ship the betas on Friday as they stated they would. In fact, they are unsure as to when the will ship them.
That is only partially true. We have been building beta units, but did not ship any on Friday. They will be sent out in the next couple days, this week. We are ramping up on all fronts here.
Looks like they did not ship the betas on Friday as they stated they would. In fact, they are unsure as to when the will ship them.
That is only partially true. We have been building beta units, but did not ship any on Friday. They will be sent out in the next couple days, this week. We are ramping up on all fronts here.
James,
That is Great to hear that the Beta’s are shipping this week so we can see some more photo’s of them & the case etc.!
Vantage Robotics, in particular the owners. You can’t keep making promises and not come thru on those promises, it makes for bad business; especially a start up. Yes I know the difficulties in trying to get this off the ground and running but you can’t continue to promise things if you can’t come thru on those promises. It’s quite baffling too me you continue to do this. If I treated my customers like this I would be out of business.
Sorry to irritate you here Tim. Please understand that developing a new piece of technology is incredibly complex, and involves countless people and parts to converge at every step. We are trying to be as honest and transparent as we possibly can. If you compare us to any of our competitors, you will see much more involvement in keeping our customers informed. Despite that, we are focusing our attention on the main objective, getting you flying. Writing big updates takes time and energy that could be spent on development, which explains why we only post about once a month. We have stepped up with instagram and facebook updates in hopes of keeping our customers involved and engaged in between bigger posts.
We are moving as fast as we can, and are making a lot of progress. Beta units are being built and sent out this week, and we hope to get a lot of feedback before our final push. It is hard to say how long we will be in beta. If you have been following our competitors, you will know that rushing beta can cause a lot more problems down the road, so we want to be cautious here. If all goes well, we will begin shipping next month, but we cannot guarantee anything.
Vantage Robotics, in particular the owners. You can’t keep making promises and not come thru on those promises, it makes for bad business; especially a start up. Yes I know the difficulties in trying to get this off the ground and running but you can’t continue to promise things if you can’t come thru on those promises. It’s quite baffling too me you continue to do this. If I treated my customers like this I would be out of business.
Sorry to irritate you here Tim. Please understand that developing a new piece of technology is incredibly complex, and involves countless people and parts to converge at every step. We are trying to be as honest and transparent as we possibly can. If you compare us to any of our competitors, you will see much more involvement in keeping our customers informed. Despite that, we are focusing our attention on the main objective, getting you flying. Writing big updates takes time and energy that could be spent on development, which explains why we only post about once a month. We have stepped up with instagram and facebook updates in hopes of keeping our customers involved and engaged in between bigger posts.
We are moving as fast as we can, and are making a lot of progress. Beta units are being built and sent out this week, and we hope to get a lot of feedback before our final push. It is hard to say how long we will be in beta. If you have been following our competitors, you will know that rushing beta can cause a lot more problems down the road, so we want to be cautious here. If all goes well, we will begin shipping next month, but we cannot guarantee anything.
I hate to say this, but I am seriously going to be questioning if I can trust this drone. If they can’t keep a promise as simple such as “shipping betas this Friday (or Monday)” how do you expect them to keep the promise this $1,000 piece of equipment will be reliable? What happens if I get it, and a week later it decides to fly off wherever it wants to go?
I hate to say this, but I am seriously going to be questioning if I can trust this drone. If they can’t keep a promise as simple such as “shipping betas this Friday (or Monday)” how do you expect them to keep the promise this $1,000 piece of equipment will be reliable? What happens if I get it, and a week later it decides to fly off wherever it wants to go?
Scott, if anything the delays make me truat the product more. I know delays are upsetting in a instant gratification age, they drive me nuts. Look at Karma and Mavic, both were rushed to meet dates and now Karma’s are randomly falling out of the sky and Mavic just fly off on their own when RTH is activated with no way to regain control. VR is delaying the product now so we don’t have these upsets in the future. I say, take as much time as you need VR because I know it means we will receive an exceptional product in the end.
Scott, if anything the delays make me truat the product more. I know delays are upsetting in a instant gratification age, they drive me nuts. Look at Karma and Mavic, both were rushed to meet dates and now Karma’s are randomly falling out of the sky and Mavic just fly off on their own when RTH is activated with no way to regain control. VR is delaying the product now so we don’t have these upsets in the future. I say, take as much time as you need VR because I know it means we will receive an exceptional product in the end.
Yeah I’m with Chris and have the total opposite conclusion then Scott. I’ve been involved with technology and software for over 25 years and whenever something gets launched before it is ready just to meet a corporate deadline it has been an absolute disaster. I do think the VR gang is a bit overly optimistic when it comes to estimating time frames but then again so is my wife with her make-up routine. “I’ll just be half an hour honey” 4 hours later….. “okay I’m ready”….. 30 minutes later. “Okay I’m really ready now”.
I’m sure all the DJI and Gopro customers out there right now are wishing that their drone had been delayed longer.
Again Chris said it. The delays make me trust the product more. Not less. However they do definitely make me trust VR’s timeframe estimates quite a bit less. lol. But that is definitely the lesser of the two evils here.
Scott, if you’re in the beta program and your snap flies off, I’m sure VR will compensate you. If you’re not in the beta program…. I’d imagine that the fact that VR is actually conducting a full blown beta test that any fly-away issues will be dealt with during the beta ensuring that your snap will not fly away. This should significantly boost your confidence in the product because you have real dudes and dudettes that are testing the product in their own backyards.
I’m just happy to all heck that I didn’t order the Mavic or Karma. What a disaster.
Yeah I’m with Chris and have the total opposite conclusion then Scott. I’ve been involved with technology and software for over 25 years and whenever something gets launched before it is ready just to meet a corporate deadline it has been an absolute disaster. I do think the VR gang is a bit overly optimistic when it comes to estimating time frames but then again so is my wife with her make-up routine. “I’ll just be half an hour honey” 4 hours later….. “okay I’m ready”….. 30 minutes later. “Okay I’m really ready now”.
I’m sure all the DJI and Gopro customers out there right now are wishing that their drone had been delayed longer.
Again Chris said it. The delays make me trust the product more. Not less. However they do definitely make me trust VR’s timeframe estimates quite a bit less. lol. But that is definitely the lesser of the two evils here.
Scott, if you’re in the beta program and your snap flies off, I’m sure VR will compensate you. If you’re not in the beta program…. I’d imagine that the fact that VR is actually conducting a full blown beta test that any fly-away issues will be dealt with during the beta ensuring that your snap will not fly away. This should significantly boost your confidence in the product because you have real dudes and dudettes that are testing the product in their own backyards.
I’m just happy to all heck that I didn’t order the Mavic or Karma. What a disaster.
I get your comments.. I just don’t get saying you will be mailing something in just 3 days and not following through.. at least have the courtesy the day of and admit it didn’t happen.
I understand your frustration Scott. We frankly have had a few details that we thought would be sorted out by the end of last week that took a few days longer than we expected. Specifically, we had some unexpected regressions in a firmware update and manufacturing delays stemming from one CNC part needing to be remade due to an issue from a last minute change. We admit to a bit of over optimism here and apologize for letting you down. We plan to do a rolling beta release starting this week over the next two weeks. This schedule could change depending on issues we find along the way, as we plan to respond to problems as we find them. Any lapses in communication are the result of running a lean team and giving top priority to fixing issues as quickly as humanly possible.
I get your comments.. I just don’t get saying you will be mailing something in just 3 days and not following through.. at least have the courtesy the day of and admit it didn’t happen.
I understand your frustration Scott. We frankly have had a few details that we thought would be sorted out by the end of last week that took a few days longer than we expected. Specifically, we had some unexpected regressions in a firmware update and manufacturing delays stemming from one CNC part needing to be remade due to an issue from a last minute change. We admit to a bit of over optimism here and apologize for letting you down. We plan to do a rolling beta release starting this week over the next two weeks. This schedule could change depending on issues we find along the way, as we plan to respond to problems as we find them. Any lapses in communication are the result of running a lean team and giving top priority to fixing issues as quickly as humanly possible.
Kevin,
I pre-ordered my Snap in September 2015. I’m also a software developer. If I told my customer on a Tuesday that I’d deliver on Friday and didn’t deliver I’d be in pretty hot water. If I told my customer that same statement after having consistently missing commitments, such as delivery by Spring 2016 (original commitment) then first shipments in July 2016 (May 24 2016 blog post) then beta shipments by late summer (July 29 2016 blog post), I’d be out the door.
VR folks,
I love the idea of the Snap which is why I pre-ordered in 2015. I understand there will be delays on a new product, especially a start-up, however you can’t give a delivery commitment for four days from now and miss it. Tobin, your most recent response this evening does seem very forthright which I appreciate, however, for your own sake you need to set realistic dates and at worst meet expectations.
Best wishes,
Tim
Tobin,
Thank you for the update, that’s a bummer about the firmware, and the CNC part. I appreciate you taking your time after hours to let everyone know about what was going on. My office gets to oversee Boeing complete regression testing on software builds routinely. And we find issues, which push back Boeing delivery schedules often. You guys aren’t alone. Thanks again for the update.
Vr
Tibor
Thanks for the continued support Tibor!
Tobin,
Thank you for the update, that’s a bummer about the firmware, and the CNC part. I appreciate you taking your time after hours to let everyone know about what was going on. My office gets to oversee Boeing complete regression testing on software builds routinely. And we find issues, which push back Boeing delivery schedules often. You guys aren’t alone. Thanks again for the update.
Vr
Tibor
Thanks for the continued support Tibor!
Tobin & Crew . . . .
Keep up the good work! I too would like to have a SNAP in my hand right now. And for that matter, I would have liked to have had one over a year ago when I pre-ordered. But I don’t. That’s fine. I’m in for the long haul. Good things take time and I look forward to the awesome flying machine you guys have been working so hard to get us.
Now get back to work!
ed
Thanks Ed!
Tobin & Crew . . . .
Keep up the good work! I too would like to have a SNAP in my hand right now. And for that matter, I would have liked to have had one over a year ago when I pre-ordered. But I don’t. That’s fine. I’m in for the long haul. Good things take time and I look forward to the awesome flying machine you guys have been working so hard to get us.
Now get back to work!
ed
Thanks Ed!
Tobin,
A great explanation Thanks!!.
I’m just glad I cancelled my Mavic now.
Tobin,
A great explanation Thanks!!.
I’m just glad I cancelled my Mavic now.
I found this article interesting and related. It takes a bit of a high level look at the industry. What is remarkable to me is the wash-out rate of new companies. VR is onto something good and I think poised to do well but they are up against a mega Goliath. They have key differentiators which is good and if they can pull the features together the Snap may end up being one of the ONLY competitors to DJI left on the playing field. I’d love to see a US company innovate and be successful in the space.
http://www.theverge.com/2016/11/15/13629082/dji-drones-competition-market-dominance
Thanks for sharing Stephen.
I found this article interesting and related. It takes a bit of a high level look at the industry. What is remarkable to me is the wash-out rate of new companies. VR is onto something good and I think poised to do well but they are up against a mega Goliath. They have key differentiators which is good and if they can pull the features together the Snap may end up being one of the ONLY competitors to DJI left on the playing field. I’d love to see a US company innovate and be successful in the space.
http://www.theverge.com/2016/11/15/13629082/dji-drones-competition-market-dominance
Thanks for sharing Stephen.
Thanks for the reply. I really do respect the fact that you guys want to get this right (obviously you have a LOT riding on that). And thanks for each reply that you give…. and please heed my criticism with me wanting you guys to be successful… but something major like missing a beta shipping deadline after officially posting it should warrant an official notification…. not a reply in a comments section.
Thanks for the reply. I really do respect the fact that you guys want to get this right (obviously you have a LOT riding on that). And thanks for each reply that you give…. and please heed my criticism with me wanting you guys to be successful… but something major like missing a beta shipping deadline after officially posting it should warrant an official notification…. not a reply in a comments section.
im going to have to agree with Scott, he’s wright ya know…im now thinking its gonna be January somethyme before us pre-Nov10th buyers get our machines, rite? … i mean, its ok to tell us that, its sounding more realistic to me anyhow, keep working guys . . . .tks!
Sorry Chuck. This is a startup. We are hopeful and optimistic, and working around the clock. We thank you for your patience and understanding here, but will also try to keep you in the loop more.
It is really hard to say when you will be flying. We have been ramping up on all fronts, and things are looking good. We have realistic estimates that says we will be able to start shipping in December. We cannot guarantee that all orders will be filled by xmas though.
im going to have to agree with Scott, he’s wright ya know…im now thinking its gonna be January somethyme before us pre-Nov10th buyers get our machines, rite? … i mean, its ok to tell us that, its sounding more realistic to me anyhow, keep working guys . . . .tks!
Sorry Chuck. This is a startup. We are hopeful and optimistic, and working around the clock. We thank you for your patience and understanding here, but will also try to keep you in the loop more.
It is really hard to say when you will be flying. We have been ramping up on all fronts, and things are looking good. We have realistic estimates that says we will be able to start shipping in December. We cannot guarantee that all orders will be filled by xmas though.
Hey Vantage Team,
Just wondering if there is an update on initial shipments, or just some nice pics of the final device and case? ^^ really liked the prototype and development history pic posted on Instagram. Keep up the good work.
No real updates. We have sent out an initial batch of beta’s and are getting a lot of helpful feedback. We will post more pics soon!
Hey Vantage Team,
Just wondering if there is an update on initial shipments, or just some nice pics of the final device and case? ^^ really liked the prototype and development history pic posted on Instagram. Keep up the good work.
No real updates. We have sent out an initial batch of beta’s and are getting a lot of helpful feedback. We will post more pics soon!
Hey VR, is that videographer still working for you guys? Its been a while since he has put up a video.
Yes. He went out and shot a bunch of video, then posted several back to back. Now, he is back out in the field getting more footage.
Hey VR, is that videographer still working for you guys? Its been a while since he has put up a video.
thank you for your reply, other outfits dont say or tell u anything, please know we’re sticking to ya’s like glue…really interested in how this thing is going to handle wind…lots of wind?…and the range extension thingie, and i cud go on and on…lol…tks again for the replies (u have a hard job).
haha. No problem. All our friends and family have been very patient listening to us blab on about it forever, so its nice talking with people as interested as we are! Snap works great in the wind. We will try to post something showcasing it soon.
thank you for your reply, other outfits dont say or tell u anything, please know we’re sticking to ya’s like glue…really interested in how this thing is going to handle wind…lots of wind?…and the range extension thingie, and i cud go on and on…lol…tks again for the replies (u have a hard job).
haha. No problem. All our friends and family have been very patient listening to us blab on about it forever, so its nice talking with people as interested as we are! Snap works great in the wind. We will try to post something showcasing it soon.
considering cibermonday and blackfriday coming up, would love if you people could publisha list of bluetooth controllers that work with the app.. you know, get the added discount now for when the drones are shipped.
In the office, we have several bluetooth controllers made by Mad Catz. They have been working well, but we haven’t done exhaustive testing to confirm anything yet.
considering cibermonday and blackfriday coming up, would love if you people could publisha list of bluetooth controllers that work with the app.. you know, get the added discount now for when the drones are shipped.
In the office, we have several bluetooth controllers made by Mad Catz. They have been working well, but we haven’t done exhaustive testing to confirm anything yet.
It’s now been 9 days since betas were supposed to go out.
The purpose of Beta is to send out a small batch of units in the hopes of finding (and fixing) issues before large scale production, which is exactly what we are doing. We built and sent out a small first batch last week, and found a few bugs that needed attention. We are currently fixing those bugs and building more units with those corrections. We plan on sending a second, slightly larger batch out next week, and will continue this rolling distribution as we ramp up for full production. This is exactly what we should expect at this time.
It’s now been 9 days since betas were supposed to go out.
The purpose of Beta is to send out a small batch of units in the hopes of finding (and fixing) issues before large scale production, which is exactly what we are doing. We built and sent out a small first batch last week, and found a few bugs that needed attention. We are currently fixing those bugs and building more units with those corrections. We plan on sending a second, slightly larger batch out next week, and will continue this rolling distribution as we ramp up for full production. This is exactly what we should expect at this time.
Check Peck. Wind performance is listed on their main site. Don’t click on Product Details but instead scroll down to the 6th “Fancy Flash website Bullet” (No idea what to call those things). Then click on “learn more” 20 MPH winds.
James you mentioned on the Facebook page, you had to go back and tweak something last minute. Hopefully we’ll find out how that tweaking is coming along this week. My guess is that until we hear something, they’re still working on the said tweaking.
On another note for the VR team. I know you have told us a bunch of times that you are working on getting us flying as fast as possible and that all efforts are focused on that and that your next priority is the android app. Once the android app is done though, I think it would be extremely beneficial for the company if you were to outline your plan for the add-ons as the modular design of snap is the 2nd most important thing that sets it apart from its competition. Most notably I think as you did with informing us about the DSM module and the results of the survey, I think it would be extremely beneficial for us (the snap community) to know what the plans are for future module roll out. i.e. which modules will receive the higher priority vs others. For example, I think I speak for the masses when I say that a lot of us would be disappointed to find out that the tracking beacon and high speed rotors were flagged as a higher the priority and would be released before the wifi range extension and / or endurance rotors.
Hey Nick, just in case James doesn’t reply in time. I know VR has said a few times that they’ve used Mad Catz controllers and if I remember correctly when I tried to pause and zoom in on the video’s that had a controller in them, it was indeed a Mad Catz controller. That being said, James also mentioned somewhere recently that any bluetooth game controller will work with Snap. I guess it just all depends on personal preference. i.e. thumbsticks vs thumbpad, number of buttons, etc.
Thanks Kevin. Right now we are focusing entirely on filling presale orders. But yes, we will certainly make sure to share our plan for unrolling accessories once we shift gears to that.
As for the bluetooth controllers, we will be coming out with a list of remotes that we know to work. We do have several Mad Catz controllers in the office, but haven’t done extensive enough testing to say which ones will work best.
Check Peck. Wind performance is listed on their main site. Don’t click on Product Details but instead scroll down to the 6th “Fancy Flash website Bullet” (No idea what to call those things). Then click on “learn more” 20 MPH winds.
James you mentioned on the Facebook page, you had to go back and tweak something last minute. Hopefully we’ll find out how that tweaking is coming along this week. My guess is that until we hear something, they’re still working on the said tweaking.
On another note for the VR team. I know you have told us a bunch of times that you are working on getting us flying as fast as possible and that all efforts are focused on that and that your next priority is the android app. Once the android app is done though, I think it would be extremely beneficial for the company if you were to outline your plan for the add-ons as the modular design of snap is the 2nd most important thing that sets it apart from its competition. Most notably I think as you did with informing us about the DSM module and the results of the survey, I think it would be extremely beneficial for us (the snap community) to know what the plans are for future module roll out. i.e. which modules will receive the higher priority vs others. For example, I think I speak for the masses when I say that a lot of us would be disappointed to find out that the tracking beacon and high speed rotors were flagged as a higher the priority and would be released before the wifi range extension and / or endurance rotors.
Hey Nick, just in case James doesn’t reply in time. I know VR has said a few times that they’ve used Mad Catz controllers and if I remember correctly when I tried to pause and zoom in on the video’s that had a controller in them, it was indeed a Mad Catz controller. That being said, James also mentioned somewhere recently that any bluetooth game controller will work with Snap. I guess it just all depends on personal preference. i.e. thumbsticks vs thumbpad, number of buttons, etc.
Thanks Kevin. Right now we are focusing entirely on filling presale orders. But yes, we will certainly make sure to share our plan for unrolling accessories once we shift gears to that.
As for the bluetooth controllers, we will be coming out with a list of remotes that we know to work. We do have several Mad Catz controllers in the office, but haven’t done extensive enough testing to say which ones will work best.
Chuck Peck! So sorry Chuck for the Typo Chuck.
Chuck Peck! So sorry Chuck for the Typo Chuck.
They are obviously having more issues than was conveyed. I wonder where they’re at in shipping Betas and pre-orders? I guess what ever they would tell us wouldn’t matter. Hope they pull it together soon.
This is just cut and pasted from another comment I just responded to. The purpose of Beta is to send out a small batch of units in the hopes of finding (and fixing) issues before large scale production, which is exactly what we are doing. We built and sent out a small first batch last week, and found a few bugs that needed attention. We are currently fixing those bugs and building more units with those corrections. We plan on sending a second, slightly larger batch out next week, and will continue this rolling distribution as we ramp up for full production. This is exactly what we should expect at this time.
They are obviously having more issues than was conveyed. I wonder where they’re at in shipping Betas and pre-orders? I guess what ever they would tell us wouldn’t matter. Hope they pull it together soon.
This is just cut and pasted from another comment I just responded to. The purpose of Beta is to send out a small batch of units in the hopes of finding (and fixing) issues before large scale production, which is exactly what we are doing. We built and sent out a small first batch last week, and found a few bugs that needed attention. We are currently fixing those bugs and building more units with those corrections. We plan on sending a second, slightly larger batch out next week, and will continue this rolling distribution as we ramp up for full production. This is exactly what we should expect at this time.
Scott & Tim,
If I remember correctly James mentioned that there wouldn’t be any major updates until after the Thanksgiving weekend. So, my expectations will adjust accordingly, just food for thought.
Correct. Most likely no news until we start closing our beta phase.
Scott & Tim,
If I remember correctly James mentioned that there wouldn’t be any major updates until after the Thanksgiving weekend. So, my expectations will adjust accordingly, just food for thought.
Correct. Most likely no news until we start closing our beta phase.
Pretty pathetic considering they were “just two days from shipping.” I dunno, if I had a product that was “just two days from shipping” it would be good to go, all boxed up, and ready to hit the streets!
Beta works a bit differently than that.
Pretty pathetic considering they were “just two days from shipping.” I dunno, if I had a product that was “just two days from shipping” it would be good to go, all boxed up, and ready to hit the streets!
Beta works a bit differently than that.
James,
Thanks for taking a minute to address everyone’s concerns. Great to hear that some betas shipped out!! I thought you guys were off for Thanksgiving already 😛
I’m VERY Encouraged that you guys got some beta’s out the door – GREAT NEWS!!
Just a curious question – did the the initial beta folks have to agree not to post anything on social media?
V/r
Tibor
Yes. Beta customers agreed to an NDA, and will not be posting reviews of the units. We have encouraged then to send us any footage that they take though, so that we may publish that.
James,
Thanks for taking a minute to address everyone’s concerns. Great to hear that some betas shipped out!! I thought you guys were off for Thanksgiving already 😛
I’m VERY Encouraged that you guys got some beta’s out the door – GREAT NEWS!!
Just a curious question – did the the initial beta folks have to agree not to post anything on social media?
V/r
Tibor
Yes. Beta customers agreed to an NDA, and will not be posting reviews of the units. We have encouraged then to send us any footage that they take though, so that we may publish that.
I will eat crow. Thanks for the update on betas shipping.
I will eat crow. Thanks for the update on betas shipping.
Tibor,
In relation to your question that answer is Yes, James mentioned this when he was answering one of my many questions which he kindly responds to.
This is to be expected as I have done similar for a couple of products now happily on the open market & doing well.
Personally I am very happy with this approach so unlike the Mavic & many other drones we should get a platform that works out of the box without any major issues, obviously there will be the odd bug here & there but nothing that cannot be fixed by a firmware update(hopefully).
At least they are being open with us & not hiding any issues or deflecting questions from us.
James you & the team keep up the good work & I’m Suoer excited to get flying soon!!.
Thanks Gizmo!
Tibor,
In relation to your question that answer is Yes, James mentioned this when he was answering one of my many questions which he kindly responds to.
This is to be expected as I have done similar for a couple of products now happily on the open market & doing well.
Personally I am very happy with this approach so unlike the Mavic & many other drones we should get a platform that works out of the box without any major issues, obviously there will be the odd bug here & there but nothing that cannot be fixed by a firmware update(hopefully).
At least they are being open with us & not hiding any issues or deflecting questions from us.
James you & the team keep up the good work & I’m Suoer excited to get flying soon!!.
Thanks Gizmo!
Gizmo,
Thank you for chiming in. I appreciate it. I suppose I must have missed the answer on the blog.
V/r
Tibor
Gizmo,
Thank you for chiming in. I appreciate it. I suppose I must have missed the answer on the blog.
V/r
Tibor
Tibor,
You didn’t miss it.
My apologies I’ve just reread my post, I meant to say that James gave me that answer in an email to their support address.
I would have thought they’d block my email by now as I have sent them so many questions – ?
Tibor,
You didn’t miss it.
My apologies I’ve just reread my post, I meant to say that James gave me that answer in an email to their support address.
I would have thought they’d block my email by now as I have sent them so many questions – ?
Gizmo,
No sweat sir, I thought that’s what you meant, but I wasn’t entirely sure. I have quite a history of Facebook messages between James and I as well, they have made communication a large priority.
V/r
Tibor
Gizmo,
No sweat sir, I thought that’s what you meant, but I wasn’t entirely sure. I have quite a history of Facebook messages between James and I as well, they have made communication a large priority.
V/r
Tibor
Since people are already testing betas, how come the app isn’t on the App Store ?
Our app is also in beta, so we are using a third party app designed for testing that as well.
Since people are already testing betas, how come the app isn’t on the App Store ?
Our app is also in beta, so we are using a third party app designed for testing that as well.
Altan,
They will have been supplied the beta version of the app via Dropbox or a direct link for the download or similar manner & that will also be part of the NDA until VR is happy to go to mass production.
Then I presume the app will become available for us to see in the App Store for download, the app will most likely be in the App Store already as Apple like to check out new ones to make sure that they conform to Apples T&C’s.
But for now it will remain hidden from view until they are happy that it all works as it should & then they will flick the switch to give access to us all.
I’ve previously been involved in a couple of other projects as a Beta tester to help pick out the bugs that can be overlooked by the manufacturer & also to give feedback to how it may be improved.
So I don’t believe there is any reason to worry about it.
Let’s hope that the Beta testing goes well so we can all be out flying in the not to distant future.
Thanks Dale!
Altan,
They will have been supplied the beta version of the app via Dropbox or a direct link for the download or similar manner & that will also be part of the NDA until VR is happy to go to mass production.
Then I presume the app will become available for us to see in the App Store for download, the app will most likely be in the App Store already as Apple like to check out new ones to make sure that they conform to Apples T&C’s.
But for now it will remain hidden from view until they are happy that it all works as it should & then they will flick the switch to give access to us all.
I’ve previously been involved in a couple of other projects as a Beta tester to help pick out the bugs that can be overlooked by the manufacturer & also to give feedback to how it may be improved.
So I don’t believe there is any reason to worry about it.
Let’s hope that the Beta testing goes well so we can all be out flying in the not to distant future.
Thanks Dale!
Awesome ! That makes Sense !
Thank you Gizmo2001 !
Thank you Gizmo2001 !
Gizmo,
Thanks for explaining that, my explanation would not have been as thurough I think. I have been involved in one beta program so far and we were given acces to the app via Google groups. That was cool :).
Happy Thanksgiving to all!
Vr
Tibor
Gizmo,
Thanks for explaining that, my explanation would not have been as thurough I think. I have been involved in one beta program so far and we were given acces to the app via Google groups. That was cool :).
Happy Thanksgiving to all!
Vr
Tibor
Tibor,
My pleasure.
We are all in this ride together.
Hopefully we will be sharing videos of our first few flights before too long.
Tibor,
My pleasure.
We are all in this ride together.
Hopefully we will be sharing videos of our first few flights before too long.
Hi I forgot to ask what manufacture are you going with for the DSM Module? you? are you putting a controller together as well, I ask this so I will know if I will need the one you are offering.
Hi I forgot to ask what manufacture are you going with for the DSM Module? you? are you putting a controller together as well, I ask this so I will know if I will need the one you are offering.
We will be coming out with more details about the DSM module in the coming weeks. But no, we are not currently designing a controller.
Geetings!
Thursday means December, D-Day.
1) What date in Dec. will you start shipping non-beta pre-orders?
2) What date in Dec. will pre-order shipments be finished?
3) What is the latest date that you expect pre-order shipments to arrive to their destination?
We don’t have any firm dates yet. We will make sure to announce when we do.
Geetings!
Thursday means December, D-Day.
1) What date in Dec. will you start shipping non-beta pre-orders?
2) What date in Dec. will pre-order shipments be finished?
3) What is the latest date that you expect pre-order shipments to arrive to their destination?
We don’t have any firm dates yet. We will make sure to announce when we do.
James, will we be getting our drones before 2017?
James, will we be getting our drones before 2017?
for Kevin…Nov18th entry…on the typo, no problem Kevin, and tks for the info…?
for Kevin…Nov18th entry…on the typo, no problem Kevin, and tks for the info…?
Are you still on track to ship in December? I ordered back on March 8, 2016 and would like to get my drone in December or cancel my order.
We are working tirelessly to get Snap in your hands as fast as possible, but it is very difficult to get specific dates. There are just too many variables at play. However, I can say that we are currently in the beta, and plan to start shipping the first pre-orders in the coming weeks. We will send units out sequentially based on when you ordered. We plan to start filling orders before Christmas, but cannot guarantee anything at this time. We will make sure to announce a more precise timetable when we have one.
Are you still on track to ship in December? I ordered back on March 8, 2016 and would like to get my drone in December or cancel my order.
We are working tirelessly to get Snap in your hands as fast as possible, but it is very difficult to get specific dates. There are just too many variables at play. However, I can say that we are currently in the beta, and plan to start shipping the first pre-orders in the coming weeks. We will send units out sequentially based on when you ordered. We plan to start filling orders before Christmas, but cannot guarantee anything at this time. We will make sure to announce a more precise timetable when we have one.
Has anyone got the drone?
We have sent some beta units out, but are not filling pre-sale orders yet.
Will we be able to receive the preorder by Christmas?
We cannot guarantee any dates yet. We hope to start shipping before then, but it is unlikely that all orders will be filled by then.
Will we be able to receive the preorder by Christmas?
We cannot guarantee any dates yet. We hope to start shipping before then, but it is unlikely that all orders will be filled by then.
I would never buy snap If i had known it would be released so late.
I ordered it last December.
I would never buy snap If i had known it would be released so late.
I ordered it last December.
Sorry to disappoint you here Young. If you want to cancel your order, email us at [email protected]
Considering canceling my order and looking into Hover Camera. I’ll give it probably till Christmas and then seriously consider.
https://gethover.com/
This drone doesn’t have all the bells and whistles but looks like it has the safety factor that others are lacking. Anyone else look into this?
Considering canceling my order and looking into Hover Camera. I’ll give it probably till Christmas and then seriously consider.
https://gethover.com/
This drone doesn’t have all the bells and whistles but looks like it has the safety factor that others are lacking. Anyone else look into this?
Ken. I’m saying this only to make sure you are happy with your end choice. Many reviews for hover are now out. Please make sure that you have a look before you purchase. I would highly recommend other alternatives if you care about shooting video. The picture quality isn’t quite as good as an old iPhone but it isn’t terrible. The video however is not usable from the reviews I have read.
Ken. I’m saying this only to make sure you are happy with your end choice. Many reviews for hover are now out. Please make sure that you have a look before you purchase. I would highly recommend other alternatives if you care about shooting video. The picture quality isn’t quite as good as an old iPhone but it isn’t terrible. The video however is not usable from the reviews I have read.
I ordered it last sept, I just want to know how I can cancel it! I want my money back.
Please email us at [email protected]
I ordered it last sept, I just want to know how I can cancel it! I want my money back.
Please email us at [email protected]
Ya’ll have waited many months to a year or more for this fantastic machine. Now it’s only a matter of weeks away you want to cancel your order?
I guarantee you will regret it when we start posting awesome Snap footage in January and you have missed out on free hard carrycase, free spare battery, free DSM module, and $400 discount.
Also, Hovercam……. LOL
Thanks Chris. The Hover looks like a nice product, but lacks a huge number of features that we have built into Snap. Some issues to note are that Hover only has a 1-axis gimbal, lacks GPS (which is required for most outdoor flying and autonomous flying), and has a much shorter flight time and range.
Ya’ll have waited many months to a year or more for this fantastic machine. Now it’s only a matter of weeks away you want to cancel your order?
I guarantee you will regret it when we start posting awesome Snap footage in January and you have missed out on free hard carrycase, free spare battery, free DSM module, and $400 discount.
Also, Hovercam……. LOL
Thanks Chris. The Hover looks like a nice product, but lacks a huge number of features that we have built into Snap. Some issues to note are that Hover only has a 1-axis gimbal, lacks GPS (which is required for most outdoor flying and autonomous flying), and has a much shorter flight time and range.
Regarding the hover drone….they have no gimbal stabilization, thus if all you want is photos it may be fine, but I would not expect video results to be useable.
Good to know. I haven’t done any research and am still holding onto hope. Snap has already missed enough adventures.
Good to know. I haven’t done any research and am still holding onto hope. Snap has already missed enough adventures.
I also have experience controlling drones from smart phones/apps and controllers and there is no comparison.
The controller (RC or DSM) is superior in every way……both control and distance capability.
While I remain interested and hopeful in Snap, I will continue to sit on the sidelines until the entire product is complete and tested in the field.
In the meantime I have a couple of drones that serve me well, except for the convenient personal portability.
I also have experience controlling drones from smart phones/apps and controllers and there is no comparison.
The controller (RC or DSM) is superior in every way……both control and distance capability.
While I remain interested and hopeful in Snap, I will continue to sit on the sidelines until the entire product is complete and tested in the field.
In the meantime I have a couple of drones that serve me well, except for the convenient personal portability.
I agree with James the “Hover” is not in the same league as Snap (or any other fully featured product)……..no mechanical stabilization, eliminates any thought of professional video at full resolution, however it is 1/4 the price…….so if “photos only” is your bag, it might be OK.
I agree with James the “Hover” is not in the same league as Snap (or any other fully featured product)……..no mechanical stabilization, eliminates any thought of professional video at full resolution, however it is 1/4 the price…….so if “photos only” is your bag, it might be OK.
Hey correct me if I’m wrong Dick Stone but I’m seeing the Hover retailing at $599.00 Which would represent 2/3rds the price of Snap.
Not directed to anyone’s comment in particular but in general, I’ve done so much thinking about this and comparisons between other products that it’s sort of made my head explode a few times but I believe that if someone were desperate for a drone today while they wait for the VR Snap, the very best option might be to buy a very inexpensive refurbished Phantom 3 standard for $359 and then once Snap arrives, sell their P3 via local used goods advertising. You’d probably be able to easily get $250 for it selling it locally. At $599 retail the Hover is just way way too expensive for what it offers. The only other product currently coming close to Snap’s offerings in terms of value/features/portability is the Mavic and yet there all sorts of horror stories coming out of the Mavic which have significantly scared me away from that drone. Even if Snap wasn’t even being produced, I still think I would never buy a Mavic. Too many stories of ER hospital visits, broken gimbals, fly aways, $1000 indoor crashes, $1000 outdoor crashes, etc. etc.
Hey correct me if I’m wrong Dick Stone but I’m seeing the Hover retailing at $599.00 Which would represent 2/3rds the price of Snap.
Not directed to anyone’s comment in particular but in general, I’ve done so much thinking about this and comparisons between other products that it’s sort of made my head explode a few times but I believe that if someone were desperate for a drone today while they wait for the VR Snap, the very best option might be to buy a very inexpensive refurbished Phantom 3 standard for $359 and then once Snap arrives, sell their P3 via local used goods advertising. You’d probably be able to easily get $250 for it selling it locally. At $599 retail the Hover is just way way too expensive for what it offers. The only other product currently coming close to Snap’s offerings in terms of value/features/portability is the Mavic and yet there all sorts of horror stories coming out of the Mavic which have significantly scared me away from that drone. Even if Snap wasn’t even being produced, I still think I would never buy a Mavic. Too many stories of ER hospital visits, broken gimbals, fly aways, $1000 indoor crashes, $1000 outdoor crashes, etc. etc.
I certainly acknowledge the price difference, BUT for most, video is an important component of why folks buy drones….. the Hover, with no mechanical stabilization, will return results that no one will be happy with (guaranteed)…….electronic stabilization does help BUT serious cropping is necessary to achieve a result that still does not compete with a 3 axis gimbal.
As far as Mavic (or Karma)……if anyone thinks a newly designed product, delivered on day one, will be flawless, think again……this relates to ANY company…..DJI/YUNEEC/GoPro/Vantage………there is a certain risk with any new product……sooooo never say never! 😉 To me the unique advantage (and market) of Snap is safety in populated areas….if that is your use…..stick with them……if general professional results are the goal, there are many choices.
I certainly acknowledge the price difference, BUT for most, video is an important component of why folks buy drones….. the Hover, with no mechanical stabilization, will return results that no one will be happy with (guaranteed)…….electronic stabilization does help BUT serious cropping is necessary to achieve a result that still does not compete with a 3 axis gimbal.
As far as Mavic (or Karma)……if anyone thinks a newly designed product, delivered on day one, will be flawless, think again……this relates to ANY company…..DJI/YUNEEC/GoPro/Vantage………there is a certain risk with any new product……sooooo never say never! 😉 To me the unique advantage (and market) of Snap is safety in populated areas….if that is your use…..stick with them……if general professional results are the goal, there are many choices.
You’d think that if someone got their Snap, they’d make a video about it.
Has anyone seen anything?
Did units actually ship?
The Dobby actually looks like a lot of drone for $399. This guy is pretty critical of drones – he hated the Gopro karma – and his video is pretty interesting. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hSAzxCv1hKw
Beta testers have all signed an NDA agreeing not to post any reviews of Snap until this phase ends. Dobby is a cool little product, but much more on the scale of something like the Hover. Snap packs a much bigger punch.
You’d think that if someone got their Snap, they’d make a video about it.
Has anyone seen anything?
Did units actually ship?
The Dobby actually looks like a lot of drone for $399. This guy is pretty critical of drones – he hated the Gopro karma – and his video is pretty interesting. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hSAzxCv1hKw
James – where does snap fit in the drones that are already in market? Other than shrouded props, I don’t see the value for the price compared to drones in the market that have more features, software and controllers. I suspect that the discounted price will become the new retail price for snap, else I can not see how snap will compete in a crowded market? Lots of discussion in these posts that refer to features that are not yet available, and have no availability date as a way to express value, but I just don’t see when those will be released if the snap itself is over a year late already.
That seems like a weighted question for me to address in a blog post comment response. I would suggest reading some of the other blogposts to see how Snap excels. Snap is really designed to be used around people. Every feature has been focused to make Snap provide the simplest, most intuitive, and safest experience so that you can capture those amazing aerial images around your friends and loved ones without having to be an experienced pilot. It is small enough to throw in a back pack without needing a ton of gear. And, as your needs vary, Snap’s extensibility will allow for you to specialize your experience.
James – where does snap fit in the drones that are already in market? Other than shrouded props, I don’t see the value for the price compared to drones in the market that have more features, software and controllers. I suspect that the discounted price will become the new retail price for snap, else I can not see how snap will compete in a crowded market? Lots of discussion in these posts that refer to features that are not yet available, and have no availability date as a way to express value, but I just don’t see when those will be released if the snap itself is over a year late already.
That seems like a weighted question for me to address in a blog post comment response. I would suggest reading some of the other blogposts to see how Snap excels. Snap is really designed to be used around people. Every feature has been focused to make Snap provide the simplest, most intuitive, and safest experience so that you can capture those amazing aerial images around your friends and loved ones without having to be an experienced pilot. It is small enough to throw in a back pack without needing a ton of gear. And, as your needs vary, Snap’s extensibility will allow for you to specialize your experience.
Hey Johnny, I made a post a while back about ABS and you could add AWD to that list to my little car analogy as well.
You can buy a car that goes from 0 to 60 in 6 seconds, seats 5, has power windows, power seats, gets awesome millage, etc. etc. etc…. Oh and the first car is ULTRA Fragile…. basically a fender bender means the car is a 100% write off…. Now compare that to a slower car that gets less milleage, doesn’t have as many bells and whistles yet (although they are promised in the future) however it comes with ABS and AWD and has crash performance like a bumper car!!!! You can try to compare the two cars purely on their price to specs ratio by omitting that one of the two is 1000’s of times safer to drive and 1000’s of times more crash-proof. (Pulled that 1000 number out of my bum.) but to be honest with you, trying to compare those two cars saying one is a way better price than the other may look fun on paper but it doesn’t play out in the real world at all. So many people desperately want the crash-proofness and the safety of the AWD and ABS and are more than willing to pay for it and be patient for it.
There is only 1 single drone on the market currently that compares to snap based on video quality and portability.
(Excluding Snap’s safety and durability) and that is the DJI Mavic. 100% out of the box, no add-ons, assuming snap delivers on what it says straight out of the box as it is right now…..
Mavic: Way better range, 3 axis gimbal (although based on footage, I see no advantage compared to snap’s tight yaw control), slightly longer flight time, multiple way points, somewhat slightly more portable sort of, gesture control.
Snap: 1000’s of times more durable when bumping / crashing. (Probably 10’s of thousands more times more durable), human safety factor, No Prop Shadow in frame ever even when flying directly into the sun. Better auto-follow tracking system such as: Advanced tracking tripod mode (super cool feature that Mavic doesn’t have). Advanced self tracking while following a set waypoint (Mavic also does not have). Ability for the camera to self-track while putting the controller in pocket. (Mavic does not have this).
Basically…. all in all. The Mavic has some slightly better specifications if you are filming landscapes: Larger operating range, multiple way points and longer battery life. You can still use Snap for filming great landscapes however granted the Mavic is a bit more powerful based on the criteria above however Snap still does get the job done. Now…. HOWVER the Snap has way way way better specifications if you are filming yourself, for filming anywhere people and or animals are in close proximity (i.e. getting great close-ups and pull aways) and even more so if you are a bit of a newbie at aerial videography as the chances of you being out $1000 due to user error in the first week are way less likely with snap then with Mavic.
Just jump on the Mavic forums and take a look at how many people have either broken or lost their Mavic’s in the first week or ended up reaching for the first aid kit, or even worse had to go to the hospital.
Not saying the Mavic isn’t an amazing product. Just saying that it’s totally unfair to say that Snap is overpriced. I also disagree that the market is crowded. There are two potential gimbal stabilized portable drone options right now. (Only one if you don’t count snap).
😉
Hey Johnny, I made a post a while back about ABS and you could add AWD to that list to my little car analogy as well.
You can buy a car that goes from 0 to 60 in 6 seconds, seats 5, has power windows, power seats, gets awesome millage, etc. etc. etc…. Oh and the first car is ULTRA Fragile…. basically a fender bender means the car is a 100% write off…. Now compare that to a slower car that gets less milleage, doesn’t have as many bells and whistles yet (although they are promised in the future) however it comes with ABS and AWD and has crash performance like a bumper car!!!! You can try to compare the two cars purely on their price to specs ratio by omitting that one of the two is 1000’s of times safer to drive and 1000’s of times more crash-proof. (Pulled that 1000 number out of my bum.) but to be honest with you, trying to compare those two cars saying one is a way better price than the other may look fun on paper but it doesn’t play out in the real world at all. So many people desperately want the crash-proofness and the safety of the AWD and ABS and are more than willing to pay for it and be patient for it.
There is only 1 single drone on the market currently that compares to snap based on video quality and portability.
(Excluding Snap’s safety and durability) and that is the DJI Mavic. 100% out of the box, no add-ons, assuming snap delivers on what it says straight out of the box as it is right now…..
Mavic: Way better range, 3 axis gimbal (although based on footage, I see no advantage compared to snap’s tight yaw control), slightly longer flight time, multiple way points, somewhat slightly more portable sort of, gesture control.
Snap: 1000’s of times more durable when bumping / crashing. (Probably 10’s of thousands more times more durable), human safety factor, No Prop Shadow in frame ever even when flying directly into the sun. Better auto-follow tracking system such as: Advanced tracking tripod mode (super cool feature that Mavic doesn’t have). Advanced self tracking while following a set waypoint (Mavic also does not have). Ability for the camera to self-track while putting the controller in pocket. (Mavic does not have this).
Basically…. all in all. The Mavic has some slightly better specifications if you are filming landscapes: Larger operating range, multiple way points and longer battery life. You can still use Snap for filming great landscapes however granted the Mavic is a bit more powerful based on the criteria above however Snap still does get the job done. Now…. HOWVER the Snap has way way way better specifications if you are filming yourself, for filming anywhere people and or animals are in close proximity (i.e. getting great close-ups and pull aways) and even more so if you are a bit of a newbie at aerial videography as the chances of you being out $1000 due to user error in the first week are way less likely with snap then with Mavic.
Just jump on the Mavic forums and take a look at how many people have either broken or lost their Mavic’s in the first week or ended up reaching for the first aid kit, or even worse had to go to the hospital.
Not saying the Mavic isn’t an amazing product. Just saying that it’s totally unfair to say that Snap is overpriced. I also disagree that the market is crowded. There are two potential gimbal stabilized portable drone options right now. (Only one if you don’t count snap).
😉
. . . Not to mention the ability to upgrade and update! Any other drone have that capability?
. . . Not to mention the ability to upgrade and update! Any other drone have that capability?
Kevin – good stuff. Gracias.
Kevin – good stuff. Gracias.
I take no issue with your observations, but you left out a BIG one in favor of Mavic……both GPS and Glonass support…..now I have heard the argument from VR, but having 2 drones….one with and one without, there is no comparison on “lock” when in less than ideal conditions……..
Again, we still hold firm that our GPS module works great.
I take no issue with your observations, but you left out a BIG one in favor of Mavic……both GPS and Glonass support…..now I have heard the argument from VR, but having 2 drones….one with and one without, there is no comparison on “lock” when in less than ideal conditions……..
Again, we still hold firm that our GPS module works great.
I am keeping a good attitude, I ordered in Sept 2015 and I just think you guys should be putting something out at least once a week now…… give us a break we are just excited and you should be communicating better with us
Sorry Daniel. We are spending less time on social media and on the blog right now because we decided that what people really want is a product over another update. We would rather focus on fixing bugs as we find them in this phase than write to the world what they are/were. The shipping date is directly related to fixing these types of bugs. And that date is very difficult to predict. We have tried to be as open and honest with our customers about our shipping estimates as we can. Believe us that we fully understand the Christmas market here, and are doing everything we can to get something under your tree in time. We are very sorry for the difficulties that this puts on everyone, and very thankful for everyones patience and understanding here.
I am keeping a good attitude, I ordered in Sept 2015 and I just think you guys should be putting something out at least once a week now…… give us a break we are just excited and you should be communicating better with us
Sorry Daniel. We are spending less time on social media and on the blog right now because we decided that what people really want is a product over another update. We would rather focus on fixing bugs as we find them in this phase than write to the world what they are/were. The shipping date is directly related to fixing these types of bugs. And that date is very difficult to predict. We have tried to be as open and honest with our customers about our shipping estimates as we can. Believe us that we fully understand the Christmas market here, and are doing everything we can to get something under your tree in time. We are very sorry for the difficulties that this puts on everyone, and very thankful for everyones patience and understanding here.
How much more right can you get this thing anyway?
Please understand that bringing a new piece of technology to market is incredibly complicated, and involves countless people and components to come together at the same time.
How much more right can you get this thing anyway?
Please understand that bringing a new piece of technology to market is incredibly complicated, and involves countless people and components to come together at the same time.
James,
I’m thankful you guys are taking the time to do this the best way you know how. Snap is something you guys have been working on for a little over three years now (from what I’ve extrapolated, I could be off a bit) and from what I’ve seen, the vision is on the cusp of reality.
The first “wave” of betas has given you guys an opportunity to fix some issues via software/firmware and that is exciting.
Another thing I have been thinking recently is, you guys are probably still building Snaps during this whole process of beta fixes, and just holding off on shipping to apply the new fixes. Once again – a very smart move –
Are we excited to get this new product that many people have pre-ordered? Of course 🙂 Is it a bummer to hear or not hear about delays, of course 🙁
Is the Snap a DJI product? Thankfully, NO. Snap is an American product! Designed and built in our country!
Vantage Robotics reputation is on the line, so please – take what time you need to get Snap just the way you want it before unleashing this amazing craft to the masses. It should be a big seller no doubt.
You guys have the right product at the right time – Even if I ordered a Mavic TODAY – I wouldn’t get it until February. DJI messed up with that. Vantage – James – you guys keep up the great work – the NDA you guys got in place for the “voluntary beta” folks was a GREAT idea. You guys really did think this through and I applaud you for it. Still, many customers are anxious for ANY tidbit of information we get fed for an inkling on how things are going, how much longer it may be, so on and so forth.
From the peanut gallery – just my two cents – Keep up the great work – thanks for giving us a vehicle to communicate with you guys, and thank you for responding with tact and wisdom to all who ask and to all who provide criticism as well. I admire that. I don’t think I have the patience to keep my responses as tactful as you have. James – You have a gift sir – patience and wisdom, I know Tobin and the team appreciate all the communication you are taking care of for the company on the customer pacification side. I know you guys are working hard. Stay the course, the real adventure is about to begin 🙂
V/r
Tibor
Thanks Tibor! We will try to draft another update really soon.
James Squires: I respectfully respond….. that logic dictates that 24 additional sats increases the likelihood of a “lock” and greater flying stability in poorer conditions, such as trees or tall buildings in an urban setting…..this has been proven time again…….I did not proclaim that your implementation using “only GPS” was inferior…I am confident that compared to other GPS only solutions, the Snap implementation is superior, but that adding up to 24 more sats to the mix is an advantage. When one compares a 2 wheel drive car to an all wheel drive car……they both do a great job under ideal conditions, but when conditions are less than ideal most would prefer the safety of all 4 wheels providing traction.
Many do not know that a solid 6 sats are required to insure proper position in a 3D space not only at take off, but while flying….any less than that and the system and drone is unstable and manual flying is required. Depending on the location, day and time, there may only be 6-7 GPS sats visible……adding Glonass increases the number visible to a safe flying level.
I have several years flying experience that has consistently demonstrated the logic of this opinion.
Thanks for your comments Dick. Its great hearing from other people as passionate about this stuff as us. It seems like we have gone through this already (in the comment section of this same blog post as a matter of fact), so I won’t repeat myself.
All I would like to add is a bit regarding your car analogy. There are many factors that can contribute to a cars traction and safety when driving in poor conditions. Having 4 wheel drive is one factor, but so is the quality of the tires, the vehicle’s clearance and center of gravity, its suspension, and so on. As we have mentioned before, there are many factors to consider when dealing with a position lock for a drone. While Snap does not use Glonass, it implementation of GPS and use of other sensors are very precise. Focusing on just one feature, whether it be 4 wheel drive or Glonass, oversimplifies an assessment of something that is very complex.
We are really excited to prove Snap’s reliability to you and the world, and hope you are satisfied once you start flying. Please keep the comments coming until then!
I am not 100% sure but everything I have read on the US vs USSR gps is that on most systems is you pick on or the other to use you can’t run both at the same time. I have seen a much faster and more stable gps with the new iPhone 6 and 7 after apple removed glonass off them iPhone 5 and lower used both but it was so much slower. i am saying this from what i have seen playing Pokemon Go, I have a iPhone7 my wife has a iPhone6s and my kid still has a iPhone5s and when we all play together me and my wife see and get stuff in the game from 30sec to a full 1min faster. at first i thought it was just from being a newer phone but after a little research I found that from 6 and up apple pulled the glonass gps because it from what I could find it was slowing the gps down when using turn by turn nav.
one more time I am not 100% on if this would be the same in a drone.
I am not 100% sure but everything I have read on the US vs USSR gps is that on most systems is you pick on or the other to use you can’t run both at the same time. I have seen a much faster and more stable gps with the new iPhone 6 and 7 after apple removed glonass off them iPhone 5 and lower used both but it was so much slower. i am saying this from what i have seen playing Pokemon Go, I have a iPhone7 my wife has a iPhone6s and my kid still has a iPhone5s and when we all play together me and my wife see and get stuff in the game from 30sec to a full 1min faster. at first i thought it was just from being a newer phone but after a little research I found that from 6 and up apple pulled the glonass gps because it from what I could find it was slowing the gps down when using turn by turn nav.
one more time I am not 100% on if this would be the same in a drone.
I read an article about using the cameras handheld, ( propellors off) and using the gimbal. Can I record video with the gimbal on and not flying?
What article did you read? While it is possible to record without the rotors attached, Snap isn’t really being designed for this purpose.
I read an article about using the cameras handheld, ( propellors off) and using the gimbal. Can I record video with the gimbal on and not flying?
What article did you read? While it is possible to record without the rotors attached, Snap isn’t really being designed for this purpose.
I am still hanging in there for my snap. But I did Order a Mavic Oct. 13th with a promise of getting it Nov. 24-30. Now they are saying end of Dec. or sometime in Jan or later. So they are not getting many shipped yet either. And before you fly it you have to update Firmware.
Hang in here people I am sure Snap will be good once we get it.
James What all are we getting after waiting almost a year. I know you said a spare Battery. But I hear rumors you are giving us more for waiting so long. I am still in hope of seeing Snap for Christmas. Even if we have to do some firmware updates every now and then.
Thanks Gary
Thanks Gary,
Pre-sale customers are getting a reduced price, extra battery, and a carrying case.
James……regarding our (ongoing) conversation pertaining to GPS vs both GPS and Glosass, I have a DJI P2 with just GPS and a P4 with both …….there is no comparison with speed and stability of the 2, with the P4 being far superior…….
Given your implementation of just GPS may be outstanding, I would be willing to take a Beta Snap and compare all three, then we would know definitively and would also commit to accurately reporting back to your user community.
Also can you tell me if SNAP has a joy stick controller option or is everyone limited to a phone only?
I am involved in the Forum because I would really like to generate my confidence to purchase your product at some point.
Thanx…..
Thanks Dick. We are reserving our beta units to our earliest customers. As for the controller options, we actually have an earlier blog post on this topic. There have been some updates regarding the DSM remote, but much of it is still accurate. https://vantagerobotics.com/news/control-snap-your-way
James……regarding our (ongoing) conversation pertaining to GPS vs both GPS and Glosass, I have a DJI P2 with just GPS and a P4 with both …….there is no comparison with speed and stability of the 2, with the P4 being far superior…….
Given your implementation of just GPS may be outstanding, I would be willing to take a Beta Snap and compare all three, then we would know definitively and would also commit to accurately reporting back to your user community.
Also can you tell me if SNAP has a joy stick controller option or is everyone limited to a phone only?
I am involved in the Forum because I would really like to generate my confidence to purchase your product at some point.
Thanx…..
Thanks Dick. We are reserving our beta units to our earliest customers. As for the controller options, we actually have an earlier blog post on this topic. There have been some updates regarding the DSM remote, but much of it is still accurate. https://vantagerobotics.com/news/control-snap-your-way
Mr Stone, if you could take a quick minute to read through the product details page it explains all the control options the Snap will have available. There are three.
Vr
Tibor
Mr Stone, if you could take a quick minute to read through the product details page it explains all the control options the Snap will have available. There are three.
Vr
Tibor
So what are the chances that these will get out before Christmas? Any way we can get a ballpark estimate?
We will try to post another update regarding shipping dates within the next week or so.
So what are the chances that these will get out before Christmas? Any way we can get a ballpark estimate?
We will try to post another update regarding shipping dates within the next week or so.
Regarding a joy stick controller, all I could find in the product description was “Two stick control alternatives”
Does the buyer find his/her own and bind it to Snap or will an actual turnkey product be sold? If so, when?
Yes. We will come out with some specs regarding what types of controllers will pair with Snap.
Regarding a joy stick controller, all I could find in the product description was “Two stick control alternatives”
Does the buyer find his/her own and bind it to Snap or will an actual turnkey product be sold? If so, when?
Yes. We will come out with some specs regarding what types of controllers will pair with Snap.
Here Dick. The link below is the blog post VR made with regards to the various control methods. The blog post could have easily been missed if you weren’t carefully scrolling through everything and at this point, there’s just so much blog posts that I can’t blame anyone for missing it. However… just so ya know the information on that blog post is out of date now as VR has made several more recent comments/updates with regards to the DSM controller since they made that blogpost a while back. Based on results of a customer survey they did they plan on having the DSM option available as a separate module that would attach to snap’s modular design rather than have it integrated into the main body. So you would need the additional DSM module to use a DSM controller. The bluetooth controller option I believe (not 100% sure) is available at launch. P.S. I’ve stayed silent on the GPS / GLONASS conversation cause I have no experience compared to others on here. I fully default to everyone else’s expertise in those regards.
https://vantagerobotics.com/news/control-snap-your-way
Gary be very careful with your Mavic when you get it. Treat it like a butterfly until you know she’s all dialed in, calibrated, updated and reliable. I’d hate to see you end up like some of the other poor mavic owners out there. She’s an awesome bird but she’s pretty delicate and I think not 100% ready for prime time just yet.
Here Dick. The link below is the blog post VR made with regards to the various control methods. The blog post could have easily been missed if you weren’t carefully scrolling through everything and at this point, there’s just so much blog posts that I can’t blame anyone for missing it. However… just so ya know the information on that blog post is out of date now as VR has made several more recent comments/updates with regards to the DSM controller since they made that blogpost a while back. Based on results of a customer survey they did they plan on having the DSM option available as a separate module that would attach to snap’s modular design rather than have it integrated into the main body. So you would need the additional DSM module to use a DSM controller. The bluetooth controller option I believe (not 100% sure) is available at launch. P.S. I’ve stayed silent on the GPS / GLONASS conversation cause I have no experience compared to others on here. I fully default to everyone else’s expertise in those regards.
https://vantagerobotics.com/news/control-snap-your-way
Gary be very careful with your Mavic when you get it. Treat it like a butterfly until you know she’s all dialed in, calibrated, updated and reliable. I’d hate to see you end up like some of the other poor mavic owners out there. She’s an awesome bird but she’s pretty delicate and I think not 100% ready for prime time just yet.
Christmas is in two weeks. So an update in a week or so would mean they will not ship in time for Christmas. Unless the update in a week or so is to say “we shipped last week.” Such a shame but it is what it is. Hopefully they can ship in early January, unless you guys are dealing with some major issues.
Thanks,
John
We are still in beta. Some beta users have and will be getting units this week, but we are reaching out to them individually. We will be coming out with another update regarding our status soon.
Christmas is in two weeks. So an update in a week or so would mean they will not ship in time for Christmas. Unless the update in a week or so is to say “we shipped last week.” Such a shame but it is what it is. Hopefully they can ship in early January, unless you guys are dealing with some major issues.
Thanks,
John
We are still in beta. Some beta users have and will be getting units this week, but we are reaching out to them individually. We will be coming out with another update regarding our status soon.
I guess since I ordered in Jan. I’ll be getting the DSM/LTE accessory module when you ship me my Snap.
DSM Two-Stick Controller [UPDATE 11/3/16— you must use DSM/LTE accessory module to connect with DSM]
We made sure that those who fly with two-stick controllers could still use what they prefer. You can opt for Snap’s DSM/LTE accessory module (free for customers who pre-order Snap before 11/10/16) which will allow you to link to a DSM controller. The DSM link will allow for extended range up to 1500 meters. Two-stick controllers have the best tactile feedback and offer the most accurate control.
We changed the design to move the DSM module outside of the body, and to make it an accessory. We will offer this accessory to early pre-sale customers for free. We wanted to announce this as early as possible so that people could better understand whats happening. Please stay tuned for more details regarding this as we get closer to sending them out. They will most likely not be ready at the same time as the first pre-sale units.
Sad to say but I believe that Santa will be leaving us an IOU this year, but as they say “Godd things come to those who wait!”.
Sad to say but I believe that Santa will be leaving us an IOU this year, but as they say “Godd things come to those who wait!”.
Yea…. I know I’m a whiner, but come on…. we’ve been holding out for a while…. it’s kinda obvious we won’t get these before the holidays…. just please confirm it!
Sorry Scott. We will be coming out with an update really soon.
Folks,
The window has passed for this start up product. You know that pushing Vantage only gets you a bleeding edge product with more flaws than normal. There aren’t any out there and the Holiday season is a big miss. Got my money back and now have my Mavic Pro which is amazing ! Good luck with your drone progress, but I needed to move on !
Apple was the 17th personal computer company. One doesn’t have to be first to be the best. DJI is a great company, and we are sure that that Mavic will be a great product. It seems like a very different type of camera than the Snap though. Mavic and Snap are both small, 4k flying cameras with many similar features. But Snap is really designed to be used around people. Every feature has been focused to make Snap provide the simplest, most intuitive, and safest experience so that you can capture those amazing aerial images around your friends and loved ones without having to be an experienced pilot. And, as your needs vary, Snap’s extensibility will allow for you to specialize your experience.
Folks,
The window has passed for this start up product. You know that pushing Vantage only gets you a bleeding edge product with more flaws than normal. There aren’t any out there and the Holiday season is a big miss. Got my money back and now have my Mavic Pro which is amazing ! Good luck with your drone progress, but I needed to move on !
Apple was the 17th personal computer company. One doesn’t have to be first to be the best. DJI is a great company, and we are sure that that Mavic will be a great product. It seems like a very different type of camera than the Snap though. Mavic and Snap are both small, 4k flying cameras with many similar features. But Snap is really designed to be used around people. Every feature has been focused to make Snap provide the simplest, most intuitive, and safest experience so that you can capture those amazing aerial images around your friends and loved ones without having to be an experienced pilot. And, as your needs vary, Snap’s extensibility will allow for you to specialize your experience.
It’s Tuesday Dec 20th 2016 right ???
It’s Tuesday Dec 20th 2016 right ???
As an eager Snap supporter, I am frustrated in the level of communication over the last few months. Your group has done an extremely good job of keeping your supporters up to date until recently. I understand you have a tough task in creating a new drone. Sending consistent videos (unedited and/or edited) and quick updates make a big difference to your supporters.
Unless a surprise box shows up on my door in the next few days the Snap won’t be under the Christmas tree, again. I still have my Snap propeller from last year. A note alerting your fans about missing the Christmas release would have been nice so we could have planned appropriately.
I am concerned that the beta tests are brining up serious issues but we do not want an undercooked craft. Please keep the communication consistent and open even if it is brief. It does not take that much time to post quick videos and they go a long way.
Have a safe and happy holiday.
Thanks for the thoughtful comment. There is a little more that goes into posting updates and videos than you might think, but we will certainly try to pick things up more frequently here.
As an eager Snap supporter, I am frustrated in the level of communication over the last few months. Your group has done an extremely good job of keeping your supporters up to date until recently. I understand you have a tough task in creating a new drone. Sending consistent videos (unedited and/or edited) and quick updates make a big difference to your supporters.
Unless a surprise box shows up on my door in the next few days the Snap won’t be under the Christmas tree, again. I still have my Snap propeller from last year. A note alerting your fans about missing the Christmas release would have been nice so we could have planned appropriately.
I am concerned that the beta tests are brining up serious issues but we do not want an undercooked craft. Please keep the communication consistent and open even if it is brief. It does not take that much time to post quick videos and they go a long way.
Have a safe and happy holiday.
Thanks for the thoughtful comment. There is a little more that goes into posting updates and videos than you might think, but we will certainly try to pick things up more frequently here.
I understand that you are in beta but you guys are seriously dropping the ball. Take for example the Eve V, it is a crowdfunded (on Kickstarter) Surface Pro 4 competitor that is being designed from the ground up by a similarly small team of engineers as Snap. They post updates every 2 weeks, along with pictures showing the prototypes, and have a running forum where they daily answer questions substantively (not just asking customers to keep waiting but giving specific responses). They too are entering beta and daily dealing with fulfilling pre-orders that were so voluminous that they crashed the Kickstarter site. Nor is their product any less complicated given that they are building a convertible tablet that has more features than the Surface with nowhere near as much manpower and technical support as Microsoft’s in-house Surface team. Given that it has been well over a year, and you have blown past your beta testing deadline for a product that costs $1k, I think there needs to be a much better effort to communicate what’s going on or customers (including myself) will have to start cancelling orders because that is a significant amount of money to have just hanging around in the ether waiting for a long promised product.
Thanks for writing Eugene. We cannot speak for Eve Tech, but will try to be more engaging online.
I understand that you are in beta but you guys are seriously dropping the ball. Take for example the Eve V, it is a crowdfunded (on Kickstarter) Surface Pro 4 competitor that is being designed from the ground up by a similarly small team of engineers as Snap. They post updates every 2 weeks, along with pictures showing the prototypes, and have a running forum where they daily answer questions substantively (not just asking customers to keep waiting but giving specific responses). They too are entering beta and daily dealing with fulfilling pre-orders that were so voluminous that they crashed the Kickstarter site. Nor is their product any less complicated given that they are building a convertible tablet that has more features than the Surface with nowhere near as much manpower and technical support as Microsoft’s in-house Surface team. Given that it has been well over a year, and you have blown past your beta testing deadline for a product that costs $1k, I think there needs to be a much better effort to communicate what’s going on or customers (including myself) will have to start cancelling orders because that is a significant amount of money to have just hanging around in the ether waiting for a long promised product.
Thanks for writing Eugene. We cannot speak for Eve Tech, but will try to be more engaging online.
Been almost a month and a half since the last update. I would rather have 1 paragraph updates every week than lengthy ones every 6-8 weeks.
We posted another update over the weekend. For several reasons, 1 paragraph a week is substantially more difficult than a longer update every month. Regardless, we will try to step things up here.
Been almost a month and a half since the last update. I would rather have 1 paragraph updates every week than lengthy ones every 6-8 weeks.
We posted another update over the weekend. For several reasons, 1 paragraph a week is substantially more difficult than a longer update every month. Regardless, we will try to step things up here.
It’s Wednesday Dec 21st, 2016 right ???
It’s Wednesday Dec 21st, 2016 right ???
PLEASE Guys!
UPDATE US!
PLEASE Guys!
UPDATE US!
Sorry Paul. We posted another update over the weekend.
sometimes eye hate bein rite, i knew it was gonna be Jan 2017, now the question is . . . just howe far into it before that wee-snap sucker ends up on my front porch ? drat! wish eye had patience, now! lol
Sorry to disappoint you Chuck. We hope to get you flying really soon!
HI Jim
Do you think we will have Snap by the end of Jan? I still want it.
Even thou I have a Mavic Pro being delivered tomorrow according to Fedex tracking. That only took a little over 2 months. So I will at least have a flying camera to play with while I am also waiting for Snap.
PLEASE tell us what is going on with the Beta units you have out. How many Betas are out? Are there just small Soft or firmware problems Or are you having to do a major redesign of the whole unit? I for one would be happier knowing what is going on even if there are problems than to be kept in the dark and not know if you are still in business and not just running off with our money.. I think a lot of people are wondering about now with the lack of communication we are getting from you. It would not take more than 10 minutes to give us a short paragraph ever few days.
Hi Gary,
Sorry to frustrate you here. We posted another update over the weekend. Have a look. Believe it or not, it take substantially more than 10 minutes to draft an update. Shorter updates take just as long many times. Regardless, we will try to step things up here.
HI Jim
Do you think we will have Snap by the end of Jan? I still want it.
Even thou I have a Mavic Pro being delivered tomorrow according to Fedex tracking. That only took a little over 2 months. So I will at least have a flying camera to play with while I am also waiting for Snap.
PLEASE tell us what is going on with the Beta units you have out. How many Betas are out? Are there just small Soft or firmware problems Or are you having to do a major redesign of the whole unit? I for one would be happier knowing what is going on even if there are problems than to be kept in the dark and not know if you are still in business and not just running off with our money.. I think a lot of people are wondering about now with the lack of communication we are getting from you. It would not take more than 10 minutes to give us a short paragraph ever few days.
Hi Gary,
Sorry to frustrate you here. We posted another update over the weekend. Have a look. Believe it or not, it take substantially more than 10 minutes to draft an update. Shorter updates take just as long many times. Regardless, we will try to step things up here.
They promised an update today… didn’t happen
Sorry Peter. The update was posted over the weekend. Have a look
They promised an update today… didn’t happen
Sorry Peter. The update was posted over the weekend. Have a look
James and team – from a 68-year old young-timer, in business forever.
Keep at it. Get it right before you start shipping. In the medium to long term, all parties (including your shareholders) will benefit. And life will be so much simpler.
Patience !!!!!!
Jack, in Ottawa
James and team – from a 68-year old young-timer, in business forever.
Keep at it. Get it right before you start shipping. In the medium to long term, all parties (including your shareholders) will benefit. And life will be so much simpler.
Patience !!!!!!
Jack, in Ottawa
Thanks for the support Jack!