Sky Rover seems to have appeared almost overnight, quickly gaining attention in the drone community. That alone made me curious, but also cautious. Many new brands reach out for reviews, and most of the time their products simply aren’t good enough to recommend. The Sky Rover S1 is different. This is the first time in a long while that I’ve felt confident reviewing a non-DJI drone, because it genuinely feels like a credible DJI alternative.
Amazon Deals: DJI MINI 3 & Skyrover S1
Table of Contents
First Impressions & Design
Right out of the box, the Sky Rover S1 looks and feels impressive. Before even diving into specs, it’s clear this drone is capable of producing high-quality footage. Its design is compact and modern, with a unique look that almost resembles a Stormtrooper. For its price point, it’s surprising to see forward-facing infrared obstacle avoidance sensors, along with bottom sensors something rarely found in this class.
Camera & Specs
The Sky Rover S1 features a 1/2-inch sensor, which is slightly smaller than the DJI Mini 3 sensor. On paper, that might sound concerning, especially with its f/2.8 aperture, which is less ideal for low-light shooting. However, real-world performance tells a different story.
Key camera features include:
- 4K video at 60fps
- RAW photo capture (12MP)
- H.265 video recording
- Flat color profile
- Manual video controls
- Panoramas and hyperlapse modes
Despite being positioned below the Sky Rover X1 (the Pro model), the S1 still delivers impressive image quality for its size.
DJI Comparison: Mini 3 vs Mini 4 Pro
Sky Rover claims the S1 competes with the DJI Mini 3, but after testing, that comparison doesn’t hold up in a good way. The DJI Mini 3 falls behind. In daytime shooting, the Skyrover S1 review feels much closer to the DJI Mini 4 Pro in terms of exposure balancing and dynamic range.
While it’s not using the same camera hardware, the results are similar enough that most users would be more than satisfied. It’s rare to see DJI face real competition in this category, but the S1 manages to do exactly that.
Flight Performance & Controls
One of the most pleasant surprises is the flight control experience. Many drones come with overly aggressive, jerky default settings that require endless tuning. The Sky Rover S1 feels intuitive right out of the box. Within minutes, it was easy to fly smoothly and confidently without changing any control settings.
You still have the option to fine-tune controls manually, but the default setup works extremely well, especially for beginners and casual pilots.
Low-Light Performance
This is where the Sky Rover S1 shows its limitations. During the day, camera performance rivals the Mini 4 Pro. At night, however, it behaves more like the Mini 3. Once the sun goes down, video quality drops quickly, with weaker highlights and less usable data for color grading.
That said, long-exposure photography is a strong point. Night photos and hyperlapse shots look excellent, especially when shooting RAW and editing manually.
Range & Connectivity
In normal use, the connection feels stable and reliable. Satellite lock is fast, often reaching around 25 satellites shortly after powering on. During extreme range testing, some signal hiccups appeared, but these were largely influenced by obstacles like metal structures. In open areas, performance remained solid and confidence-inspiring.
Intelligent Flight & Fun Modes
The Sky Rover S1 includes several one-button flight modes such as:
- Dronie
- Rocket
- Circle
- Helix
- Asteroid
These modes are consistent and smooth, helping users capture cinematic shots without ruining takes due to small control mistakes.
It also offers Follow Me modes, including Point of Interest, Spotlight, and ActiveTrack. Like all consumer drones, these are assistance features not flawless—but they work well enough for casual use.
Is Sky Rover a DJI Alternative Drone?
Some users claim the Sky Rover drones are DJI clones or part of a shell company. DJI has stated they have no involvement with Sky Rover. While there are similarities in software layout and camera design (even DJI Mini 4K ND filters fit the S1), the overall build, materials, and flight feel suggest this is not just a rebranded DJI drone.
The body feels unique, and the internal balance and handling don’t feel copied outright. It’s more accurate to say Sky Rover took inspiration from DJI and built something genuinely competitive.
Final Verdict
The Sky Rover S1 is one of the most impressive surprises in the sub-250g drone market. It doesn’t need to beat DJI it just needs to compete, and it absolutely does. With strong daytime camera performance, excellent flight controls, obstacle avoidance, and intelligent features, the S1 proves that DJI is no longer the only serious option.
For a young company releasing only its second drone, Sky Rover has delivered something special. If they continue on this path, their future—especially with larger drones looks very promising.
Read More: SkyRover X1 Review – Incredible Mini Drone
