SYMA-FPV

SYMA-FPV is an official controller app for drones by SYMA. This brand is known for its high-quality drones for fans of aircraft. The app allows you to control your drone camera and record the video stream onto an SD card or the internal memory of your mobile device. You can download SYMA-FPV for Android devices on Play Market or App Store for iOS.

Functionality – 4.5/5

It’s quite strange that developers decided to provide the SYMA-FPV app separately from the actual controller, but it makes sense when it comes to simultaneous recording and flying. Unlike the SYMA GO app, you can see the stream from the camera and can enable the overlay with controls to record and fly at the same time.

Design – 4.5/5

SYMA-FPV latest version is convenient enough for smooth piloting, but look a bit odd. Developers should consider redesigning it to achieve a fresher impression. All controls for the camera and engines are fit into a single working area that takes a thin line on the top of the screen. It works only in landscape mode.

Usability – 5/5

Talking about engine controls, they are absolutely similar to analog controllers of average drones. There’s a throttle stick on the left that allows you set off, regulate the altitude, and rotate the craft on its axis. The right stick is to make it go left, right, forward, and backward. Using the trims, you can adjust the drifting to stabilize the drone. You can do the calibration through the extra menu on the right. Just put the drone on the table, press calibrates, and it will be stable in most cases. You can also use the accelerometer for moving controls, but it’s uncomfortable for filming.

The range of controls is equal to your devices WiFi module range, so you have to be careful. We compared the range on Samsung Galaxy S5 and S8 for this SYMA-FPV review, and the second device could see the drone at an almost twice longer distance. The quality of recording depends on your particular model, but it’s generally medium.

Cross-platform use – 5/5

You can install SYMA-FPV on Android devices with Android 4.1 or later versions aboard, while the SYMA-FPV iOS app supports even the old iOS 8.0, which means you can use it on iPhone 4 and iPod of the same generation.

In-app purchases

You can use the free SYMA-FPV app with any compatible drone. It doesn’t display adverts, so you won’t need to purchase the ad-free subscription. All control modules are also available for free by default.

The Bottom Line

SYMA-FPV is the one and only controller for the FPV model range, and it’s actually very good. It looks not very modern but perfectly deals with all the objectives. However, you must check out compatibility with your particular mobile device to avoid purchasing a defective drone.

• Graphics 4.5
• Gameplay 4.5
• Controls 5
• Replay Value 5

Pros

Convenient to control the camera and engines at the same time;
Fine calibrating tools;
Stable recording without FPS drops;
Full-scale engine controller.

Cons

The design needs some improvements;
Fails to connect on some devices.