A message to Yuneec

[Satellite View]

With the launch of the new "Phantom 4" I would like to say that Yuneec have no problem removing DJI as number one in the market place (I hope someone from Yuneec will read this).

Yuneec produce great quality products and I think the new Typhoon H will easily beat the new Phantom 4 on features and specially on price.

My qualification for comments made above: I own 4 Yuneec Typhoon / Q500 aircraft - 3 Phantom Aircraft, I was a marketing director for 20 years with a International consumer products company, I have extensive flying hours on both Yuneec and Phantom Aircraft.

 

[bshaker Air4c 1]

With the launch of the new "Phantom 4" I would like to say that Yuneec have no problem removing DJI as number one in the market place (I hope someone from Yuneec will read this).

Yuneec produce great quality products and I think the new Typhoon H will easily beat the new Phantom 4 on features and specially on price.

My qualification for comments made above: I own 4 Yuneec Typhoon / Q500 aircraft - 3 Phantom Aircraft, I was a marketing director for 20 years with a International consumer products company, I have extensive flying hours on both Yuneec and Phantom Aircraft.

Usually a great product, and excellent customer service can never be beat......Don't change YUNEEC!!

 

[Air Pauly]

I have 4 DJI products, vision +, P3 Pro, Inspire, S1000+ and have ordered the P4 and I have had zero problems with any of them apart from the quirky signal loss on the vision +, and I have also ordered the Typhoon H. I have to say the Inspire has quality written all over it when you take it out of the case, and the P4 looks to have the same build quality and impressive looks with a big jump in material quality. I think most people agree that Yuneec nail gimbal performance, and I am very much looking forward to they H, and hopefully a FLIR Vue Pro (Hear Yuneec ??) option, and I am still toying with a Tornado H920 but depends on the Flir camera options with the Zenmuse XT or hopefully a better costed Flir Vue Pro. So basically what I am saying is there is room for both makes in peoples kit choices and I think it really is these 2 which stand out from the rest now. You have experience with Yuneec products, we with DJI, and competition between these two will only benefit us end users.

I think DJI have made great strides in the last 18 months and the quality is getting better all the time. Yuneec are in a way the new kids on the block and have market share to catch up on. I really wish Yuneec had used better materials on the H as in the Tornado, but if it flies great then I wont complain. I want to be a great Yuneec fan and hope I have as much pleasure as you have had from your Typhoons, but I also like my growing fleet of DJI birds and we have room for both. The technology that both these companies are pushing is growing almost exponentially, and no doubt that will cause all sorts of customer service issues, more so for DJI due to their market share advantage in sheer numbers of units out there.

Folk will all have their allegiances and thats fair enough, we can all only go from our own personal experiences with what we fly, and we are lucky to be riding this crest of a wave of amazing machines this last 12-18 months, I just wish I was 10 years younger and had more time to indulge lol.

 

[Satellite View]

Hi Air Pauly, I find your comments excellent and I agree very much with you.
Don't get me wrong I think both brands are fantastic and what a privilege to be able to buy this technology I also wish I was younger as I think future technology will be, well: "WOW".
Cheers, JV

 

[Air Pauly]

it will be interesting to see who between DJI and Yuneec will bring the 360 degree object avoidance first - the challenges of computing power to process all those additional sensors may be in Yuneecs advantage if Intel stay onboard, and I know DJI are already looking at this on future platforms. I would love to see the Typhoon H have the same optical flow sensor range of the new P4 at 10m as it would enhance the possibility of indoor work should it prove successful in that environment, and I desperately want them to let us all know what FLIR camera will be on the H lol....not being greedy or anything

 

[Roadking]

Hmmm. The new DJI P4 has a much greater range, 2 GPS systems, Lightbridge technology, crash avoidance built in, and a longer flight time than the Typhoon H. It's $400 less and available sooner.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not knocking the Yuneec or the new H, but to say it will remove DJI from the number one spot is a stretch.
I like the competition and hope that both companies continue to build great machines.

 

[QuadBart]

I own both a Yuneec Q500 and a Phantom 3. I'm no fanboy. I choose the tool that works best for my needs. I've found each has its strength and weaknesses. I've read good and bad customer service reports for both. Some will say DJI has way more bad comments, but if you were to look at sales figures, I'll bet DJI outsells Yuneec by a huge margin. So its probably a simple matter of ratio, more DJIs out there than Yuneecs therefore you're going to see a larger/proportional number of complaints against DJI.

The Phantom 4 has nowhere near the capability the Typhoon "H". BUT the Phantom 4 is also $400 USD less.

I think DJI has the right marketing approach for taking the lion's share of the Quad business. They offer a Quad at various price-points that appeals to a huge audience. You can get an RTF bird with camera for 500 USD. And its not bad at all, I had one and it was very good. Not to mention moving up a few hundred dollars gives one the ability to fly and film 3ish miles away, has look-down sonar, lots of nice flying features.

Then going with what I've read, Yuneec is discontinuing the "G" and the Q500+ which only leaves the 4k and at that 1k USD mark. That won't sell many Quads. So maybe Yuneec doesn't want to be the every-man Quad, Maybe they are after the "niche" market.

I'm curious to see what route Yuneec is going to take....

 

[Roadking]

The Phantom 4 has nowhere near the capability the Typhoon "H". BUT the Phantom 4 is also $400 USD less.

I'm curious about this comment. I am not disputing it, just trying to understand. What capabilities does the Typhoon H have that the Phantom 4 does not?
I get the retractable landing gear and the 360 gimble, but what else?

 

[QuadBart]

Ah, good question. I got this info from my Local Quad Specialty Hobby Shop which carries and sells DJI, Yuneec, Hubsan, etc. when I was inquiring about the P4 vs the "H". The owner is a knowledgeable guy and I don't see that he's trying to sell one over the other. He got his info from the Yuneec rep. So I can't verify it myself. Grain of salt then?

So, Collision Avoidance - The P4 sees an object in its path, its just going to stop. Its not going to try to figure out how to get around the object. It will stop and hover waiting for commands as to what to do. My understanding with the Yuneec, it will try to find a way to get around the object. That takes some serious "logic" processing.

Also in what I call a lateral strafing run, where the camera is focused on an object while the Quad moves to the left or the right. Lets say you are video'ing a person on a bicycle. The P4's camera and quad will be facing the cyclist while moving sideways. Its collision avoidance "eyes" are facing the cyclist and not the direction the P4 is flying. Therefore it can crash into an object. The "H" on the other hand will keep the camera on the cyclist but turn its body so its "eyes" are facing in the direction its going therefore is able to avoid or navigate around objects. This is where a 360 degree camera and retracts comes into play.

I haven't heard how well the follow me works on the "H" but there is a video out already of the P4's Activtrack. It appears you can only be moving at a walking pace and not make any sudden turns that takes you out of the camera's frame otherwise it loses you and will hover. I think you have a couple seconds to get back into frame and it will continue to track you. But don't think about using it for running or cycling or motorsports...

Now I'm not knocking one or the other. Just presenting the info I was presented with...

I'm curious about this comment. I am not disputing it, just trying to understand. What capabilities does the Typhoon H have that the Phantom 4 does not?
I get the retractable landing gear and the 360 gimble, but what else?

 

[Roadking]

Interesting. Since neither is actually out yet the information on both is a bit sketchy. The Phantom will be in peoples hands in a couple of weeks, so we will be able to get more real time user feedback.
Here is the information I have heard.

So, Collision Avoidance - The P4 sees an object in its path, its just going to stop. Its not going to try to figure out how to get around the object. It will stop and hover waiting for commands as to what to do. My understanding with the Yuneec, it will try to find a way to get around the object. That takes some serious "logic" processing.

The Yuneec definitely tries to go around and find a path. The info on the DJI is not clear at this time. Some report that it will also try to find a way around an object, and that it will stop and hover if it cannot, or if it is going at full speed it will slow, stop hover. Remains to be seen.

Also in what I call a lateral strafing run, where the camera is focused on an object while the Quad moves to the left or the right. Lets say you are video'ing a person on a bicycle. The P4's camera and quad will be facing the cyclist while moving sideways. Its collision avoidance "eyes" are facing the cyclist and not the direction the P4 is flying. Therefore it can crash into an object. The "H" on the other hand will keep the camera on the cyclist but turn its body so its "eyes" are facing in the direction its going therefore is able to avoid or navigate around objects. This is where a 360 degree camera and retracts comes into play.

This is correct from what I have read. But this capability is only available when the H has the optional CA feature added. It will be an additional $200, and some reports indicate that it may have to go back to Yuneec to be installed if it is not ordered up front. It will also not be available until late summer.

I haven't heard how well the follow me works on the "H" but there is a video out already of the P4's Activtrack. It appears you can only be moving at a walking pace and not make any sudden turns that takes you out of the camera's frame otherwise it loses you and will hover. I think you have a couple seconds to get back into frame and it will continue to track you. But don't think about using it for running or cycling or motorsports...

This is correct. The P4 will identify a specific shape, like a person, bicycle, whatever and follow it. From what I understand, the Yuneec does not have that feature. It follows the controller, not a thing.

Again, since both are announced but not in any ones hands right now, this is all information from various reports. I just thought that the comment "The Phantom 4 has nowhere near the capability the Typhoon "H"." was unfounded. They are both great units and as you say, may serve different purposes.

 

[QuadBart]

I think some of it is "founded", But I do state, "maybe a grain of salt".

The P4 IS in the hands of people already. And some have done reviews like this one;

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Listen to what the DJI rep says regarding Collision Avoidance and what it will do. He's pretty clear that it will "Stop". He makes no comment about it trying to find a way around the object... Even the demo shows it stopping...

There is more data out there about the P4 and its capabilities. So the unknown is the "H"....

Interesting. Since neither is actually out yet the information on both is a bit sketchy. The Phantom will be in peoples hands in a couple of weeks, so we will be able to get more real time user feedback.
Here is the information I have heard.


The Yuneec definitely tries to go around and find a path. The info on the DJI is not clear at this time. Some report that it will also try to find a way around an object, and that it will stop and hover if it cannot, or if it is going at full speed it will slow, stop hover. Remains to be seen.



This is correct from what I have read. But this capability is only available when the H has the optional CA feature added. It will be an additional $200, and some reports indicate that it may have to go back to Yuneec to be installed if it is not ordered up front. It will also not be available until late summer.



This is correct. The P4 will identify a specific shape, like a person, bicycle, whatever and follow it. From what I understand, the Yuneec does not have that feature. It follows the controller, not a thing.

Again, since both are announced but not in any ones hands right now, this is all information from various reports. I just thought that the comment "The Phantom 4 has nowhere near the capability the Typhoon "H"." was unfounded. They are both great units and as you say, may serve different purposes.

 

[Roadking]

Actually he does. At 3:20 he says when it sees an object it will make a smart decision to avoid it. It will maneuver around it.

 

[QuadBart]

I stand corrected! Guess, we WILL have to wait and see

Actually he does. At 3:20 he says when it sees an object it will make a smart decision to avoid it. It will maneuver around it.

 

[Roadking]

I'm buying one or the other. Torn between the two.

 

[Satellite View]

Hi All,
Very interesting comments on both products, but one point that has not been mentioned (unless I missed it) about the
Typhoon H is it has 6 motors (Hex) so this makes it very stable and in the case of loosing one motor it will still fly and can
be landed safely which is not the case with any quad.
For me this is a major benefit specially for aerial photography but I understand it may not be for most.
I also own both Yuneec aircraft (3) and DJI Phantoms (2) and love them all but I am really looking forward to getting
my Typhoon "H".
Cheers, JV

 

[Roadking]

Hi All,
Very interesting comments on both products, but one point that has not been mentioned (unless I missed it) about the
Typhoon H is it has 6 motors (Hex) so this makes it very stable and in the case of loosing one motor it will still fly and can
be landed safely which is not the case with any quad.
For me this is a major benefit specially for aerial photography but I understand it may not be for most.
I also own both Yuneec aircraft (3) and DJI Phantoms (2) and love them all but I am really looking forward to getting
my Typhoon "H".
Cheers, JV

I really like the fact that the H is a hex rather than a quad. I also think it looks much better than the P4. Not sure about stability being better because the P4 has both GPS (US) and Glonass (Russian satellites). It picks up many more satellites so it is more precise in its positioning and RTH capabilities.

 

[Satellite View]

Hi Roadking, A Hex is generally stable by design but you could be wright that the P4 has a bunch of satellites
to choose from could make it more stable.
I am interested to know the greatest number of satellites on a flight you have picked up I recently picked up
39 (on my Yuneec Typhoon 4k) here in Australia I thought I was seeing things but doing some checks and flying
in different places it was fact.
Cheers, JV

 

[Roadking]

Hi JV,
Wow! 39 sats sounds great. I am only just researching the H and P4 trying to decide which to buy. Since neither is available here in the US yet I am only going buy what I have read.
I doubt I'd see more than 39 on the P4.

 

[nomad33fw]

Usually a great product, and excellent customer service can never be beat......Don't change YUNEEC!!

I wish I could agree on the customer service. I own a G and a 4K. I have been waiting over 2 months for the hot shoe for the SteadyGrip which broke the fist time I slid the gimbal on. It took 3 calls and 2 emails to get them to say they were sending it, but 2 months later and I still don't have it. Now they are no longer responding to my emails. My CGO3 has fisheye and they want me to send it in for repairs even though their own tech says they cannot be repaired, and they will replace it. I'm still waiting on the decision to send me a swap, even with the cost of the new one being out on my CC until they receive my defective one. So better the DJI, maybe, but so far I haven't experienced the great customer service.
I do love both of my Q's, but I think Yuneec operates on a "New" customer business model, our 4Ks have reached their life cycle in Yuneec's eyes and have been replaced by the H. DJI does this too, the difference is the amount of 3rd party support that DJI has and the fact that they released an API so 3D parties can build apps for thier products to keep them relevant. Not trying to hate on Yuneec, like I said love my Q's but for me the experience with them has been different.

 

[bshaker Air4c 1]

I wish I could agree on the customer service. I own a G and a 4K. I have been waiting over 2 months for the hot shoe for the SteadyGrip which broke the fist time I slid the gimbal on. It took 3 calls and 2 emails to get them to say they were sending it, but 2 months later and I still don't have it. Now they are no longer responding to my emails. My CGO3 has fisheye and they want me to send it in for repairs even though their own tech says they cannot be repaired, and they will replace it. I'm still waiting on the decision to send me a swap, even with the cost of the new one being out on my CC until they receive my defective one. So better the DJI, maybe, but so far I haven't experienced the great customer service.
I do love both of my Q's, but I think Yuneec operates on a "New" customer business model, our 4Ks have reached their life cycle in Yuneec's eyes and have been replaced by the H. DJI does this too, the difference is the amount of 3rd party support that DJI has and the fact that they released an API so 3D parties can build apps for thier products to keep them relevant. Not trying to hate on Yuneec, like I said love my Q's but for me the experience with them has been different.

You maybe correct. You see I got my Q back before the last holiday season, and the few questions, and experiences that I had with Yuneecs CS were excellent and handled at time of call, although I've never had to send anything back. I would say that when I joined the forum there were a little over 200 members or so, however after this past holiday season it seems that everybody got a Q500+ for christmas; evident by the size the forum has grown just in the past few months. So I'm sure the CS dept. is probably slammed with trying to satisfy all of it's customers. I know that there is someone from Yuneec that monitors this sight so maybe keep voicing your frustrations about CS and it might help speed up the process. I hope everything works out for you.