Sony has made its Airpeak 1 drone available to pre-order almost a year after its initial reveal, and it’s rather expensive.
The Japanese tech giant offered an early look at its first ever drone, the Sony Airpeak 1, at CES 2021 in January. We knew at the time that it had been designed with video content-creating professionals in mind, with the ability to carry an expensive Sony Alpha 7 IV camera – or any other Alpha camera, for that matter.
It was never likely to be a cheap bit of kit, in other words, but that didn’t stop our sharp intake of breath when we saw the final price. Sony has finally launched a pre-order page for the Sony Airpeak 1, with a price tag of $8,999.99 (around £6,756).
For that money you get a stealthy black drone with a flight time of 22 minutes without a payload and 12 minutes with a payload. It’s capable of a maximum speed of 59mph.
The Sony Airpeak 1 features retractable landing gear and “Sony developed stereo cameras and vision sensing processor with original algorithm for real time 3D spatial awareness”. Together with the ability to remain stable in 44.7mph winds, it appears fully equipped for professional shooting.
There’s an obstacle braking function that utilises multi-directional sensing, too.
It’s worth mentioning that the $9,000 price tag doesn’t include a Sony Alpha camera, and you’ll also have to supply your own gimbal.
Deliveries are expected for December 24, but something tells me this won’t be making its way into many stockings come Christmas day like a Ryze Tello. Unless those stockings belong to a very committed, rather flush videographer, that is.
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
