Technologies

Best Drones for 2022

Aerial views take photography and videography to the next level. Get there with these drones.

There are plenty of affordable options for drone owners that offer various combinations of features, video quality and prices to suit every drone enthusiast. So, whether you’re looking to get into drone photography or just want to enjoy the thrill of the flight, we’ve got some recommendations. Here are the best drones for both beginner and intermediate drones.

We’ve outlined our top picks for the best drones for beginners, intermediate users and «prosumer» enthusiasts, as well as an introductory drone for folks interested in racing, which is a whole scene unto itself. We’ll update this list periodically. We’ve also included a more in-depth buying guide and FAQ on the best drones below, with more information about the key things to consider before you buy.

Frequently Asked Questions

How we test drones

Like all products on CNET, any items that feature on our best lists are tested by us to make sure that they perform as well as the manufacturers claim. Nothing is taken at face value and nothing is recommended to buy based on marketing promises or specs alone. If they don’t perform, they simply don’t make the list.

For drones, we take them out of the city to a safe flying spot. We set them up and connect them to the controllers and our phones, just as you would. We then send them into the sky, checking out how easy they are to fly, how responsive they are and whether there are any issues with signal transmissions or physical problems such as obstacle avoidance not working properly.

We test the flight times and battery capacity in different conditions. Most manufacturer’s claims of battery life are done under perfect, wind-free conditions which isn’t realistic for most of us. As such, we fly them in real-world scenarios and give an indication of what actual battery life you can expect.

And we of course shoot plenty of videos and photos, looking at the image quality, at the colors and the contrast. We pay attention to the dynamic range as this will determine how well a drone can balance a bright blue sky against the darker ground. If a drone offers DNG raw photos, we use this too, and we see how well the images can be artistically edited in software like Adobe Lightroom.

Things to consider before you buy a drone

New to the world of modern drones? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. Here’s a quick overview of what any beginner needs to know to find the best drones for their money.

The price of the drone is only the beginning

You’re going to want a couple extra batteries, some spare propellers, maybe some prop guards and perhaps a quick charger, so you’re not waiting hours to fly again. You’re more than likely going to crash, which could lead to repair costs — either for replacement parts or shipping it back to the manufacturer for repairs. (This is exactly why DJI offers crash insurance for new drones.)

Before you buy a drone, it’s worth spending a little time researching the price and availability of replacement parts, batteries and other accessories. And be cautious of third-party parts — especially batteries and chargers — which may be inferior to those made by the drone manufacturer.

Everyone will assume you’re invading their privacy

When you’re out flying in a public space, or even in your own backyard, anyone who sees you doing it will think you’re spying on them or someone else. You could be standing in the middle of a 20-acre field with no one in sight and your drone no more than 50 feet directly overhead and you might end up answering questions about being a peeping Tom. It’s happened to us. Repeatedly.

And along those same lines….

Everyone but you thinks they’re dangerous

It doesn’t matter if you’re the safest drone pilot around or that you could do more damage hitting someone with a baseball than a drone — onlookers may feel threatened. After all, nothing about plastic blades spinning at high speeds screams «safety.»

As such, US-based pilots may benefit from an Academy of Model Aeronautics membership. Along with a whole host of benefits including access to AMA-member flying sites, the $75 annual membership protects you with $2,500,000 of comprehensive general liability insurance as well as $25,000 in accident or medical coverage, $10,000 maximum accidental death coverage and $1,000 fire, theft and vandalism coverage.

Finding places to fly can be a challenge

In population-dense places like cities and metropolitan areas, it can be difficult to find places to safely and legally fly. US national parks are off-limits. Regulations differ among state, county and municipal parks. And then there are the no-fly zones, which puts many metropolitan areas out of bounds as well as just dangerous, because of buildings, people and cars.

Before you buy a drone — even a toy one, if you plan to fly outside — you’ll want to visit AirMap or download the FAA’s B4UFly app to check for no-fly zones. These don’t cover state or local ordinances, though, so you’ll need to do additional research on your chosen environs before you fly.

The EU and UK’s drone rules are based mostly on how heavy a drone weighs and no longer differentiate between people flying for fun, or people flying for professional purposes. Europeans among you with new drones should make sure to fully familiarize yourself with the 2022 drone regulations and ensure both you and your drones are registered before taking flight.

Any remote control aircraft except ‘toys’ need an FAA registration in the US

The US Federal Aviation Administration is requiring anyone who wants to fly an unmanned aerial vehicle that weighs between 0.55-pound (250 grams) and 55 pounds (approximately 25 kilograms) for recreation or hobby to register with the agency. Civil penalties for not registering such an unmanned aircraft may include fines up to $27,500. Criminal penalties may include fines up to $250,000, imprisonment for up to three years or both.

Most sub-$100 UAS drones fall under this weight. A kitchen or postal scale can be used to weigh your drone or you can check with the manufacturer. Also, this applies to both store-bought and homemade aircraft.

The registration cost is $5 and it can all be done online in a matter of minutes. You don’t have to register each aircraft you own — just yourself; you’ll be given a number to attach to what you’re flying. That’s it. Essentially, it’s the FAA’s way of getting you to agree that you’ve read its safety guidelines including staying more than five miles away from airports and below 400 feet.

The UK has its own registration requirements. Essentially, owners of drones that weigh more than 250 grams must register as a drone operator, which costs 9 annually. And pilots of drones that weigh more than 250 grams must pass a free online education course every three years. Australia has promised that new rules are «on their way,» but for now there are no official requirements.

Technologies

Can Chemicals Turn My Orange iPhone 17 Pink? Here’s What I Found Out

There are reports that some cosmic orange iPhone 17 Pro handsets are turning pink. I threw chemicals at my iPhone to see what would happen.

A recent Reddit thread suggests that it’s possible for a cosmic orange iPhone 17 Pro to turn vibrant pink. As PCMag’s Eric Zeman noted, it’s likely that the phone has been discolored by cleaning substances that affected the finish, turning it from vibrant orange to a wild hot pink. Sure, this might technically be a fault, but in all honesty I love pink phones and the idea of a hot pink iPhone 17 Pro filled me with joy. So I wanted to see if I could test the theory and see just what color-changing effects various household cleaners might have on my phone.

It’s important to note here that the iPhone 17 Pro I used was bought by CNET for the purposes of testing. Had I paid over $1,000 of my own money I wouldn’t be so reckless in smearing it with chemicals that could potentially irreparably harm it. And you shouldn’t either. If you need to clean your phone, do it safely. Disclaimer aside, let’s dive in.

The chemicals

I bought two chemicals to test this out. Zeman explains that it may be oxidation that caused the color to change and that hydrogen peroxide could do this. I couldn’t find this over the counter in the UK, so I instead bought an «oxy-active» stain remover spray that, among other things, contains «oxygen-based bleaching agents» which sounded ideal. Apple also clearly states «don’t use products containing bleach or hydrogen peroxide» on its support page so, naturally, I bought some thick bleach too.

Oxy application

I started by spraying the oxy cleaner on a microfiber cloth until it was noticeably wet from the liquid and then liberally applied this all over the rear of the iPhone. The Reddit user with the affected phone showed that it only affected the metal parts, not the glass back panel, so I made sure to focus my attention on the sides and camera bar.

With the phone well and truly doused in chemicals that have no business being anywhere near a phone, I left it to sit and think about what it had done for 30 minutes — after which time I wiped it dry and took a close inspection. Disappointingly, my phone was still factory orange, rather than «what the hell have you done to your phone» pink. Time to move on.

Bleach blast

I opened the bleach and trying hard not to think about my days as a middle school cleaner, applied a liberal blob of the stuff to a cloth and smeared it over the defenceless phone, concentrating again on the metal areas. I definitely should have worn protective gloves for all of this so please make sure you take better care of yourself than I do if you do anything with bleach.

Again, I gave it a 30-minute settling in period before cleaning it off and inspecting the results.

The phone remained as orange as ever, looking as box fresh as it was the day before when it was, indeed, box fresh. The orange color hadn’t changed and now almost 24 hours later there’s still no sign of discoloration of any kind.

Is the pink iPhone 17 real?

I can’t say with any certainty whether the Reddit user’s images of a pink iPhone 17 Pro are real or not. The cuddly human side of me wants to take them at their word, while the journalist in me is sceptical. What I can say with certainty is that putting your orange iPhone into close contact with household cleaning products isn’t going to win you a funky, ultra-rare pink hue that you could sell on eBay for a small fortune.

It’s possible that using pure peroxide could be the thing that does it, but to be honest, if you’re going out of your way to throw industrial-grade chemicals at your phone then you may as well just directly try and dye it. My goal here was to see how susceptible the orange model is to everyday household cleaners such as kitchen cleaner or bathroom bleach — the sort of things it might naturally come into contact with in routine use. And what I’ve found is that, no, it won’t ruin the nice orange color. But it’s probably still not good for your phone.

Technologies

My Teen Loves Her Apple AirPods Pro 2 and You Will Too With This $100 Off Deal for Black Friday

Apple’s AirPods Pro 2 have everything you could want from a pair of wireless earbuds, plus a steep discount.

Black Friday deals: The Apple AirPods Pro 2 are some of the best personal audio gear on the market, even if they aren’t the latest model anymore. Sure, Apple’s AirPods Pro 3 are the newest earbuds in the lineup but the AirPods Pro 2 are still an excellent pick for most people.

They’re an even better buy this week during early Black Friday sales when you can get your hands on a pair of Apple AirPods Pro 2 at a discount. Right now, Walmart is shaving a massive $100 off the AirPods Pro 2, dropping the cost to $139. That’s one of the lowest prices we’ve seen — but we doubt this deal will stick around for long.

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CNET’s key takeaways

You can get these amazing earbuds for just $139 right now at Walmart.
My teenager loves everything about them.
The sound quality is exceptional.
The noise cancellation can help give you some peace, even in a busy home.

My 13-year-old daughter loves her music and her privacy, and for years she has wanted a pair of AirPods. They’re not cheap so I’ve only been getting her more budget options, like the Amazon Echo Buds, as a result. These kept seemingly disappearing, though, so I finally ponied up for the AirPods Pro 2.

I picked them up during last year’s sales, and they were definitely well-received. She’s happy, she uses them every day, and she hasn’t lost them yet. The AirPods Pro 2 are currently on sale at Walmart for $139, a nice price for a high-quality pair like these, and one of the lowest we’ve seen.

What about the AirPods Pro 3?

The AirPods Pro 3 weren’t available at the time I bought the AirPods Pro 2, but they were rumored, and I didn’t wait to see what they offered. As CNET’s resident headphone expert, David Carnoy summarized in his AirPods Pro 3 and Pro 3 comparison, the newer model is «significantly improved in the four most important areas: fit, sound quality, noise cancellation and battery life.» They also have heart-rate monitoring, like the Beats Powerbeats Pro 2.

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While these are undoubtedly all important things, a lot of people aren’t going to notice the differences or make the most of the new features. With the AirPods Pro 3 being newer, they’re on a smaller sale and are currently available at Amazon for $220, which is $30 off the list price.

Why I didn’t get the AirPods 4 instead

Why did I choose AirPods Pro 2 instead of the AirPods 4 with ANC? First, as I mentioned in another article about a different pair of earbuds I bought, I think sealed, in-ear buds are better than open-design models like the AirPods 4. The seal creates another layer of noise isolation and contributes to superior sound quality, and if you want to pay attention to the world you can always engage ambient sound mode, which Apple calls transparency mode.

Also a factor was that, at the time, Carnoy considered the Pro 2 the best Apple noise-canceling wireless earbuds: «While we’re quite impressed with those new models — and with the AirPods 4 ANC in particular — the AirPods Pro 2 remain arguably the best Apple AirPods you can buy if you don’t mind having silicone ear tips jammed in your ears,» he said.

My daughter uses earplugs all the time to help her sleep, so she definitely qualifies as somebody who’s comfortable stuffing things in her ears. Like her fingers, when I start using words like «sigma,» «skibidi» and «relatable» to try to relate to her.

I asked Carnoy about the Pro 2s potentially not fitting in her kid-size ears and he reassured me that the range of eartips that come with the Pro 2s «now include XS, so they should fit.»

Do AirPods make a great gift?

It took me years to finally understand, but yes, for someone looking for wireless earbuds, AirPods — especially the Apple AirPods Pro 2 — make the perfect gift, regardless of whether you’re a teenage girl.

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Technologies

If You’re Flying for the Holidays, This Bluetooth Dongle Transforms In-Flight Movies, and It’s 35% Off for Black Friday

Watch airplane movies just like you would at home with this game-changing device.

Air travel for the holidays can be stressful, especially when winter weather or flight delays force a change of plans, but one perk of flying still remains — watching new-release movies. However, in-flight entertainment on most airlines usually requires a wired set of earbuds. (And the ones the airline hands out are so bad they may as well not even be connected.)

I’d far prefer to use my wireless, noise-canceling AirPods Pro, but they connect only via Bluetooth. There’s a simple tech solution that makes viewing movies on the plane feel more like watching them on your couch.

The AirFly is a simple Bluetooth dongle that allows me to connect my wireless earbuds directly to the airplane’s entertainment system, eliminating the need for adapters or wired workarounds.

It’s become a must-pack item in my travel bag. Since I started using it, I’ve stopped dreading in-flight audio and finally get to enjoy movies on the plane. If you fly often, this little gadget could completely change how you travel. And the base level AirFly SE is 35% off for Black Friday at Amazon.

The AirFly Pro lets me enjoy in-flight entertainment

The AirFly Pro from Twelve South is a minimally designed dongle that allows me to connect to the 3.5mm headphone jack in my airplane seat, enabling me to listen to in-flight entertainment on my noise-canceling earbuds.

All I have to do is pair the AirFly with the Bluetooth headphones I’m using, such as my AirPods Pro, plug the AirFly into the display in front of me, and I’m all set. I don’t even need to use my phone to connect the two devices.

There are several versions of the AirFly: the AirFly SE, which is currently on sale for $26 on Amazon and connects to just one set of headphones, the AirFly Pro at $55, the Pro V2 at $60 and the Pro 2 Deluxe at $70, which comes with an international headphone adapter and a suede travel case.

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I use the AirFly Pro, which has been a game-changer for me on flights. I’ve never had to worry about battery life since the AirFly Pro lasts for over 25 hours and can be fully charged in just three hours. I can also pair two separate pairs of headphones to a single AirFly Pro, in case I’m with someone else on a flight and want to watch the same movie or show.

And if that’s not enough, the AirFly Pro also doubles as an audio transmitter, allowing me to turn any speaker with a headphone jack, such as my old car stereo, into a Bluetooth speaker.

The AirFly Pro makes a great gift for any traveler

The AirFly Pro is the perfect present to give to someone who’s planning to travel this year. Besides my Anker MagSafe battery pack, the AirFly Pro has become my most treasured travel accessory when I fly, which is why I consider it one of those can’t-go-wrong gifts.

For more travel gear, here are our favorite tech essentials to travel with and our favorite travel pillows.