5 Best Phones for Drone Flying in 2022 – All you need to know
Having a proper phone is crucial when it comes to drone flying. You need a reliable phone that can handle this task. There are some features that your device absolutely needs, like high brightness for example. You need to be able to see your screen if you wish to fly your drone on a sunny day. In this article, I will cover the topic of the best phone for drone flying. So stick around and learn all you need to know.
So which phone to choose? I was faced with the same question a year ago. I just bought a new drone and the problem was that I couldn’t fly it with the phone that I had back then. I had to get a new phone, the kind that supported drone flying. I didn’t know much about that topic, so I had to conduct a little research on my own. I checked out over one hundred phones. There were just so many out there, so a selection needed to be made. They all seemed good, but I had to rate them somehow. I came up with a rating system that helped me find my perfect phone. I could not be more content with my decision.
In this article, I want to share with you the results of my research. At first, the list of phones was quite long, so I narrowed it down to the top 5. All of the phones were rated based on their capabilities and performance to ensure the best user experience. The selection includes only the best five phones that made the cut. Here I included the recommended phone that I am currently using and a budget choice for those of you that wish to save some money. Now let’s check them out and get you ready!
DID YOU KNOW:The drones were actually developed by the military. They didn’t come to market until the 1990s.
NOTE: Below you can find a comparison table and a detailed description of the best phones for drone flying.
TOP RECOMMENDED PHONES FOR drone flying
| BUDGET | RECOMMENDED | ||||
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 | Samsung Galaxy A52 | Samsung Galaxy A71 | Xiaomi Mi 10T | Huawei P40 Pro | |
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| Display | 6.53 inches | 6.5 inches | 6.7 inches | 6.67 inches | 6.58 inches |
| Chipset | Helio G85 | Snapdragon 720G | Snapdragon 730 | Snapdragon 865 | Kirin 990 5G |
| GPU | Mali-G52 | Adreno 618 | Adreno 618 | Adreno 650 | Mali-G76 |
| RAM | 3, 4 or 6 GB | 6 or 8 GB | 6 or 8 GB | 6 or 8 GB | 8 GB |
| Battery | 5020 mAh, non-removable | 4500 mAh, non-removable | 4500 mAh, non-removable | 5000 mAh, non-removable | 4200 mAh, non-removable |
| Buy on Amazon | Buy on Amazon | Buy on Amazon | Buy on Amazon | Buy on Amazon |
WHAT ARE THE BEST PHONES FOR DRONE FLYING?
XIAOMI Redmi Note 9
| CUSTOMER REVIEWS |
KEY FEATURES
| CPU | RAM | BATTERY |
| Helio G85 | 3, 4 or 6 GB | 5020 mAh |
PHONE DESCRIPTION
Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 is one of the brand’s cool phones, which sells at a very low price. It has a decent chipset and an extremely good battery life. It also comes with an IR blaster, which a very cool and useful feature that allows you to control certain appliances, like a TV for example. This makes the phone good, despite the low price. After all, there is no need to pay a lot for quality. Therefore it makes our list of the best phones for drone flying.
The Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 runs on an Helio G85 chipset. This is a very power-efficient chip. However, the overall performance isn’t as good as on Snapdragon. Still, it works well enough and can run all sorts of tasks. The phone is even appropriate for gaming. However, you might get a better experience on phones with better chips. The GPU is Mali-G52 MC2, which reduces the power consumption and ensures a long gaming experience. As far as RAM goes, you will probably get a version with 4 GB of RAM, however, there are options for 6 GB. There is plenty of storage for this phone. You are most likely to find a version with 128 GB of internal storage, however, you might also stumble across the one with 64 GB. In any case, storage is further expandable.
If you are interested in more details about the phone you can read more by clicking here.
- Very affordable. Great price/performance ratio
- Sleek design makes it Easy to handle and place into pockets
- Even 4 GB model will be able to handle games pretty good
- The processor chip may be a bit weak for more demanding games. If this will be your primary gaming phone you should consider some higher-end models on this list.
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SAMSUNG Galaxy A52 – Top Budget Phone for drone flying
| CUSTOMER REVIEWS |
KEY FEATURES
| CPU | RAM | GPU |
| Snapdragon 720G | 6 or 8 GB | Adreno 618 |
PHONE DESCRIPTION
Samsung Galaxy A52 is a very good and capable mid-range phone. It brings a lot of upgrades over its predecessors. It has some cool new features and a brand new design. All of that comes at a reasonable price, which is appropriate for a phone on such level. It has many qualities that make this phone truly great and worth every penny. Therefore, we decided to list it as one of the best phones for drone flying.
Galaxy A52 comes with Snapdragon 720G chipset, which is than further paired with Adreno 618 graphic processing unit. Both the chipset and the GPU are meant for more or less upper mid-range phones. However, both are very capable of running all sorts of apps and do complex tasks. The phone is appropriate even for the purposes of gaming. The games run smoothly, without any unwanted complications. In terms of performance 720G processor is actually better than 730G. It is faster and has the same GPU. Looking at RAM, you are very likely to get a version with 6 GB of RAM. However, there is an option 8 GB of RAM, but this one is usually more expensive. The phone comes with internal storage of either 128 GB or 256 GB. You can additionally expend it, if you feel like you need more storage. If you intend to buy the phone for the purposes of gaming, then we would recommend you get a version with 8 GB of RAM as it will perform better than the one with 6 GB.
If you are interested in more details about the phone you can read more by clicking here.
- Great price compared to high-end flagships
- Snapdragon 720G gaming performance was really better then we expected. This is also one of the main reasons this phone is listed here
- For people with smaller hands this phone will be easy to handle and comfortable to hold even after longer usage, like gaming
- Camera video capabilities are still very basic.
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SAMSUNG Galaxy A71
| CUSTOMER REVIEWS |
KEY FEATURES
| CPU | RAM | BATTERY |
| Snapdragon 730 | 6 or 8 GB | 4500 mAh |
PHONE DESCRIPTION
Samsung Galaxy A71 is another Samsung mid-range phone. Unlike flagships, this one comes at an affordable price, which is certainly a benefit for your wallet. Furthermore, the phone doesn’t lack anything and is pretty competitive. It has a good-looking design and an excellent mid-range chipset. Based on its quality, we decided to put it on our list of the best phones for drone flying.
The phone runs on Snapdragon 730 chipset, which is paired with Adreno 618 graphic processing unit. This is actually one of the best mid-range chipsets out there. Naturally, the performance here is great. The phone can easily handle complex tasks and can support just about any game with no trouble at all. There are also no problems with overheating, so the gaming experience will feel very nice. As far as RAM goes, there are two possible versions on the market. You can get a version with 6 GB or 8 GB of RAM. Both are more than enough for an average user. For gamers, we do recommend you get a version with 8 GB of RAM. Furthermore, the phone has 128 GB of internal storage, which is more probably more than enough for most of you. In case it’s not and you do need more space, A71 features expandable storage, so there’s no need to worry about running out of space.
If you are interested in more details about the phone you can read more by clicking here.
- Performance is smooth thanks to an excellent mid-range chipset
- The price of this device is very attractive
- Great and large screen
- Good camera set for the price point
- No wireless charging or reverse charging
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XIAOMI Mi 10T – Recommended phone for drone flying
| CUSTOMER REVIEWS |
KEY FEATURES
| CPU | RAM | BATTERY |
| Snapdragon 865 | 6 or 8 GB | 5000 mAh |
PHONE DESCRIPTION
Xiaomi Mi 10T is a brand’s flagship phone that was released in 2020. However, price wise it’s more of a mid-ranger. It sells at a very reasonable price, especially if we take into account everything the phone offers us. It’s still isn’t the cheapest phone you will find, but it’s quite a bargain for such quality. The phone has a great chipset and amazing battery life. The camera performance is awesome and there aren’t any major issues here. Therefore, we decided to list this phone as one of the best phones for drone flying.
The phone is powered by Snapdragon 865 5G chipset. The performance here is awesome, as you would expect. The phone is appropriate for more complex uses and can run any game out there. You will find a gaming experience here to be exquisite. The phone is very power efficient as well, so it will make this experience even longer. The chipset is further paired with Adreno 650, which is known to be a very good and capable graphic processing unit. As far as RAM goes, you are most likely to get a version with 6 GB of RAM; however, there is a possibility of finding a version with 8 GB. Basic users will find 6 GB to be more than enough. You will be able to execute every task and do all sorts of stuff from running apps to playing games. You can even multitask. Although, if you feel like you need more RAM then you can always seek out a version with 8 GB, which should be sufficient even for demanding games. The storage you will find here has 128 GB, which is plenty. However, it’s not expandable, so this amount of memory has to do.
If you are interested in more details about the phone you can read more by clicking here.
- Performance is great thanks to Snapdragon 865
- Camera is great with many options and settings
- You will appreciate 144 Hz refresh rate of the screen. Especially when playing games or watching videos
- Great battery capacity and an excellent battery life
- No wireless charging
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HUAWEI P40 Pro
| CUSTOMER REVIEWS |
KEY FEATURES
| CPU | RAM | BATTERY |
| Kirin 990 5G | 8 GB | 4200 mAh |
PHONE DESCRIPTION
Huawei P40 Pro is one of the brand’s newest flagship phones. It brings some new high end features to regular P40. For one, it has the one of the best cameras you can get in a phone. Additionally it has a great chipset, which can enhance your gaming experience. It also comes with IR blaster, which a very cool and useful feature that allows you to control certain appliances, like TV for example. This is a great phone that you will be proud to own. Therefore it makes our list of the best phones for drone flying.
Huawei P40 Pro comes with Kirin 990 5G chipset and Mali-G76 MP16 graphic processing unit. Kirin processors are known to be more power efficient, which allows for a longer gaming experience. They are also very fast and powerful and can run just about any Android based game. P40 Pro can deliver and awesome gaming performance and you will be able to enjoy your phone to the max. GPU might not be the top of the top, but it is still high end and will deliver a good graphic performance, without consuming too much power. Additionally, the phone has 8 GB of RAM, which is plenty for gaming and other uses. However, if you intend to do some heavy gaming, than 8 GB is the absolute minimum. For any other uses, this is plenty and the phone will give you the smooth and fast experience you desire. P40 Pro has a huge memory capacity for all your needs. You get 256 GB of internal storage, which can be further expanded.
If you are interested in more details about the phone you can read more by clicking here.
- Some would argue that the camera is the best on the market
- Super fast 40W charging and 27W wireless charging. You will recharge your phone in a blink of an eye
- Smooth performance from Kirin 990 even under heavy load
- IR blaster is an interesting feature not many phones have these days
- A little less intuitive to set up. Also note that it comes without Google support out of the box. There is still a workaround to get Google products if this is a must for you
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Additional hardware information
CPU
The processor is the central processing unit in an electronic system such as a smartphone. The alternative and common English designation is CPU (Central Processing Unit). A processor is used to control various processes in the system. It handles task management and the distribution of data between individual units. The gigahertz value of a processor indicates its performance. It denotes the clock frequency with which the processing unit executes processes.
A cell phone processor works analogously to the CPU of a computer or controller in an electrical device. It processes individual instructions and program sections sequentially or simultaneously. At the same time, it manages data processing in the cell phone, for example during copy operations from the internal memory to a memory card or another device. The processor can consist of one or more computing cores that form the heart of an electronic system. In a smartphone, the CPU is responsible for the following tasks, among others:
- Execution of installed applications
- Controlling graphical displays via the graphics card
- Establishing connections such as WLAN or UMTS
- Processing user data
In simple words, the more powerful your CPU is, the better the game will run.
GPU
The GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) is a dedicated graphics processor in mobile devices. Its main task is to support the smartphone processor (CPU) in displaying 3D data. Including image processing, games, animations, VR applications, and augmented reality. A strong GPU affects the performance of the entire device and can also significantly improve energy efficiency. Therefore the battery capacity is exhausted more slowly.
With the constantly increasing specifications of mobile devices, especially due to ever higher display and camera resolutions, the role of the GPU is becoming more and more important. Accordingly, improved models are constantly entering the market. In system-on-a-chip (SoC) designs, the GPU is lasered into a chip together with the main processor and other components (multimedia processor, LTE modem, signal processor).
RAM
As soon as you execute a program, the associated data is stored in RAM. This means that programs load faster and are still available, even if you have already closed them. When you open an app, it loads all data into RAM the first time you start it. If you now close the app and start it again, the loading process takes less time. The data remains in the RAM as long as the device is supplied with power. If you turn off your smartphone or computer, all data stored in RAM is lost and has to be reloaded when you restart your apps and programs. Don’t worry, the draining of the memory does not affect any data that is in the main memory. So pictures, videos, and co. are still safe even after the power is turned off.
How long the app data remains in the RAM of your phone depends on how much it is available and how much of it other apps are using it. But the more you have it the better. And this is true also if you want to achieve the best gaming experience.
DISPLAY
The display is the most obvious component of a smartphone. It is the showcase for all content and the surface through which you interact with the device. The screen turns the built-in components inside out: It shows whether a smartphone works with a strong or weak chipset via smooth or jerky animations. It lets you judge the quality of the camera. And of course, it shows all the data and apps that are in the device’s memory.
Currently, two panel types are mainly found in smartphones: IPS LCD and OLED. In LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) technology, the individual pixels consist of liquid crystals that, in combination with a polarization filter, display a certain color depending on their orientation. In an IPS panel (In-Plain-Switching), the crystals are constructed in such a way that the display is particularly viewing angle stable. The flat backlight is crucial for the LC display.
The main advantage of OLEDs over IPS is the lower energy consumption. Especially with dark content, even illumination, and high contrast. One disadvantage is that the LEDs lose their luminosity to some degrees due to uneven use. This can result in a burn-in effect. Since the display substrate for the OLED matrix is often made of flexible plastic the phones can also have curved displays. OLED displays are being used more and more, especially in high-end phones.
BATTERY
The battery capacity of your phone does in principle tell you how long it will last before you need to recharge it. The bigger the battery the longer it should last. But it depends also on the power consumption which is in direct correlation with the hardware that is included in the phone, and the battery management algorithms that try to reduce the consumption and preserve the battery as much as possible. Except for the battery capacity, these values are never written in the specification of the phone as they are irrelevant for an average user.
The reason is that the biggest factor to how long your phone will last on one charge is how much you use it and how. For example the screen is one of the biggest energy consumers. So if you are using your phone a lot the battery will get drained quicker, obviously. Heavy multitasking and gaming are also energy demanding.
But nowadays many phones support fast charging, wireless charging etc. So you can charge your phone very quickly and you are good to go.
best phone for drone flying – CONCLUSION
It is well known that smartphones tend to get a little “slower” over time. Additionally, mobile games usually get updated more frequently. So to be on the safe side a good rule of thumb is to pick a phone that has at least one grade better components than recommended.
Any phone from our list will give you the best gaming experience. So if you stay within our selection of best phone for content creators you are good and ready to go. Have fun.
