Designer Drones From TRNDlabs Now At Urban Outfitters [PICS]

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It’s Christmastime, so what better time is there to buy that special someone a designer drone? Seriously, you know your husband, brother, nephew, or even father secretly wants to try one out. The problem is, however, that generally, you should expect to pay a lot of money for one. But thanks to Chinese mega-factories churning out drones, you can now pick one up on Amazon for less than $30. However, what if you want something special like designer drones?

TRNDlabs teams up with Urban Outfitters to create designer drones

On Thursday, Dutch-based firm TRNDlabs announced that it has been working with fashion retailer Urban Outfitters. This collaboration took place in the U.S. and has resulted in the creation of three new designer drones based around the already-popular SKEYE Mini Drone.

The two companies have a working history. Urban Outfitters already sells TRNDlabs products and has done so since 2014, which resulted in some success.

When asked recently asked about the designer drone collaboration, Gerard Nieuwenhuis, founder and CEO of TRNDlabs, said:

“When I started this company I could never have dreamt that our products would be sold at a multinational fashion chain like Urban Outfitters. When they became a TRNDlabs’ retailer, it was a big milestone for us. But when we were approached by Urban Outfitters to do a collaboration I just had to pinch my arm. It’s an incredible honor and, not to mention, pretty cool”

The TRNDlabs designer drones went on sale yesterday for $100 USD, let’s have a look at each one.

TRNDlabs mini designer drones
Image Source: TRNDlabs

Mini drones

Depending on where you live in the world, there’s a good chance that local authorities haven’t gotten to grips with drone laws yet. Additionally, if you live in a city or town, there’s likely going to be limited space and neighbors who don’t want a drone buzzing overhead. So that’s where mini designer drones come in, compared to their larger counterparts such as the DJI Phantom 4. They are obviously smaller and can be purchased for a child or adult due to their simplicity. They  also don’t have the range often found on much more expensive devices.

If you decide to pay Urban Outfitters a visit, the first thing you will notice about the TRNDlabs drones is that they have already dropped in price. Only 24 hours after release, the price fell from $100 to $59, apart from the HD camera version, which remains at $100. Perhaps there is a Christmas sale or a shift in strategy going on; we just don’t know.

However, on close inspection of theTRNDlabs Skeye Mini Drone Quadcopter with an HD camera, it’s clear to see that it’s a little pricey for what you get. Yes, there’s an HD camera, but its flight time is horrendous. You will spend 30-40 minutes charging it and only get 7-8 minutes of flight time, which is poor by drone standards.

The drones are available in three unique design patterns (green, blue and a marble-looking finish), but there’s nothing overly designer about them. Instead, they look a little cheap and mass produced, with the only thing to differentiate them being a lick of paint.

Designer drones mass produced
Image Source: TRNDlabs

Are they mass-produced, low-spec drones?

TRNDlabs CEO Nieuwenhuis recently confirmed that the designer drones are rebranded products. He wrote:

“Putting a color/design on a phone case, pair of earbuds, speaker and loads of non-tech goods (especially clothing), while delivering a quality product at a higher price seems to be widely accepted, but perhaps not (yet) for drones? Guess someone has to move first and take the heat ;)”

Now that the shock is over and you realize that these are cheaper drones repackaged and sold via Urban Outfitters, will you be buying one? We expect that the reason they dropped in price so much was due to the TRNDlabs CEO spilling the beans.

If you do want to buy one, you can purchase it from an unknown source on eBay or Amazon or go to a multi-national chain such as Urban Outfitters and pay a little bit more. But know that should anything go wrong, your purchase is covered.

There may be better drones available for the price, but if you’re buying for a child, their limited range and uncomplicated nature are pluses.

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