Hubsan Doubles Down on Its Prosumer Play with the Zino Mini SE

Over the last several years, Hubsan has made a name for itself in the drone industry for its inexpensive, relatively high quality toy drones.

In 2018, the company released the Zino, making a clear play for the prosumer drone market (prosumer drones are drones priced for amateurs—i.e., consumers—that includes professional features).

In 2021, Hubsan has doubled down on its prosumer play, releasing two new versions of the Zino that might pose some real competition for DJI.

The first of these drones is the Zino Mini Pro, which came out earlier this year. The Mini Pro is a compact drone priced at $500 that seems like it’s designed to compete directly with DJI’s Mini 2.

The Zino Mini Pro (photo credit: Hubsan)

And the second of these drones, which came out just a few days ago, is the Zino Mini SE. Just as the Zino Mini Pro seems designed to compete with the DJI Mini 2, the Zino Mini SE seems made to compete with DJI’s new Mini SE.

The Zino Mini SE (photo credit: Hubsan)

Watch this video to see the Zino Mini SE in action, and keep reading to get all the specs and features that come with the Mini SE.

Zino Mini SE Specs and Features

Like the Zino Mini Pro, the Zino Mini SE weighs 249 grams—just under the 250 grams that would require it to be registered in the U.S. and many other countries.

Photo credit: Hubsan

The Zino Mini SE is priced at just $349, and comes with several features that could make it an appealing option for those just getting started with aerial cinematography.

Here’s a list of specs and features for the Zino Mini SE:

• Weight—249 gram weight.
• Flight time—45 minutes max flight time.
• Remote control distance—3.7 mile (6 kilometers).
• Camera—1080P/30fps video feedback + supports 4K video at 30fps and 2.7K at video at 30fps and 60fps.
• Video transmission—via Hubsan’s SyncLeas 2.0.
• Zoom—3x digital zoom.
• Sensor—1/2.6″ CMOS sensor.
• Tracking—AI-supported tracking mode to improve accuracy.
• Controller—comes with Hubsan’s third-generation flight controller, which includes basic flight modes like “sports” and “movie.”
• Takeoff and landing—one click takeoff and landing functions.

The standard Zino Mini SE package includes the drone, the remote control, and one battery.

Other packages for the Zino Mini SE include additional batteries, a carry bag, and Hubsan’s Intelligent Battery Management device:

Zino Mini Pro vs. the Zino Mini SE

Wondering what the Zino Mini Pro has to offer?

Here’s an overview of its specs:

• Weight—249 gram weight.
• Flight time—40 minutes max flight time.
• Remote control distance—6.2 miles (10 kilometers).
• Camera—4K/30fps  1080P/30fps video feedback + supports 4K video at 30fps.
• Video transmission—via Hubsan’s SyncLeas 3.0.
• Zoom—6x digital zoom.
• Sensor—1/1.3″ CMOS image sensor.
• Tracking—AI-supported ATVT 3.0 tracking mode to improve accuracy.
• Obstacle avoidance—3D space perception vision obstacle avoidance.

As you scan this list, you might notice that there is a lot of overlap in the specs of the Zino Mini SE and the Zino Mini Pro. So why is the Zino Mini Pro $150 more?

Here are the three biggest differences between the SE and the Pro:

• Distance—the Zino Mini Pro can go up to 6.2 miles (10 km) vs. 3.7 miles (6 km) for the Mini SE.
• Video transmission—to support that greater distance, the Zino Mini Pro comes with the 3rd generation of Hubsan’s video transmission technology, the SyncLeas 3.0, while the Zino Mini SE has the SyncLeas 2.0.
• Obstacle avoidance—the Zino Mini Pro comes with an advanced obstacle avoidance system that provides 3D front, back, and down spatial perception to help the drone avoid collisions.

One thing to note when comparing the two drones is that the Zino Mini SE actually has five more minutes of flight time than the Zino Mini Pro—according to the specs provided by Hubsan, the Mini SE can fly up to 45 minutes while the Mini Pro can only fly up to 40 minutes.

Watch this video to learn more about the Zino Mini Pro: