Snap announces selfie drone

Not deterred by the lukewarm adoption of Spectacles, Snap Inc. has launched the Pixy pocket-sized flying camera. With the simple tap of a button, Pixy flies in four preset flight paths. It can float, orbit, and follow wherever you lead, without a controller or any setup. Pixy finds its home in your hand, landing gently at the end of the flight. Pixy is available for purchase today in the United States and France while supplies last for $229.99.

According to the hands-on review at The Verge, the Pixy weighs just 101 grams with its swappable battery inserted. Snap says a full charge will get you five to eight flights, which can range from roughly 10 to 20 seconds. The Pixy’s 12MP sensor shoots up to 100 videos or 1,000 photos, which are stored locally on a 16GB drive.

Pixy is a companion to Snapchat. Videos from flights are wirelessly transferred and saved into Snapchat Memories. From there, use Snapchat’s editing tools, Lenses, and Sounds to customize the video. With a few taps, the user can automatically crop into portrait and apply quick Smart Edits, like Hyperspeed, Bounce, Orbit 3D, and Jump Cut. The video can be shared to Chat, Stories, Spotlight, or any other platform.