Antigravity A1 drone finally goes on sale as an intriguing DJI alternative

After months of teasers and award wins, the Antigravity A1 drone is finally available for purchase starting December 4, 2025. This isn’t just another quadcopter — it’s what the company calls the world’s first all-in-one 8K 360 drone, and it represents Insta360’s ambitious entry into the drone market.

You won’t fly it with a traditional remote control, either. The A1 takes a mandatory FPV (first-person view) approach, requiring goggles and a unique hand-controlled flight system that’s unlike anything else currently on the market.

It’s available now, just in time for the winter holiday season, with the standard bundle starting at $1,599. That price point puts it in direct competition with DJI’s FPV offerings, but with some crucial differences worth examining. Perhaps it’s something to add to my drone gift guide.

• Buy the Antigravity A1 drone now directly from Antigravity.
• Buy the Antigravity A1 drone now directly from B&H Photo.

What Is Antigravity (and why does Insta360 matter)?

Antigravity may be a new name in the drone world, but it’s backed by Insta360, which has long been a powerhouse in the 360-degree camera industry. For context, Insta360 dominates the 360 camera market much like DJI dominates drones. Their X4 and Ace Pro cameras are industry favorites for action sports and immersive content creation.

Essentially, Antigravity is the drone division of Insta360, a Chinese camera company headquartered in Shenzhen (yes, the same city as DJI). This partnership matters because Insta360 brings years of proven expertise in 360 capture technology, image stabilization and computational photography — all directly applicable to aerial cinematography.

The Deep Track subject following and seamless 360 stitching you’ll find on the A1? Those aren’t experimental drone features. They’re battle-tested technologies adapted from Insta360’s existing camera lineup. That pedigree gives the A1 more credibility than a typical startup drone would have.

What makes the Antigravity A1 drone different

Point-to-fly controller system: The A1 takes a headset-first approach to flying. Unlike traditional drones where FPV goggles are optional accessories for enthusiasts, the Vision Goggles are central to the entire A1 experience.

The system uses what Antigravity calls “FreeMotion Mode”—you control the drone by pointing the Grip controller where you want it to go. Point-to-fly, essentially. For pilots who prefer traditional controls, FPV Mode with dual-stick dynamics remains available.

Now, this concept isn’t entirely revolutionary. About a decade ago, Yuneec (another Chinese drone maker) built something similar called the Wizard, also a point-to-fly concept. It was ahead of its time but never gained significant traction. The question is whether Antigravity’s execution, combined with Insta360’s brand power, can succeed where Yuneec struggled.

8K 360-degree camera system: At the heart of the A1 sits a dual-lens system with 1/1.28-inch sensors capable of recording 8K at 30fps, 5.2K at 60fps, or 4K at 100fps—all in full 360 degrees.

The philosophy here is “fly first, frame later.” You capture everything around the drone, then choose your perspective in post-production rather than during flight. For content creators, this eliminates the pressure of getting the perfect framing in real-time and opens up creative possibilities that traditional forward-facing drone cameras simply can’t match.

That 1/1.28-inch sensor is notably larger than what you’ll find on the DJI Avata 2 (1/1.3-inch), which should translate to better low-light performance and dynamic range—though I haven’t tested this myself yet.

Other key Antigravity A1 drone specs to know

If you’ve been following Insta360’s promotional campaign, most of these specs won’t shock you:

• Weight: 249g with standard battery (291g with high-capacity battery)
• Flight time: 24 minutes standard, up to 39 minutes with optional high-capacity battery
• Max speed: 16 m/s (35.8 mph) in Sport Mode
• Transmission range: Up to 10km (FCC), 6km (CE)
• Video transmission: 2K at 30fps live view
• Storage: 20GB internal, expandable via microSD up to 1TB
• Obstacle avoidance: Forward and downward binocular vision sensors

The 249g weight keeps it compliant with EU C0 class regulations and similar sub-250g rules worldwide— no registration required in many countries including in the U.S. if flying for recreational purposes. This is the same weight class DJI targets with the Mini series, and for good reason. It’s the sweet spot for regulatory compliance.

That 39-minute flight time with the high-capacity battery is genuinely impressive for a sub-250g drone, especially one packing this much camera tech. For comparison, the DJI Avata 2 maxes out at 23 minutes.

Antigravity A1’s intelligent features and Sky Path

The A1 comes with automated flight modes that leverage Insta360’s software expertise:

• Sky Genie: One-tap complex maneuvers like Orbit, Spiral, and Comet
• Deep Track: Insta360’s tracking technology for subject following
• Virtual Cockpit: Immersive overlays (like flying with a dragon) for creative flights
• Sky Path: Design, save, and automate flight routes that the drone can execute autonomously

That Sky Path feature is particularly interesting from a user experience perspective. Once you’ve programmed a flight route, you can hand the goggles to friends or family and let them experience the flight while the drone flies itself. It’s a smart way to share the FPV experience with people who aren’t ready to pilot manually.

A DJI alternative (but still Chinese-made)

Insta360 dominates the 360 camera market much like DJI dominates drones, so this move into aerial hardware feels like a natural evolution of their expertise.

With that, this new drone could certainly be an alternative to DJI. Given the unique 360 capture capability and immersive flight experience, it offers slightly different outcomes — but the two will likely be competitors in some sense.

But let’s be clear: if you’re looking for a non-Chinese alternative to DJI, this isn’t it.

Antigravity is backed by Insta360, a Chinese camera company headquartered in Shenzhen. That’s the same city where DJI has its headquarters. So while the flight experience may differ significantly from DJI’s offerings, the manufacturing origin is the same.

Pricing and availability

The A1 launches in three configurations:

• Standard Bundle: $1,599
• Explorer Bundle: $1,899
• Infinity Bundle: $1,999

All bundles include the A1 drone, Vision Goggles and Grip controller, with varying accessories and batteries depending on the package. The drone is available through the Antigravity Store, Best Buy and other authorized retailers worldwide.

At $1,599 for the entry-level bundle, the A1 could be considered a premium alternative to DJI’s Avata 2, which starts at $999 for its Fly More Combo. That $600 price difference reflects the A1’s higher-end specs — including its larger sensor, faster top speed, and extended flight time — but it also may put Antigravity in a challenging position. The Avata 2 has already proven itself as a capable FPV drone with strong market penetration, and many casual users may struggle to justify the premium for features they may not fully utilize.

But for tech pros out there, the pricing does make sense when you consider what’s included: both drones come with goggles and controller in their base bundles, so you’re getting a complete ready-to-fly package either way. The real question is whether the A1’s performance advantages are worth that extra cost for your specific use case.

• Buy the Antigravity A1 drone now directly from Antigravity.
• Buy the Antigravity A1 drone now directly from B&H Photo.

The Antigravity A1 drone: is it worth it?

Now to be clear, I have not personally tested this drone yet. This article is based solely on the announced specifications and features — not a hands-on review or endorsement of the product’s real-world performance. (I will be reviewing it in the coming weeks, as I had one delivered as quickly as I could!).

What I do know from over a decade covering this industry is that DJI is generally the best in the business at building high-quality products at competitive prices with reliable software and hardware. Their ecosystem is mature, their support network is extensive, and their products just work. So unless you’re specifically drawn to the 360 component of the Antigravity A1 drone, I’m not convinced you’re necessarily getting a “better” product by choosing this over DJI.

That said, the industry has taken notice. The A1 has already racked up impressive awards, including Red Dot Award: Design Concept 2025, TIME’s Best Inventions 2025, Good Design Award 2025, and CES Innovation Awards 2026 “Best of Innovation” honors. While awards don’t always translate to real-world performance, they suggest the concept has merit.

The concept is genuinely intriguing. Antigravity is combining 360 capture with FPV flight in a way that hasn’t been done at this scale before. Those simplified point-to-fly controls could legitimately open drone flying to people intimidated by traditional dual-stick controllers. And for content creators who want maximum flexibility in post-production, the 360 approach is compelling.

Whether it delivers on that promise in actual use remains to be seen. I’m looking forward to getting hands-on time with the A1 to see if Insta360’s camera expertise truly translates to a competitive drone product, or if this is a case of a camera company overextending into unfamiliar territory.

If you’re a content creator who values 360 capture and post-production flexibility over raw flight performance, the A1 deserves serious consideration. If you’re looking for the most proven, reliable FPV drone experience, DJI’s Avata 2 is still the safer bet at a lower price point.

• Buy the Antigravity A1 drone now directly from Antigravity.
• Buy the Antigravity A1 drone now directly from B&H Photo.

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