Potensic Atom SE vs Holy Stone HS720G
These two sit on opposite sides of the 250-gram line, which is usually where the decision ends rather than begins. The Potensic Atom SE needs no FAA registration to fly recreationally; the Holy Stone HS720G needs registration and Remote ID. The Potensic Atom SE is the cheaper of the two at ~$299.
| Drone | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bundle price | ~$299multi-battery bundle | ~$300base kit |
| True first-year price | ~$299 | ~$300 |
| Flight min per $100 | 10.4 | 8.7 |
| Rating | No cited rating | No cited rating |
| Takeoff weight | 245 g | 380 g |
| FAA registration | Not required | Required |
| Remote ID | Not published | Built-in |
| Sensor size | 1/3" | 1/2.3" |
| Sensor area | 17.3 mm² | 28.1 mm² |
| Megapixels | 12 MP | 12 MP |
| Max video | 4K/30fps | 4K/30fps |
| Colour depth | 8-bit | 8-bit |
| Log profile | — | — |
| Gimbal | None | 2-axis |
| Obstacle sensing | None | None |
| Claimed flight time | 31 min | 26 min |
| Tested flight time | — | — |
| Battery | — | — |
| Transmission | PixSync 2.0 | 5.8 GHz Wi-Fi |
| Max range | 4 km | 1 km |
| Max speed | 36 mph | — |
| Wind resistance | Level 5 (10.7 m/s) | Not published |
| Service ceiling | — | — |
| Internal storage | None | None |
| Controller | Potensic controller (phone required) | Holy Stone controller (phone required) |
| Return to home | Yes | Yes |
| Geofencing | No | No |
| Care plan (1 yr) | Not in our snapshot | Not in our snapshot |
| US availability | Sold | Sold |
| Released | 2022 | 2022 |
| Flight claim measured at | Potensic quotes 31 minutes per 2,500 mAh battery. Retail listings often advertise "62 minutes", which is simply two batteries added together rather than a single flight. | Holy Stone quotes 26 minutes per battery. The "52 minutes" on the retail box is the two included batteries added together. |
Potensic Atom SE
Electronic stabilisation, a 1/3-inch sensor and a brushless motor on every arm — that combination, at this price, is what made the Atom SE the default "first GPS drone" recommendation for a couple of years. It holds position on GPS, comes home on a low battery, flies at 16 m/s in Sport mode and records 4K/30 that looks fine on a phone and soft on anything bigger. There is no gimbal, so smoothness depends on software cropping and on you flying gently. The specification to read carefully is the flight time: Potensic's own figure is 31 minutes for one battery, while retail listings routinely headline "62 minutes", which is two batteries added together and not something any single flight will ever deliver.
Full spec sheet →Holy Stone HS720G
A two-axis motorised gimbal plus electronic stabilisation, brushless motors, GPS return-to-home and built-in Remote ID — for a drone that has been on shelves since 2022, the feature list holds up better than the numbers behind it. Range is the giveaway: the controller is rated at roughly a kilometre, a fraction of what the newer sub-250 gram models claim, and there is no obstacle sensing. At 380 grams it also crosses the registration line, which means $5 to the FAA, a TRUST certificate and Remote ID that this aircraft at least provides itself. Two batteries come in the box, which is where the "52 minute" figure on the packaging comes from; a single flight is 26.
Full spec sheet →