Drones are still considered by many a rather niche and specialist piece of technology. The thought of flying an expensive gadget that, it can often seem, is only used to create fancy shots for TV shows and movies. With its Spark, DJI is "democratising the market and simplifying complex technology".

Small; lightweight build; Intelligent flight modes; Easy to fly; Good image quality

Expensive in the UK; Gesture mode is a little unreliable; Battery life is short and extras are pricey

overall this is a very good drone replaces my parriot drone i had which is double the size almost.

small; light; propeller wings snap on; wings can fold together to save a liitle room; easy to control & can do some jedi palm control thing; without using your cell or touch pad

I wish it came with a controller to fly it more than 120 ft & a extra battery 1 is not enough

A powerful drone the size of a cannoli.

It's super fun; especially for the price

Small drones are not new. Toy-sized quadcopters have been on the market for years helping kids (and dads) start flying for a relatively reasonable price and not much expertise. Yet small drones that can do almost anything a big drone can do That's new.

It's super fun; especially for the price

Gesture control could use some work

I had a Mavic pro earlier and I do lots of traveling. Even though Mavic pro is smaller it was a hassle to carry it around and take pictures while traveling. But this little thing makes it much easier. Doesn't have lots of features, but works great.

There are plenty of small drones out there, but almost all of them are essentially toys and couldn't be considered as portable, high-end flying cameras. The Spark, on the other hand, could be. Not to Hollywood movie levels, but it's still highly capable of capturing decent footage.

Almost impossibly small; Lots of smart sensor technology

Limited battery life stops it from being serious film drone; Gestures aren't reliable yet

The quality speaks for itself. DJI are clearly the leaders with the time and attention to detail that they put into their Drones. The materials and technology used are robust and made to do the job that it is intended for.

You know how Apple sometimes seems to be behind its competition in performance, design or features, only to eventually leapfrog them and take the lead? That's what DJI did with the Spark.

The DJI Spark delivers a tiny, lightweight design; excellent mechanically stabilized camera; USB charging and advanced features like gesture controls and obstacle detection. It travels well and is great for aerial photos and video

Flight time can be as short as 10 to 14 minutes; The app can be frustrating to use, especially on smaller screens; And you should expect to buy batteries and possibly the optional controller

DJI Spark is the smallest drone in this Chinese company's catalog. With a little over a decade of experience, it has launched a drone that absolutely anyone can use. The Spark may just be the easiest drone to fly, and the most versatile the market has to offer.

Lightweight; Easy to control; Very stable; Gesture control; Follow mode; Phone-less selfies; Avoid obstacles; Solid build

Limited smartphone control; Expensive remote; Expensive drone; Video up to 1080p 30fps; Battery life; Noisy

Time for the big question. If you are in the market for a compact drone, is the DJI Spark one you should consider buying If the app worked as it should, my answer would be a resounding yes. However, with all its issues, my answer is a more hesitant maybe, and even that maybe comes with asterisks.

Portable size If you've spent any time with the Mavic; or Phantom; you'll be shocked by just how minuscule the Spark is; Impact sensors Front and underside impact sensors work pretty well at keeping the Spark from crashing into the ground or large; stationary objects; Durability and build quality...

Android Application The app's functionality and polish is excellent, its stability (on Android at least) is not; Frequent app crashes while tethered to a $500 drone is not acceptable, Battery life The manual says a battery will last 15 minutes, but it's more like 10-12.