We're not very enthusiastic about their products and only recommend them in a few cases, but here are some top drone deals we thought we could at least share. EXO drone sales will continue until May 23, 2024. For pilots who want an inexpensive camera drone that isn't made by DJI (especially those who want a US-made consumer drone), this may be the best option.
DJI alternatives have been a very hot topic recently. Discussion about what drone pilots can use has increased, especially as some lawmakers in Congress push for legislation to counter Chinese Communist drones. The CCP Counter-Drone Act places DJI on the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) blacklist, effectively blocking new DJI drones from flying in the United States. (Old DJI drones are still fine). I don't expect it to actually become law (it's just an introduction), but I've been wrong before. If passed, the EXO drone could become a popular new consumer aircraft taking to the skies. Because there are very few non-DJI camera drones on the market.
Other people may want a non-DJI drone for a variety of reasons. Specifications may not be measured. And for what it's worth, some of EXO's products actually have good Specification. For example, our current flagship drone, the Blackhawk 3 Pro, has incredibly good battery life for its value. Iconoclasts may just be pursuing something else. And some patriotic pilots might want an American-made camera drone. This is considered a kind of American product… Emphasis on the word kind.
Here's everything you need to know about the May 2024 EXO Drone Sale, how to participate, and our honest opinion on EXO Drone products.
EXO Drone for Sale: Buying a DJI Alternative Even on Sale?
Inside the EXO drone sale in May 2024
To kick off the summer, EXO drone sales will run until May 23, 2024. Discounts are available at both Amazon and EXO drone stores. Both sites ship EXO drones to the contiguous 48 states for free, so the cost is the same.
Sometimes it makes sense to shop directly through the manufacturer to give them a little extra support (and you don't have to pay Amazon). However, shopping through Amazon has its own advantages, including faster shipping (EXO simply takes up to two days to process your order, and that's before factoring in shipping time). You can also get a 5% discount on Amazon purchases when you use the Amazon Prime Visa credit card. Wherever you purchase, here are the offers sorted by discount size:
EXO X7 Ranger Plus (40% discount)
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- Regular price: $549
- Discount price: $329
The EXO The specs are pretty standard, including 25 minutes of flight time and a 4K camera, but that's only for photos. The video is shot in 2K. This would be a good entry-level drone for someone who is not looking for amazing image quality and prioritizes affordability.
Perhaps that's why they offer such steep discounts. Nonetheless, I have considered most other drones in this list than the EXO X7 Ranger PLUS.
EXO Cinemaster 2 (35% discount)
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- Usual price: $610
- Discount price: $399
The Cinemaster 2 has a lot in common with the EXO X7 Ranger PLUS, with one big upgrade being a better camera. It records true 4K at a 50mbps bitrate and f/2.5 aperture, delivering deeper colors and more balanced light to produce higher quality images. The sensor is a 1/2.3 inch CMOS sensor.
EXO Blackhawk 3 Pro (24% discount)
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- Usual price: $1,249
- Discount price: $949
The EXO Blackhawk 3 Pro is the most expensive and most advanced drone in the EXO drone family. Excellent quality, right? An incredibly long flight time of 53 minutes. The camera on the EXO Blackhawk 3 Pro is also pretty good, offering 1/1.3 inch CMOS at 48 MP. It is also equipped with smart functions such as obstacle avoidance.
But we have some complaints about it. We reviewed the EXO Blackhawk 3 Pro and struggled with it, mainly in terms of setup and operation. The normal user flow from ground to air was cumbersome and sometimes smart features like 'Follow Me' didn't work correctly.
EXO Mini Pro (18% discount)
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- Regular price: $799
- Discount Price: $649
EXO Mini Pro is probably the most attractive of all EXO's drone products. This addressed many of the concerns people had about consumer drones. For example, in terms of data security, all drone and app data is encrypted and stored at EXO headquarters in Utah.
It weighs less than 250g, which is an important milestone as it eliminates the need for Remote ID compliance.
Flight time is an impressive 40 minutes (it only takes 90 minutes to charge). It's also packed with some pretty solid, nice-to-have features, like internal storage (you can get 64GB as standard or pay extra for 128GB). It also features anti-collision prevention with three-way (front, rear and bottom) obstacle avoidance.
And yes, the camera is pretty solid too, delivering 4K UHD 30fps / 2.7K 60fps video. There is also a 48-megapixel camera with a 1/1.3-inch CMOS sensor.
Of course, the discount on this is the smallest of the May EXO drone sales, but if I could only have one, I'd choose this drone.
EXO Blackhawk 2 Pro (17% discount)
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- Regular price: $899
- Discount Price: $749
Blackhawk 2 Pro is basically the older model of EXO Blackhawk 3 Pro. Sure, it's $200 cheaper, but it's almost always better to go for the newer model (3rd generation). Considering how many improvements were made in the 3rd generation upgrade (including better battery life), it's probably best for most people to skip this drone.
Is EXO an American drone company?
It depends on your definition. The products are designed in the United States, and the company's ownership is also American, as EXO was acquired by Miami-based OpenStore in August 2022.
However, the products are actually manufactured outside of the United States. In fact, EXO is partnering with other Chinese drone companies other than DJI. Instead, it is closely linked to Hubsan.
Unfortunately, it does not meet Buy American Act requirements. These requirements only apply to a very small number of acquisition use cases (e.g., drones purchased with federal funds). However, this does indicate that this drone is definitely not as completely “American” as other drones.
Should we add EXO to our list of the best American-made camera drones? Currently we are not willing to go that far for two reasons. The drones are not as good as their competitors (albeit Chinese ones). However, it may be difficult to call it American-made.
That said, this EXO drone sale is at least something to consider if you're looking at what's out there in the consumer drone market besides DJI.
Looking for more drone deals beyond this EXO drone sale? Check out our guide to the best 2024 drone deals, including Drone Girl exclusive reader discounts.