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Holy Stone HS120D Review | A high spec drone at an affordable price, too good to be true?

The HS120D is no longer being manufactured but check out this review of the HS720E which is an improved version of the HS120D.

Holy Stone are well known in the affordable drone market, this review of the HS120D follows on from our popular review of the Holy Stone HS720. If you’re looking for a comparison of the two you can skip ahead to that section here.

We’ve put together a full review for the Holy Stone HS120D to help you make the decision if this drone is for you.

Our overview of the Holy Stone HS120D

The Holy Stone HS120D is on another level to other mid-range drones. Between the $150 to $200 price range, it can be hard to come by an FPV drone that offers an intuitive AI, multiple functions, and HD live video feeds.

With Holy Stone’s GPS Auto Return and Headless Mode, even total beginners can enjoy using this FPV quadcopter. For beginners, it’s a flying gizmo, ready for action right out of the box. For professionals, its smart functions are worth every penny spent.

FPV stands for first-person view which allows us to live view the camera footage from the drone.  This is outstanding hardware for capturing stunts, racing, and aerial photography. It’s great for selfies and recording memorable scenes as well. Any time you want to pose, the camera will automatically trigger video/photo shooting.

If you want to capture your own bike stunts and adventures you’ll like the Follow Me mode. By activating this feature, the drone will follow you wherever you go. Start walking and the drone will move to keep you in the shot. If you want to change the view, just tilt the camera using the remote. 

Combine this mode with Tap-Fly, and you can predetermine the flight path. That’s something we don’t see done well in other mid-range drones.


At first glance, HS120D looks a lot like the Phantom 4 Pro. P4 is the first FPV drone with an infrared system. Holy Stone’s take for the midrange models is a slimmer and more advanced version of the P4. HS120D offers new, advanced features, including Altitude Hold, Follow Me and Return Home.

Thanks to the jet-black conformal coating, the drone is resistant to light rain and water splashes. This polymeric film protects the critical components from dust, chemicals, moisture, and temperature extremes.

At the end of each arm, a red LED blinks whether it’s day or night. Combined with its sleek covering, this feature makes the drone easy to spot over the skyline.

Still looking for more specs and functions? Everything we’ve mentioned so far is just the tip of the iceberg.

HS120D Controller & Drone Design

When you open the box, you’ll see that Holy Stone really takes pride in what they manufacture. You’ll first set your eyes on its sleek, modern design in the protective carry case. 

The controller feels robust unlike some cheap models that feel like a toy, even people with large hands can will feel comfortable controlling the HS120D drone.

Like DualShock 5, Sony’s best controller to date, it has a solid D-pad, built-in mic, and large chassis. Its large handles make flying easy and pleasurable. The design is quite simple. Two throttles and some buttons are on the front. I found learning the functions really straight forward and think it would be easy for beginners to pick up.

Above the d-pad, a foldable phone holder is securely attached. Fasten your phone to the controller for first-person view.

On the left side, LEDs indicate the battery life of the drone and controller. 300 meters is the maximum range of the signal. This is more than enough to capture awesome videos, from high reaching angles.

This FPV drone has three-speed modes. At its max setting, it can achieve a flight speed of 30+ miles per hour. You can start in beginner mode during the first flight. Feel the controls first and see how responsive they are.

That is made possible with the GPS Auto Return feature and RTH functionality. RTH stands for return-to-home. In case HS120D flies out of range, it will fly itself back towards the last contact point.

To put the return to home feature to the test I turned my phone off. The drone automatically landed on my lawn. It was flying around 60 meters away from me and the drone landed safely after losing the signal.

The max fly range of HS120D is 985 feet. That’s equivalent to 300 meters! It has a better flight time than the Snaptain S5C, which costs around 400 bucks. Working like a geofence, the drone will fly back towards you until it gets within range again.

HS120D won’t fly into oblivion and land with a thud.

With all these functionalities, you may think it’s a bulky drone. But, believe it or not, it weighs under 250 grams! Even though the drone has many modes, features, and flight functions, it has a sleek and lightweight body, which is packed to the brim.

HS120D Return Home Feature

If you accidentally reboot your phone, the drone will automatically land safely. Once it reaches 5% battery power, it will land at a safe and accessible landing location.

Holy Stone HS120D Specs and Features

1. Connect HS120D to your Smartphone

The HS120D connects to your phone through it’s own wifi network. The software works with iOS 7 and above and Android 6.0 and above. On your phone, you can see the live video stream while flying the quadcopter.

The controller, where you can safely attach your smartphone, has a button for taking photos and videos. What’s more, the recorded media is saved directly to your phone! So, there’s no more need for time-consuming file transfers.

How to connect HS120D to a smartphone:

To connect the HS120D to a smartphone download the HS-D2 FPV app, turn on the drone and open the settings on your iphone or android phone. Under networks, select the Holy Stone wifi connection.

2. Durable and Compact Body

The HS120D drone is a compact quadcopter. Its 270x270x120 mm body isn’t too small or too large. You don’t need to worry about it getting blown away by a small breeze light lighter toy drones.

3. Low-maintenance Brushless Motors

The drone’s powerful brushless motors offer several benefits. First, the compact design keeps the overall weight low at 221g. Since this is under the 250g you don’t need to register your HS120D to the Federal Administration Aviator (FAA). 

Second, they require minimum maintenance. You just need to air spray them every now and then. Most importantly, the motors are silent and reduce friction. This enhances the duration of flight time.

4. WiFi Supported HD Camera

The 5GHz Wi-Fi allows for far and clear FPV transmission on the App. These features also enable remote Geofence and beginner mode activation while flying the device.

You can activate some features on the app, such as Beginner Mode and Intelligent Geofence. In addition, the camera is optimized for transmitting high-quality images. Once we synchronized the app to the drone, we received clear 1080p transmission and a sharp first-person view.

5. 300 Meter Flight Range and Free Backup Battery

Compared to same-level drones, HS120D offers a good range and around double the standard flight time. With its control range, you can see farther and explore broader horizons. Just charge both batteries to make the most of the 45 minutes total flight time.

HS120D Pros and Cons

Pros

  • External memory slot
  • GPS and Geofence enabled
  • Compact, durable, and lightweight
  • Continuous shooting at high resolution
  • Incorporated with intelligent flight modes
  • 5 degrees lowest operating temperature
  • Splashproof and water-resistant
  • FPV camera-enabled

Cons

  • 2-hour charging time
  • No light sensitivity
  • No built-in HDR mode

Holy Stone HS120D vs. HS720E

What’s the difference between Holy Stone HS120D and Holy Stone HS720E?

First and foremost, HS720E is pricier than HS120D. The HS720E is considered a higher end drone, so it’s understandable that some of its specs are better than the HS120D .

In this section, we have detailed the differences between the two. Compared to HS120D’s 45-minute flight time, HS720E offers 1 hour and 10 minutes battery life. Its maximum range is 1000 meters, which is almost 4 times farther than the signal range of HS120D.

Holy Stone HS120D SpecsHoly Stone HS720E Specs
Holy Stone HS120D Reviewholy stone hs720e reviews
Flight Time 45 min1 hour 15 min
Maximum Range300m / 1000ft1000m / 3280ft
Camera Resolution2K4K
Check Best Price on Amazon for the HS120DCheck the best price on Amazon for the HS720E

When it comes to view quality, HS720E is, of course, the best among the two. It records at 2160 PPI and 30 fps. If the latter is a UHD FPV drone, this one is no doubt a high-definition (HD) drone. It also has a 130-degree field of view.

With these notable features, HS120D may seem to pale in comparison to HS720E. Does Holy Stone’s best mid-range drone have no chance against one of their high-end products? The answer to this is a big “no.”

The HS720E offers clearer recordings, longer battery life, and higher resolution than HS120D but, HS120D has all the smart functions and AI power that HS720E has. Both drones are incorporated with RTH, Geofence, Headless mode, and other functions you can find in high-end quadcopters.  In addition, it’s smaller and more compact than the latter. For HS120D’s price, its 25 fps and UHD resolution is definitely a bang for the buck.

To see our full review of the HS720E, check out this article; Holy Stone HS720E Review: Pros and Cons.

Holy Stone HS120D Review Summary

When you first see the HS120D, you’ll think that it’s one of those pricey quadcopters on the market. Its sleek, modern covering, and compact body are common in high-end drones. Most mid-range drones are bulky and have short battery life. In fact, some only last for 15 minutes!

Once you take it out of the box, you’ll be surprised with how light it is! It’s only 219 grams.

The controller is also lightweight and easy to use. Just assemble the body, install the free app, attach your smartphone, and sync your mobile with the drone. After all that, you can enjoy all of its smart features.

We rate this drone 4/5 for its jam packed list of features and functionality in a compact, sleek design at an affordable price.