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YI Erida drone is a 75 mph carbon fiber tricopter with a 4K camera

The company known for high-performance, low-cost cameras is taking to the sky with a carbon-fiber drone that can fly for up to 40 minutes.

Joshua Goldman Managing Editor / Advice
Managing Editor Josh Goldman is a laptop expert and has been writing about and reviewing them since built-in Wi-Fi was an optional feature. He also covers almost anything connected to a PC, including keyboards, mice, USB-C docks and PC gaming accessories. In addition, he writes about cameras, including action cams and drones. And while he doesn't consider himself a gamer, he spends entirely too much time playing them.
Expertise Laptops, desktops and computer and PC gaming accessories including keyboards, mice and controllers, cameras, action cameras and drones Credentials
  • More than two decades experience writing about PCs and accessories, and 15 years writing about cameras of all kinds.
Joshua Goldman

At the end of July, GoPro announced its Hero5 camera and Karma drone will launch ahead of the holiday season. YI Technology, on the other hand, has already released its $250 YI 4K camera and now it's got a drone to go with it -- the YI Erida.

Made of light-yet-strong carbon fiber, YI says the tricopter can reach speeds of up to 75 mph (120 kph) and stay in the air for up to 40 minutes. If true, this is longer than any other ready-to-fly drone. Two of its three prop arms rotate and fold back for travel.

Yi Erida carbon fiber drone flies fast, folds for travel (pictures)

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On its belly is a motorized gimbal to stabilize the included YI 4K camera. The drone will be completely controlled with a mobile app, so you'll just need your smartphone and the drone when you head out to fly.

No pricing or availability was announced. However, if the Erida looks or sounds familiar, it might be because YI is making the drone with Atlas, a team of developers and engineers that tried to get the Erida crowdfunded last year. The contribution amounts start at $499, but the retail price is listed at $1,100. That's about £380 to £840 and AU$660 to AU$1,500.