When a drone maker injects a spherical camera into a 249-gram airframe, the line between flying camera and cinema rig expands in real time. The Antigravity A1 dares to redefine what a pocket-sized drone can capture, turning every flight into a potential 360-degree storytelling session. For creators chasing immersive footage, this debut signals a shift where aerial video leans toward full-sphere capture rather than a single optical path.

Antigravity, a spin-off from Insta360, brings a distinctive angle: integrate its spherical camera tech directly into a compact airframe. The A1 is not just a new drone; it is a flying version of the Insta360 X5 cinema rig, designed to unlock a range of edits that were previously impractical with traditional 16:9 footage. For pilots who live in the edit suite, the A1 offers immediate creative options, like pulling a shot from any angle after the flight or stitching multiple viewpoints into a seamless sequence.

The package feels complete out of the box. In the box you get the drone, a flight battery, the Grip Motion Controller, and the Vision Goggles headset. The craft itself is small enough to slide into a camera bag, with folding arms and a footprint of roughly 3.2 by 3.8 by 5.6 inches. Weight hovers around 249 grams when loaded with the standard battery and a microSD card. Like many ultralight flyers, it isn’t waterproof, so good weather is a prerequisite for outdoor use. The Vision Goggles rely on an external power pack; the included 25-inch cord can feel short, but a nylon lanyard helps on the go. In practice, the setup works well for social creators who want fast, on-site access to 360-degree captures without juggling multiple devices.

From a hardware perspective, Antigravity goes all-in on the 360-degree concept. The A1’s dual ultra-wide lenses capture the surroundings so you can extract any portion of footage later in post. If you’re accustomed to traditional drones, the learning curve is real: the spherical format demands new framing, new editing workflows, and new expectations about wind resistance and stability. The A1’s front lenses handle obstacle detection, while the rest of the system focuses on maintaining a stable horizon during the 360 capture. This dual-lens approach echoes similar ideas in earlier Sphere concepts but is now embedded in a fully functional drone that weighs in at 249g with standard gear.

One notable design choice is the remote experience: the Vision Goggles do not have an internal battery. The trade-off is a lighter airframe but a less convenient setup when you’re on the move. The alternative is to power the headset from a nearby battery pack or carry an extra power source, which slightly complicates portability at a time when creators prize simplicity. Still, the A1 maintains a practical balance between size, weight, and capability that makes it distinct in a crowded market.

The A1’s flight time is where the numbers start to bite. Antigravity advertises a 24-minute baseline for the standard battery, with a longer 39-minute option available via an extended-life pack. In real-world testing, however, several trials yielded closer to 26 minutes on the extended pack and roughly 16–20 minutes with the standard battery, depending on wind and how aggressively the 360-degree system is used. That gap matters because professional creators often plan shoots around reliable endurance, and a few extra minutes can translate into a lot of footage. By comparison, the popular DJI Flip can push toward 30 minutes in a similar weight class, while the Mini 5 Pro clocks around two-thirds that figure in its lightest configuration. In short, the A1 is impressive for what it tries to do, but the battery reality tempers the bragging rights to some degree.

In addition to the core drone, Antigravity sells bundles to extend flight time and convenience. The Explorer Bundle adds three batteries plus a charger and extra propellers, while the Infinity Bundle includes even more high-capacity cells and a memory card reader, aiming to appeal to creators who shoot long sessions without swapping power. These options underscore how the market for premium camera drones now expects modularity and upgrade paths, much like high-end cameras. The A1 is expensive relative to non-360-degree peers, but the value proposition hinges on the uniqueness of the spherical capture workflow rather than sheer flight time or feature parity.

Regulatory considerations also shape the A1’s appeal. Weighing in at 290 grams with the extended battery, the A1 sits in a class that requires FAA registration in the United States. It ships with Remote ID, a broadcast system that helps authorities track the drone in flight. That feature isn’t universal across light-weight drones, and its inclusion makes the A1 more compliant for real-world, outdoor use. For hobbyists, the registration process is straightforward but is an important reminder that even consumer devices can require administrative steps when their capabilities collide with airspace rules. The FAA context couples with a larger shift toward digital identification for drones, a trend that will shape product design and operations in the coming years.

What the A1 Means for the 360-degree drone category

The A1 is not a perfect tool for every shooter, yet it signals a broader evolution in the drone market. The blend of a small frame, built-in 360-degree capture, and a modular accessory ecosystem points to where the industry is headed: cameras and flight platforms becoming more tightly integrated around a single creative objective. For a niche audience of content creators and cinematographers, this is a compelling proposition—one that enables more than just flying a camera. It promises a new degree of artistic control in post, with spherical footage that can be reimagined in ways that traditional 16:9 footage cannot easily match.

According to PCMag, the A1’s 360-degree integration is what truly sets it apart, even as some performance metrics lag behind best-in-class rivals. The combination of Insta360 heritage with a purpose-built drone creates a product that is as much about workflow as it is about flight. In a market where DJI dominates the airspace, a 360-degree approach offers a differentiator that could attract a dedicated community of creators who care deeply about perspective and post-production flexibility. The coming months will be telling as we see how the market absorbs a product that defies conventional drone form, and as Antigravity expands its ecosystem to support more advanced 360 workflows.

Pros and Cons at a Glance

• Pros: Unique 360-degree capture on a compact frame; complete out-of-the-box kit; Remote ID built-in for regulatory compliance; modular bundles for longer sessions
• Cons: Battery life under real-world conditions can be shorter than promised; learning curve for 360-degree editing; headset power setup could be more convenient

FAQ

What makes a 360-degree drone different?

A drone that captures the entire surroundings around it, allowing you to extract any angle in post rather than being locked to a single camera path.

Do you need FAA registration for the A1?

Yes, at 290g with the extended battery, the A1 falls into a category that requires FAA registration in the United States.

Is Insta360 technology inside the A1?

Yes, the A1 leverages Insta360-derived 360-degree camera tech, integrated into a dedicated drone platform for streamlined capture.

Conclusion

In short, the Antigravity A1 breaks ground by marrying a 360-degree camera system with a compact, ready-to-fly drone. It is not flawless—battery life and wind resistance don’t always meet marketing claims—but the concept is compelling. For creators who want to rethink how they shoot, the A1 offers a new toolkit. It may not replace traditional drones for every job, but it reshapes what a premium, portable camera drone can be in 2025 and beyond. The real test will be how the market and workflows evolve as more producers adopt spherical capture as a default rather than an exception.