I’m currently in the market for a new micro FPV drone featuring the DJI O4 Lite Air Unit. Whether it’s a tiny whoop or an open-prop 1.6-inch or 2-inch ultralight toothpick quad, I thought this would be an excellent opportunity to share my decision-making process and help others decide which model might best suit their flying style.
Why Choose DJI O4 Lite?
The DJI O4 Air Unit (Lite) is ideal for micro FPV drones if professional-grade footage isn’t your priority and you’re flying mainly for fun. As mentioned in my DJI O4 Pro review, the Pro version is better in nearly every aspect but is significantly heavier, larger, and almost double the price. The O4 Lite is lighter, more compact, and easier on your wallet if you expect frequent crashes and repairs.
Sub250 Nanofly20
Specs:
- Battery: 2S
- Prop Size: 2inch tri-blade
- Motor: 1002 14000KV (not the advertized 21000KV)
- Weight (without battery): 42g
- Price: $279.99
Where to Buy:
The Sub250 Nanofly20 is an open-prop drone designed for open spaces. Open-prop drones are generally quieter, more efficient, faster, and significantly more responsive than whoop drones with propeller guards. With a typical 2S 550mAh battery, expect approximately 5 minutes of flight time. One thing to keep in mind is the motor KV rating, which feels high for 2-inch tri-blade props. This can lead to hotter motors if pushed aggressively. Be cautious when adjusting the master slider in your PID tuning settings to avoid overheating or damage.
A significant drawback of the Nanofly20 is its video. Sub250 mounts the DJI O4 Lite camera directly inside a TPU canopy without any soft mounting. Since the DJI O4 camera is sensitive to vibrations, you’ll notice considerable jello and shakiness in the goggles. Although it records in 4K, the gyro data is too noisy for reliable stabilization, making cinematic footage difficult. Additionally, the quad exhibits wobbling during aggressive maneuvers, potentially due to a PID tuning issue or motor overload from those heavy tri-blade props.
Another point of consideration is the price tag. At $279, the Nanofly20 feels slightly overpriced given its relatively simple build and video quality concerns.
Overall, the Nanofly20 is built for fun and freestyle flying rather than cinematic work. While it excels in agility and speed for park flying, the noticeable vibration, jello, and high price tag make it a challenging recommendation.
Sub250 Nimble65
Specs:
- Battery: 1S
- Prop Size: 65mm Tri-blade
- Motor: 0702 27000KV
- Weight (without battery): 27g
- Price: $229.99
Where to Buy:
I cannot recommend this model.
The motor and prop combination is severely underpowered for a digital build that weighs 27 grams. Expect sluggish performance, poor responsiveness, and an overall unenjoyable flight experience.
The real deal-breaker is how Sub250 decided to power the DJI O4 Lite directly from the battery—a major issue for 1S O4 builds. As I’ve repeatedly emphasized in my blog posts, the DJI O4 Lite struggles when input voltage drops below 3.7V, resulting in unstable video or even complete loss of signal. A proper 5V BEC should have been used to ensure consistent power for the O4 throughout the flight. Sub250 clearly rushed their DJI O4 releases this time, and the Nimble65 is proof of that.
Flywoo Flybee 16/Flylens 75
Specs:
- Battery: 2S
- Prop Size: 40mm (1.6inch) 3-blade
- Motor: 1003 14800KV
- Weight (without battery): 45.7g
- Price: $249.99
Where to Buy:
The Flywoo Flybee16 is essentially the Flylens75 cinewhoop without prop guards—I guess that’s Flywoo’s easy way to making a new model without a complete redesign. As expected, removing the prop guard reduces weight by over 10 grams, enhancing flight performance, efficiency, speed, and noise levels.
However, the pusher design may not be ideal for a freestyle drone that you constant crash and have to take off anywhere in the field. The props are so exposed and close to the ground it complicates takeoffs and landings, particularly when using turtle mode, as props can easily get caught by grass or debris. Additionally, placing the O4 Air Unit on the bottom, even with protective plastic, raises durability concerns because you are repeatedly landing/crashing on it.
On a positive note, Flywoo’s method of mounting the DJI O4 camera appears among the cleanest, most reliable for Rocksteady or Gyroflow stabilization. Other ways of mounting the O4 camera, like the one in the BetaFPV Meteor75 Pro, tends to produce slightly more inconsistent results (although it did work well for me most of the times).
The Flybee16 seems to be a pretty nimble drone for outdoors, it’s not the most powerful drones out there, and is more suited for cruising or light freestyle flying. And it exhibits noticeable prop wash during aggressive maneuvers.
Given that it’s an open-prop micro quad, indoor flight or flying near people isn’t recommended. And in this case, would I consider the Flylens75 with O4 Lite? Probably not, because the O4 camera is just not good enough for any cinematic flying. I would rather get the version with naked O3 to be honest, which offers superior video at similar weight.
Flywoo Flybee 20 / Flylens 85
Specs:
- Battery: 2S
- Prop Size: 2inch 2-blade
- Motor: 1003 14800KV
- Weight (without battery): 47.6g
- Price: $249.99
Where to Buy:
The Flybee20 mirrors the Flybee16 but features a larger 85mm frame and 2-inch bi-blade props. The rest of the hardware are identical, including motors. And it’s essentially a ductless Flylens85, over 20g lighter, offering way better flight time and performance.
I previously reviewed both the Flylens75 and Flylens85, and I preferred the Flylens85. The larger Flylens85 simply flew better for me and provided slightly longer flight times, possibly due to its more efficient two-blade propellers. Since the Flybee16 and Flybee20 are essentially ductless versions of the Flylens series, I expect similar performance differences between the Flybee models as well. Considering their similar weights, I’d opt for the model with larger props any day.
Between the Flybee16 and Flybee20, the Flybee20 is the better overall drone. Likewise, between the Flylens75 and Flylens85, the Flylens85 is also the superior option.
Flywoo Flytimes 85
Specs:
- Battery: 2S
- Prop Size: 2inch 2-blade
- Motor: 1003 14800KV
- Weight (without battery): 58.9g
- Price: $269.99
Where to Buy:
The Flytimes85 is essentially a hybrid of the Flylens85 and Flybee20, featuring lighter prop guards for reduced weight and some level of propeller protection. Its weight falls between these two models, while other specifications remain identical.
Unless you specifically require propeller protection, I’d recommend the Flybee20 for outdoor freestyle flying. The Flytimes85 might suit mixed flying environments where you frequently transition between indoor and outdoor spaces. However, realistically, a 2S 2-inch whoop is slightly too large and powerful for flying in the house in my opinion. Additionally, the DJI O4’s video quality isn’t sufficient for cinematic purposes. If cinematic footage is your goal, consider upgrading to the DJI O4 Pro.
GEPRC T-Cube18
Specs:
- Price: $269.99
- Battery: 2S
- Prop Size: 45mm 3-blade
- Motor: 1002 18000KV
- Weight (without battery): 50g
Where to Buy:
This is a new offering, and there isn’t much information available online yet besides the specs. Let’s take a closer look at that.
The first thing that stands out to me is how heavy the T-Cube18 is for an open-prop micro quad. It’s 2.5g heavier than the Flybee20 which even has bigger motors and propellers. While the motors are smaller, they compensate with a very high KV rating of 18000KV, however that is a little extreme and raises concerns about efficiency and potential motor overheating.
The frame design is tanky and appears crash-resistant. It also keeps the props out of the camera view, preventing them from appearing in your footage. However, I still think the weight is a bit excessive for my liking given those tiny props. Additionally, its price of $269.99 feels slightly high IMO.
BetaFPV Meteor75 Pro
Specs:
- Battery: 1S
- Prop Size: 45mm tri-blade
- Motor: 1102 22000KV
- Weight (without battery): 37.2g
- Price: $199.99
Where to Buy:
I really enjoyed flying this whoop indoors—it’s probably my favorite 1S whoop equipped with the DJI O4 at the moment. I won’t go into too much detail here since I’ve written a whole review you can check out: https://oscarliang.com/betafpv-meteor75-pro-o4-whoop/
BetaFPV Pavo Femto
Specs:
- Battery: 2S
- Prop Size: 40mm 3-blade
- Motor: 1102 14000KV
- Weight (without battery): 54.8g
- Price: $224.99
Where to Buy:
The Femto, powered by a 2S battery, is noticeably more powerful than the1S Meteor75 Pro and can handle stronger winds outdoors. However, this increased power comes with trade-offs: the Femto is noisier and less agile indoors due to its heavier weight. The smaller props mean that the motors have to work harder (spinning at higher RPM) to keep the drone afloat compared to the Meteor75 Pro, making it louder and somewhat less efficient. On the flip side, the faster RPM response translates to greater raw performance and responsiveness.
While the Femto’s enhanced power is appealing for outdoor flying in calm conditions, it’s in an awkward position. For indoor flying, I still think the Meteor75 Pro offers superior handling. Outdoors, the Femto flies well, only when the weather is calm; as soon as the wind picks up, I start to notice some wobble and jello in the footage, and the drone can be pushed around more easily than larger models. Check out my review to learn more: https://oscarliang.com/betafpv-pavo-femto/
HappyModel Mobula7 O4
Specs:
- Battery: 2S
- Prop Size: 45mm 3-blade
- Motor: 1102 10000KV
- Weight (without battery): 38.2g
- Price: $272.99
Where to Buy:
The Mobula7 O4 presents an interesting setup. It’s essentially in the same class as the 1S BetaFPV Meteor75 Pro despite being 2S. That’s because its motor KV is less than half that of the Meteor75, and they have the same prop size, the motor RPM would be similar since RPM=KV*voltage. Their weights (without batteries) are also quite close.
However, remember that 2S batteries have two cells, making the battery weight at least double—and likely even heavier due to the XT30 connector compared to BT2.0. This increased battery weight significantly raises the takeoff weight, affecting overall flight performance.
In terms of actual flight performance, the Mobula7 O4 appears to fly well, both agile and stable. Yet, despite its light frame, it lacks sufficient power for serious outdoor freestyle, which is expected from a tiny whoop of this size. You can fly it outdoors, but only in calm conditions, and you shouldn’t anticipate exceptional freestyle capabilities.
For me the primary drawback is video quality, which shows noticeable jello and vibration—even before any stabilization is applied. This likely stems from the camera being mounted directly inside the canopy without vibration isolation. Another downside is that the camera angle doesn’t appear to be adjustable.
Conclusion – Which is the Best DJI O4 Micro Drone?
2S or 1S for DJI O4?
A 2S setup is really the sweet spot for the DJI O4 Air Unit because it can be powered directly from the battery, simplifying the build significantly. In contrast, a 1S setup requires powering the O4 via a BEC or dedicated voltage regulator to ensure reliability. Currently, most 1S AIO flight controllers lack a sufficiently powerful 5V BEC, meaning manufacturers must develop new flight controllers specifically equipped with robust BECs. As of now, BetaFPV is among the few manufacturers providing this option (namely the 3in1 Matrix FC board).
For Indoor Flying
For indoor flying, my top choice is the Meteor75 Pro. Personally, a lightweight 1S setup is ideal indoors—2S drones feel too heavy and too powerful for comfortable flying in the house. The 1S batteries are also cheaper, easier to charge, and the setup produces less noise overall. Some pilots dislike the camera soft mounting on the Meteor75 Pro, believing it introduces jello in footage. However, in my experience, it worked perfectly fine, so the exact cause of their issue remains unclear.
Get the Meteor75 Pro here:
Another good option is the Mobula7 O4, but it’s a 2S drone, and you’ll need to consider if your space comfortably accommodates its extra power and weight. Although more powerful than the Meteor75 Pro, if you find yourself flying at only 30-40% throttle, the lighter and cheaper Meteor75 Pro makes more sense, especially given the Mobula7 costs $73 more.
Get the Mobula7 O4 here:
For Outdoor Flying
For outdoor use, an open-prop, 2S setup is essential here, and my recommendation would be the Flywoo Flybee20. While I’m not a big fan of its inverted design, it delivers the cleanest video quality I’ve seen in this category, with little to no jello present in most footage I’ve seen. Flight performance also seems to be solid; it’s not the absolute most powerful 2-inch quad available, but it’s more than capable for casual freestyle flying in your local small parks.
Get the Flybee20 here:
The next best option would be either the Nanofly20, or the T-Cube18 – not my ideal picks but we have run out of options 🙂 I lean slightly towards the T-Cube, just wished it was either lighter, or has slightly bigger motors and run larger 2inch props would make it a more capable freestyle park ripper.
For both Indoor and Outdoor?
If you’re looking for something versatile enough for both indoor and outdoor flying, it would have to be a whoop of course. Many options like the Happymodel Mobula7, BetaFPV Femto, and Flylens85 are all capable—but they don’t excel at either category. I highly recommend choosing a drone that excels in one environment rather than settling for mediocrity in both. For instance, while the Meteor75 Pro can also handle outdoor flying under calm conditions, it’s slower than 2S quads and better suited as an indoor whoop.