Parrot AR.Drone version 2 hits Australian stores in June for $349

That fancy iPad or iPhone controlled flying machine is getting an upgrade. The AR.Drone was enormously successful despite being relatively expensive, so the Parrot engineers have been hard at working making version 2.0 better to fly and better quality.

On sale here in Australia “some time in June” for $349, this thing is a whole heap of fun. You can now make it do “tricks” to impress the ladies (although let’s be clear… It will be to impress your mates and no female friend is going to think more highly of you just because your “drone” can do tricks) including a nice horizontal 360 degree spin.

2.0 has a 720p resolution HD camera offering far superior video and still images to its older sibling and the camera can now recognise shapes and colours to show augmented reality elements on the control screen.

Videos are stored direct to your camera roll on iOS devices and are shared to YouTube in just a quick click of a link within the Parrot application. Additionally, there is also a USB port within the body of the AR.Drone 2.0 to plug in a USB stick to store videos and images direct to a USB stick.

The new 2.0 is much easier to control, and using compass technology will now auto correct its aim if it is bumped mid air. This, along with other flight enhancements, will make Drone 1.0 owners want to upgrade very soon. If you like to make those inflight adjustments yourself, you can still choose a flight mode that ignores the compass re-setting direction.

Expect a rush of version 1 Drones on eBay in June as owners look to upgrade… The 2.0 is a cracker!

Price: $349
Web: Parrot