Xiaomi, a company best-known for producing surprisingly affordable, high quality smartphones you can't buy in the US, has added to its roster a surprisingly affordable, (probably) high-quality drone--that you can't buy in the US. The Mi Drone has plenty of impressive specs, but the one that matters most is 460. That's roughly how much it will cost when it launches in China this July, and well under half of what you'd pay DJI for its ubiquitous Phantom 4. The Mi Drone quadcopter comes with a 4K camera that shoots at 30fps (you can also get a 1080p version for 380), a three-axis gimbal that corrects itself 2,000 times per second, and a remote control that uses a Xiaomi phone as a viewfinder. The Mi Drone's 5,100mAh battery promises nearly a half hour of flight time, and it uses GPS and GLOSNASS to ensure accurate positioning. It's got location-tracking in case you lose it.

Xiaomi, the world's second-most-valuable startup, launched its first consumer drone on Wednesday and it didn't disappoint. The Mi Drone can capture 4K video, automatically avoids any obstacles and costs 300 less than the best-selling comparable product on the market. It seems like a sure-fire hit and a way for Xiaomi to recoup losses from slowing smartphone sales. The only problem is that Xiaomi's drone may never be seen outside China and the company's inability to scale globally continues to hinder growth. Consumer drones are arguably the first consumer electronics category where Chinese companies are defining the market and dominating sales.

The Mi Drone carries a ball-shaped 4K camera beneath it, that quadcopter-buffs might think looks similar to the built-in shooters found on Yuneec's Typhoon series. To be specific, the camera uses a Sony 12.4-megapixel sensor that can capture video at up to 3,840 x 2,160 at 30 fps; and as you'd expect, it can take RAW photos. Its detachable gimbal does 3-axis stabilization which corrects itself 2,000 times per second, and this is assisted by an optical flow sensor positioned between the camera and the battery bay on the back. Indeed, the sample clip we saw during the livestream looked satisfactory (at one point, Lei said well over 2 million viewers tuned in), so hopefully it's just as good once the drone lands in consumers' homes. While the drone itself looks a bit too familiar, its controller comes with a cute appearance that somewhat assembles a bunny -- the company's mascot -- from afar.