Tom's Guide Verdict
The Potensic Atom 2 is a fantastic drone for budget-conscious pilots. It records smooth 4K/30fps video and captures detailed 48MP stills. It features advanced and accurate AI subject tracking, and comes with a new, easy to use controller and app — it’s also lightweight yet sturdy. This drone gives DJI a serious run for its money.
Pros
- +
Smooth 4K video
- +
Detailed 48MP stills
- +
Lightweight but sturdy build
- +
Great AI subject tracking
- +
Improved controller and app
Cons
- -
No collision avoidance
- -
No 48MP RAW output
- -
Susceptible to gusts of wind
Why you can trust Tom's Guide Our writers and editors spend hours analyzing and reviewing products, services, and apps to help find what's best for you. Find out more about how we test, analyze, and rate.
I test some of the best drones and nothing makes me happier than taking to the skies and seeing the world from above. Well, I think I’ve just found the perfect travel buddy in the Potensic Atom 2. This drone is so good that it goes toe-to-toe with the likes of DJI and HoverAir.
What I really like about the Atom 2 is that it’s a massive improvement over the first-gen Potensic Atom that I also reviewed. I’ve fallen in love with the smooth 4K video and detailed 48MP stills that I captured with this drone. I also had a lot of fun with its many AI intelligent flight modes and tracking skills. Potensic has improved the controller and the app which makes flying much more enjoyable too.
Should you buy it? Yes. Will it break the bank? No. For the complete breakdown, read my full Potensic Atom 2 review.
Potensic Atom 2 review: Cheat sheet
- What is it? An inexpensive, lightweight 4K drone that succeeds the Atom
- Who is it for? For budget-conscious pilots
- How much does it cost? The Potensic Atom 2 starts at $329 / £299 and goes all the way up to $449 / £399
- What do we like? The smooth 4K video, detailed 48MP stills, lightweight build, fantastic AI subject tracking, and the improved controller and app
- What don’t we like? No obstacle avoidance, no 48MP RAW output, and the fact that it’s susceptible to strong winds
Potensic Atom 2 review: Specs
Specs | Potensic Atom 2 |
|---|---|
Price | |
Flight time | 32 minutes |
FAA/CAA registration | Not required |
Cameras | One |
Image sensor | 48MP 1/2-inch CMOS |
ISO | 100-6,400 (Normal video mode) | 100-25,600 (AI Night mode) |
Shutter speed | 8s-1/6400s |
Aperture | f/1.8 |
Focus | 4m to ∞ |
Max video resolution | 4K/30fps, 2.7K/30fps, FHD/120fps |
Stabilization | Three-axis mechanical gimbal |
Indoor use | No |
Propellers | Four |
Max takeoff altitude | 4000m |
Max flight distance | 6.21 miles (10km) |
Navigation system | GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, BeiDou |
Collision avoidance | No |
Controller battery life | Up to 4 hours |
Smartphone control | Yes |
Internal storage | No |
microSD card slot | Yes, V30 or higher |
Size | 8.26 x 5.98 x 2.28 inches (unfolded, without propellers) |
Weight | 8.64oz |
Potensic Atom 2 review: Price & availability
Announced in February 2025, the Potensic Atom 2 succeeds the first-gen Atom. It has a retail price of $329 / £299 at Amazon for just the drone and the new DSRC23A controller. You can also get the Fly More Combo for $449 / £399 which includes three flight batteries, a charging hub and a carrying bag.
Similar to the first-gen model, the Atom 2 is a cheaper alternative for those who don’t want to spend more on the HoverAir X1 Pro ($499), the DJI Flip ($439) or the DJI Mini 3 ($409). It’s slightly more expensive than the DJI Mini 2 SE ($279) and the HoverAir X1 ($299).
The Atom 2 hopes to give the DJI Mini 4K ($299) a run for its money, boasting near-identical specs, such as 4K/30fps video, 32-minute flight time, a three-axis mechanical gimbal, and more. And it’s a big improvement over the first-gen Atom.
Potensic Atom 2 review: Design & controls
The Potensic Atom 2 looks near-indentical to the original Atom — and bears a resemblance to the DJI Mini 2 SE as well. Both Potensic drones are nearly the same size too, with the Atom 2 measuring 8.26 x 5.98 x 2.28 inches.
Its small size means it’s great to travel with and it’s very lightweight too — which adds to its travel friendliness. The Atom 2 is slightly lighter than its predecessor, weighing 8.64oz, so I had zero issues carrying it in my backpack or in the included carry bag. This also means that you don’t need FAA/CAA registration to fly it — but I recommend looking at local laws before you take to the skies.
However, because it's lightweight, the Atom is susceptible to strong gusts of wind so I’d recommend checking conditions before taking off.
The Atom 2’s propellers fold easily and stay securely locked in place. Its arms are sturdy and its body is made of high quality plastic that doesn’t look or feel cheap. I crashed the drone twice into some tree branches but it was absolutely fine and ready to take off again right after.
I tested the Fly More combo which includes eight pairs of spare propellers, 16 spare screws, and two adapter cables for the controller (USB-C and lightning) — it’s nice to see that Potensic took every type of smartphone into consideration, new and old.
Controller
Whether you get the standard or bundle variant, the new AT2-RC controller will be included. It’s brand new and it feels far better than the old DSRC02A controller. It sports a dark grey colorway and feels more durable and premium too. The controller extends to fit most modern smartphones. I was able to use my Google Pixel 7 Pro (with its case on) easily.
Two detachable joysticks can be slotted into the controller’s underside for easy transport — and they’re very responsive too, making flying the Atom 2 a walk in the park.
Potensic says the Atom 2 is 40% quieter than the Atom and it shows. I immediately noticed that it didn’t sound too loud or piercing, making it enjoyable to fly.
Potensic Atom 2 review: Features
It almost feels like the OG Potensic Atom has grown up and come into its own. The Potensic Atom 2 has a plethora of new features that put the drone on a level playing field with DJI. The Atom 2’s maximum flight distance is double the first-gen model’s at 6.2 miles, similar to the Neo and the Mini 2 SE.
Wind resistance
The Atom 2 retains its predecessor’s three-axis gimbal design, which results in more stable and smooth footage than single-axis (like the DJI Neo) and dual-axis (like the HoverAir X1 Pro) drones.
Wind resistance is also the same, with the Atom 2 being able to withstand winds up to 10.7m/s (level 5 wind). This is similar to the DJI Mini 4K, the DJI Flip and the HoverAir X1 Pro and X1 ProMax.
I shot footage in windy conditions and it turned out stable, but like I said, the drone is very lightweight so it did get knocked about and pushed around by strong gusts. Luckily, the Potensic Eve app notifies you if it’s very windy and prompts you to land safely as soon as possible.
Sensor
Both the Atom 2 and the Atom can record 4K and 2.7K video at 30fps and 1080P at 60fps. The Atom 2, though, introduces slow-motion video which can be recorded at 120fps.
The biggest upgrade that Potensic has introduced is a larger 1/2-inch CMOS sensor (over the Atom’s 1/3-inch) which can capture brighter, better images at 48MP. This is a higher resolution than the Mini 4K which can take only 12MP photos, and it’s similar to the pricier Flip. However, the Atom 2 can’t shoot RAW 48MP photos, allowing little room for post-production.
There’s no internal storage, similar to many other drones, so you’ll need a microSD card which can be inserted into the Atom 2’s back, near the battery. Potensic recommends a U3 or V30 rating or higher to ensure 4K recording.
AI modes
The Atom 2 features six QuickShot modes — Pull-Away, Rocket, Circle, Spiral, Boomerang, and Dolly Zoom — which use AI subject detection to keep you in frame. All of these work very well and they’re especially useful if you want to create quick content for sharing on social media.
The Atom featured five of these as well (Dolly Zoom being the new addition), but what’s new in the Atom 2 is AI Track, and you get access to three intelligent tracking modes: Parallel, Spotlight, and Follow. The drone needs to be 4m above the ground for these modes to work, and you must be in an obstacle-free environment.
I really like Parallel mode. As the name suggests, the Atom 2 will fly alongside you and record you and I can think of a lot of use cases for it: walking on a bridge above a river, a hiking trail, or atop a mountain.
Obstacle avoidance
Speaking of flying in an obstacle-free environment, it’s important to note that the Atom 2 doesn’t feature collision avoidance sensors which means you’ll have to be really careful when flying next to trees, under bridges, etc. This is not abnormal for the price range, as this feature is also absent from the Mini 2 SE, Mini 4K and other similarly priced drones.
But of course, the Atom 2 also has the very crucial return-to-home technology to bring the drone back to its last known location, and this is automatically triggered when the Atom is low on battery.
Potensic Atom 2 review: Image quality
Like I mentioned before, the Potensic Atom 2 is equipped with one camera that takes 48MP JPEG stills — and they’re highly detailed and look gorgeous. Color reproduction is accurate and faithful, as you can see in the images above. The photos were shot on a sunny day in Bath, U.K. with the drone in auto mode.
I really like the first photo of the Royal Crescent. Even when I zoomed into it on my laptop, a lot of the detail and sharpness was retained. I could clearly see the individual window panes and even the patterns in the grass.
If you want to take charge of the Atom 2’s camera, there’s a manual shooting mode too. The Atom 2 has a shutter speed of 8s-1/6400s, an f/1.8 maximum aperture, and an ISO range of 100-6,400. All three settings and white balance can be adjusted in manual photography mode.
Similar to the Atom, the Atom 2 has a 3x digital zoom when shooting video in 1080P and 2x digital zoom when shooting in 4K or taking stills. You can see the difference between 1x zoom and 2x zoom in the photos above.
There is always loss in fine detail when photos are zoomed digitally, as the camera crops into the image, losing resolution — I’ve seen this even on the pricier DJI Air 3S ($1,099) so it isn’t abnormal. I think the Atom 2 has done a respectable job here, as you can still distinguish between individual buildings and see the ripples on the river’s surface.
Potensic Atom 2 review: Video quality
The Potensic Atom 2 kills it when it comes to video work. All footage in this review was shot in 4K at 30fps. You can also shoot in 4K at 25/24fps, 2.7K at 30/25/24fps, and 1080P at 120/60/50/30/25/24fps.
In the sample footage above, you can see how crystal clear the recording is. The colors look stunning while the clips themselves are smooth. My favorite clip is the one of the Atom 2 flying over the river. It has captured the sunlight reflecting on the water’s surface really well as well as the birds flying and swans swimming.
The Atom 2 utilizes a three-axis mechanical gimbal to capture stable footage and it works extremely well, as you can see in the video above where I pan and stop. The transition between panning and stopping abruptly is almost effortless. There are no shakes and the scene is immediately back in focus.
Another thing I like about the Atom 2 is that while flying it, the live transmission feed will show you flying tips at the bottom of the screen. If you’re flying in a city, it will warn you to be wary of high-rise buildings and to not fly over groups of people.
If there’s a sudden gust of wind, it will tell you to land immediately and carefully, and that’s what I did in the video above. It had been a windless afternoon and I wasn’t anticipating many strong winds, so I really appreciated being told by the app.
And of course, the shades of green in the trees and grass look lush — watching the video now from my home office is making me want to go lie down on a patch of grass!
It’s like the list is never-ending! Here’s another new addition to the Atom 2: AI Night Mode. Flying in low-light conditions is tricky as visibility is hampered and it’s difficult to maintain a visual line of sight (VLOS).
Not just that, but the footage you get at night won’t always be of the best quality. To improve video quality at night, the Atom 2’s AI Night Mode boosts shadows to reveal more detail while smoothing out noise. The Atom 2’s ISO range is also boosted. In Normal Mode, it’s between 100 and 6,400, but in AI Night Mode, this jumps to a whopping 25,600.
You can see a comparison between Normal and AI Night modes in the video above.
With AI Night Mode enabled, you can see the outlines of buildings better and, in one frame, you can also see the bridge in the distance more clearly. You can also see rows and rows of houses in the far distance.
I, personally, prefer the look of the video shot in Normal mode as it looks more natural to me, but AI Night Mode is a welcome feature. Since the Atom 2 doesn’t feature any obstacle avoidance, it will help pilots fly better at night too as they’ll be able to see buildings more clearly.
Potensic Atom 2 review: App
While I didn’t have any major issues with the original Potensic Atom’s smartphone app, I much prefer the new app. The Potensic Atom 2 is accompanied by the Potensic Eve app, available for free on iOS and Android, and it looks like the brand has taken a page out of DJI’s books as the app sports a similar user interface to DJI Fly — and I much prefer this over the old app.
The app is crucial to flying the drone, as you need to hook it up to the controller to see the live feed. I noticed a slight lag and fuzzy transmission at some points but this will depend on how many satellites the Atom 2 is connected to and what the data signal is like in the area.
You can also use the app to see low-res previews of videos and photos stored on the Atom 2’s microSD card, update the drone’s firmware, view flight logs and data, and even access Potensic Academy to learn about drone photography.
I criticized the old app in my Atom review for not having a handy map that displays flying spots and local/national restrictions — how the DJI Fly app does — and this still remains an issue with the new app.
Thankfully, you can use free websites, like the official FAA website in the U.S. and the CAA website in the U.K. which are updated frequently. Remember to familiarize yourself with them before heading out to fly.
Potensic Atom 2 review: Battery life
The Potensic Atom 2 retains the same battery life as the first-gen drone: 32 minutes on a single charge. That’s one minute more than the DJI Mini 2 SE’s and the DJI Mini 4K’s 31-minute flight times.
It’s worth investing in the Fly More Combo if you want to avoid running home to recharge the Atom 2 between flights. The bundle includes two spare batteries so you’ll be able to bump the total flying time to 96 minutes.
The charging hub uses a proprietary cable to charge all three batteries simultaneously and, in my testing, it took just under two hours to go from zero to 100%. Each battery also has a USB-C port for direct charging.
I really wish Potensic had opted for a USB-C port on the charging hub, as it uses a proprietary cable, this time around — hopefully third time’s the charm.
Potensic Atom 2 review: Verdict
The Potensic Atom 2 is well worth the money. It’s a massive improvement over its predecessor which helps it face off against the likes of DJI and HoverAir. Featuring a larger sensor, the Atom 2 captures beautiful, detailed 48MP stills and 4K/30fps video. It also comes with an AI Night Mode which makes flying in dimly lit environments easier.
With new AI technology powering its intelligent flight modes and tracking, the Atom 2 does a great job of accurately putting you front and centre. And how about that controller and app, huh? Both have been improved as well. I really like the new app as it feels more user-friendly, and the new controller feels premium and comfortable to use.
If DJI is a no-go, especially for my American comrades, then the Atom 2 is the way to go. It’s lightweight, durable, and succeeds in a lot of the same areas as DJI — it’s the bomb.
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.
I used this oscillating electric toothbrush with swinging bristles every day for a week and it left me with pristine teeth… yet I’m still a little confused
I ditched my Oral-B for this sonic toothbrush — now I look like Ross Geller after he got his teeth whitened
I’ve tested over 20 mechanical keyboards in a year — this $109 budget deck is one of the best (and thockiest) yet
