Diminutive Selfly drone stows in protective iPhone case

Self-proclaimed drone and camera technology leader AEE Aviation Technology was on the floor at ShowStoppers at CES 2019 this week to show off Selfly, a pint-sized drone that folds up and snaps into an iPhone case for the ultimate in portability.

At just 9.8 millimeters thin, Selfly packs in an impressive assortment of technology, including a 13 megapixel camera capable of capturing 720p video at 60 frames per second. The shooter is ostensibly Selfly's marquee feature, as AEE is marketing the drone as a flying camera.

The accompanying case, which Selfly fits into after folding down its props, measures 10mm thick and comes in a range of sizes to fit iPhone 6 through iPhone 8 Plus, as well as iPhone X.

Along with portability, the main draw for selfie lovers will be autonomous flight modes that enable the drone to become a "tripod in the air." Beyond hovering, Selfly incorporates face tracking functionality, gesture controls and safe fly features. Manual controls can be accessed via an ad-hoc Wi-Fi connection.

Selfly comes with two batteries, each of which packs enough juice for four minutes of flight time. Recharging the cells takes about 30 minutes.

Cases are available for the aforementioned iPhone models, as well as select Samsung Galaxy handsets. A universal case serving most smartphones is also available, as is a thin pocketable dock.

AEE is selling Selfly for $99 through its website.

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