[Review] MJX Bugs 2w – Cheap & reliable GPS drone with FullHD camera

Hello ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls… and welcome to a very special review! In this article, I’m going to present you with another awesome drone made by the folks over at MJX. After a huge success they had with their Bugs 3 drone which captivated plenty of users all around the world, they’ve gathered their forces and made a well-built upgrade that definitely has a fair amount of potential.

That’s why, I decided it would be a good idea to give you an in-depth look at this birdie since it sports an aggressive price tag… especially considering the fact it’s a fully-fledged GPS drone. While there are several other models with similar prices and specifications (there will be a comparison later on, don’t worry), I am pretty sure MJX Bugs 2 will be on point with them. Since I can already see you guys are in a hurry to find out, I’ll skip with the introduction and head straight to MJX Bugs 2w review!

General info on MJX

MJX is definitely an up and coming drone brand. I’m sure most of you are familiar with their Bugs 3 model. They’ve had a fair share of success with it as it charmed the audience with its smooth flight and potential of being a great aerial photography platform when paired with a solid camera. Now, after collecting a nice bit of income from Bugs 3 sales, MJX has already finished making several new drones including the Bugs 2 series.

There are 2 available models at the moment – Bugs 2W and 2C. Even though they are relatively similar, there are certain differences which cannot go unmentioned. Considering this review will be focusing on MJX Bugs 2W, it’s only fair to give a small explanation related to the differences between these two. So, without further adue, let’s see what are these birdies all about!

MJX Bugs 2W vs 2C

First of all, you need to understand that both of these drones feature the same exact design. So, no different when it comes to build quality and aesthetics. However, there are slight differences in hardware inside. Even though they both sport roughly the same batteries, there’s a relatively big difference in charging time. While 2W charges up in 3 hours, 2C takes whopping 5 hours which is a bit too long for my taste.

Furthermore, the biggest and most notable difference between these two is the fact that 2W model incorporates FPV while 2C doesn’t share the same trait. The story here is somewhat similar to Hubsan H501S and H501C, with the only real difference being in the FPV capability of the former. So yeah – 2W has access to a Wi-Fi app (works on both Android and iOS devices) which supports streaming of live footage straight from your drone’s camera. Other than that, everything seems to be pretty much identical.

MJX Bugs 3 vs MJX Bugs 2W

MJX Bugs 2W review

After getting you familiar with both versions of MJX Bugs 2, it is time to take a closer look at one of them. Of course, I aimed high and put the focus on MJX Bugs 2W, which is far more superior than the C version. So, with that said, let’s take a closer look at this small WiFi quadcopter and see what’s it all about!

In addition to all standard specifications such as battery duration, operating range and camera, I’ll also give you some insights on how this birdie flies as well as give you a quick guide through its features. Finally, at the very end of this review you will also get some info on where to look for spare parts as well as short (but informative) comparisons against 2 of its main competitors at the moment. So, let’s stop with the introduction and jump straight to action!

Battery

If you’ve used MJX Bugs 3, then you will be familiar with the 2S 1800mAh LiPo battery that made its way inside. It’s a bit different design in question here, but it’s basically the same battery. If I remember correctly, MJX Bugs 3 could fly around for up to 15 minutes on a single charge. Thanks to a slightly lighter body, MJX Bugs 2W can endure up to 18 minutes… although that time will be slightly lowered if you plan on recording during its entire length.

Range

Given the fact MJX Bugs 2W has FPV capability, we’ll need to come up with 2 numbers for the range. First being operating range and second being FPV range. Starting off with the operating range, I was nicely surprised with how this baby went on about its business. Believe it or not, the specifications sheet claims it can reach 800 to 1000 meters. Truthfully, I haven’t tested that out yet… But what I can confirm is that it goes beyond 500 meter for sure. Around the 500-meter mark I lost line of sight so I had to click that Return to Home button in order to bring it safely back. In terms of FPV range, MJX is overly optimistic stating this thing can reach 500 meters. In reality, you’re looking at roughly 150 to 200 meters, and that’s on an open, unobstructed field.

Camera

In terms of camera, there is nothing that special about this one. Similarly to the 2 models we’ll be comparing it against down below, MJX Bugs 2W sports a built-in camera with no hardware image stabilization. It can record aerial videos in 1080p resolution at solid 30 frames per second. When it comes to image quality, things are looking great as long as you’re recording in daylight and with no strong wind present. Otherwise, you can expect a bit of jello in your footage, especially if you’re flying at an altitude higher than 50 meters.

Spare Parts

When it comes to spare parts, many of you will immediately be alarmed once they fail to find any. But, don’t worry, not everything has gone to shit. You see, even though there is not a huge market for MJX Bugs 2W spare parts, if you know what you’re looking for you are going to have no trouble finding the stuff you need. While things such as props, transparent light caps and batteries won’t be difficult to find, you might have issues with finding the proper motors since they aren’t labeled specifically for MJX Bugs 2W on most sites. But, a simple search for 1806 KV1800 Brushless motor will do the trick!

Features

Last but not least, let’s check out the brains of this beauty!

• Telemetry
  MJX Bugs 2W has telemetry data which it feed straight to that small LCD display on its controller. It’s rare to see telemetry at this price range, even in this limited edition which offers just a few information. Still, something is better than nothing as you will at least have information about current distance, altitude together with current GPS and 2.4G signal strength.
• GPS
  One of the best upgrades that have come with MJX Bugs 2W is definitely the introduction of GPS module. Needless to say, that offered doors to many features such as return to home and altitude hold, both of which we’ll discuss further below.
• Return to home
  Return to home is always the first thing I examine when I get my hands on a new drone. When it comes to Bugs 2W, I was amazed by the quality. You basically have GPS return to home (which is pinpoint accurate, I can assure you) and standard return to home which works well to an extent. You cannot expect pinpoint accuracy with it since it is not relying on GPS, but it’s still useful for getting your drone out of sticky situations.
• Altitude hold
  Even though lots of people take this feature for granted (mostly because they haven’t tried it out yet), I have to tell you it’s one of the best things for beginners. It relieves the tension when you’re flying, allowing you to release the throttle without your drone slimming downwards in a dangerous manner. Instead, your drone will keep balancing out its props and remain stationary at a fixed point of your choice. Awesome, right?
• FPV
  Like it was already mentioned above, the key difference between MJX Bugs 2W and 2C was 2W’s FPV capability. Of course, we are talking about mere WiFi FPV which is usually pretty bad; not only because of low range but because of input lag as well. When it comes to B2W, the FPV is actually quite nice for a WiFi powered one. It doesn’t lag too much but, best of all, it works over 100 meters (150 to 200 if we are to be more precise) which is a rare occurrence for WiFi FPV systems.

MJX Bugs 2W vs competition :

Now that we are done with the actual review portion of this article, it is time to do a few comparisons against other similarly priced models. To be more precise, there are 2 comparisons below that will put the performance of MJX Bugs 2W on the line against Cheerson CX 23 and Hubsan H501S. I’m sure most of you are aware both these drones offer great value for money. But, how does MJX Bugs 2W compare to them? That’s exactly what you will be able to find out in the next 2 paragraphs!

 

MJX Bugs 2W vs Hubsan H501S

If we are to look at these 2 drones side by side, we would be sure we’re looking at 2 same drones. They’re identical in terms of size but also look like one another in terms of their bodies and camera positions. But, don’t let that fool you – they are 2 very different drones.

If I had to choose between one of these two, I admit that would be a pretty tough nut to crack. You see, their cameras are similar, their flight times are similar… but MJX Bugs 2W has significantly larger range. While Hubsan H501S can barely reach 300 meters, B2W goes up to 800 (or even 1000) with ease. However, Hubsan H501S has 5.8G FPV compared to WiFi on B2W. So, that’s a point for H501S. But… considering MJX’s drone is much faster and more agile, I think, at the end of the day, I’d settle for it.

 

MJX Bugs 2W vs Cheerson CX 23

Now let’s take a look at another top contender – Cheerson CX 23. First things first – camera on B2W is much sharper and generally provides better images and videos. That’s partially due to higher resolution sensor which captures 1080p instead of 720p, which is max resolution for CX 23.

Moving forward, it’s also noteworthy to add that Cheerson CX 23 also possesses 5.8 FPV just like Hubsan H501S. While that will be a massive plus for people wanting a small FPV racer, for people who are more orientated to learning aerial photography, this will be a mere trivial matter. One thing you should definitely take into consideration is flight time. You see, MJX B2W can go up to 18 minutes while CX 23 sports 14 minutes at best… and that’s without FPV or camera being used. And finally, if we take a look at operating ranges of these 2 birdies, we’ll come to the conclusion that B2W wins the race in this department as well.

 

Conclusion

That’s it, guys! With those 2 comparisons, I believe I’ve covered everything there is to know about this little bugger. So once again, I truly believe MJX Bugs 2W has what it takes to become an absolute champion in this price range. Like you had the chance to see above, MJX Bugs 2W is on point with Hubsan H501S and Cheerson CX 23, both of which are enjoying quite the popularity in this segment of drones market.

So, what I am basically trying to say here is this – If MJX does a good job with marketing, I’m positive their MJX Bugs 2W (and perhaps 2C as well) will get plenty of sales as well as satisfied customers who’ll spread the word of its performance.

If you’re planning on buying this drone and that’s how you stumbled upon this article, I’d like to say that you won’t regret purchasing MJX Bugs 2W. It’s a fantastic little drone that doesn’t aim too high… but just enough to capture your attention and take you for a wild spin!

Kudos to MJX and thank you guys for reading!

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