If you’re new to FPV, the NewBeeDrone Hummingbird V4 is an excellent tiny whoop to start with. After spending time flying it, I can confidently say: this drone flies beautifully—but it has one weakness that holds it back from being the perfect beginner quad—the battery connector. Fortunately, this can be easily addressed, and I’ll show you how later in this review. Let’s dive into the details and help you decide if the Hummingbird V4 is the right drone for you.
Learn more about tiny whoops and recommended parts here: https://oscarliang.com/best-tiny-whoop/
Table of Contents
Where to Buy
You can get your Hummingbird V4 from these retailers:
- NewBeeDrone: https://oscarliang.com/product-ob43
- AliExpress: https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_oD3VvcS
- GetFPV: https://oscarliang.com/product-17j6
- RDQ: https://oscarliang.com/product-udpj
Inside the box, you’ll find the following accessories:
- One set of spare propellers
- Prop removal tool
- Spare screws and rubber grommet kit
Note: Batteries are not included. You’ll need to purchase your own 1S 300mAh LiHV batteries with PH2.0 connectors: https://oscarliang.com/product-qifg
Hummingbird V4 Specifications
- Drone Size: 65mm
- Flight Controller: Hummingbird V4 AIO FC
- Receiver: ExpressLRS 2.4GHz SPI (integrated into the FC)
- VTX: SmartMax 25mW / 100mW / 400mW switchable (integrated)
- Frame: Cockroach V3 65mm Ultra Light
- Motors: Hummingbird 0702 30,000KV
- Propellers: Azi Tri-Blade 31mm
- Camera: BeeEye Camera
- Canopy: Goober V2
- Battery Connector: PH2.0
- Recommended Battery: 1S 300mAh LiHV
- Weight (without battery): 19.35g
What’s New Compared to the Hummingbird V3?
NewBeeDrone has made several notable improvements over the Hummingbird V3 (full review here: https://oscarliang.com/newbeedrone-hummingbird-v3/):
- Lighter: V4 is approximately 2g lighter than V3
- More power: VTX max output increased from 25mW to 400mW
- Higher motor KV: Upgraded from 25,000KV to 30,000KV
Closer Look
The propellers and canopy come in random colors for a bit of surprise—mine arrived in a translucent white, which looks sleek and clean.
The frame and canopy are made from durable plastic, and they’re among the most crash-resistant materials available in the tiny whoop category. The camera angle is adjustable from 5° to 55°, offering great flexibility depending how fast you want to fly. This is a beginner-friendly feature that makes the Hummingbird V4 more adaptable compared to many other popular whoops on the market.
The flight controller features four bright RGB LEDs, one on each edge, which can be customized to display various patterns. This makes the drone stand out in low-light environments—perfect for racing with friends, where the lights can be customized and help differentiate between pilots.
Both the radio receiver and VTX are integrated into the flight controller, and the camera plugs directly into the FC as well. The motors are plug-and-play, meaning no soldering is required anywhere on this drone. This makes repairs and part replacements incredibly easy. Do note, however, that the camera and motor have special connectors that are not compatible with components from other brands, so replacements will have to come from NewBeeDrone.
At the back of the canopy, you’ll find two antennas: a longer one for the receiver and a shorter one for the VTX.
Outdated PH2.0 Battery Connector
Unfortunately, the Hummingbird V4 still ships with PH2.0 battery connector, which feels outdated in 2025. Most modern 1S batteries and chargers now use BT2.0 or A30 connectors, which provide lower internal resistance, reduced voltage sag, better power delivery, and ultimately longer flight times. Considering the V4 now runs on 30,000KV motors—very power-hungry by nature—making this older connector struggle even more.
While the PH2.0 connector might not be a big deal for beginners who won’t immediately notice performance differences, you will eventually outgrow it. Upgrading later to better batteries will cost more in the long run.
I raised this same concern in my Hummingbird V3 review, and it’s disappointing that it hasn’t been addressed. That said, the fix is simple—I swapped the connector myself in under 10 minutes. I had no choice anyway, since I no longer own any batteries with PH2.0 connectors.
If you’re in a similar position, I recommend getting a BT2.0 U Cable, which is also compatible with A30 batteries: https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_DDTv0pr
Flight Performance
The first thing I noticed when flying the Hummingbird V4 indoors was how smooth and predictable it felt. Right out of the box, this quad flew beautifully—no PID tuning required. Control felt locked in, with excellent throttle response and nimble handling. Even using stock rates and PIDs, I felt totally in control of the drone. For beginners, this is exactly what you want: a drone that flies great with minimal setup.
After upgrading to a BT2.0 connector, I was getting about 3:00 to 3:30 minutes of flight time using a 1S 300mAh battery. That’s fairly typical for 1S whoops. With the stock PH2.0 connector, you can expect a shorter flight time (around 2.5 minutes) and early low-voltage warnings, due to the worse voltage sag.
I also appreciated the wide camera angle adjustability. If you’re just starting out, I recommend setting the angle between 10° and 15°—perfect for slow, precise flying in tight indoor spaces.
Room for Improvement
Aside from the battery connector, there are a few other areas where the Hummingbird V4 could be improved.
The Goober V2 canopy is strong and crash-resistant, but it offers little to no camera protection. The lens sticks out beyond the canopy, making it vulnerable to direct impacts. This feels like a design oversight. If you tend to fly aggressively or crash frequently (let’s be honest—everyone does with a whoop!), this is something to watch out for. A simple fix is to add a couple of small pieces of foam next to the lens as bumpers.
The camera mount also uses a 3D-printed insert that doesn’t lock the tilt angle in place. After a hard crash, the camera angle might shift, which can be disorienting. A locking mechanism would be a nice touch in future versions.
Another point: the onboard ExpressLRS receiver is SPI-based. This isn’t ideal, especially considering NewBeeDrone already released the RaceSpec V2 with a newer flight controller that uses a UART-based ELRS receiver. That said, this likely isn’t a dealbreaker. For most people, it’s simply not necessary to update the firmware on the FC or receiver—and by the time you need to, you’ll probably have moved on to another better and newer whoop anyway.
How to Setup for First Flight
The FC comes with Betaflight 4.5.1, and the FC target is HUMMINGBIRD_F4_V4, original CLI Diff can be found here. ESC firmware is Bluejay, 0.19, 48kHz (O-H-10).
Firstly, bind the receiver, go to the Receiver tab in Betaflight, and enter your bind phrase there. Alternatively, click “Bind Receiver” button at the bottom., then go to ExpressLRS LUA script on your radio and enable Bind mode. Follow this guide if you don’t know how: https://oscarliang.com/bind-expresslrs-receivers/#Method-1-Bind-Button-in-Betaflight-Configurator
For maiden flight, here are the Betaflight configurations:
- Load ExpressLRS Preset
- Set Your Rates
- Set Arm switch, angle mode switch, turtle mode switch
- Set OSD (disable “Core Temperature” under warnings, replace RSSI with RSSI_dBm)
- Adjust your VTX channel and power (25mW to 400mW) based on your flying environment.
Final Verdict
The NewBeeDrone Hummingbird V4 is an excellent beginner-friendly tiny whoop. It’s lightweight, responsive, well-tuned right out of the box, and performs beautifully indoor. The plug-and-play design means minimal soldering is required—only the battery connector if you choose to upgrade it—making repairs and maintenance straightforward, even for beginners.
You can get your Hummingbird V4 from these retailers:
- NewBeeDrone: https://oscarliang.com/product-ob43
- AliExpress: https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_oD3VvcS
- GetFPV: https://oscarliang.com/product-17j6
- RDQ: https://oscarliang.com/product-udpj
However, the continued use of the PH2.0 connector in 2025 is a serious drawback. If you decide to pick up this whoop, I highly recommend swapping it out with a BT2.0 U cable so you can use A30 or BT2.0 batteries.
For experienced pilots looking for maximum performance, you might want to consider more powerful alternatives like the NewBeeDrone RaceSpec V2 or BetaFPV Air65. Check out my recommendations here: https://oscarliang.com/best-tiny-whoop/
2 comments
Thanks for the review. I’m in the market for a new 65mm whoop in December 2025 To fly indoors and also a bit of outdoor use which would you recommend I’m by no means a great pilot I tend to fly only in angle mode at the moment
here are my recommendations: https://oscarliang.com/best-tiny-whoop/#Best-65mm-Tiny-Whoops