First let me say I'm a wet-behind-the-ears newbie who has only flown toy copters and quads until the last three weeks.
I bought a Bebop (NOT the Bebop 2) about 3 weeks ago and loved it (compared to RC toy quads). Eons more advanced that the toys I'd been flying. I almost lost it at dusk, in the mountains outside Gatlinburg, TN, but managed to navigate home safely without putting the RTH to the test. Then took it for a very brief swim when a flight plan turned south. Apparently it's a hearty machine... I dried it out and it flew just fine. Loved the stability, the GPS/altitude hold, the [theoretical... never tested) RTH, and the video/photo quality. I knew immediately that toy drones were a thing of the past for me, and was convinced, momentarily, that the Bebop would serve my needs for the foreseeable future... which proved to be extremely short, as it turned out.
Several days after buying (and feeling right proud of it) my Parrot Bebop, I flew with a friend who has a 3DR Solo,
Big mistake.
It didn't take long for me to convince myself that I 'needed' more than the Bebop could offer. I had decided on the Parrot (budgetary concerns), but had already narrowed my 'if-I-could-afford-it-next-level' choices to the 3DR Solo, the Xiro Xplorer V, and the Phantom 3 Standard. (I even considered the Hubsan X4 501S and the soon-to-be-out 501A). My priorities were range, battery life, GPS/RTH, and IOC functions. I also didn't want to have to pay extra for a decent camera and a 3 axis gimbal.
Less than 2 weeks after buying (and flying several times daily) the Parrot, I pulled the trigger on the DJI Phantom 3 Standard. I need it like I need a hole in my head, but I'd been reading and watching videos about drones for the last 6 months, and had decided that it had all the main features I wanted without going over $500. I really like the 3DR Solo, but I was gonna have to drop additional cash for a GoPro Hero, so I ruled it out and got the DJI P3S.
After flying it all of 5 times (and taking the Parrot out each time, as well), I am ready to give up my Parrot.
I'm amazed at the difference in stability/position hold, responsiveness, range, uninterrupted flight time, and other features (over the Bebop). It's significant. Very significant.
I'm glad that I got the Parrot and had a chance to fly it a dozen times or so. I learned a some good lessons without a huge cost outlay/risk (Walmart had it new on rollback for $200).
Although the Bebop is good training, the Phantom is in an entirely different class. I flew them both today and my confidence level was far greater with the P3S. It does what it is told to do. Period.
If I had $300-$400 more available, I'd have opted for one with Lightbridge, but I am hugely satisfied with the Phantom 3 Standard!
(Anybody want to buy a Parrot?)