We have all had the moment. The phone slips, there is a tiny splash, and you watch your whole life sink to the bottom of the lake. Most of us start crying. Marusya Shiklina sent in a robot. Her “Saved my phone!” Short has racked up more than 18 million views in under two weeks: the phone goes in, a little yellow submarine called the CHASING Gladius Mini S dives after it, grabs it with a claw and brings it home. A $1,000 robot fixing a $1,000 mistake. Honestly, we respect the energy.
First, the claw question
Here is the part the video does not tell you: the grabber claw is not in the basic $999 box. The base Gladius Mini S kit comes with the drone, the remote with its phone holder and the tether. The drone “supports” a claw, which is marketing speak for “sold separately.” CHASING sells the Grabber Claw B on its own for $399. If phone fishing is the whole point, look at the Gladius Mini S Professional Set on Amazon instead. Its listing says it ships with the mechanical arm and a waterproof backpack, and it is $1,399 list (it was down to $1,329.05 when we checked). That is about what the base kit plus the claw would cost you anyway, and the backpack comes along for free.
What the little sub can actually do
Think of it as a drone you fly on a leash. The Gladius Mini S is a tethered ROV (remotely operated vehicle), so a bright yellow cable runs from the sub back to the remote in your hands. That means no Wi-Fi dropouts underwater, and the live video shows up on your phone or tablet clipped to the controller. Five thrusters push it around at up to 4 knots, and CHASING says it can dive to 330 feet. The camera is a 4K shooter with a 1/2.3-inch Sony sensor, electronic stabilization and twin 1,200-lumen lights for murky water. It also logs depth and water temperature while you film, which the fishing crowd will love.
Claimed specs
- Depth: up to 330 ft (100 m)
- Camera: 4K video, 12 MP photos, 1/2.3-inch Sony CMOS, F2.8, EIS
- Lights: two 1,200-lumen LEDs
- Speed: up to 4 knots with five thrusters
- Battery: two built-in 4,800 mAh packs, up to 4 hours per charge, about 3.5 hours to recharge
- Storage: removable 64 GB microSD included, up to 512 GB supported
- Weight: 2.7 kg (about 6 lbs), set up in roughly 3 minutes (CHASING’s figures)
- Tether: 100 m or 200 m versions
- Grabber Claw B (optional): 120 mm jaw opening, up to 6 kg of grip, rated to 100 m
Quirks before you go treasure hunting
The video makes it look easy, but it is a 37-second Short. In real life you still have to find the phone, and in green lake water with a silty bottom that can take a while. The good news is a phone fits easily inside that 120 mm jaw. The tether is both the best and the most annoying part: rock-solid video, but you are basically flying a kite underwater, so watch out for snags on docks, weeds and boat props. The batteries are built in, so when the sub is dead your dive day is over until it recharges. Range depends on the cable: CHASING makes 100 m and 200 m tethers, the base listing quotes about 330 feet of working radius and the Professional Set listing claims up to 660 feet, so check which tether ships in the box before you buy. One more thing: the creator works with CHASING (her video description carries a discount code), so think of the Short as a very fun demo, not a lab test.
Not just a phone fetcher
Phone rescue is the viral trick, but the real everyday uses are more fun. Check your boat hull or mooring without getting wet, scout a fishing spot before you cast, find the wedding ring, the sunglasses or the keys that went off the pier, or just film fish from the comfort of a beach chair. You can also mount an action camera underneath for a second angle. A drone that pays for itself the first time it saves a phone? That is not a hard sell.
GadgetKing take
The Gladius Mini S is not new, but this is exactly why a Short can make old gear feel brand new: everybody has dropped something in the water, and nobody has ever had a robot sub to send after it. Is it overkill for one phone? Absolutely. Is it a blast for anyone who owns a boat, a dock or a fishing obsession? Also absolutely. Our advice is simple. If the claw is why you want it, skip the base kit and grab the Professional Set, because the jump from the base kit costs about what the claw does on its own, and you get a backpack too. And maybe buy a floating phone strap too. It is cheaper.
Where to get it
Buy the CHASING Gladius Mini S Professional Set with the grabber here ($1,399 list, $1,329.05 at last check). Just want to explore? Get the CHASING Gladius Mini S base kit for $999 (yellow), or in grey for the same price. Both are sold by CHASING Official. Already own one? The Grabber Claw B is $399 from CHASING.
Sources: CHASING (specs), CHASING Grabber Claw B and the Amazon listings. Video: Marusya Shiklina.
More water toys from the GadgetKing vault: the BIKI underwater drone fish and the Seabob Cayago F7 underwater jet ski.
