Autel Robotics Heats Up the Competition with New Drones
In one of the previous posts I wrote about notable sub-250 gram drones. DJI has been a clear cut leader in the sub-250 gram drone space. However, this is about to change as Autel Robotic has announced sub-250 gram drones from the Nano series as well as more powerful Lite series.
Let’s look quickly and spec of both Autel EVO NANO and Aute EVO Lite drones and see how they compare to the current leader - DJI Mini 2.
EVO NANO
- 1/2" CMOS, 48 megapixel camera that can record 4K at 30 FPS
- 3-axis gimbal
- 2.7K at 30 FPS video signal transmission at 6.2 miles
- Subject tracking
- Single-click cinematic modes
- Record voices and ambient sounds on the ground through the remote control’s built-in microphone
- Advanced obstacle avoidance
- 28 min continuous flying
The drone will be offered in different colors: Autel Orange, Arctic White, Deep Space Gray and Blazing Red.
It is expected that the drone will be priced at about $650.
As we can see, at least on paper, Autel NANO is much more powerful than DJI Mini 2, albeit at a slightly higher price. However, the obstacle avoidance is a deal-breaker for many pilots. So, Autel NANO is a clear winner here.
EVO Lite and Lite+
EVO Lite is a bigger brother at 820 grams. However, the drone brings a lot on the table. It comes in two variants Lite and Lite+. Let’s look at the spec and features.
- 1" CMOS camera with an adjustable aperture F2.8 to F11
- 20 megapixels capable of recording 6K video at 30FPS
- Defog mode - the camera auto adjusts when flying through the fog
- 4-axis gimbal design
- 2.7K at 30 FPS video signal transmission at 7.4 miles
- Single-click cinematic modes
- Record voices and ambient sounds on the ground through the remote control’s built-in microphone
- Ultrawide angle, advanced obstacle avoidance
The EVO Lite version comes with a 50 megapixel camera but with a smaller 1/1.27" sensor.
Evo Lite+ is will be priced at $1,249.
Conclusion
With the holiday season almost at the door, the companies will be trying to hunt for customer dollars. One thing is for sure - the competition is heating up.