Well I love my Mini 2 and it is an incredible drone. I have been watching several videos of the new Autel Evo Nano Plus and wonder if this is a Mini 2 killer. It is about £300 more expensive in the UK but it does look very good.

I fear if DJI dont soon say somthing about the Mini 3 they will loose a lot of sales to Autel

Couple of videos below if you are not aware of it



Check out the low light performance in this one

£700 to £800+ is ridiculous.
I think the Mini 2's price is bad enough so I bought second hand for £360 ish.
My Mavic Mini I bought new £415.

Nano+ image quality is better.  I think this will be my next drone purchase.  Thanks for sharing.

As I said unless DJI let us know soon about the Mini 3 I think many will defect to this little Autel Drone.

Wait for the Standard DJI Admin message in a moment...... At the Current time DJI have no Yarda Yarda Yarda

The new Autel range has amazing video and phots quality. I have the Lite+ and the camera is amazing BUT too many issues. The drones and the ap were not ready for release. Flight logs don't process on your profile, shows incorrect status of where drone is on map and blah blah blah. Just was not ready for public use-another rushed product to market. At least Dji's one compared to Autel is much more ready. I went back to the dealer and they said when the new shipment comes in, I can bring back my drone and swap it out.

It will be my next drone as well. Since it won't keep making me waste time launching the app attempting to fly than asking for permission then forcing me to log out and then log back in than go back attempt to fly and ask for permissions again before I can fly my drone. Of course my drone has to be on while I go thru this ridiculous procedure every time. I'm lucky to get 20 minutes out of a battery. Dji has remained silent on this issue that effects several of its users.

The camera is amazing at night.

Autel Nano Plus is more like Air 2 for some of the specs it have, but in a Mini body size/weight.
Low light performance was really great, made me want it instant. But €300 more expensive than Mini 2 and only get 1 battery(?) is a bit too much for me. It also look so much sharper in daylight than Mini 2.

So I want it, but not this year

I don't have a drone yet.
But for me, i want to see waypoint or i don't think i won't buy the mini 3 when it comes out.
Feels like a deal breaker for me.

Does Autel have waypoints?

with the troublesome gimbal issue on mini2 not able to hold angle position in sport mode etc, design flaw.

Autel Evo Nano Plus will be my next sub 250 gram drone.

I only own P3 and MP2, not a smaller drone yet. The Autel seems to be an Air 2 below 250g but much more expensive. Apart from that on paper it looks significantly better than the Mini 2. What is no surprise as it's about 10 months newer. So I guess Mini 3 in a few month will be even better in some aspects, at least price. So I don't see any reason to blaim DJI at the moment or any urge to buy a Autel now if you can wait a few month more.
I have got so many great experiences with all DJI drones so far and mostly bad ones with the competitors the last 7 years, that I personally trust much more in a Mini 3, but let's see...
Anyway, the Autels and any rival is good to push DJI to put some real improvements in the Mini 3!

Arpettaz Posted at 1-23 23:59
Does the Mini 2 crash-land during RTH? No. Does the Mini 2 have a gimbal problem that causes the horizon to tilt all the time? No. I too thought the Nano+ might kill off the Mini 2, especially because of the better camera. But unless Autel sorts out some big fundamental operational flaws - RTH crash landings and gimbal issues being reported on YouTube - it’s not going to sell many drones.

I too have been watching many You Tubers on this and I now feel it has issues. The worst one for me is it seems to be slow and has poor wind handling abilities. Lets all wait for the Mini 3

I will keep my M2

It's almost a year newer and twice as expensive. It better be a mini 2 killer.

I was all ready to buy this, but then I noticed the jello. They need to fix that.

I really think DJI needs to start dropping hints about the capabilities of the Mini 3 soon, otherwise I can see a significant number of defections to the Nano.

I am wondering about another thing than what and how many sensors the Mini3 will have. Here we currently have passively cooled electronics, the Mavic 2 has a fan mounted. So how will the Mini3 heat up if there is additional electronics responsible for sonic sensors (because they will probably be used to detect obstacles)

I am taking a good look at the Nano, because I just had to return my new Mini 2.  The Fly app is not compatible with either of my two phones and when their support agent suggested I go buy a new phone, that's when I gave up and returned it.  The list of supported Android phones is very small.  

Brian_geezer Posted at 2-16 18:51
I am taking a good look at the Nano, because I just had to return my new Mini 2.  The Fly app is not compatible with either of my two phones and when their support agent suggested I go buy a new phone, that's when I gave up and returned it.  The list of supported Android phones is very small.

Yep, that is a big con for me too. Officially, still dji doesn't support Samsung S21+ or Ultra, which are 1 year old popular phones.

DAFlys Posted at 1-16 03:26
The camera is amazing at night.

I wonder why it is that much better, when I bought my mini2 I expected the camera to perform something like my cell phone (S20FE) but no, it is not very powerful in low lightning conditions.

If you do a lot of low light shooting than the Autel is the way to go but @ it's price point it is unfair to compare it to the Mini 2. Strictly based on pricing it would be compared to the MA2 Air.

I was in the market for a second drone, I have he MA2 Air and looked @ Autel. If you read the Autel forums you'll find there are as many if not more complaints about the release than DJI drones. I watched most of the videos on the Nano+ which was where I was going to go, purchased a Mini 2 a couple days ago.

If you hate geofencing and like to shoot low light and don't mind only flying in light wind then the Autel is a good choice.

Autel has as many issues if not more then DJI.

Research is key, many pilots are walking away from Autel because of the issues and price point.
https://autelpilots.com/

I would spend a couple more and get the air 2s. Many people are reporting wind issues and speed and I heard it only goes about 22mph which is too slow for me.

wa.jesse07 Posted at 2-17 10:15
I would spend a couple more and get the air 2s. Many people are reporting wind issues and speed and I heard it only goes about 22mph which is too slow for me.

Agreed, much more drone for about the same price. It's not a pocket friendly but you definitely don't have to worry about the wind. I flew mine MA 2 Air yesterday in Chicago, 16 MPH winds with gusts over 25 and it flew great but I don't fly it over 50 feet from the ground.

Wind seems to be the biggest complaint with incomplete features in the application although DJI does the same thing, look at the rollout of the Mavic 3.

GTS 350 Posted at 1-15 14:46
It will be my next drone as well. Since it won't keep making me waste time launching the app attempting to fly than asking for permission then forcing me to log out and then log back in than go back attempt to fly and ask for permissions again before I can fly my drone. Of course my drone has to be on while I go thru this ridiculous procedure every time. I'm lucky to get 20 minutes out of a battery. Dji has remained silent on this issue that effects several of its users.

are you in some sort of authorization zone?   Seems like it if its asking for permission.

March411 Posted at 2-17 08:38
If you do a lot of low light shooting than the Autel is the way to go but @ it's price point it is unfair to compare it to the Mini 2. Strictly based on pricing it would be compared to the MA2 Air.

I was in the market for a second drone, I have he MA2 Air and looked @ Autel. If you read the Autel forums you'll find there are as many if not more complaints about the release than DJI drones. I watched most of the videos on the Nano+ which was where I was going to go, purchased a Mini 2 a couple days ago.

If you hate geofencing ?

Autel does not have geo fencing?   Seems like geo fencing is a good thing to keep rift raft out of areas they shouldn't be in.  I surprised responsible  pilots object to geofencing.

GTS 350 Posted at 1-15 14:46
It will be my next drone as well. Since it won't keep making me waste time launching the app attempting to fly than asking for permission then forcing me to log out and then log back in than go back attempt to fly and ask for permissions again before I can fly my drone. Of course my drone has to be on while I go thru this ridiculous procedure every time. I'm lucky to get 20 minutes out of a battery. Dji has remained silent on this issue that effects several of its users.

Interesting comments and all valid.
I have bought and used many DJI drones from the Inspire 1,Phantom 4, Mavic 2 zoom, mavic 2 Pro and more and the mini 2.

It was when the mini 2 didn't provide me with correct battery information and RTH. The mini landed some 50 feet from my location, down a cliff, due to a battery problem which DJI never really addressed. The flight logs showed that I was alerted for RTH in  good time which I duly complied with.
During the RTH the mini battery went from about 30% to zero in less than 2 minutes!

After about 3 weeks of hassle from support and DJI saying that this was all my fault, and not wanting to replace the drone (I had paid for the "DJI refresh" warranty) they sent me a refurbished unit.
I flew the mini 2 refurb for 2 flights and have never bothered flying it again.
Have sold all of my DJI drones, never to be repeated due to the lack of customer support!

Now I have another Autel drone, the Nano Plus and super customer service from Autel.

Sorry DJI, you aren't the best at customer service!

FlyingOverABQ Posted at 2-17 16:04
If you hate geofencing ?

Autel does not have geo fencing?   Seems like geo fencing is a good thing to keep rift raft out of areas they shouldn't be in.  I surprised responsible  pilots object to geofencing.

If you are a professional pilot then this isn't a problem, but I do agree with you!

FlyingOverABQ Posted at 2-17 16:04
If you hate geofencing ?

Autel does not have geo fencing?   Seems like geo fencing is a good thing to keep rift raft out of areas they shouldn't be in.  I surprised responsible  pilots object to geofencing.

Completely agree with this.

I've seen YouTube videos and comments on Amazon accessories from people who clearly have absolutely no regard for the rules at all. ("I'll fly where I want.", "Who cares about the 250g rule, it's my drone I'll do what I want".) And I'm pretty sure that there are plenty of people who buy drones online and have no idea that there even are rules and regs.

These are the people who are going to get the rules tightened for the rest of us who want to fly responsibly.

At least geofencing prevents them from flying into restricted airspace and causing a conflict with a manned aircraft. As a manned aircraft pilot I'm grateful for that, and I'd be happy to see geofencing mandated on ALL drones.

Personally, I think these two products target different audiences...  I recently got the drone bug and agonized over what model to purchase for my very first drone.  I did weeks of Googling and binge watched hours of YouTube reviews and comparisons.  All the while in the back of my mind was the legal uncertainty brought about by the new FAA laws here in the US.  Although the specs of the Nano are appealing, as a beginner the Mini 2 seemed more than sufficient to start with, and so far seems as though it may well be exempt of the new Remote ID laws for recreational use, making it a safer investment...  Even then, an "official" DJI refurb model saved me over $100 and still qualifies for their Care Refresh warranty.

Sub 250g drone models may well become even more popular due to their apparent exemption from Remote ID for recreational fliers.  I suspect anyone spending Nano class money on a drone may be more inclined to have some kind of profit based use model (even if only YouTube videos), which is enough to disqualify them from the 44809 exemptions to 107, thus also then mandating Remote ID - resulting in a lot of legal uncertainty, especial if purchased now before drone manufacturers have an opportunity to communitcate how their product lineup fits...

Wonder if their app also crashes and prevents customers from flying?

Lord Antony Posted at 2-17 00:13
Yep, that is a big con for me too. Officially, still dji doesn't support Samsung S21+ or Ultra, which are 1 year old popular phones.

Well, I returned the Mini 2 and bought the Autel Nano.  Running into the same problem with my phone unable to connect to the remote controller!  I need to find another phone to test it, maybe my phone has a problem..  Must say though, Autel support has been a lot better.

Simply put: Mini 2 provides better flying performance, Autel Nano provides better visual performance. Period.
To be honest, I am quite displeased with the Mini's camera: Bad dynamic range, f2.8, small and noisy sensor, bad low-light performance, for getting something near 1080p quality you need to go 4k and into post-processing.
It's okay given the price.
But if Mini 3 should compete with the Nano, DJI needs to urgently wave farewell to their tiny-sensor standard camera they reused for ages.

Grmpf! - Love this forum software not telling you if your post had been saved if doing a quick reply - double-post caused.
Any way of deleting this?

Landey Posted at 3-12 23:48
Simply put: Mini 2 provides better flying performance, Autel Nano provides far better visual performance. Period.
To be honest, I am quite displeased with the Mini's camera: Bad dynamic range, f2.8, small and noisy sensor, bad low-light performance, for getting something near 1080p quality you need to go 4k and into post-processing.
It's okay given the price.

Agreed, many who bought the nano drones have complained and Autel has apparently released a new Nano, a version V1.1 which makes those that bought early upset

I think the Mini 2 is exactly that a Mini drone, and the price is exceptional for the quality of the camera the reliability of it flying. Footage and photos are quite comparable Autel may be slightly better in low light but that’s about it. The Autel has incredible trouble flying in the wind, and problems with bad artefacts in its footage. Its 350 euro more expensive. I think when DJI release a Mini 3 it will be the number 1 drone in any class. I don’t think there is any rush.

Yet more bragging videos from people trying to build up their low-esteem! ... Sad!

Let's try to be honest ...

The Mini 2 flies exceptionally well, I am also happy with it's build quality - and with it's price.
It's a perfect package for almost everyone diving into the world of drone flying on a budget, and without the restrictions coming up with more weight.

But let's face it: The main problem is the camera. Sorry to say, but it's really subpar.
I did some RAW pictures yesterday (sunny day, good light), post-processing with Luminar 4 and Affinity Photo, and found a lot of issues.
1) Low contrast, low dynamic range (with some dynamic range wasting at low and high ends of the range).
2) Extremely noisy, there had been strong noise even in very bright areas of the picture.
3) Low resolution, picture details like trees and other foliage (a typical challenge of digital cameras) being very low.
4) Real bad low-light performance, almost no light, strong noise.
5) Artifacts.
6) Similar problems with videos, compression artifacts, noise. I did 4K, but I would never dare to call the quality 4K - it's like bad 1080p quality.

All in all: Typical performance of a cheap digital camera, not at least on par with a modern smartphone camera, not even a cheap one.

Again: Sorry! for typing this. I like the Mini 2 very much, but we need to face the truth: it's main problem is the camera.


I know, I know ... It's an inexpensive drone, we should not expect more. I am perfectly fine with that idea.
But after taking photos with the Mini 2, I had to realize I cannot use it's camera for more than tiny pictures on social media or instant messengers, not for printing or any other applications where picture quality counts.
Don't kill me for telling the truth.

For the positive part: My greatest wish would be a Mini 2 with a better camera. I can live without that obstacle avoiding sensors, but I can't live with the present picture quality. Thus a Mini 3 just identical with the Mini 2 except a better camera is what I wish for.
Sure, I could get a Mavic 3, but that's above my budget and weight limits.
I could live with a worse performance under windy conditions if the picture quality is acceptable. So I am indeed thinking about buying a Nano.
As far as I know, Autel uses a Leica/Huawei camera. I know that cameras quite well, they're just excellent.

But I'll first wait for DJI coming up with something like the Mini with a (far) better camera, and I am willing to pay more for such a package.

Hope that'll be the Mini 3.

Landey Posted at 3-13 23:49
Let's try to be honest ...

The Mini 2 flies exceptionally well, I am also happy with it's build quality - and with it's price.

I think the mini 3 is going to be a little beast. I predict it will be like a little Air2S

We are at the end of March and no news regarding Mini 3. It is very disappointing. I really love Mini 2 but Nano tears it up in terms of camera. Yes I can get Air2s at that price point but with A2S comes those restrictions that I find quite limiting. Please please DJI drop a word about Mini 3.

johansenfoto Posted at 1-22 19:20
Autel Nano Plus is more like Air 2 for some of the specs it have, but in a Mini body size/weight.
Low light performance was really great, made me want it instant. But €300 more expensive than Mini 2 and only get 1 battery(?) is a bit too much for me. It also look so much sharper in daylight than Mini 2.

i need the nano+ camera to be better than my air 2.
If i knew that it was better the new Autel nano+ would be my next drone possibly.

Have you seen the new update, Nano+ now has Log profile

Autel Sky App
iOS: 1.2.2
Android 1.2.16

New Features:
Added HDR video support and log mode on EVO Nano+
Added the Wi-Fi fast downloading
Added the unlock No-Fly Zone application option in China
Added the feature to upgrade battery firmware individually
Bug Fixes and Optimizations:
Optimized digital zoom performance to reduce the zoom response time and increase the smoothness
Fixed the blinking issue in Panorama mode on EVO Nano+
(Apps will be available once approved. Once apps are updated OTA will push new Firmware update)