Dronesgator logo

Autel EVO drone Review (Still good in 2023)

Updated in 2023 by Paul Posea
thumbnai pt site
battery incon 3

30 min Battery

range-icon-2

7km Range

camera icon 150

4k 60p

motors brushless or brushed

Brushless Motors

The Autel Evo was a complete surprise to me, as before knowing what it does, I expected it to be another DJI copycat with the performance of the original Mavic Pro at higher prices. 

But I couldn't be more wrong.

After experiencing it first hand, it suddenly became one of my top recommendations under $1000.

Keep reading if you're interested in having 4k 60p recording, a solid stable gimbal, huge battery life and no worry for always connecting the phone to the transmitter!

What to look for in A camera drone

image stabilization icon

Drone stability

Usually, when it comes to more advanced camera drones, they come with a way to stabilize the drone on the spot. I'm talking about GPS or optical flow cameras.

Evo:GPS+GLONASS + optical flow sensors

battery incon 3

Battery life

Battery life is very important and at this price you should expect nothing under 20 minutes

Autel Evo: 30min advertised (26 minutes in real life)

range-icon-2

Range

If you plan to fly anywhere over the limit of your sight you should look for a drone that can fly over 500m at least.

Autel Evo: 7km (about 4km in Europe)

camera icon 150

Camera

Camera resolution isn't everything. Colors, sharpness and bitrate are very important for the overall image.

Autel Evo: 4k 60p 100mbps

Autel Evo Price and specs

Every drone should be evaluated not only by what the individual drone specs, but also by what the accessories are and what you're getting in the package.

The package you can get for under $1000 is quite complete, coming with a backpack, the spare propellers you probably won't even use because this thing can't really crash and that amazing controller with an in-built screen.

Manufacturer Accessories Include:

  • Remote Controller
  • Power Cable
  • Micro-USB Cable
  • USB-C Cable
  • Remote Controller Cable
  • Intelligent Battery
  • 3x Propeller Pairs
  • microSD Card


Additional Accessories Include:

  • SanDisk Ultra 32GB microSDHC Memory Card with Adapter
  • Sling Backpack
  • Microfiber Cleaning Cloth

A more complete package would require maybe $100 to $200 more from your pocket, but it will come with aditional Micro SD cards, bags and more batteries.

You'll definitely need at least one spare battery to get the most out of this drone, especially if you're gonna use it in a professional setting.

The drone can fly super fast with 72 km/h or simply lower it up to walking speed to make very smooth video.

One big advantage of this quad is that it can take off anywhere, as it doesn't have any geofencing, like DJI drones.

61ER6CFqDyL. SX425

Autel Evo Video Review

Camera quality vs Mavic 2 Pro

The camera has the main outstanding features:

  • it can record in h.265 codec
  • 100mbps
  • 4k in 60 fps (so you can do slight slow motion in high quality, or simply for smoother footage)
autel evo and mavic 2 field of view

The main difference compared to some very expensive drone like the Mavic 2 Pro is the field of view that's wider and better to capture landscapes better. But it's also a downside if you want to focus a subject closely, which many times might be the case.

That means you have to physically move your drone closer to the subject, which means more intrusive flight.

autel evo vs Mavic 2 pro

The autel Evo is a drone with incredible image stabilization and the quality itself is definitely better than the original Mavic Pro and sometimes on par with Mavic 2 Pro or even better (subjective matter at this point).

Transmitter and App

autel evo controller with screen

The transmitter is quite unique and I'd say superior to anything DJI has to offer, simply thanks to its quality and incorporated 3 inch screen.

It also has a smartphone mount on top that can be extended to support a tablet (with a special accessory).

It comes with a gimbal pitch and selection wheel on top so you can go in the menu easily directly from the controller.

drone app screenshot autel evo

The phone app is also very simple and well made, with the main camera settings at the bottom for easy access.

The drone doesn't have as many automatic flight modes as DJI, but it does come with things like "follow me", waypoints and so on.

author-paul-posea-picture
Hi, I'm Paul.
A big drone enthusiast, reviewing, comparing and writing about drones since 2015. I'm all about helping people enjoy and even monetize their hobby.

Become an FAA-Certified Drone Pilot

  • make money from your passion
  • pass the Part 107 test Guarantee (money back
  • 50,000 students and 3,000+ reviews

Use the code DRONESGATOR for $50 off 

Show me the Course!
paul posea
Paul Posea
Hi, I'm a long-time drone reviewer and I hope my articles and comparisons on this site as well as Dronesgator's youtube channel are of as much help as possible.
linkedin facebook pinterest youtube rss twitter instagram facebook-blank rss-blank linkedin-blank pinterest youtube twitter instagram