Autel smart controller for EVO II

[Kristin Xiong]

Functions:

• Has a 7.9-inch "smart controller"
• Provide high-definition real-time image transmission.
• Equipped with a 2000nit display, still clear in bright light
• 4.5h Ultra-long battery life (3 hours at maximum brightness)
• The Autel intelligent controller is designed for use on the EVO II aircraft

Aside from these advantages, Did anyone can tell me the disadvantages of autel intelligent remote control after using it?

 

[PingSpike]

The price is the only disadvantage that I can see.

 

[herein2021]

Functions:

• Has a 7.9-inch "smart controller"
• Provide high-definition real-time image transmission.
• Equipped with a 2000nit display, still clear in bright light
• 4.5h Ultra-long battery life (3 hours at maximum brightness)
• The Autel intelligent controller is designed for use on the EVO II aircraft

Aside from these advantages, Did anyone can tell me the disadvantages of autel intelligent remote control after using it?

I doubt anyone has it in their hands yet, but there are a few obvious ones:

• Price - very costly, you could get more batteries, a case, and other accessories for the price of this controller
• Compatibility - it only works with the EVO II. Right now I use an iPad mini and can use the same tablet to control my DJI drones as well as the EVO II. This remote would not have that capability
• Single Purpose - It can only be used to fly the EVO II, you can't surf the Internet with it or use it for anything else unlike a tablet which is still a tablet with other capabilities
• EcoSystem - This controller pulls you farther into the Autel ecosystem; meaning you've invested more money on an Autel specific part that will make it more costly to leave their ecosystem and who knows if this controller will even work with future versions of the EVO drone or even with their other drone models.
• OS Updates - This is a customized version of Android; that means when Android releases a new security update or feature update you then have to wait for Autel to make it available to the controller as an update meaning security vulnerabilities or new Android features would lag behind the rest of the Android OS or possibly never get implemented. With my iPad mini I can update the minute Apple releases an update if I so choose.
• HW Updates - If Autel comes out with a new design for their standard controller or improves button functions, placement, etc. for their standard controller this one will not benefit from it; and due to the cost you would probably not consider it economically feasible to get the new standard controller.

It is not all bad, I do think this is a great product for the people that want something like this. It is definitely more convenient, much brighter screen than what I currently use, and probably will feel better in the hands than the current controller. But for the reasons listed above, I personally have no interest in it.

 

[Tom skerke]

Pass

 

[claudius62]

Exactly, and for the same price, I prefer to invest in another drone, with which, I am sure I can still use my tablets including my 1400 nits which suits me very well in the sun.

 

[PingSpike]

Which tablet offers 1400nits @claudius62 ?

 

[MCss454]

Well if you look at all the features.

Seems to me it could replace the Autel live deck = $450.
You will not find a tablet with 2000nits brightness but lets just go with any tablet for pricing = $300
Doesn't require a standard controller to use with a tablet to run the Autel App = $250
At least $950 worth of equipment and you end up with an extra standard controller for backup or buddy system I understand.
You should be able to see the screen in any brightness. No tablet or smart phone out there can do that.
Supports 1TB expansion with 128GB of on board storage.
Has the ability to load apps.
Who cares about Android updates it is for flying the DRONE not browsing the web. I prefer that it be stable and work
8 core processor

According to the specs it blows the DJI Smart Controller out of the water. You get what you pay for.

I am going to buy it.

 

[Waldo Pepper]

Well if you look at all the features.

Seems to me it could replace the Autel live deck = $450.
You will not find a tablet with 2000nits brightness but lets just go with any tablet for pricing = $300
Doesn't require a standard controller to use with a tablet to run the Autel App = $250
At least $950 worth of equipment and you end up with an extra standard controller for backup or buddy system I understand.
You should be able to see the screen in any brightness. No tablet or smart phone out there can do that.
Supports 1TB expansion with 128GB of on board storage.
Has the ability to load apps.
Who cares about Android updates it is for flying the DRONE not browsing the web. I prefer that it be stable and work
8 core processor

According to the specs it blows the DJI Smart Controller out of the water. You get what you pay for.

I am going to buy it.

Exactly! Well said, also stronger transmission signal. May not need an AlienTech booster that is an extra $300 plus expense added to our stock controller.

Autel Smart Controller is actually a good deal, counting the days for mine.
Paul

 

[herein2021]

Well if you look at all the features.

Seems to me it could replace the Autel live deck = $450.
You will not find a tablet with 2000nits brightness but lets just go with any tablet for pricing = $300
Doesn't require a standard controller to use with a tablet to run the Autel App = $250
At least $950 worth of equipment and you end up with an extra standard controller for backup or buddy system I understand.
You should be able to see the screen in any brightness. No tablet or smart phone out there can do that.
Supports 1TB expansion with 128GB of on board storage.
Has the ability to load apps.
Who cares about Android updates it is for flying the DRONE not browsing the web. I prefer that it be stable and work
8 core processor

According to the specs it blows the DJI Smart Controller out of the water. You get what you pay for.

I am going to buy it.

Well the OP was asking for disadvantages since the marketing material pretty well covers the advantages so that was the list that I came up with. To each their own; I've flown for professional jobs all over the country and overseas since 2014 without having this so for me personally I don't see the need for it now.

I do think your numbers to justify the price are a little skewed though. If someone does not have a need for the live deck then that would knock off $450 from the alleged value, you already get the regular remote with every EVO purchase so there goes another $250, and if you have any other drone you will still need the tablet to fly the other ones you have so if anything the tablet price should be divided amongst all of the drone systems you own vs. the smart controller which is proprietary for Autel.

And yes, there are other tablets that can be seen in direct sunlight; the Tripletek at 1200 nits is certainly viewable in any lighting condition. The Tripletek also has 128GB of onboard storage expandable to 1TB, it also has the ability to load apps, it also has an 8 core processor, runs a standard version of Android, and can be used with any drone. It also has Wifi, a cell antenna, and Bluetooth which means it could also replace the live deck as well; and it can be used for other things besides just flying the drone.

When I travel overseas especially I travel very light. My iPad mini doubles as my Google maps, Internet surfing in the hotel room, email client, and more. This controller could not replace any of that functionality which would mean I would still need the tablet not to mention I would still need the tablet to fly the other drones that I own. My iPad mini is also perfectly stable and has worked flawlessly since 2016,

On the one hand you mention who cares about Android updates but on the other you also mention you can load apps on it. You may not realize that many Android updates are to patch critical security vulnerabilities and the main vector for those vulnerabilities is via apps. So anytime you have a customized version of Android those critical vulnerabilities will take longer to patch if they ever get patched at all.

As I previously mentioned, I have absolutely nothing against this product and think overall it is a great piece of HW. It is clear you already intend to buy it which is great; the more revenue Autel makes the more we all benefit from the new products. But keep in mind that there are always two sides to every story and this product is not a good fit for everyone; myself included.

 

[MCss454]

Well the OP was asking for disadvantages since the marketing material pretty well covers the advantages so that was the list that I came up with. To each their own; I've flown for professional jobs all over the country and overseas since 2014 without having this so for me personally I don't see the need for it now.

I do think your numbers to justify the price are a little skewed though. If someone does not have a need for the live deck then that would knock off $450 from the alleged value, you already get the regular remote with every EVO purchase so there goes another $250, and if you have any other drone you will still need the tablet to fly the other ones you have so if anything the tablet price should be divided amongst all of the drone systems you own vs. the smart controller which is proprietary for Autel.

And yes, there are other tablets that can be seen in direct sunlight; the Tripletek at 1200 nits is certainly viewable in any lighting condition. The Tripletek also has 128GB of onboard storage expandable to 1TB, it also has the ability to load apps, it also has an 8 core processor, runs a standard version of Android, and can be used with any drone. It also has Wifi, a cell antenna, and Bluetooth which means it could also replace the live deck as well; and it can be used for other things besides just flying the drone.

When I travel overseas especially I travel very light. My iPad mini doubles as my Google maps, Internet surfing in the hotel room, email client, and more. This controller could not replace any of that functionality which would mean I would still need the tablet not to mention I would still need the tablet to fly the other drones that I own. My iPad mini is also perfectly stable and has worked flawlessly since 2016,

On the one hand you mention who cares about Android updates but on the other you also mention you can load apps on it. You may not realize that many Android updates are to patch critical security vulnerabilities and the main vector for those vulnerabilities is via apps. So anytime you have a customized version of Android those critical vulnerabilities will take longer to patch if they ever get patched at all.

As I previously mentioned, I have absolutely nothing against this product and think overall it is a great piece of HW. It is clear you already intend to buy it which is great; the more revenue Autel makes the more we all benefit from the new products. But keep in mind that there are always two sides to every story and this product is not a good fit for everyone; myself included.

Well it appears that you have never used one. But glad you are able to discern it's issues in your eyes. I will "never say never" own an Apple product. Most people would not have any reason to be using it for phone calls or surfing the web since its purpose to fly the EVO as a dedicated device and that is why they purchased it. Then I can leave my Samsung S10 or what ever smartphone I have in the future free to use as needed. But glad you have been able to travel the world shooting drone footage.

Oh and that TripleTek isn't cheap and seems to be behind the curve on the Android version. The one I saw was running Android 8.1 out of the box. Seems that for a little more money (Amazon $599) I can get the Smart Controller that supports all the features I would need in the foreseeable future. Hopefully be secure in knowing that any updates for Android won't compromise the integrity of the controller since Autel will be involved in testing.

Thanks for your input always nice to see pros and cons. Just wanted to make sure he knew of the pros including the devices it replaces. You did see that is supports 4/5g USB?

 

[claudius62]

My Samsung S21 + is more than enough for me with over 1500 nits and has the advantage of serving both the Evo, Mavic 2 Pro and my old Inspire. I call it flexibility. I do not see the moment to buy in addition a radio dedicated to a single device, I already have the dedicated radio of the H520 (but delivered with it) which I sometimes consider too cumbersome.

 

[PingSpike]

My Samsung S21 + is more than enough for me with over 1500 nits

That's really bright for a phone ?

How many minutes can it run at that peak before dropping back down again @claudius62 ?

 

[PingSpike]

I am sure I can still use my tablets including my 1400 nits

Which tablet offers 1400nits @claudius62 ?

 

[Brock Inspector]

The elephant-in-the-room seems to be the way this was rolled out. Autel Robotics in Bothell, WA didn't acknowledge the existence of it until foreign affiliates and dealers started taking preorders. That's not a very credible way to market a product so high-end it appeals largely to governmental departments, fire/first responder agencies and enterprise users with deep pockets-- particularly since Bothell and their public-facing site is the USA-assembled, USA-warranted, and no Chinese servers are getting your data kind of operation. The preorder bit starts to resemble a crowd-sourced funding scheme prior to actually going into production with it. I wonder if there are enough wealthy obsessive fan-boy types to make that work for Autel (they're not DJI, nor Sony's Play Station division)
Second, the chipset is a strange choice for 2021. The Samsung Exynos 8895 appears to have only ever been used in the Samsung Note 8. A flagship phone in it's day, that day being 2017, and admittedly a very nice phone. Note 8 however, was designed with specs for Android 8-- and is stuck at Android 9; consequently you can get Note 8's very cheaply nowadays. If it's Autel's custom coded version Android 8 or 9, is it really open to the world? How long until Google stops doing regular security updates for Android 8/9?I understand Yuneec did something similar with their ST16 controller, but locked it down. It may solve Autel's problem for getting the Smart Controller out the door sometime in the next several months, to use a chip that no one else seems to use since 2017, but one thing this Smart Controller will not be doing is editing your 6K and 8K videos. OTOH, an M1-chipped Apple iPad Pro might be able to do that, for similar money.

 

[PTBperegrine]

The elephant-in-the-room seems to be the way this was rolled out. Autel Robotics in Bothell, WA didn't acknowledge the existence of it until foreign affiliates and dealers started taking preorders. That's not a very credible way to market a product so high-end it appeals largely to governmental departments, fire/first responder agencies and enterprise users with deep pockets-- particularly since Bothell and their public-facing site is the USA-assembled, USA-warranted, and no Chinese servers are getting your data kind of operation. The preorder bit starts to resemble a crowd-sourced funding scheme prior to actually going into production with it. I wonder if there are enough wealthy obsessive fan-boy types to make that work for Autel (they're not DJI, nor Sony's Play Station division)
Second, the chipset is a strange choice for 2021. The Samsung Exynos 8895 appears to have only ever been used in the Samsung Note 8. A flagship phone in it's day, that day being 2017, and admittedly a very nice phone. Note 8 however, was designed with specs for Android 8-- and is stuck at Android 9; consequently you can get Note 8's very cheaply nowadays. If it's Autel's custom coded version Android 8 or 9, is it really open to the world? How long until Google stops doing regular security updates for Android 8/9?I understand Yuneec did something similar with their ST16 controller, but locked it down. It may solve Autel's problem for getting the Smart Controller out the door sometime in the next several months, to use a chip that no one else seems to use since 2017, but one thing this Smart Controller will not be doing is editing your 6K and 8K videos. OTOH, an M1-chipped Apple iPad Pro might be able to do that, for similar money.

Thanks, those are very interesting points!

 

[PingSpike]

@Brock Inspector no one is forcing you to buy it mate ?

 

[kenautelevo2pro]

what am I missing about the live deck? I though the strongest feature of the live deck is it's ability to remotely position direct feedback from the camera in a location that is nowhere near the pilot. if you promote a smart controller into the mix, can you demote the regular controller to live deck duty? if so, I'm selling the live deck!

 

[Kristin Xiong]

The price is the only disadvantage that I can see.

It does cost a little bit?，But these advantages may be worth it for this brand and this product?,So i'd like to know more disadvantages about the product to have a compare,Thank you guys??

 

[Kristin Xiong]

I doubt anyone has it in their hands yet, but there are a few obvious ones:

• Price - very costly, you could get more batteries, a case, and other accessories for the price of this controller
• Compatibility - it only works with the EVO II. Right now I use an iPad mini and can use the same tablet to control my DJI drones as well as the EVO II. This remote would not have that capability
• Single Purpose - It can only be used to fly the EVO II, you can't surf the Internet with it or use it for anything else unlike a tablet which is still a tablet with other capabilities
• EcoSystem - This controller pulls you farther into the Autel ecosystem; meaning you've invested more money on an Autel specific part that will make it more costly to leave their ecosystem and who knows if this controller will even work with future versions of the EVO drone or even with their other drone models.
• OS Updates - This is a customized version of Android; that means when Android releases a new security update or feature update you then have to wait for Autel to make it available to the controller as an update meaning security vulnerabilities or new Android features would lag behind the rest of the Android OS or possibly never get implemented. With my iPad mini I can update the minute Apple releases an update if I so choose.
• HW Updates - If Autel comes out with a new design for their standard controller or improves button functions, placement, etc. for their standard controller this one will not benefit from it; and due to the cost you would probably not consider it economically feasible to get the new standard controller.

It is not all bad, I do think this is a great product for the people that want something like this. It is definitely more convenient, much brighter screen than what I currently use, and probably will feel better in the hands than the current controller. But for the reasons listed above, I personally have no interest in it.

Everyone likes something different and has his or her own preference. Thank you for your advice.?

 

[Kristin Xiong]

Well if you look at all the features.

Seems to me it could replace the Autel live deck = $450.
You will not find a tablet with 2000nits brightness but lets just go with any tablet for pricing = $300
Doesn't require a standard controller to use with a tablet to run the Autel App = $250
At least $950 worth of equipment and you end up with an extra standard controller for backup or buddy system I understand.
You should be able to see the screen in any brightness. No tablet or smart phone out there can do that.
Supports 1TB expansion with 128GB of on board storage.
Has the ability to load apps.
Who cares about Android updates it is for flying the DRONE not browsing the web. I prefer that it be stable and work
8 core processor

According to the specs it blows the DJI Smart Controller out of the water. You get what you pay for.

I am going to buy it.

Yes,I do agree this sentence "You will get what you pay for"?.And thank you for your thoughts and suggestions.?I think the introduction and other contents of this product are quite good. What do you think of buying it here：Autel Robotics Smart Controller for EVO II Series