Autel smart controller for EVO II

[wmaldridge]

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.

I agree that the price is not competitive. You could get an iPad, holder and antenna booster for less. I know it's convenient but the price could be a stopper. I am interested in this option but not sure I can take the price point.

 

[herein2021]

I agree that the price is not competitive. You could get an iPad, holder and antenna booster for less. I know it's convenient but the price could be a stopper. I am interested in this option but not sure I can take the price point.

It is probably an early adopter price, I'd imagine within a few months it will drop to around $800 just in time for the holidays. Camera equipment always does this.

 

[Rattlebars]

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.

I can only find specs on the S21 to be 942 nits. I have my eye on one and can trade (or sell) my Note 9 for $500 or so in a month when it's eligible. A friend has the Ultra and can see anything in direct sunlight. Yes, serving another drone is usefull. I have access to a P4 and plan on a mini next month.

 

[kenautelevo2pro]

It is probably an early adopter price, I'd imagine within a few months it will drop to around $800 just in time for the holidays. Camera equipment always does this.

dji smart controller has been around forever and today, it's on dji website for $750. did it start out at $1000 - $1100? before my time...

 

[herein2021]

dji smart controller has been around forever and today, it's on dji website for $750. did it start out at $1000 - $1100? before my time...

Funny you should ask...DJI actually started out at $650 and went up to $750 due to the trade war. They did the same thing with the Ronin S when demand far exceeded their expectations. So I don't think DJI is a good case study on what usually happens.

 

[Kristin Xiong]

I agree that the price is not competitive. You could get an iPad, holder and antenna booster for less. I know it's convenient but the price could be a stopper. I am interested in this option but not sure I can take the price point.

You can read the product description on the official website,Here's a link, click it. everyone wants something different, but I think it should be worth it.

 

[Kristin Xiong]

It is probably an early adopter price, I'd imagine within a few months it will drop to around $800 just in time for the holidays. Camera equipment always does this.

Oh,Isn't this product still in presale?There should be a lot of pre-orders, if the product is not good, then I'm sure the price will be reduced

 

[AirStreamPictures]

The controller is not cheap, but given the scale of Autel’s business, it doesn’t seem out of line. I’m primarily a TV commercial producer, so there’s almost always a client or agency person on my set who wants to see what the camera sees, so Live Deck has been on my “must buy” list. (Prior to buying the Evo, I used a Mavic 2P with a smart controller for client shoots, so I could feed an external monitor.) If this controller takes care of that need, then it’s cost for my use case is about the same or a little less than a dedicated tablet.

For me, “single use” is a plus, not a minus. I currently fly using my iPhone 12 Pro Max. It works well. But I don’t like having to shut down it’s other functions when I fly my Evo, so I’ve been considering getting a tablet strictly for use with the Evo.

A custom version of Android that doesn’t get regular security updates from Google seems fine for a device that does not surf the net and is not connected to any of my other devices or my financial accounts. Also, being updated only when Autel has an update should make it more reliable than an app that has to deal with OS updates outside of its control.

One of the reasons I don’t use Android systems is that there are just too many variations of both hardware and OS, and I don’t know how to navigate those options. That’s on me, of course, for not wanting to take the time to learn about them, but this controller, assuming Autel has done a good job of speccing the system, solves that.

All that said, I’ll almost surely buy one after it gets into people’s hands and I see positive reviews of its functionality. I don’t really want to be a beta tester.

 

[herein2021]

Lets take a vote....how many people think @Kristin Xiong and @MCss454 work for Autel and signed up to promote the smart controller? No posts about the EVO, both signed up right around the time the controller was released, and both are reciting the tech specs.

This could be a good thing...maybe while they are here they could take a look at our wishlist thread. I'll make a deal with you Autel...if you fix/add everything on my wish list I would actually buy a smart controller just to say thank you for making the perfect drone.

 

[AirStreamPictures]

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!

That’s a nice feature, but for me, the ability to feed the signal to a separate monitor that a client can view is a “must-have”. It doesn’t have to be a hundred yards away.

 

[MCss454]

Lets take a vote....how many people think @Kristin Xiong and @MCss454 work for Autel and signed up to promote the smart controller? No posts about the EVO, both signed up right around the time the controller was released, and both are reciting the tech specs.

This could be a good thing...maybe while they are here they could take a look at our wishlist thread. I'll make a deal with you Autel...if you fix/add everything on my wish list I would actually buy a smart controller just to say thank you for making the perfect drone.

Sure would be nice to be getting some kick back for doing my research. Sorry but your wild theory is a mere coincidence. I just recently purchased an Evo due to being able to switch out for an 8k or a FLIR camera and collision avoidance capability. Then after flying a few times decided I didn't like using my cell phone for flying. Then low and behold Autel releases the smart controller like magic. Not only that but seems to have really good specs (research again) compared to the DJI or Tripletek (which I heard of from you before I decided to purchase Autel) or any other expensive controllers to use.

Not sure how I stumbled upon this forum but glad it exists, probably whilst doing my research.

 

[Rattlebars]

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.

I can find only 942 spec for the S21. Where did you find 1500?

 

[Eagle's Eye Photo]

My Samsung S21 + is more than enough for me with over 1500 nits and <SNIP>

I can find only 942 spec for the S21. Where did you find 1500?

1500 nits is the OEM spec brightness for the S21 Ultra

1300 nits is the OEM spec brightness for the S21 Plus

but I might be nit-picking... ?

 

[Kristin Xiong]

Lets take a vote....how many people think @Kristin Xiong and @MCss454 work for Autel and signed up to promote the smart controller? No posts about the EVO, both signed up right around the time the controller was released, and both are reciting the tech specs.

This could be a good thing...maybe while they are here they could take a look at our wishlist thread. I'll make a deal with you Autel...if you fix/add everything on my wish list I would actually buy a smart controller just to say thank you for making the perfect drone.

Should I be entitled to a better discount if I am an internal Autel employee??Hahaha, your words are really interesting, but it may not be a good thing to guess whether others work for others. I just want to have a deeper understanding of this product. Because the price is relatively high, I am hesitating whether it is worth buying, so I post this and try to find out some shortcoming,If the product shortcoming is not too big, then I may buy it. Compared with using a mobile phone to control the aircraft, I think a controller with a large screen will be more suitable for me,Especially when you're standing under the bright sun.