Autel EVO II Pro V3 Review

The Autel EVO II Pro V3 is a well-built drone made from high-quality materials with durability in mind. It comes with the Autel Smart Controller SE, which features an integrated 6.4-inch OLED touchscreen and allows you to fly the Pro V3 without needing your phone.

Image Quality

Among current consumer drones on the market, the Autel EVO II Pro V3 is capable of capturing some of the highest resolution video with its 1-inch camera sensor that shoots in up to 6k, but is limited when it comes to still photos, only able to capture 20 MP images. The camera of the Pro V3 does a good job of balancing light in high contrast shots, but it does seem to lack some range when it comes to overexposure when compared to other high-end drones we have used. We found that the gimbal tilt adjustments are great for slower adjustments, but there appears to be a dead space gap between slow-speed and high-speed adjustments, resulting in jumpy, erratic footage during faster movements. The Autel Explore App allows you to adjust the sensitivity of the gimbal movement, but the dead zone remains. The range of the gimbal on the EVO II allows you to move from 30 degrees all the way to -90 degrees.

Flight Performance

The flight performance of the Autel EVO II Pro V3 is a bit of an enigma, as it demonstrated rock-solid stability in our testing, but the controls are quite twitchy and often sluggish in their response. Our testers described it as sticky. For example, when you give input, the drone responds, but it doesn't stop that movement even after you've stopped giving further control input. Outside of those concerns, the Pro V3 is quite stable during takeoff, landing, and when hovering in place. We believe that its larger footprint, which measures 17 inches diagonally when unfolded, and its weight of 1,190 grams, or 2.62 pounds, contribute positively to its stability performance.

The twitchy controls of the Autel EVO II Pro V3 are erratic, making it difficult to pilot confidently, especially in close quarters. Our flight performance testing revealed that the controls often have no response to input, and then all of a sudden, they exhibit a significant response to control input, making it quite unpredictable and difficult to control. Luckily, the obstacle avoidance of the EVO II performs quite well and will confidently keep you from running into things; however, this feature is disabled when you fly in ludicrous mode at speeds over 22 mph.

Portability

The Autel EVO II Pro V3 is the heaviest drone in our testing lineup, weighing in at over 2.5 pounds. Luckily, the EVO II also comes with the best case in our entire testing lineup that utilizes a rubber gasket to keep out dust and moisture when closed. Although it is big and bulky, it is made from rugged plastic on the outside and has custom-cut foam on the inside that provides an easy fit and superior protection for your drone when being transported. One thing to keep in mind when transporting the EVO II is that its gimbal is quite delicate and fragile when not secured by the plastic gimbal protector. It is just as important to keep that gimbal protector in place when not in use as it is to remove it before flight. The EVO II Pro V3 comes with the type of sturdy case you'd expect a drone in this price range to come with.

Usability

The included Autel Smart Controller SE has an integrated 6.4-inch OLED touchscreen that makes piloting and setting up the Autel EVO II Pro V3 a streamlined and straightforward process. The joysticks of the controller are removable and can be stored in small relief slots in the controller to make it flat for easy and safe transport. The camera feed from the drone to the controller is an impressive 2.3k/60 fps feed, but unfortunately, it was plagued with hitching and lost frames, even when flown nearby, and only gets worse the further away you fly.

The unfortunate video feed performance from the Autel Evo II Pro V3 is surprising, given that the controller has two large antennas on the front that need to be unfolded before each flight. The excellent build quality of the EVO II is evident throughout its construction; however, its performance struggles to meet the same standard. The camera settings and tracking shots are buried deep within menus that are not very user-friendly, and it exhibited very poor dynamic tracking performance in our testing. We also found the charging process to be quite cumbersome compared to many others in our testing lineup, as the EVO II cannot be charged through its USB-C port; instead, the battery must be removed completely and plugged into a proprietary Autel Battery Charger with a complex pin system that is prone to damage. Not all its testing results are bad, though. It delivered a stellar performance in our return-to-home testing, landing almost exactly in the same spot where it took off.

Should You Buy the Autel Evo II Pro V3?

Simply put, the Autel EVO II Pro V3 does not offer significant value to consumers of any budget, and your money is better spent on one of the many drones in DJI's current lineup. That being said, if DJI drones aren't available to you or you'd rather avoid purchasing from them, the EVO II Pro V3 is a well-made drone with 6k video capability, decent flight performance, a nice controller with an integrated screen, and a heavy-duty included carrying case.

What Other Drones Should You Consider?

Our testing revealed that the Autel EVO II Pro V3 struggles with video feed quality and sometimes jumpy controls, and is also the most expensive drone in our lineup. The DJI Air 3S costs less than half of the EVO II Pro V3's lofty asking price and delivers dependable video feed, has a very user-friendly app interface, and is extremely responsive and consistent when it comes to controls, although it's only capable of capturing 4k video. If you're chasing video resolution, the DJI Mavic 3 Pro steps up its video quality capabilities to 5.1k, and it delivered a similarly impressive performance in our testing as the Air 3S, making them both viable alternatives to the EVO II Pro V3.