so basically im a pretty new pilot, been flying a cheap holy stone thing for about 4 months just to get comfortable and im ready to actually spend real money on something. my budget is around 800 dollars give or take and ive been pretty much assuming id get a DJI because everyone always talks about DJI

but my friend who has been flying for like 3 years keeps telling me to look at the autel evo lite+ and his argument is basically that autel doesnt have the same data privacy concerns as DJI and also that the camera on the lite+ is underrated. he flew one at a meetup and was impressed apparently

i honestly dont know enough to evaluate his argument and most of the reviews i find online seem kind of old or feel like sponsored content. does anyone have actual hands on time with both and can give me a straight answer on whether autel is worth considering or if its just a niche thing that enthusiasts overhype. not trying to be rude to autel fans just genuinely trying to figure out what to buy

the data privacy thing is real but also kind of overblown depending on what you actually do with your drone. if youre flying for fun or small personal projects it probably doesnt matter much practically speaking. that said i get why some people care about it

on the actual drone side though - ive flown both and honestly the DJI ecosystem is just more mature. the app is better, the flight modes are more refined, and resale value holds up better if you ever want to upgrade. the autel camera is genuinely decent and the variable aperture on the lite+ is a real feature not just a gimmick, but DJI has caught up in that department with newer models. at your budget id look hard at the mini 4 pro or even a used air 2s before going autel, just because youll find way more tutorials, community support, and accessories without having to hunt around

your friend isnt wrong that autel is underrated tbh, i think people dismiss it too fast just because its not DJI. i had an evo nano+ for a while and liked it. but switching to a mini 3 pro was still a noticeable step up in terms of how smooth everything felt, the software side especially. for a first real drone i think youd have a easier time with DJI just because when somthing goes wrong or you have a question theres like a million forum posts about it already