The Autel Robotics X-Star Premium drone boasts a 4K camera, promising stunning aerial footage. But how does its performance stack up against the competition? This review delves into the X-Star’s video quality, ease of use, flight performance, video downlink, customer service, and overall value, providing a comprehensive assessment of this camera drone.
Video Quality: Crisp Images with Minor Color Saturation Issues
The X-Star Premium’s 4K camera delivers crisp images, but exhibits minor color saturation issues, often lending a slightly cool, blue tint to shots. While the gimbal effectively stabilizes footage during straight flight paths, noticeable shake occurs during turns or aggressive maneuvers. Propeller intrusion can be an issue in fast or aggressive flights that tilt the drone, potentially placing propellers within the camera’s view. While not a deal-breaker for most shots, this is a design limitation to consider.
autel robotics x-star premium – the x-star premium
The X-Star Premium’s camera captures detailed images, but some color saturation issues were observed.
User-Friendly Experience: Simple Setup and Intuitive Controls
The X-Star Premium offers a user-friendly experience, with a straightforward setup process. Pairing the drone, controller, and smartphone with the Autel Starlink app is seamless. The comfortable controller features a solid smartphone/tablet mount and responsive joysticks. A prominent pause button allows for quick hovering, enhancing safety for novice pilots. The integrated LCD display provides essential flight information, freeing up the onscreen display for the video downlink.
Flight Performance: Stability Issues at Lower Altitudes
While functional, the X-Star Premium’s flight performance lags behind leading competitors. Takeoffs and landings can be unstable, with the drone exhibiting drifting and bobbing motions. A tendency to tip over during landing increases the risk of propeller damage. At altitudes below 20 feet, the drone’s sensors struggle, resulting in random altitude fluctuations. This issue diminishes at higher altitudes but poses challenges for low-angle shots. In-flight turning can also induce drifting. Autonomous flight modes, like orbit point of interest and cable cam, produce usable footage, although not as smooth as top-tier models. The 25-minute maximum flight time is commendable.
Reliable Video Downlink: Smooth Transmission with Minor Pixelation
The X-Star Premium’s video downlink provides reasonable video quality, albeit with slightly lower resolution. During a 3000-foot flight test, the live video stream remained smooth, with only occasional pixelation. While not as immersive as higher-end models, the downlink is sufficient for framing and capturing desired shots.
Exceptional Customer Service: Prompt and Responsive Support
Autel’s customer service excels, providing prompt and responsive support. A replacement battery was swiftly provided for a defective unit, demonstrating Autel’s commitment to customer satisfaction. Their knowledgeable and helpful representatives provide a positive customer service experience.
autel robotics x-star premium – the x-star premium comes with a nice carrying case.
The included carrying case provides convenient storage and transport for the X-Star Premium.
Value: A Fair Price with Performance Trade-offs
Priced at $900, the Autel Robotics X-star 4k Camera drone offers a fair value proposition considering its features and performance. However, competitors like the DJI Phantom 4, often available at comparable prices, deliver superior performance. For those prioritizing performance, investing slightly more in a higher-end model may be a worthwhile consideration.
Conclusion: A Good Drone with Room for Improvement
The Autel Robotics X-Star 4K camera drone is a capable option for capturing aerial footage, offering a decent 4K camera, user-friendly controls, and exceptional customer service. However, its flight stability issues, particularly at lower altitudes, and minor video quality drawbacks should be considered. While a fair value, the X-Star Premium faces stiff competition from higher-performing models in its price range.
