DJI Air 3S vs Autel EVO II Pro V3
Both are over the 250-gram line, so the legal position is identical and the decision comes down to the rows tinted below — the specs where these two actually differ. The DJI Air 3S is the cheaper of the two at ~$1,399.
| Drone | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bundle price | ~$1,399multi-battery bundle | ~$2,099base kit |
| True first-year price | ~$1,508 | ~$2,099 |
| Flight min per $100 | 3.2 | 1.9 |
| Rating | No cited rating | No cited rating |
| Takeoff weight | 724 g | 1191 g |
| FAA registration | Required | Required |
| Remote ID | Built-in | Built-in |
| Sensor size | 1" | 1" |
| Sensor area | 116.2 mm² | 116.2 mm² |
| Megapixels | 50 MP | 20 MP |
| Max video | 4K/60fps HDR, 4K/120fps slow motion | 6K/30fps |
| Colour depth | 10-bit | 10-bit |
| Log profile | D-Log M | Log |
| Gimbal | 3-axis | 3-axis |
| Obstacle sensing | Omnidirectional + LiDAR | Omnidirectional |
| Claimed flight time | 45 min | 40 min |
| Tested flight time | — | — |
| Battery | 62.5 Wh | 82 Wh |
| Transmission | O4 | SkyLink 2.0 |
| Max range | 20 km | 15 km |
| Max speed | 47 mph | 45 mph |
| Wind resistance | 12 m/s | Level 8 (17 m/s) |
| Service ceiling | 6000 m | 7000 m |
| Internal storage | 42 GB | 8 GB |
| Controller | DJI RC-N3 (phone required); DJI RC 2 with built-in screen at extra cost | Autel Smart Controller SE with a 6.4-inch built-in screen |
| Return to home | Yes | Yes |
| Geofencing | Yes | No |
| Care plan (1 yr) | ~$109 | Not in our snapshot |
| US availability | Limited | Sold |
| Released | 2024 | 2023 |
| Flight claim measured at | 45 minutes measured at a constant 32.4 kph forward flight, at sea level, in windless conditions. Hovering, filming and any headwind all come off that number. | Autel's 40 minutes is quoted for level cruising in still air; the number is not broken down by camera setting or sensing state. |
DJI Air 3S
Where the Air 3 gave you two matched 1/1.3-inch cameras, the Air 3S puts a one-inch 50MP sensor on the wide and keeps a 1/1.3-inch 48MP for the 70mm tele. That is the upgrade almost everyone wanted, and it comes with forward LiDAR bolted onto the omnidirectional vision system, which is the first time DJI's sensing has genuinely worked after dusk. Forty-two gigabytes of internal storage, a 6,000 m ceiling and 12 m/s wind resistance round it out. It sits in a strange spot in 2026: it is the best all-round camera drone DJI has FCC clearance to sell in the US, and the Mavic 4 Pro that beats it never officially arrived here. If you want one aircraft that handles wind, low light and long flights without a caveat, this is the shortest answer in the catalog.
Full spec sheet →Autel EVO II Pro V3
This is the Autel that did not get cancelled, and the one American buyers keep circling back to now that DJI cannot restock. A one-inch 20MP sensor with an adjustable aperture, 6K/30 recording with 12-bit DNG stills, a 6.4-inch screened controller in the box, omnidirectional sensing, and a genuinely serious 82 Wh battery quoted at 40 minutes. Level 8 wind resistance and a 7,000 m ceiling put it well past what the consumer Mavics claim. It is also 1,191 grams, costs $2,099, and sits close enough to Autel's commercial range that the accessories and the pricing behave accordingly. If your reason for shopping is that you want a capable camera drone from a company that is still importing to the US, this is the shortest answer in the catalog.
Full spec sheet →