Autel EVO Nano+ vs Autel X-Star Premium
The Autel EVO Nano+ and the X-Star Premium are five years and several drone generations apart, and the newer model wins almost every category. The Nano+ weighs 249 g against 1.42 kg, folds to 142×94×55 mm, shoots 50 MP stills...
Autel EVO Nano+
$799 at launch (2021); discontinued
Autel X-Star Premium
$899 in 2016; discontinued
Performance Breakdown
Autel EVO Nano+
add_circle PROS
- 1/1.28-inch 50 MP sensor with an f/1.9 lens, far larger than the X-Star's 12 MP camera
- 249 g folding design that fits a jacket pocket
- Forward, backward and downward obstacle sensing
- SkyLink transmission rated at 10 km (FCC) with 2.7K live view
- 28-minute rated flight time and 4K HDR video
remove_circle CONS
- Autel stopped selling the Nano series worldwide in July 2025, so new units are scarce
- Video tops out at 4K/30fps, with no 4K/60
- No internal storage; a microSD card is required
- Light airframe is more affected by strong wind than a 1.4 kg drone
Autel X-Star Premium
add_circle PROS
- Starpoint optical positioning holds position at low altitude without GPS
- Quick-release 3-axis gimbal camera
- Controller with a built-in telemetry screen; a phone shows the live view
- Slightly higher top speed of 16 m/s
remove_circle CONS
- No obstacle sensing in any direction
- 12 MP stills and a 2 km, 720p live view
- 1.42 kg non-folding airframe: in the US it must be registered with the FAA and broadcast Remote ID, usually via an add-on module
- Discontinued for years; batteries and spare parts are hard to find
The Quick Verdict
The Autel EVO Nano+ and the X-Star Premium are five years and several drone generations apart, and the newer model wins almost every category. The Nano+ weighs 249 g against 1.42 kg, folds to 142×94×55 mm, shoots 50 MP stills and 4K HDR video from a 1/1.28-inch sensor behind an f/1.9 lens, senses obstacles forwards, backwards and downwards, and its SkyLink link is rated at 10 km in FCC regions with a 2.7K live view. The X-Star Premium, Autel's 2016 answer to the DJI Phantom, shoots 12 MP stills and 4K/30 video, has no obstacle sensing and sends a 720p feed over about 2 km. It does fly slightly faster at 16 m/s, and its large battery and Starpoint optical positioning made it a stable platform for its time. Both drones are discontinued: Autel ended worldwide sales of the Nano series in July 2025, with support promised until July 2030, and the X-Star has been out of production for years. If you are choosing between used units, the EVO Nano+ is the clear pick, and in the US its 249 g weight also changes the paperwork, while the 1.42 kg X-Star needs FAA registration and a Remote ID solution.
Alihan Demirdaş is the founder and editor of Drone Ranker. A software developer by profession, he researches drones the way he reads code: from the primary documents. Every review, comparison and news story on the site is written by him from manufacturer specification sheets, FCC and EU certification filings, aviation-authority rules and dated press releases, with the source linked. Unless a page is labelled hands-on, the analysis is documentary; when an aircraft is in his hands, the page says so and carries his own photographs and flight notes. He covers consumer, professional and agricultural drones and is based in Türkiye.
Technical Specifications
Last updated: Oct 2026| Feature | Autel EVO Nano+ | Autel X-Star Premium |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 249 g stars | 1.42 kg with battery and propellers |
| Dimensions | 142×94×55 mm folded; 260×325×55 mm unfolded stars | 350 mm diagonal wheelbase (non-folding) |
| Volume | 734 cm³ folded | Not published |
| Max Speed | 15 m/s (Ludicrous mode) | 16 m/s stars |
| Max Flight Distance | 10 km (FCC) / 5 km (CE) transmission range stars | 2 km (FCC) HD live view range |
| Sensor Size | 1/1.28-inch CMOS stars | Sony Exmor R CMOS (size not confirmed by Autel's listings) |
| Megapixels | 50 MP stars | 12 MP |
| Max ISO | 6400 stars | Not published |
| Flight Time | 28 mins stars | 25 mins |
| Max Resolution | 4K/30fps | 4K/30fps |
| Movie Bitrate | 100 Mbps stars | Not published |
| Field of View | 85° | 108° stars |
| Transmission Range | 10 km (SkyLink, FCC) stars | 2 km (720p live view, 900 MHz video link) |
| Wind Resistance | Level 5 (up to about 10 m/s) stars | Not published |
| Obstacle Avoidance | Forward, backward and downward binocular sensing stars | None |
| Battery Power | 2250 mAh, 7.7 V (17.32 Wh) | 4900 mAh, 14.8 V LiPo stars |
| Charge Time | About 90 mins | About 60 mins stars |
| Internal Storage | None (microSD up to 256 GB) | None (microSD) |
| GPS | Yes | Yes |
| Obstacle Detection | Yes | No |
| Return to Home | Yes | Yes |
| Removable Battery | Yes | Yes |
| Shoots RAW | Yes | Not confirmed |
| HDR Mode | Yes | No |
| Weather Sealed | No | No |
| Best For | Travellers who want a light folding drone with a large sensor and obstacle sensing stars | Owners of a used unit, or collectors; not a new purchase in 2026 |
| Aperture | f/1.9 stars | Not published |
| Photo resolution | 8192×6144 (50 MP) stars | 12 MP |
| Slow motion | 1080p/60fps | 1080p/120fps, 720p/240fps stars |
| Live view | Up to 2.7K stars | 720p |
| Folding design | Yes stars | No |
| Low-altitude positioning without GPS | Downward vision sensors | Starpoint optical positioning |
| Status | Discontinued July 2025, support to July 2030 stars | Discontinued |
This is a specification-based editorial analysis using Autel's published specifications, retailer listings and the sources below. No physical product testing is claimed.
Five years of Autel progress
The X-Star Premium was Autel's first big consumer hit, an orange quadcopter sold from 2016 as a cheaper alternative to the DJI Phantom. The EVO Nano+ arrived in late 2021 as Autel's answer to the DJI Mini series. Comparing them shows how quickly consumer drones shrank: the Nano+ weighs less than a fifth of the X-Star's 1.42 kg and folds small enough for a jacket pocket, while carrying a far larger image sensor.
Camera
The Nano+ uses a 1/1.28-inch 50 MP sensor behind an f/1.9 lens with an 85° field of view, records 4K at up to 30 fps at 100 Mbps and supports 4K HDR video and merged HDR stills. The X-Star Premium uses a Sony Exmor R sensor rated at 12 MP, records 4K/30 and offers 1080p at 120 fps and 720p at 240 fps for slow motion through a 108° lens. For stills and low-light work the Nano+ is in a different class; only for slow-motion clips does the older drone have an edge.
Flight, range and safety
The Nano+ is rated for 28 minutes and 15 m/s, with SkyLink transmission good for 10 km in FCC regions and a live view of up to 2.7K. It senses obstacles forwards, backwards and downwards. The X-Star Premium is rated for 25 minutes and 16 m/s, sends a 720p feed over about 2 km and has no obstacle sensing at all, although its Starpoint positioning helps it hold position at low altitude when GPS is weak.
Buying used in 2026
- EVO Nano+: Autel ended worldwide sales in July 2025 but promised support, firmware and repairs until July 2030, which makes a used unit a more sensible buy.
- X-Star Premium: out of production for years; check battery health and availability before paying anything, because the drone is useless without working packs.
- US rules: the 1.42 kg X-Star must be registered with the FAA and broadcast Remote ID. The 249 g Nano+ is below the 250 g threshold for recreational registration, but commercial flights need registration regardless.
- Neither drone can receive a new FCC authorization under the December 2025 Covered List rules, so expect no new US variants.
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Context, limitations, and sources
Both drones are discontinued, so this is a used-market decision. The EVO Nano+ is the better buy on every published camera, range, sensing and portability figure, and Autel promises support until July 2030. The X-Star Premium only makes sense as a cheap backup or a collector's piece.
Limitations
Specification-based comparison; no hands-on testing. Autel's own Nano+ spec page did not load, so figures come from Autel's shop page and a dealer spec sheet. X-Star Premium figures come from US retailer listings; its sensor size, bitrate and overall dimensions are not published there. Used-unit condition, especially battery health, matters more than specs.