In the spring of 2022, a category long dominated by a single manufacturer became genuinely contested when two sub-250-gram drones — the Autel Evo Nano+ and the DJI Mini 3 Pro — arrived within months of each other, each carrying capabilities once reserved for larger, costlier machines. The question of which deserves a buyer's trust is less a verdict than a meditation on margins: the Mini 3 Pro earns a narrow lead through a rotating camera, longer endurance, and a superior controller option, while the Nano+ reminds us that meaningful competition rarely produces a loser. What matters most is that
DJI Mini 3 Pro edges out Autel Evo Nano+ in compact drone showdown
The gap is narrow. The Mini 3 Pro is ahead, but it's not a permanent lead.
Mark
Why does a rotating camera matter so much on a drone this small?
Mimi
Because you're often flying in tight spaces or framing shots where you can't rotate the entire aircraft. A 90-degree camera rotation means you can shoot a vertical video or portrait photo without having to reposition the drone. It sounds minor until you're actually trying to frame a building or a person and you realize you can't get the composition you want.
Mark
Both drones have collision avoidance now. Is one system genuinely safer than the other?
Mimi
They're different philosophies. The Nano+ is more conservative—it detects obstacles earlier and stops more aggressively, which is reassuring if you're new to drones. The Mini 3 Pro gives you options: you can let it brake, fly around things, or turn it off entirely. That flexibility matters more once you understand how the drone behaves.
Mark
The battery life difference is only five minutes in real conditions. Does that actually matter?
Mimi
It depends on what you're doing. If you're shooting a single scene, five minutes is nothing. But if you're working a location and want to fly multiple batteries through the day, the Mini 3 Pro's extra capacity means fewer battery swaps. Over a full day of shooting, that adds up.
Mark
Why is the DJI RC Smart Controller worth the extra $150?
Mimi
The touchscreen is genuinely brighter and easier to read than a smartphone in sunlight, and you don't need to carry a phone. But more importantly, it's faster to adjust settings—you're not fumbling with a phone holder or squinting at a small screen. If you're a serious user, it pays for itself in workflow efficiency.
Mark
Autel offers four colors. Does that matter for a tool?
Mimi
Not functionally. But it does suggest Autel is thinking about drones as something people want to own, not just use. The color options feel like a small signal that they're competing on personality, not just specs.
Mark
You said the gap is narrow. Could Autel catch up with firmware updates?
Mimi
Absolutely. They've already promised subject tracking, which the Mini 3 Pro already has. If they deliver that and improve wind handling through software tweaks, the Nano+ becomes genuinely competitive again. Right now the Mini 3 Pro is ahead, but it's not a permanent lead.
Il Polso
- For three years DJI flew unopposed in the sub-250g category — then Autel arrived with collision avoidance in January 2022 and broke the monopoly open.
- Both drones weigh exactly 249 grams, skirting regulatory thresholds worldwide, yet pack obstacle sensing, automated flight modes, and 4K cameras that once required far heavier hardware.
- The Mini 3 Pro pulls ahead in the details that accumulate: a rotating camera for portrait shooting, 25 minutes of real-world flight versus 20, better wind resistance above 20 mph, and an optional touchscreen controller that removes the smartphone entirely.
- The Nano+ fights back with four color options, highly sensitive collision avoidance that reassures beginners, and a firmware roadmap that includes subject tracking — a gap that could close with a single update.
- The verdict is a narrow one: the Mini 3 Pro takes the category crown, but the margin is thin enough that competition, not dominance, now defines this corner of the sky.
In the spring of 2022, a category long dominated by a single manufacturer became genuinely contested when two sub-250-gram drones — the Autel Evo Nano+ and the DJI Mini 3 Pro — arrived within months of each other, each carrying capabilities once reserved for larger, costlier machines. The question of which deserves a buyer's trust is less a verdict than a meditation on margins: the Mini 3 Pro earns a narrow lead through a rotating camera, longer endurance, and a superior controller option, while the Nano+ reminds us that meaningful competition rarely produces a loser. What matters most is that the sky, for compact drone pilots, has quietly grown larger.
Two compact drones arrived within five months of each other in 2022, and a category DJI had owned alone for three years became genuinely contested. The Autel Evo Nano+ launched in January; the DJI Mini 3 Pro followed in May. Both weigh exactly 249 grams — just under the threshold that triggers regulatory oversight in most countries — and both carry features that until recently belonged only to larger, more expensive machines.
For years the sub-250g space was DJI's alone. Then Autel introduced collision avoidance at this weight class, opening the door to automated flight patterns, obstacle sensing, and subject tracking. The Mini 3 Pro arrived with the same tools already built in, and suddenly buyers had a real choice.
The two machines look different despite their identical weight. The Mini 3 Pro is slightly larger and comes only in light grey; Autel offers four colors. On the controller front, DJI provides two options — a standard phone-holder remote or a premium RC Smart Controller with a 5.5-inch touchscreen. The Nano+'s gamepad-style controller is quicker to deploy but less compact.
Pricing lands in the same ballpark. The Nano+ Standard Bundle runs $899; the Mini 3 Pro starts at $669 without a controller and reaches $909 paired with the premium RC. Where the machines truly separate is in the details. The Mini 3 Pro's camera rotates 90 degrees, enabling portrait or landscape shooting without repositioning the drone — a meaningful creative advantage. Its 21.1-megapixel sensor shoots 4K at up to 60fps; the Nano+'s 12.5-megapixel sensor caps at 30fps. Real-world flight time favors the Mini 3 Pro at around 25 minutes versus 20, and in winds above 20 mph the Nano+ can struggle, sometimes requiring a lower altitude and an indirect path home.
Both drones handle obstacle avoidance differently. The Nano+'s highly sensitive binocular sensors suit cautious beginners well. The Mini 3 Pro's system integrates with APAS 4.0, letting pilots choose whether the drone brakes, routes around obstacles, or presses on — more flexible in complex environments.
The verdict comes down to margins. The Mini 3 Pro edges ahead on camera versatility, endurance, wind resistance, and controller quality. But the gap is narrow. The Nano+ remains competitive, and Autel's promised subject-tracking firmware update could close the distance further. For now, the Mini 3 Pro wears the crown — only slightly.
Two compact drones arrived in the market within five months of each other in 2022, and suddenly the category that DJI had owned alone for three years became genuinely contested. The Autel Evo Nano+ launched in January, followed by the DJI Mini 3 Pro in May. Both weigh exactly 249 grams—just under the threshold that triggers regulatory oversight in most countries—and both pack features that, until recently, belonged only to larger, more expensive machines.
For years, the sub-250g space was DJI's domain. The original Mavic Mini arrived in 2019, followed by the Mini 2 in 2020, and neither had serious rivals. Then Autel changed the game by putting collision avoidance into a drone this small. That single feature opened the door to other advanced capabilities: automated flight patterns, subject tracking, obstacle sensing in multiple directions. The Mini 3 Pro arrived with the same tools already built in, and suddenly drone buyers had a real choice.
The two machines look different despite their identical weight. The Mini 3 Pro is slightly larger, with small feet at the front and back of the airframe. The Nano+ has short legs attached to its propeller arms. Both fold small enough to fit in a jacket pocket or camera bag. The Mini 3 Pro comes only in light grey, while Autel offers four colors: Classic Orange, Deep Space Grey, Blazing Red, and Arctic White. On the controller front, DJI offers two options—a standard RC-N1 with a phone holder and removable sticks, or the new RC Smart Controller with a 5.5-inch touchscreen. The Nano+ controller resembles an Xbox pad with a large phone holder, and it's quicker to use but doesn't fold as compactly.
Pricing puts them in the same ballpark. The Nano+ Standard Bundle costs $899 and includes the drone, one battery, and accessories. The Premium Bundle adds two extra batteries and a charging hub for $1,049. The Mini 3 Pro comes in three configurations: $669 without a controller, $759 with the standard RC-N1, or $909 with the premium RC Smart Controller. A separate Fly More Bundle adds batteries and accessories for $189 to $249 depending on region.
Where the machines truly separate is in the details. The Mini 3 Pro has larger propellers that run quieter and deliver more power. Its camera—a 21.1-megapixel sensor with a 24mm equivalent focal length and f/1.7 aperture—rotates 90 degrees, letting you shoot portrait or landscape video and photos without rotating the entire drone. The Nano+ camera is a 12.5-megapixel 1/1.28-inch sensor with a 23mm equivalent and f/1.9 aperture. Both can shoot 4K video, though the Mini 3 Pro goes up to 60 frames per second while the Nano+ maxes out at 30fps. Both handle high ISO noise well in photos, though the Mini 3 Pro shows slightly better edge sharpness.
In the air, the Mini 3 Pro's 2,453-milliamp-hour battery delivers around 25 minutes of real-world flight time, compared to the Nano+'s 20 minutes from a 2,250mAh cell. Both drones have three flight modes, with the fastest reaching 35.7 mph on the Mini 3 Pro and 33 mph on the Nano+. Wind resistance favors the Mini 3 Pro—in gusts over 20 mph, the Nano+ can struggle when flying into the wind, sometimes requiring a lower altitude and zigzag approach home. Both drones pioneered collision avoidance in this weight class, though they work differently. The Nano+ uses three-way binocular vision sensors and is highly sensitive, making it better suited for absolute beginners. The Mini 3 Pro's tri-directional obstacle sensing works with Advanced Pilot Assistance Systems 4.0, which lets you choose whether the drone brakes, flies around obstacles, or ignores them entirely—more flexible for complex environments.
The verdict comes down to margins. The Mini 3 Pro edges ahead thanks to its rotating camera, longer flight times, better wind handling, and the option to pair it with the DJI RC Smart Controller, whose bright screen and intuitive interface make flying and adjusting settings faster and easier than using a smartphone. But the gap is narrow. The Nano+ remains competitive, offers more color choices, and its sensitive collision avoidance appeals to pilots who value caution. Autel has promised subject-tracking updates via firmware, and the company has a track record of improving its drones over time. For now, the Mini 3 Pro takes the crown—but only slightly.
Citazioni salienti
The DJI RC makes settings up and flying so much quicker and easier than with a standard controller, while its screen is brighter and more comfortable to view than a smartphone screen.— TechRadar review
The Nano+ is advertised as having subject tracking capabilities, but this will be delivered in a future firmware update so couldn't be tested.— TechRadar review
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