After multiple leaks let the cat out of the bag, Autel Robotics has officially revealed the first teaser photo of its upcoming sub-250-gram, entry-level Autel Nano drone.
The rumor mill had been abuzz about Autel bringing out a beginner’s drone to compete with the exceedingly popular DJI Mini 2 for a while now.
Update: Autel confirms Sept. 28 launch date for new drones: Nano and EVO Lite
But last week, Chinese social media buzzed with photos of an unannounced Autel drone featuring three-way obstacle avoidance and sporting four different colors. This was soon followed by a video that actually caught the drone in the wild at an exhibition booth in China.
The final leak came in the form of an internal spec sheet that revealed that Autel’s new range of Nano drones could have two versions: one that offers three-direction obstacle avoidance, and a basic model that does not.
Having milked enough buzz from these leaks, Autel then decided to drop an official teaser photo over the weekend, confirming that the Nano drone series would indeed come in four colors as speculated. And to confirm the name of its new drone, it captioned the photo with the title: “The wait will be over in a #Nano second.”
The Nano is a big pivot for Autel Robotics because this is the first time the drone manufacturer is venturing into the hobby drone market. And its plan to do so looks pretty solid on paper.
Three-way obstacle avoidance is a feature that could be extremely useful for newcomers and first-time drone users. Right now, the only sub-250-gram drone to offer obstacle avoidance is the Hubsan Zino Mini Pro, but that company’s credibility is nowhere near Autel’s.
Meanwhile, DJI is also expected to introduce obstacle avoidance tech in the Mini 3.
Read more: Autel Launching New Drones EVO III?
