The X-Star Premium may not introduce any cutting-edge new technologies, but it does have a good balance of proven features.

Autel Robotics is a fairly new player in the world of aerial photography (AP) platforms. They currently offer two multi-rotors in their product line, the X-Star WiFi ($700) and X-Star Premium ($750). Both of these ships have a 350mm plastic airframe, brushless motors, and a 4K-capable camera. Power comes from a 4-cell 4900mAh LiPo battery. The whole thing is factory assembled. You only need to go through a few setup and calibration steps (and read the manual) to prepare for flight.

This review covers the X-Star Premium. You can view a comparison chart for a summary of the differences between the two X-Star models. There are actually more similarities than variances. But there are two features found only on the premium model that make it the better value in my opinion.

The X-Star Premium includes a hard-shell case that is useful for storage and transport of the quad and its accoutrements. The package comes with one battery, but there is room for a spare inside the case. If you use a tablet to view the video feed, that will also fit inside the case. If you've ever tried to individually schlep all of the gear necessary for an AP flight, then you know how much of a benefit a carrying case can be.

The other factor that tips the scale for the premium model is the video downlink system. The X-Star Premium uses a 900MHz system that routes the signal to the quad's radio transmitter (which effectively makes it a transceiver…semantics). This signal then gets to your phone or tablet screen with Autel's Starlink app and a hard-wired USB connection. The X-Star WiFi uses a 2.4GHz WiFi signal directly to your device.

I'll admit that I've never tested the video system on a standard X-Star. I have, however, flown numerous other AP multi-rotors that used WiFi-based video systems. I've had a few good experiences with WiFi video. Some systems, however, suffered from chronic connection problems and they all had some degree of signal latency. As far as I'm concerned, when there is a non-WiFi option, you should take it.

X-Star Premium Overview

The first thing that people comment about when I fly the X-Star Premium is its orange color. Aside from being a little different, the bright color provides a very helpful benefit…it's easy to see. When you're flying an AP quad, you tend to split your time between looking down at the video screen and spotting the quad in the sky. There are always a few tense moments when you look up to see your ship and it isn't quite where you thought it would be. White quads disappear on cloudy days. Black and grey quads blend in with trees and mountains. But orange is a different story. It is easy to spot in just about any condition.

You can actually buy either model of the X-Star in white or orange. But really, the orange is a good thing. Get the orange.

The X-Star's transmitter is simple and uncluttered. Two transmitters can be paired together for pilot training or to divide the workload when filming.

The included transmitter is uncluttered and functional. I like that the buttons on the face of the transmitter are very clearly labeled with their intended function. You don't want to have to decipher ambiguous icons when you have an in-flight emergency. Knowing exactly what each button does could mean the difference between a safe landing and a bad day.

An adjustable mount on the top of the transmitter can be used to hold your smart device. It will fit a wide array of devices ranging from phones to a full-size iPad. The transmitter gets a top-heavy feel with larger devices attached, but it's tolerable.

The hard-shell case included with the X-Star Premium is a huge benefit for transporting and storing all of the necessary equipment.

The transmitter's USB port located on the back side. So it's a short run to your device. I purchased a 10"-long aftermarket Lightning-to-USB cable so that I could connect my iPhone or iPad without a lot of loose wire hanging down. After I experienced a rash of video connection issues with the X-Star, the problem was eventually traced back to that aftermarket cable. Once I switched to an Apple cable, my video problems went away. There may be short aftermarket cables that will work. Just be aware that quality matters here.

In addition to the real-time video feed and various telemetry data displayed on your device screen, the transmitter also has a small screen that shows you some of the more important data from the X-Star. Things like battery status, altitude, signal strength, even the tilt angle of the camera gimbal can be found here. In this case, the meaning of every icon is not so intuitive. Make sure that you familiarize yourself with the layout of this screen.

The X-Star's 4K camera is integrated into a 3-axis gimbal. In addition to several 4K settings, there are also options to shoot at lower resolution with higher frame rates (2.7K/60fps, 1080P/120FPS, 720P/240FPS). Additionally, you can manipulate numerous camera settings for video and stills. This is all done through the Starlink app.

The Softer Side of the Multi-Rotor Biz

After seeing the highlights of the X-Star, you probably realized that there is nothing ground-breaking about the technology that it uses. It's good stuff, but nothing revolutionary. It seems that Autel has chosen to get their toehold in the market by jazzing up their support game. Like most current manufacturers, the Autel Robotics website has a support area with a searchable knowledge base and video tutorials. The real clinchers here are the live support options. US-based phone and video chat options are available seven days a week.

I had an opportunity to utilize their phone help during my early testing of the X-Star. When I called, an automated message indicated that they were busy and I could leave a callback number. I received a return call within 10 minutes. I never felt rushed as I worked down my laundry list of varied questions about the X-Star. It was during this call that I was guided through troubleshooting steps which pinpointed my short Lightning cable as the video gremlin. All in all, it was a very positive and productive experience.

Although it isn't really related to customer service, the company is currently running an incentive program called "You Pass, We Pay" that I thought was unique. The gist of it is that X-Star owners who pass the FAA's "Part 107" examination for commercial drone use will receive a $150 rebate. This effectively pays for the cost of the examination.

Flying the X-Star Premium

The X-Star has three primary flight modes: GPS, IOC, and ATTI. GPS is the mode that has the most features. It uses GPS signals in addition to sensors on the bottom of the X-Star to maintain its position. It also allows autonomous flight features such as a follow mode, an orbit mode, and programmable waypoints.

The X-Star is easy to fly and its orange color stands out against most backgrounds.

IOC (Intelligent Orientation Control) interprets your control inputs so that the control directions are always relative to the quad's original starting position (Home Point) rather than its real-time orientation. There are actually two flavors of IOC on the X-Star. In Home Lock, right and left translation commands will take the quad in a circumferential path around the Home Point. In Course Lock, right and left commands result in linear movement relative to the quad's orientation at startup.

ATTI Mode uses only the bottom mounted sensors to maintain position. This mode could be handy in situations where GPS signals are weak or nonexistent. You just have to forfeit all of the GPS-enabled autonomous features mentioned above, as well as Go Home.

A bottom-mounted camera and ultrasonic sensors supplement GPS to help the X-Star maintain position.

Like most modern 350mm quads, the X-Star is easy to fly. Anyone with previous flying experience should have no trouble with the X-Star. If you're brand new to multi-rotor flying, the X-Star has several training tools to help get you up to speed. You can even link a second transmitter if you have an instructor to show you the ropes. That same system can also be used to allow one pilot to control the quad while the other works the camera.

Pitch and roll are well balanced. Yaw control, however, is overly-sensitive for my taste. The touchiness of yaw can make it difficult to shoot smooth panning shots with video. The only performance adjustment within the Starlink app is for maximum horizontal speed (11, 22, or 33mph). I am hopeful that the ability to adjust yaw sensitivity will come in a future update.

Overall, the X-Star is enjoyable to fly. I typically fly with the max speed set at 22mph. This gives me sufficient speed for most situations and plenty of resolution for precise control. When I want to cut loose a little, the 33mph setting gives a sporty feel. It's nothing crazy, but it does provide a nice change of pace once in a while.

A simple AC charger is used to refill the flight battery and transmitter.

Autel Robotics claims flying times up to 25 minutes. Most of my flights have maxed out around the 20-minute mark. It takes about an hour to charge a dead battery using the included AC charger. The same charger is also used to replenish the transmitter battery. Both batteries can be charged simultaneously.

Filming with the X-Star

Both versions of the X-Star are equipped with a 4K-capable camera integrated into a 3-axis gimbal.

I've been shooting almost exclusively in 4K (3840x2160/30FPS). I've been quite happy with the performance of the camera and gimbal. The high-resolution camera actually helped me perform a good deed recently. A friend crashed one of his fixed-wing RC models in a crop neighboring our RC field. I don't know what was growing there, but the plants were taller than me and had broad green leaves. Even though I had a rough line on where the model went down, several of us spent more than an hour tromping through the field with no luck. It didn't help that the model was mostly green. The crop was so thick that you would practically have to step on the airplane to find it.

Our next step was to get the X-Star airborne for a higher vantage point. I flew back and forth over the target area hoping to find a glimpse of the lost airplane. Even the video downlink is HD (720P), so I thought we might be able to spot it from above. That effort did not bear fruit either. However, I recorded my search flight in 4K and uploaded it to my laptop when I returned home. Within just a few minutes, I could make out a small area of the model that was visible among the overgrown plants. Had the resolution been any lower, I don't think I would have noticed the subtle color and shape differences.

I went back the next morning and retrieved the model for my buddy. The same lush growth that tried to hide the model also cushioned its impact. There was no damage at all. The crop was harvested just two days later - bullet dodged.

The Starlink app provides a real-time view from the quad. It also allows numerous setting changes for the quad and camera.

The gimbal can be set to "Stabilized" or "FPV" setting. The Stabilized setting is the more common configuration, where the camera is stabilized in pitch, roll, and yaw, while also allowing the pitch angle to be controlled by the pilot. FPV is similar to Stabilized except that the camera does not stay horizontal when the X-Star rolls. Roll movement is still damped by the gimbal, but the camera settles in line with the current roll angle of the quad. The idea is for the pilot to be able to determine the quad's roll angle if using the video feed to fly FPV.

I don't think that the FPV gimbal setting is very practical since the X-Star Premium is not an ideal FPV platform. While the 900MHz video downlink is much better than most WiFi-based systems I've used, these is some latency from time to time – and that's a deal-breaker for FPV. The latency is no issue when using the video as a reference for framing shots. But it's a huge liability if you're counting on the downlink to avoid obstacles in your flight path! Also, the camera pitch is still stabilized in FPV mode. So you never get a complete picture the quad's orientation via the screen.

Final Thoughts

The X-Star is a complete and capable aerial photography platform. It may not be cutting-edge, but it works well.

I think we may have finally turned a corner in the AP multi-rotor market. 3D Robotics has abandoned the consumer side of things, DJI has trimmed its lineup, and fewer upstarts are visible on the horizon. The end result is that the pool of available hobbyist offerings finally appears to be on a downswing. But that still doesn't mean that choosing the best AP ship for you is easy.

The X-Star Premium may not introduce any cutting-edge new technologies, but it does have a good balance of proven features. It is a complete all-around platform for hobbyists who are interested in aerial photography. Autel Robotics' marketing suggests that they've put an emphasis on customer support. My initial experience dealing with them would indicate that it isn't just lip service. The X-Star Premium is definitely worth a look.

Terry is a freelance writer living in Lubbock, Texas. Visit his website at TerryDunn.org and follow him on Twitter and Facebook. You can also hear Terry talk about RC hobbies as one of the hosts of the RC Roundtable podcast.