As someone who's used DJI gimbals for years, switching to the AOCHUAN XE AI felt like trading in a luxury sedan for a sporty hatchback – different, but surprisingly capable. The AI face tracking works impressively well without any app, and I love how it locks onto subjects during my daughter's dance recitals.

The 3-axis stabilization is smooth enough for professional-looking TikTok clips, though I did notice occasional micro-jitters when walking briskly. Battery life is fantastic – it lasted through an entire day of filming at a family reunion without needing a recharge.

What surprised me most was the inception mode (DM). Shooting 360° spinning shots of my vintage car collection makes the vehicles look like they're straight out of a Christopher Nolan film. The foldable design makes it easy to toss in my backpack, though I agree with other reviewers that including a case would've been nice.

The learning curve is real – the four different modes took me a weekend to fully master. The focus button feels fragile (mine still works but I'm careful with it). While not perfect, for the price point, this gimbal delivers features usually found in much more expensive models.