ZWO ASIAIR PRO vs ASIAIR PLUS Comparison and quick review

Hey friends!

I wanted to do a quick unboxing comparison and review of the ZWO ASIair Pro and the new ASIair Plus. I wanted to do a comparison of all 3 generations of the ASIAir but we recently moved and everything is still in boxes so I have no idea where it is. I also wanted to do a field test on the range of the wifi, but all my telescope equipment is buried deep in our storage unit so I'll have to do a follow up review on that in a separate post and get a picture of all 3 gens compared once I locate that 1st gen. 

HERE'S A STOCK PHOTO OF THE 1ST GEN ASIAIR

For those of you that have no idea what an ASIair is, it is a wifi wireless computer controller that acts as a central hub to communicate with your telescope mount and astrophotography imaging equipment and eliminates the need to add each individual equipment into your computer during your imaging session. Basically it's a remote control for all your compatible imaging equipments. Pretty nifty huh?!

ZWO came out with the 1st gen ASIair in 2018, then the 2nd gen ASIair Pro in 2019, and now the 3rd gen ASIair Plus in 2021. I've owned the ASIair pro for about a year now and it's been amazing using it with my iPad for astrophotography. It eliminates the need for me to have to haul my laptop out into the field and connect it to my telescope while imaging. Many of the complaints about the 2nd gen ASIair Pro were about the wifi range. The 3rd generation ASIair pro was created to fix the wifi range issues. 

To begin, let's look at the ASIair Pro and ASIair Plus out of the box:

ASIAIR PRO (INCLUDED CORDS NOT PICTURED)

ASIAIR PLUS WITH ALL INCLUDED ACCESSORIES

Right out of the box, the 2nd gen ASIair Pro looked very similar to the 3rd gen ASIair plus. I don't have all the cords to the ASIair pro pictured because they are boxed up somewhere, but similar cords for the ASIair plus are included. A couple differences right out of the box is that the 2nd gen ASIair Pro kit included a 64GB SanDisk USB memory stick and a 32GB microSD card, whereas the newest gen ASIair plus did not come with a USB memory stick nor a microSD card, that's because the new ASIair plus integrates a 32GB eMMC storage on the drive which eliminates the need for external storage, so that makes it more convenient. You still have the option to increase storage by adding your own microSD card, just note that ZWO no longer includes one with the new ASIair Plus kits.

Next, we have side by side comparisons of the 2nd gen ASIair Pro vs the 3rd gen ASIair Plus. I was pleasantly surprised to find that the 3rd gen ASIair plus was actually slimmer than the 2nd gen ASIair pro.

Included ports are the same, just in different orientation

Antenna is added for the 3rd gen ASIair Plus to increase Wifi range, and venting holes have been removed  from the previous version. Power and output still in the same area

Here's the top side view for the 2 units. As seen on the right the 2nd gen ASIair Pro has the microSD storage in the center on top of the power button next to the vent hole.

Both models have the same number of ports (4) but the 3rd gen ASIair Plus now has lights to indicate which ports are in use

Vent holes removed from the 3rd gen ASIair plus, and a new USB-C type port is added along side with the external storage for microSD card

Until I run a field test I can't attest to how far the new wifi range actually is, but in my experience with the ASIair Pro, as long you're not going more than 3-5 meters away on a 2.4GHz connection then the 2nd gen ASIair Pro will be sufficient. Anything further than that your connection will become less reliable, so in that case the 3rd gen ASIair Plus will be a better fit for you.

So there you have it, a quick comparison and review for the ZWO ASIair Pro and ASIair Plus models. Hope that helps you get a better idea of the similarities and differences, and aid in your decision on which model to get...or maybe get both if your heart desires. ;)

*Disclaimer: I did not receive the products for free. All items were purchased with my own money and free will. I was part of the ZWO experience officer program and was given a discount to purchase the 3rd gen ASIair Plus in exchange for my review. All opinions and reviews in the blogpost are honest and not swayed by the company :)