A bit of a quandary, been holding off on getting a mini 3 pro as I was waiting for controller compatibility with my air 2, but It’s now a possible reality (only because if the std controller is now compatible surly the RC could follow suite as the mini 3 pro uses Ocusync so surly both controllers use the same?)reality, but in the meantime I have come across a Mavic 2 pro with a smart controller for a good price, so which would be the better option?
That depends…
Should I buy a Ford Focus or a Ford Fiesta? 
You can see my dilemma 
Your question really vague, can we have some more context please @Tricky ?
For what, exactly? 
You may find that you already know the answer 
Basically, which is better for video and stills with minimum editing and which would be the better controller to also use with an air 2,
As I am relatively new to all this, I would also like to know if using one of the screen controllers means that I won’t need to use my phone as a Wi-Fi access point to get all the features IE GPS/maps etc…did say I was quite new to this. 
ST?
A much better drone, but restricted in where you can take it, to compliment your Air 2 I would probably go the sub 250 route
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Personal opinion: unless you have (or intend to take) A2CofC I think Mini 3 Pro is the obvious choice. Better camera/video specs. Better battery life. Excellent range (in other words Good RC connection while keeping VLOS) , Good still and video quality. Ocusync 3 (latest technology). Compact (carry in a day sack). And of course sub-250g which means you can fly it anywhere in the “Open Category” including over towns and villages, roads, etc, apart from over crowds and in restricted airspace. And you can fly at night, and also not have to worry about flying too close to people (as long as you fly safely of course). Or choose the Mavic 2 Pro (still a great drone), take the A2CofC, and still have lots of restrictions.
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My personal opinion I wouldn’t touch the mini 3 yet as there are lots of negative reviews so far , so I would wait and see what they fix first . As for the M2P with smart controller it depends where you want to fly but if you join FPVUK you get the article 16 you are good for most things but it really does depend on where you want to fly , I’ve not got the smart controller but the M2P is a fantastic beast and a pleasure to fly
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Yes. Always good to join a recognised organisation and fly under Article 16. Although you still can’t fly in a built up area (residential, industrial, etc) and you have to keep 30m from people. Not saying that’s a bad thing especially for a beginner, but still a limitation. Mini 3 pro has just had a large firmware update (1/7/2022) so is improving all the time, as new things usually do. For a beginner (as stated by the OP) the Mini 2 or Mini 3 is still a good choice.
Thanks for the replies, appreciate the views, been flying since last year but not a lot, already did the A2CofC and registered the air 2 so that side is not a problem and live in the country so don’t have much in the way of restrictions, but see the point about the mini 3 being less restricted and a better camera than my air 2.
I tend to only fly in areas that don’t have many people anyway, as I just don’t want the aggravation from the anti drone mind set,
I like the idea of the screen as it’s a faf setting up with a phone and have trouble with seeing the phone screen, hence wanting those controllers.
Ah. So not quite the beginner! With regards to the controller (with a screen). I don’t have one personally so probably not the best to comment. However, you tend to find with DJI that nothing is ever compatible - it can take months for the various (expensive) screen controllers to work between drones (if at all), and they are not the best for allowing other s/ware to be loaded or for having features we take for granted with a phone. Unless you pre-load maps you will still have to have a wifi connection or tether to a phone in the absence of wifi. I am currently looking at buying a (very bright) Tripltek 8 Pro tablet (Android based + SIM card slot so no phone tether needed). If anyone has used one I would love to hear your opinion.
Have a search there is a whole thread on it
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