Based on the very positive media reports that are starting to come out from people who have actually seen and handled the EVO at CES, it is far more than a Mavic "clone" or "copy cat". Just because DJI (I think) produced the first foldable quad doesn't mean other companies can't develop their own improvements and innovations on the same concept. I've seen several comments from industry writers that the EVO may very well be the first "serious" competition for DJI - and I'm all for that! The XSP has had a terrific run as a successful drone - I don't know for sure, but nearly two years of production for single, unchanged model has got to be some kind of record. And as has been stated repeatedly, support for the XSP will continue - I'm not sure what more can be asked in an industry where many products are outdated or obsolete a few months after purchase.
After taking the time to let my emotions settle down a little, I can actually rationalize nearly every decision Autel has made. Despite their best intentions, I think they discovered that the modular concept just doesn't work when you're depending on third parties (i.e. FLIR and Sony) to make those modules successful - there are just too many things beyond your control, and I think that's why the EVO is not modular. I can understand why they would stop production of the XSP if the EVO will do everything and more at approximately the same price (within a hundred dollars or so) - there would just be no logical reason to have both products in production. I can even understand why they would delay announcing that there will be no future development of the XSP (other than firmware updates) until they announced what was going to be replacing it - I'm just not sure what other reasonable option there would be from a business standpoint.
The one thing I cannot make any sense out of is "The SDK will not be released for the XPS". If Autel isn't going to pursue any further development of the XSP, why not make that accessible to others who would have the interest and knowledge to pursue further development. I'm hoping after the dust settles they will change their mind, or at least offer a reasonable explanation for their decision.