When DJI revealed its tiny $200 Neo drone, I instantly noticed the way it may match into my vlogger’s toolkit to complement my Mini 4 Pro and Mavic 3 Pro. Flying these subtle drones is a complete factor that requires planning. However the Neo could be launched spontaneously to seize fast and enjoyable photographs, because of options like palm takeoff and voice management. That ease of use additionally makes it preferrred for the social media influencers.
Although beginner-friendly, it’s fairly highly effective. You get options from DJI’s greater drones like ActiveTrack, FPV capabilities and even assist for DJI’s Mic 2. And overlook in regards to the fuzzy video you’ll have seen on different low cost drones. The Neo can document in sharp 4K, making it appropriate for content material creators who want inexpensive aerial video.
The DJI Neo could also be a cheap, beginner-friendly drone, however has highly effective options like topic monitoring and fast photographs.
- Fast and maneuverable
- Cheap
- Contains high-end options
- Newbie pleasant
- No vertical video
- Feels like a banshee
- Prime speeds require particular controller
It’s not excellent although, because the Neo is noisy and lacks vertical video, one thing influencers will seemingly need. Nonetheless, it regarded just like the type of product that would attraction to all varieties of individuals, even creators like myself who have already got a number of drones. To see the way it carried out, we put it by way of quite a lot of situations from occasions to weddings — and even flying only for enjoyable.
Design and options
With a softly sculpted design and protecting propeller guards, the Neo provides off protected, pleasant vibes. It’s DJI’s lightest drone by far at 135 grams, lower than half the Mini 4’s heft, and is sufficiently small to suit into a big jacket pocket. The system’s diminutive measurement additionally means it’s exempt from any drone license necessities.
The Neo has a wealthy characteristic set, however all it’s essential begin flying is your hand. Merely place the Neo in your palm, press the brand new mode button at entrance and it’ll take off and carry out considered one of six preprogrammed “good photographs.” These are Comply with (the drone tracks and follows you round), Dronie (it begins tight in your face then flies up and away from you), Circle (flies round you), Rocket (begins at face stage and flies straight up), Highlight (retains you targeted within the body however doesn’t transfer) and Route Observe (for vlogging). After you full the shot, stick out your hand underneath the Neo to land it.
One other nice possibility for newbies is voice management, which helps you to fly and document video by talking into the Fly Extra app. I wasn’t ready to do this characteristic in my initial hands-on tests, but it surely has now been enabled by way of a firmware replace. You may both faucet on the voice button to say a command or allow the wake phrase settings. Then, you possibly can simply say, “Hey Fly” to activate it.
As an illustration, saying the phrase “dronie” will activate the dronie flight sample and begin recording. You may then change parameters utilizing instructions like “nearer,” “farther” and “larger.” It additionally consists of the protection instructions “land,” “cease” and “brake.”
The setting is an effective way to provide customers some management over the social media-oriented fast photographs with out the necessity to contact a controller. It was easy to arrange, and I discovered that it responded shortly and reliably to my instructions. Nonetheless, you’ll must maintain the cellphone’s mic near your mouth when the Neo is close by, or the propeller wailing will drown out your voice.
The Neo can also be DJI’s first drone that may be piloted utilizing a smartphone alone. Switching the app into guide mode brings up a contact display screen with full maneuvering controls. It additionally presents a digicam/video mode and return-to-home toggle. There’s a severe caveat to utilizing it, although, as I’ll element shortly. For extra severe piloting, the Neo helps a number of DJI controllers (offered individually), together with the RC N3 mannequin that requires a smartphone. You may even use it as an FPV drone with DJI’s RC Movement 3 and DJI Goggles 3. These controllers provide a lot of the options accessible on different DJI digicam drones, like cinema, regular and sport modes, together with auto and guide video settings.
What you gained’t see are any impediment detection sensors, which is one motive the Neo is so low cost. The one crash safety measures are the digicam’s topic detection AI, a downward dealing with IR touchdown sensor and a rugged design that resists minor accidents.
As for storage, there’s no microSD card slot, so the Neo depends on the 22GB of inner reminiscence that holds 40 minutes of 4K footage or 55 minutes of 1080p video. You may switch the recordsdata to a PC or different system by way of the rear USB-C charging port. Once more, that is lower than preferrred, but it surely retains the value down.
Efficiency
You probably have low efficiency expectations for a 5-ounce, $200 drone, get able to be pleasantly stunned — the Neo is maneuverable, quick and enjoyable. It will possibly hit speeds as much as 18 mph in sport mode, which is half that of the Mini 4 Professional, however nonetheless on the higher finish of this class. You may even fly it in pretty blustery winds as much as 18 mph, although it may get blown into one other county in the event you let it get too distant.
The Neo can even fly twice that pace in guide mode, one other characteristic that arrived in a post-launch firmware replace, however requires DJI’s FPV Controller 3. With that controller and the firmware replace, I pushed it to its prime pace. 36 mph is quicker than any drone this measurement by far, but it surely by no means felt uncontrolled. Nonetheless, at that pace the noise stage resembles a swarm of significantly irate hornets.
The FPV Controller 3 additionally opens up the potential of acrobatic (acro) flying, letting you carry out flips, spins and different maneuvers. That’s a whole lot of enjoyable, particularly realizing that the drone isn’t solely crash resistant however prices simply $200 — a pittance by drone requirements. I am not an acro pilot, however within the fingers of an skilled like quadmovr, the Neo can rip by way of some unbelievable strikes.
For novices who wish to strive first-person video flying (FPV) however aren’t prepared for the tricky-to-use Controller 3, DJI’s Goggles 3 and RC Movement 3 are higher for FPV newbs. It’s definitely not as nimble and fast because the Avata 2, but it surely’s nonetheless a whole lot of enjoyable. In actual fact, it’s a terrific studying instrument for wannabe FPV pilots with both of these controllers, because of the sturdiness and low value.
The Neo is good for occasion videography too, as you possibly can maneuver it nearly wherever to get some cool or dramatic photographs. On the identical time, the propeller guards make it protected to make use of round individuals. Once more, it’s very noisy, so it’s clearly not appropriate to fly by way of one thing like a marriage or a greatest man’s speech.
The modes ActiveTrack, Highlight and Level of Curiosity (POI) work simply as they do on different DJI drones to trace or observe you. A key mode for content material creators is Route Observe, which helps you to do walk-and-talk vlogging whereas preserving your face in view. With that setting, the Neo is often flying backwards with no rear impediment sensor, so that you’ll want a transparent path. Once I examined this, the drone veered into some tree branches and was thrown astray, but it surely saved on flying.
I by no means attempt to crash drones on goal, however did have just a few mishaps. The Neo hit some timber earlier than falling to the bottom a few occasions, and bonked a tough inside flooring on one event. It not solely continued to operate completely, however had nary a visual scratch, so DJI has achieved job with sturdiness. That mentioned, you should buy a one-year insurance coverage plan for the Neo at simply $22, which covers accidents and lack of the drone.
With a controller and DJI’s O4 transmission, the Neo has a 6.2 mile line-of-sight vary within the US, or 3.7 miles in Europe the place transmission energy is restricted. That’s precisely half that of the Mini Professional 4, however fairly extraordinary given the scale — although I’m undecided who’d ever wish to fly such a light-weight drone that distant. I flew it about half a mile away with no lack of sign, and that was a lot far for my consolation stage. Most altitude, in the meantime, is limitless and set by the consumer.
When utilizing smartphone Wi-Fi management, most vary is simply 165 ft, so it’s actually only for indoor or close by out of doors use. That is primarily based on Wi-Fi limits, but it surely additionally successfully serves as a geofence for novices (the drone simply stops and hovers if it will get out of Wi-Fi vary). As well as, in the event you’re utilizing the palm or voice management, altitude is restricted to round 100 ft.
Whereas small and light-weight, the Neo’s 1,435mAh lithium-ion Clever Flight Batteries assist as much as 17 minutes of flying time, or round 13 to 14 minutes in the actual world — not dangerous on this class. With the Neo alone, it takes an hour to cost a single battery straight inside the drone. Nonetheless, in the event you spring for the $289 combo package (together with the drone, two additional batteries and a three-battery charger), you possibly can juice three batteries in that very same 60 minutes.
Digicam
The gimbal is tucked right into a protecting housing and might tilt up 60 levels and down 90. The digicam has a 1/2-inch 12-megapixel sensor with an ultra-wide 13mm equal focal size and f/2.8 aperture — about what you’d anticipate on a good smartphone.
The Neo’s video specs are weaker than different DJI drones, however I used to be fairly pleased with my footage contemplating the value of the Neo. It will possibly shoot 4K 30p video and 1080p at as much as 60fps, definitely ok for many social media customers. It additionally helps 4K in a 4:3 facet ratio at 30fps, or 1080p in the identical facet ratio however as much as 60fps.
The digicam doesn’t tilt sideways prefer it does on the Mini 4 Professional, which implies it could possibly’t do vertical video. That’s unlucky contemplating the goal market, however including that functionality would additionally improve complexity and, little question, the value. One of the best wager for social media customers is to shoot in 4K after which crop to a 1080×1920 9:16 decision.
There’s additionally no D-LogM functionality to spice up dynamic vary as seen on most different DJI drones, and with such a small sensor, low-light functionality is poor. Nonetheless, video is sharp and coloration correct, which is effectively above what you’d anticipate on this value vary. The 12-megapixel photographs are additionally ok for hobbyists and social media customers. I anticipate the typical purchaser taking aerial photographs of their house, household and holidays can be greater than happy.
The Neo additionally incorporates DJI’s software-based RockSteady stabilization together with gimbal tilt stabilization. That ought to present clean sufficient video for many customers, or you possibly can disable the stabilization altogether and use DJI’s GyroFlow app in submit for higher outcomes. The Neo additionally helps HorizonBalancing, offering stage video even when the drone banks as much as 45 levels. Word that for the 4:3 video modes, there’s no digital picture stabilization, so it’s essential stabilize the footage later utilizing GyroFlow or one other app.
The Neo may even seize audio along with your cellphone simply by tapping the Fly Extra app’s audio document button. You’ll get higher high quality by connecting an exterior microphone or utilizing DJI’s Mic 2. For the reason that Neo is extraordinarily noisy, the Mic 2 will cancel out a lot of that prop screeching, leaving your voice clear and legible, albeit with some distortion.
Wrap-up
DJI’s Neo is likely to be small in stature, however it could possibly shoot good high quality video and photographs safely round individuals, and does so at a really affordable value. It has clearly captured the general public’s creativeness, because it’s already been offered out on DJI’s website regardless of solely being on sale for a few weeks.
Potential consumers vary from novices as much as skilled fingers who need a small, people-friendly drone for Instagram tales and extra. It’s preferrred for TikTok and different creators as a result of it could possibly act as a robotic videographer, serving to you document content material by your self. The principle points you’ll need to reside with are the noise, lack of vertical video and restricted battery life.
For $200, or $289 in the event you go for the combo package with three batteries and a charger, the Neo is a no brainer for a lot of creators. The one actual competitors is the $350 HoverAir X1, which prices extra and presents lower-resolution video. However by offering larger high quality video for much less cash, the Neo is a greater worth.
Trending Merchandise

Lenovo New 15.6″ Laptop, Intel Pentium 4-core Processor, 40GB Memory, 2TB PCIe SSD, 15.6″ FHD Anti-Glare Display, Ethernet Port, HDMI, USB-C, WiFi & Bluetooth, Webcam, Windows 11 Home

Thermaltake V250 Motherboard Sync ARGB ATX Mid-Tower Chassis with 3 120mm 5V Addressable RGB Fan + 1 Black 120mm Rear Fan Pre-Installed CA-1Q5-00M1WN-00

Sceptre Curved 24-inch Gaming Monitor 1080p R1500 98% sRGB HDMI x2 VGA Build-in Speakers, VESA Wall Mount Machine Black (C248W-1920RN Series)

HP 27h Full HD Monitor – Diagonal – IPS Panel & 75Hz Refresh Rate – Smooth Screen – 3-Sided Micro-Edge Bezel – 100mm Height/Tilt Adjust – Built-in Dual Speakers – for Hybrid Workers,Black

Wireless Keyboard and Mouse Combo – Full-Sized Ergonomic Keyboard with Wrist Rest, Phone Holder, Sleep Mode, Silent 2.4GHz Cordless Keyboard Mouse Combo for Computer, Laptop, PC, Mac, Windows -Trueque

ASUS 27 Inch Monitor – 1080P, IPS, Full HD, Frameless, 100Hz, 1ms, Adaptive-Sync, for Working and Gaming, Low Blue Light, Flicker Free, HDMI, VESA Mountable, Tilt – VA27EHF,Black
