(Credit: DJI)
After a few years of concentrating on drones for YouTubers and cinematographers, DJI is turning its sights back to true entry-level, casual users with its latest, the super-small Neo drone. The flyer weighs just 135g and takes off or lands right from your palm. In many ways it feels like an upgraded version of DJI's first tiny drone, the Spark, which set its sights on a similar market.
Neo Is Built for Easy Flight
DJI is billing the Neo as a drone to take out to record activities like cycling and skateboarding, or to grab for a hike to get a quick aerial landscape shot. Its 4.8-ounce (135g) weight makes the drone easy to toss into a bag, and as long as you're a non-professional pilot you won't have to worry about registering a drone this light. Propeller guards are part of the design too.
You won't have to carry a separate remote control either. You can take control over the Neo with a smartphone app with on-screen flight sticks for manual control and quick access to DJI's normal set of automated shots, including a up-and-back reveal called a Dronie that should be a hit for your social feed. The Neo doesn't include obstacle-detection sensors, however, so you'll want to make sure you're in an open area for automated camera moves. The smartphone connection is rated for up to 165 feet (50 meters) of communication, so it's not made for long-range flying.
(Credit: DJI)Flyers who want to take command and fly the drone through tight spaces or for point-of-view shots can pick up a remote (sold separately) and enjoy the smoother command provided by tactile controls with an analog response curve. The Neo works with a newly introduced remote, the RC-N3, and your smartphone as a screen. If you prefer a first-person view, the Neo also works with the DJI Goggles 3 headset and both the RC Motion 3 and FPV Remote Controller 3, all of which are already in market. Using a remote also extends the flying range, though understand that federal regulations require you to keep your drone within sight when flying.
The nose-mounted camera records video at up to 4K30 or 1080p60, and supports 12MP JPG stills too. It's mounted on a single axis gimbal and has RockSteady digital stabilization and horizon leveling too. I've not had a chance to fly the drone, but DJI's sample footage shows smooth, stable results, even without a fully stabilized 3-axis gimbal camera. The drone is rated for Level 4 winds (up to 18mph), a bit less than the larger Mini 2 SE's Level 5 (up to 24mph) rating, so you'll want to restrict flights to calmer days.
The Neo includes 22GB of built-in storage to hold video; that's enough to hold 40 minutes of 4K30 or 55 minutes of 1080p60 video. The included battery is good for up to 18 minutes of air time, so you'll be able to burn through two full charges without filling up the storage. A USB-C port is included to recharge or for wired file transfer to a PC.
The drone doesn't include a mic, but can add an audio track to videos using the DJI Fly smartphone app, which is also what you'll use to download videos to your phone. The drone can pair with the DJI Mic 2 wireless system, however, if you want to add clear narration to video.
Pricing and Availability
The Neo's release comes at an uncertain time for DJI. Congress is currently weighing legislation that would ban DJI (and other Chinese drone makers) from selling their aircraft in the US, and if passed will also ground existing aircraft. The bill is attached to the annual defense spending allocation package as passed by the House, and while the ban language was removed from the Senate's version of the bill, an amendment is on the table to put it back in. A vote on the amendment and bill are expected sometime this month.
(Credit: DJI)The Neo is also expected to ship later this month, so there's a decent chance any potential issues will be addressed prior to the drone's in-store date. Regardless, preorders open today. The Neo enters the market as DJI's most affordable drone, $199 on its own or $289 in the three-battery Neo Combo kit. We've not yet had a chance to try it out, but expect to review it, so stay tuned. In the meantime, make sure to check out our top picks for beginner drones.