Verdict
Cheap , small , lightweight and easy to launch anywhere , this is a DJI drone for the masses that ’s great for create nimble clips to share on social media . Those serious about aerial imaging or looking to create professional - looking vlogs will apace find themselves queer at its defect , but DJI has plenty of other mannikin for those more demanding user . The Neo does what it ’s designed to and does it jolly well .
Pros
Cons
Key Features
Introduction
DJI reign the consumer camera trailer market but it certainly is n’t known for realise ‘ cheap ’ choice . Its modelling may represent value for money but you ’ll still necessitate to pay larger amounts for something in its smallest DJI Mini line . Not any longer : the DJI Neo is a new ingress - story summation to the ship’s company ’s range that ’s both gimcrack and extremist - compact .
In fact , it ’s the lightest and most compact drone DJI has ever made and is design to influence without a remote control . The drive is not only is this thing cheesy but it ’s also convenient to take everywhere and establish at a moment ’s notice , all without the fussing and faffing about of geminate a comptroller .
That ’s not to say you ca n’t use a controller for long and more challenging flights . Also , despite the fact it ’s break novel flat coat , the Neo feel very similar to exist , much costly DJI modeling in some ways .
So , is the DJI Neo a cheap toy , a drone built for serious work – or something in between ?
Price
DJI has launched the Neo in two different software .
you could buy just the drone itself and a single battery for £ 169/€199/$199 . or else , you could buy the Fly More Combo ( which includes three batteries , a charge hub and an RC - N3 control ) for £ 299/€349 .
This is a very cheap price by DJI standards . TheMavic Miniis the company ’s next - garish poke and , despite being released back in 2019 , it still costs £ 299 when bought as a Fly More Combo . In other words , the Neo really does seem like DJI ’s most budget - friendly alternative right now .
Design and Build Quality
The Neo is very small at 104.2 x 150 x 45.2 mm and extremely lightweight at 135 g. The weight means it falls into the category of drone that can be fly in public places within 50 metres of citizenry and above citizenry under UK law . This is all well and good , considering its intended purpose as a trailer that can quickly capture shots of parties , day trip and the alike .
The weight unit also means it ’s highly portable . Thanks to the sturdy credit card eubstance , included cartridge clip - on photographic camera cover and construct - in propellor guards , it can be sling into a modest dish or backpack without occupy about it getting damage by other items . This really is a drone you could take everywhere just in case you might fancy taking an aeriform photo or picture . However , it ’s not the most pocket-size of DJI ’s drones due to its non - foldable design . I think you ’d be capable to fall away a folded DJI Mini model into most crown , but the Neo need a morsel more width than the average pocket .
The Neo features only two buttons : one for power and one to bike through what DJI calls the Intelligent Shooting Modes , each of which is represented by an picture on the drone ’s top Earth’s surface . I ’ll go into more point on those afterward in this review .
The batteries quickly slue out when involve and can be charge inside the photographic camera by connecting a USB cable to the drone ’s USB - atomic number 6 porthole ( a USB - deoxycytidine monophosphate to USB - hundred cable television is include in the box ) . There ’s no card slot on the drone . Instead , it comes with 22 GB of storage build - in .
For those who purchase the Fly More Combo , the included shelling charge cradle is made of the same intemperate plastic as the pilotless aircraft and can adapt three battery at once , charging them all simultaneously . The removed controller , meanwhile , is the same one you ’ll find bundled with other DJI drone . It ’s well built with obliterable thumb sticks and grippy pads on the back , plus a pull - out cradle to hold your smartphone in place .
Flight Performance
The Neo ’s battery life is quite short by DJI ’s current standards . Some of the company ’s drones can remain airborne for more than 40 minute on a full charge , but the Neo ’s maximum trajectory time is just 18 .
Still , given the drone ’s weight and size of it , I ’m more than felicitous with that . It is n’t design as a workhorse for capturing long aerial footage sequences ; having 18 minutes to toy with is fine when you ’re just grabbing curt societal media - friendly shot .
The drone does n’t have obstacle avoidance , either . That ’s not surprising , given the price , but it does somewhat limit its ability for automate trajectory indoors or in other confined space . It does seem design with the speculation that it ’ll crash sometimes , though : I make out to collide a couple of times with trees and scrub while reviewing it , and it did n’t suffer damage due to the well - protected props and oecumenical habitus quality .
It does have downward - facing sensors to aid take - off and landing , and this is the dependable drone I ’ve ever used when it come to set in motion and touching down into my paw . In most instance , you could just walk up to it , open your laurel wreath below it and it ’ll lower itself onto it and cut the motors forthwith .
As a flier , the Neo is pretty telling , especially if you habituate the consecrate controller ( you may even flee it as an FPV dawdler using DJI ’s Goggles 3 , but I was n’t able to test this ) . It ’s reactive , zippy and has a stable connection over a long range – up to 10 km theoretically , although you ’d be intermit the law if you vanish it out of your eyesight range .
It feels like most other DJI trailer when it come in to flight of stairs , although its small weight does mean it ’s buffeted by flatus a little more easily . As someone who dwell on the always - breezy English coast , I found the drone struggled to remain stable at times . Even so , DJI lay claim it ’s open of remain in place in winds up to ‘ level 4 ’ or around 8 m/s .
Without the controller , the Neo can be manually flown using a Wi - Fi - link smartphone ( with a mountain chain of about 30 m ) or using its built - in tracking organisation and the six Intelligent Shooting Modes , although the latter method is really only suitable for seize short television cartridge clip of a few seconds .
Unfortunately , I found the automatise recordings had a use of stop before I desire them to , entrust my clips annoyingly curtailed . It ’s something that could perhaps be fixed with microcode updates but currently leave me leery of using the Neo for any sort of serious content creation role without a controller connected .
Camera Performance
The tv camera on the Neo is serviceable rather than owing . Its half - inch sensor perform quite well in good lighting but I was n’t in particular impressed with the acuteness or colour detail of the 4K/30p video it extend . It ’s definitely good enough for making videos for TikTok , Reels or YouTube Shorts , but on a larger screen door , its shortcomings become a raft more apparent .
picture can only be captured in JPEG ( not RAW ) and there ’s no D - Log option for videos , so they ’re not desirable for much post - production tweaking . That ’s in line with the Neo ’s intention as a playfulness , casual drone for capturing shots for insistent sharing . You might make some basic edits on your phone , but you ’re probably not import the footage into Adobe Premiere for color chastening .
I do n’t require to sound disconfirming . This is , after all , a cheap dawdler , and comparing it to the superb performance of much pricier ( if not much larger ) exemplar like theDJI Mini 4 Prois doing it a disservice . There are impressive aspects , too . Despite not using a 3 - axis of rotation gimbal , the footage is ably balance through apparent horizon - levelling electronic stabilisation , which castigate up to 45º in either commission . The drone also has access to ‘ classical ’ RockSteady stabilisation , but that ’s something I ’d only have a bun in the oven to use during FPV trajectory which , as I ’ve already enunciate , I was n’t able to screen during my review .
The 22 GB of onboard storage allows for roughly 40 minutes of 4 K footage or 55 minutes of Full HD footage , so I have no complaints about it at all . It ’s also a libertine and easy process to move footage and picture from the Neo to your phone via Wi - Fi thanks to the 30MB / s QuickTransfer connection , so if you do need to make more place it should n’t take long to free some up .
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Should you buy it?
The Neo is a spirited flier that ’s skillful at capturing nimble , wide-eyed and decent - looking TV – even without a restrainer .
The Neo ’s image caliber is acceptable rather than leading , and aDJI Mini 3or 4 bourdon represents a prominent pace up in camera performance .
Final Thoughts
Despite its toll and size , the Neo is n’t a plaything drone . It ’s not a serious drone for serious content world either , but I do imagine it sit in a worthful hinterland between the two .
If you want to take aeriform videos and exposure and want a chintzy gadget that can perform the labor well , or if you want to learn the rudiments of drone flight , this affair hits the spot – and it ’s markedly good designed than most of the similarly priced drones from other manufacturers I ’ve reviewed in the recent past . If you need a higher - end example , there ’s mickle of choice in ourbest dronelist .
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FAQs
The DJI Neo measures 157 x 130 x 48.5 mm and weighs in at just 135 g. This puts it well within the UK guidelines for sub-250 g bourdon .
The Neo is priced at $ 199/£169 for the drone - only . However , DJI also offers a Fly More Combo which include the drone , an RC - N3 controller , three Intelligent Flight Batteries and a Two - manner Charging Hub .
