Drones have a bit of a rough barrier of entry. The ones that actually work are quite expensive, while most of the more affordable drones seem to lack the quality necessary to actually get good footage. Plus a proper drone can be difficult to use, potentially dangerous if the pilot is bad at flying, and crashing one can cost a lot of money. Enter DJI’s new Neo drone, their smallest, lightest, safest, and easiest to use drone to date.
DISCLAIMER: I have not used the DJI Neo, this is not a product review, I can’t promise you that it works as well as the company says it does.
The DJI Neo really is tiny. Fitting in the palm of your hand, this little drone weighs just 135g. The Neo does not come with a controller. Instead, it’s paired with the DJI Fly app on your phone, and controlled through that (with a range of up to 50 meters in the best conditions). But you’re also not supposed to control it, per se. Instead, the Neo uses AI algorithms to keep the chosen subject in frame through motion.
It also features QuickShots, allowing the user to capture in different intelligent shooting modes with the flick of a finger. These modes, which follow separate sorts of flight patterns, include Helix, Circle, Rocket, Spotlight, Boomerang, and Expanse, each creating some sweet shots. And the whole thing can be done with just your voice, stating “Hey Fly” to wake up the smartphone app. It can also be paired with one of DJI’s remote controllers.
The biggest concern with something this small, in my mind, will always be video and photo quality. But the Neo doesn’t see huge downgrades. The drone features a 1/2-inch image sensor, taking 12MP stills. With the help of stabilization algorithms, the drone can take 4K UHD, 30fps videos, straight from the camera.
The DJI Neo is currently available for purchase for $199 (a solid price, I might add), with delivery expected in early October if ordered now.