DJI’s newest drone launched this week and the NEO is a really totally different drone than we’ve ever seen from DJI. The NEO is small, matches in the palm of your hand, however is the most reasonably priced drone in DJI’s lineup.
The DJI Neo begins at simply A$299 for the drone, or A$539 for the DJI Neo Fly More Combo which incorporates the RC-N3 Remote Controller and 3x batteries with a charging hub. At these costs, this is undoubtedly going to be a well-liked Christmas current in 2024.
Having used the drone for a few weeks now, I used to be in a position to spend time with it, study it’s options, capabilities and limitations and now have a full evaluation for you.
At DJI we’re at all times finding out on a regular basis digital camera use in order that we may help individuals seize their movies and images in the most handy manner attainable. The DJI Neo strives to give individuals the newest tech in the smallest kind issue in order that they will seize their every day lives, saved as treasured recollections, safely and with ease.
 Ferdinand Wolf, Creative Director at DJI.
Design
When I first beginning flying DJI, it was with their phantom vary of drones, which had fastened touchdown gear and had been successfully a dice form. This made the drone extremely awkward to transport. Thankfully over the years, DJI has moved to foldable designs for many of their drones, making them simple to throw in a backpack for straightforward transport.
The DJI NEO is simply their smallest drone, which inserts in the palm of your hand and even in your pocket, making it the final in moveable drones. Being so small and light-weight, tipping the scales at simply 135g, you’ll be in a position to take it with you extra usually and seize extra of the world round you.
The weight additionally comes in beneath the 149 gram restrict that has been universally established as the weight that requires further approval. If this drone hits you, it gained’t harm you and with the included prop guards it most likely gained’t harm the drone both.
If you hit 250 grams, then there’s an entire different set of rules that apply to your drone use, so it’s sensible for DJI to ship an extremely-mild extremely-moveable drone. This opens the door to use by extra individuals in extra locations and I think the DJI NEO will be very fashionable this Christmas.
It is vital to recognise that a lot of the different CASA rules nonetheless apply to drone use, that is flying at night time is nonetheless off limits in Australia, as is flying over individuals, buildings and so on.
The drone itself is a well-known matte gray color that we see throughout the DJI lineup, with a set chassis full with the acquainted 4-prop design. This time we see built-in prop guards which technically are detachable, however I’m not fairly positive why you’ll, they’ve actually saved me a few instances.
DJI have as soon as once more supplied a distinct battery format with the NEO and for those who pop if off the backside of the drone, it’s exceptional how mild this factor is.
The drone is gives on-board storage (22GB) and no microSD card slot, nonetheless the footage is simply transferrable to the DJI Fly app. You can even offload the storage utilizing the USB-C port on the rear of the drone.
On the entrance of the drone, you’ll discover the digital camera that provides 4K high quality, and whereas it rotates on the vertical axis, it really options some spectacular stabilisation in all instructions.
Performance
The drone’s key function is it’s capacity to function autonomous, simply choose a pre-set Quick Shots by urgent the devoted flight mode button on prime of the drone to choose and also you’ll hear audible suggestions together with an LED indicator for which is chosen.
To take off, simply maintain down the flight mode button and the drone will spring in to motion from the palm of your hand.
The pre-set flight modes are actually that, pre-set, there’s no capacity for this to be expanded by software program over time. This is one space I hope DJI enhance on with the NEO 2.
The flights themselves occur reliably, one thing vital when you think about this drone can and can be operated with no controller. Each pre-set flight takes a few minutes to execute and return to you, however is tremendous easy, simple sufficient to be utilized by individuals at virtually any age.
When you evaluation the footage from the drone, it is impressively easy, however the high quality can undergo in decrease-mild, so you need to plan most of your adventures throughout good mild.
With the propellers being smaller, they’ve to spin sooner to obtain the identical velocity, as such the drone does produce a big quantity of noise whereas in flight. If you’ve got pets and so on then you could want to contemplate them earlier than taking off.
While the flight time was spectacular for such a small battery, I did discover that the drone was fairly eager to return dwelling with loads of margin. Given the small kind issue, wind can be a critical consideration, so this isn’t a nasty factor.
Features
Simply urgent the drone’s mode button and deciding on the desired taking pictures mode, Neo mechanically does the relaxation with out the want for a distant management.
The drone can seize footage with its 1/2-inch picture sensor to create 4K/30fps stabilised video.
AI Subject Tracking
Naturally any system launched in 2024 will include some type of AI and DJI has powered the NEO with AI algorithms that may detect and observe a topic (learn: particular person) inside the body. Whether biking, skateboarding or mountain climbing, fascinating observe pictures are created with ease.
Additional creativity can be achieved by profiting from Neo’s QuickShots, which has six clever taking pictures modes, providing a spread of various recording angles.
- Dronie: The drone flies backward and ascends, with the digital camera locked on the topic, and data a video.
- Circle: The drone circles round the topic.
- Rocket: The drone ascends with the digital camera pointing downward.
- Spotlight: The drone rotates whereas holding the object of curiosity inside the body
- Helix: The drone ascends and spirals round the topic.
- Boomerang: The drone flies round the topic in an oval path, ascending because it flies away from its place to begin and descending because it flies again. The plane’s place to begin types one finish of the oval’s lengthy axis, whereas the different finish is at the topic’s reverse facet from the place to begin.
Control it Your Way
The DJI Neo has been designed to be operated with out a further distant management, nonetheless, it could possibly additionally be paired with the DJI Fly app, distant controllers, RC Motion, DJI Goggles, and even voice operated, for elevated flight and digital camera management.
A Wi-Fi connection to smartphones permits Neo to be managed utilizing digital joysticks on the DJI Fly app interface with a management vary of up to 50 meters. The app additionally permits the monitoring angle and distance to be set, giving further freedom to shoot from afar or up shut.
When mixed with the DJI RC-N3, DJI Neo can obtain a most video transmission distance of 10 kilometers1 and gives the alternative to flexibly function the digital camera utilizing conventional RC management sticks to seize skilled-degree pictures.
Something I wasn’t in a position to check was the FPV possibility, which requires the DJI Neo to be paired with DJI Goggles 3, RC Motion 3, or FPV Remote Controller 3.
For those that have already got the newest FPV tools, this is a extremely vital inclusion, permitting you to use the RC Motion 3 to management the drone and supply what is successfully the closest expertise to being a fowl.
Stabilization as StandardÂ
DJI Neo is outfitted with a single-axis mechanical gimbal and is able to dealing with excessive-pace or flights with plenty of manoeuvres, in addition to up to Level-4 wind circumstances.
When mixed with RockSteady or HorizonBalancing stabilisation, general picture shake is considerably lowered and horizon tilt is corrected inside ±45°, for easy and secure footage that maintains readability in each spotlight and shadow areas.
Using an infrared and monocular imaginative and prescient positioning system, DJI Neo can hover steadily in the air, sustaining stability even in wind circumstances up to Level 4. It additionally helps automated Return to Home (RTH) for handy, fear-free operation. This means for those who do get low on battery life, the drone will enter RTH mode and get you again safely.
Content creation made simple
Audio can even simply be recorded by connecting Neo to a smartphone. A easy faucet of the audio document button on the DJI Fly app will begin recording by means of the telephone’s built-in microphone. For these searching for further audio high quality, the DJI Mic 2 can be used through a Bluetooth connection. The app mechanically eliminates propeller noise and merges the audio monitor with the footage, guaranteeing clear sound even when taking pictures low-angle vlogs.Â
The DJI Fly app gives an enormous number of templates, sound and picture results, for fast and straightforward enhancing. Create and share movies effectively without having to obtain the footage to edit, saving cupboard space on the telephone.
Connect the plane instantly to an influence supply utilizing a Type-C information cable for handy charging. Additionally, DJI Neo’s Two-Way Charging Hub can cost three batteries concurrently1, rising each charging pace and effectivity.
Issues and Opportunities
While there’s lots to love, not the whole lot is good. The low-mild efficiency was most likely my greatest criticism, which I’m positive was a the results of complicated choices at DJI in senor dimension versus value issues.
The drone additionally lacks the sensor expertise out there on increased-priced fashions, that means that it’ll fortunately take your controller inputs left/proper and backwards, even when there are obstacles in the manner.
While no drone is uncrashable, the expertise and sensors in a Mavic drone are clearly superior to the NEO.
Price and Availability
The DJI Neo is out there to order from retailer.dji.com/au and authorised retail companions, with transport beginning at the moment, in the following configurations:
- DJI Neo retails for $299 AUD.
- DJI Neo Fly More Combo retails for $539 AUD.
Overall
Ultimate the DJI is a tremendous product that basically fights at the entry degree value level for drones. Historically you could have wished a DJI drone due to its high quality and expertise, however had been scared off by the $1000+ price ticket.
The DJI NEO permits them to seize a brand new portion of the market they’ve by no means had entry to. The form of extra informal drone consumer that won’t need to make investments considerably for informal use.
I believe for the cash, there’s no higher drone you should buy and people who can step up to the Fly More Combo with the controller will be greatest served by a cross-part of use circumstances.. permitting you to fly with management whenever you need it, or hand it to your children for easy operation with the in-build flight modes.
I can’t wait to see how DJI evolve this product in the future, however no matter the function set, the value level might be the most important function of this drone, making it accessible to extra.
Expect DJI NEO to by on the Christmas listing of many Aussie children this 12 months.
