Brand-new DJI Neo hands-on: DJI's lightest and most affordable video drone yet
DJI is one of the most well-known drone manufacturers. Not only are their aerial vehicles and gimbals popular amongst consumers, but larger companies, scientific institutions and government organisations also use their drones for various purposes, including aerial surveying and power line inspection.
DJI offers a whole host of models for consumers and filmmakers. The smallest and lightest DJI camera drone ever, called NEO, was released on 5 September 2024. Priced at €199 (US$199), the drone requires a smartphone for control if purchased alone. The company also offers the more expensive Fly More Combo kit, which includes a remote control (RC-N3 / RC151), two extra batteries, and a charger that can recharge up to three batteries simultaneously. We tested out this kit priced at €349 (US$329).
There were minor limitations during our early hands-on testing. For instance, a few features were not yet integrated in the current K3 firmware, such as subject tracking from the side. However, this is expected to change with the release of the U1 firmware when the NEO launches.
Case & build quality - Light and compact
The Neo drone
Both the Neo and the RC-N3 remote control have a grey plastic exterior. The quadcopter feels light and yet sturdy due to its compact nature and enclosed body.
Only the tiny camera gimbal seems delicate and may require some protection. DJI has included a protective cap for transport use.
On the upper side, you’ll find a power button at the back and a button at the front for switching between predefined video modes, along with some LEDs that indicate the active mode and battery status. A replaceable propeller guard shields the rotors from above.
The bottom is mostly occupied by the snap-on battery pack, which allows for easy swapping. Further forward are the downward-facingposition sensors.
The only real connector located at the back: a USB-C port for transferring data to a PC and for charging the battery without using a separate charger.
The RC-N3 remote control
The RC-N3 remote control and its predecessor are also used for various other DJI products. The controller is similarly compact and has a nice heft without feeling too heavy. It is likewise grey and offers rubberised grips on the back for your fingers.
To protect the control sticks from damage, they are designed to be removed and stowed in two slots at the bottom of the controller. They can be attached to their respective pads using screw threads.
The upper side can be extended to reveal a sufficiently sturdy phone mount. Beneath the mount is a USB-C cable for connecting the RC-N3 to a smartphone.
Apart from the control sticks and power button, there are a few other handy buttons on the controller. The right shoulder button is used to start and stop recording. The left shoulder has a wheel (instead of a button) that allows users to smoothly adjust the camera gimbal’s position up or down. You can toggle between three speed levels (e.g. low speed for a calmer shot) with the sliding switch at the front.
Accessories
For €199 (US$199), you’ll get only the drone and a battery. Our Fly More Combo costs €349 (US$329), which adds the RC-N3 controller, two extra batteries, and a charger for up to three batteries. Two replacement propellers, a USB-C-to-C cable, a USB-C-to-Lightning cable and a small screwdriver are also included.
Technical specifications & features - 4K with single-axis stabilisation
DJI claims to make everyday life recording fun and even easier with their palm-sized drone for vlogs. According to the company, Neo is also their lightest and most compact drone to date and doesn’t require a remote control. It’s clear that the tiny drone is aimed at the likes of vloggers, YouTubers and influencers.
The product’s exceptionally compact size and low weight, coupled with a stabilised 4K video camera capable of AI subject tracking, play a particularly crucial role in its appeal. The drone weighs just 135 g (0.3 lb) and is barely larger than a palm. If you just buy the drone alone for €199 (US$199), your smartphone can be turned into a remote control by installing an app. Alternatively, the drone can be piloted with a dedicated controller and additional FPV goggles.
For stabilisation, the Neo is unfortunately only features a single-axis mechanical gimbal. Based on specifications, the drone can also withstand up to level 4 wind. An infrared and monocular vision positioning system helps the DJI Neo hover steadily in the air.
DJI claims the Neo offers a flight time of about 18 minutes. The two extra batteries in the Fly More Combo extend the flight time accordingly. The drone’s transmission range depends on the controller: you’ll only get around 50 m with a smartphone and up to 10 km with the RC-N3 controller in an unobstructed environment.
Flight features
The drone can take off with a button press in the app and then land semi-automatically. Various special features can be enabled using the mode button. Simply press and hold the button for two seconds to activate the respective modes, and you’ll hear a voice notification. The following modes are available:
- Follow: The drone follows the subject closely using AI face recognition.
- Dronie: The drone flies backwards whilst ascending, with the camera facing the subject and recording a video.
- Circle: The drone circles the subject.
- Rocket: The drone ascends whilst the camera is facing downwards.
- Spotlight: The drone rotates on the spot to keep the subject in frame.
- Helix: The drone ascends whilst circling the subject.
There was supposed to be another feature called Boomerang, where the drone flies around the subject along an oval path during ascent and then does the same during descent. However, this mode wasn’t saved directly on the drone and hadn’t been integrated in the app during our review.
An automatic return feature rounds off the package. Of course, many other flight manoeuvres and camera angles are possible when you manually pilot the drone using a remote control.
Video features
The gimbal drone can record stabilised videos at up to 4K, but only at 30 fps. At Full HD, 50 and 60 fps options are also available. The camera lens is a 13mm equivalent with a maximum aperture of f/2.8.
Videos are saved internally in either H.264 or H.265 format at a max bitrate of 75 Mb/s. The drone doesn't support RAW video.
The DJI Neo comes with 22 GB of internal storage, which should be enough to hold 40 minutes of video at 4K/30fps or 55 minutes at 1080p/60fps. After recording, videos can be transferred over a fast Wi-Fi connection to the DJI Fly app on a smartphone. You also have the option of using a Windows or Mac app and connecting the drone to a computer via a USB-C or Lightning cable.
Initial preparation & app - 571 MB large
Those who have never owned a DJI drone before may find the initial setup process somewhat unintuitive. You turn on the drone and controller by pressing their power button once briefly and then holding it for a longer time. Before you switch on the Neo for the first time, its battery needs to be activated by connecting the drone to a power source via a USB-C cable, at least for a short while. Similarly, the RC-N3 can be recharged via its USB-C port.
Even if you own the remote control, the initial setup won’t work without a smartphone and the DJI Fly app, meaning you’ll first need to install the 571 MB app on your phone.
You’ll be asked to create an account following the initial startup. Although this step can be skipped, doing so means you’ll have to deal with pesky limitations. Subsequently, you’ll need to accept DJI’s privacy policy, which grants the company permission to collect various information, including the serial numbers of the drone, gimbal, battery and remote control. Location services must always be enabled when using the app because the drone won’t work otherwise. DJI is likewise allowed to collect location data.
The DJI Neo still needs to be activated after that. The positioning system must be enabled, and you must accept the terms of use – a fairly quick process.
Then you’ll get to select a connection method. The option in the middle (“Connect with RC only”) is slightly misleading because, as mentioned above, the drone can’t be piloted with the remote control alone; the smartphone and app must remain active. For our testing, we chose the RC method.
This finally brings us to the main page, and we can start flying. Before starting for the first time, you can learn how to use the drone and watch various tutorials.
The flight page is kept fairly simple. The screen layout changes depending on the control method: portrait with smartphone control and landscape with remote control.
Hands-on experience
In RC mode, you can get the drone to take off automatically by pressing a button on the left of the screen. In general, you can either control the drone manually or select one of the predefined flight modes.
Flight behaviour
The tiny drone hovers quite steadily in the air, both indoors and outdoors. However, upon closer examination, we noticed some minor shakes and light wobbles in videos due to motion compensation Rocket mode is the most affected by this because the drone ascends much higher than in the other modes. The amount of wind increases with flight altitude, possibly resulting in less stable footage.
Video quality
You can start recording with the press of a button. The process begins automatically in the predefined modes. Videos captured by the Neo look slightly oversaturated. Faces and skin tones appear somewhat too reddish. We also observed a moderate amount of image noise, even in videos captured outdoors under excellent lighting conditions, resulting in details becoming blurry.
Therefore, you shouldn’t expect the finest video quality from the DJI Neo. We doubt that influencers and vloggers will be satisfied with the results. But the quality may be good enough for hobbyist filmmakers, depending on their requirements.
Another thing missing on the pint-sized drone is obstacle detection, which we involuntarily managed to test out on a door frame. Once the drone collides with an obstacle, it will cease flight immediately and drop down unimpeded.
All propellers survived our “test drop” from around 1.6 m (5.2 ft) onto wooden flooring, but the camera gimbal ended up tilted in the plastic enclosure, leading to the camera becoming misaligned in the chassis. Thankfully, this didn’t cause any permanent damage. The gimbal could be pushed back to the correct position with a bit of care and finesse.
The drone’s flight time is around 15 minutes, which isn’t particularly impressive given that a DJI Mini 2 SE can provide up to 30 minutes of flight.
Pros
Cons
Verdict: Most affordable DJI drone for humble standards
One of the strongest arguments in favour of the DJI Neo is that it is a low-cost drone made by a market leader. The fact that it is a DJI product is evident in its robust and compact design, polished flight mechanism, and automated filming manoeuvres.
However, the €199 (US$199) price tag also means compromises had to be made. Despite boasting 4K capability, the Neo only offers mediocre video quality and stabilisation. A drone weighing 135 g (0.3 lb) simply can’t produce videos that are as stable as those from heavier models. The camera also only features single-axis stabilisation.
Despite being an remarkably handy and well-built drone, the DJI Neo can’t keep pace with larger, more expensive models in terms of video quality and stabilisation.
With the Fly More Combo costing €349 (US$329), you really need to carefully consider whether it is worth the investment. Even though you are getting a quality RC-N3 controller and more batteries, given how much the kit costs, perhaps it is worth checking out models with better video quality as well.
Price and availability
DJI first unveiled the Neo at this year's IFA. Preorder started on 5 September, and the product should gradually become available afterwards. The drone alone costs €199 (US$199), whilst the Fly More Combo will set you back €349 (US$329).
Transparency
The selection of devices to be reviewed is made by our editorial team. The test sample was provided to the author as a loan by the manufacturer or retailer for the purpose of this review. The lender had no influence on this review, nor did the manufacturer receive a copy of this review before publication. There was no obligation to publish this review. We never accept compensation or payment in return for our reviews. As an independent media company, Notebookcheck is not subjected to the authority of manufacturers, retailers or publishers.
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