DJI’s $199 Neo selfie-drone is going to be everywhere

The HoverAir X1 whitethorn person popularized easy to usage selfie-drones, but it’s DJI’s caller $199 Neo we’ve been testing that looks group to predominate sales. It’s launching globally coming and does almost everything nan $350 X1 tin do and truthful overmuch more.

Like nan X1, DJI’s caller Neo is simply a drone you chiefly bargain to grounds yourself doing things for societal media. It flies itself, nary controller basal — you simply push a fastener connected nan drone to rhythm done a database of predefined flights for illustration follow, hover successful place, orbit overhead, and zoom successful and out. It launches successful seconds, originates recording, past returns to onshore successful nan thenar of your manus without requiring erstwhile flying experience.

The Neo tin and will clang if you alert it adjacent obstacles, but for illustration nan X1, its elastic framework tin past a beating.

Unlike nan X1, nan Neo has return to location (RTH) capabilities, and if you adhd a controller it tin alert overmuch farther distant fixed its dual antennas (one transmitter, 2 receivers) which connection a maximum video transmission region of 10km (6 miles). It tin beryllium paired pinch DJI’s $129 RC-N3 Remote Controller to seizure sweeping view shots pinch assurance that it’ll return erstwhile nan artillery is low. It tin besides brace pinch DJI’s $499 Goggles 3 and nan company’s latest mobility controller aliases FPV controller to execute acrobatic stunts successful an immersive first-person view. Just don’t expect nan Neo to compete pinch DJI’s much powerful and tin drones that characteristic obstacle avoidance, amended stabilization, and improved optics. 

My workfellow Sean Hollister and I person been testing nan Neo successful a assortment of scenarios complete nan past fewer weeks. While nan folding X1 remains much pocketable, seems to support a fastener connected its taxable better, and is mostly little buggy and easier to use, nan Neo has proven to beryllium a very tin challenger arsenic you’d expect from nan world’s starring shaper of drones. It’s besides easy to forgive Neo’s faults fixed its price, but we’ll rumor a last verdict erstwhile we people a reappraisal successful nan coming weeks.

One awesome shortcoming of nan Neo for usage arsenic a selfie-drone is its deficiency of a image video mode. When asked why nan characteristic was omitted, DJI’s European spokesperson Matt Bailey said that nan institution “will see personification feedback connected this.” Weird. 

DJI’s Neo does, however, sprout successful 4K @ 30fps which is thing nan X1 can’t do (but newer, moreover much costly HoverAir drones can). Its half-inch sensor shoots video successful a 16:9 facet ratio pinch nan action to grounds astatine 60fps successful 1080p mode. It tin besides seizure 12-megapixel stills successful 4:3 aliases 16:9 facet ratios, and features nan bare minimum of single-axis mechanical gimbal stabilization alongside immoderate package stabilization tricks. DJI says it’ll besides sprout video successful 4:3 but that action wasn’t disposable successful nan firmware we tested.

Neo has 20GB of onboard retention and — for illustration nan X1 — lacks immoderate description option, but that doesn’t look to coming immoderate issues arsenic nan 4K videos usually only past betwixt 10 and 30 seconds. DJI’s artillery lasts longer astatine up to 18 minutes, but that besides helps to make it somewhat heavier than nan X1. Still, astatine 135g it’s good beneath nan each important 250g period making it exempt from nan astir onerous of drone licensing requirements.

The Neo is besides sold successful a very charismatic $289 Combo bundle that includes 3 batteries and a USB-C charging hub. The two-way charging hub will complaint each 3 batteries simultaneously successful astir an hr erstwhile utilized pinch a 45W charger. Neo has a built-in USB-C larboard that besides lets you complaint its removable artillery successful astir 50 minutes from a 15W charger, though we’ve seen this extremity moving a fewer times successful our pre-release firmware.

Neo does not connection immoderate motion controls, but it tin beryllium controlled pinch sound commands aft saying “Hey! Fly!” It tin besides beryllium controlled from nan DJI Fly app connected a telephone complete a nonstop Wi-Fi connection. And for illustration nan HoverAir X1, Neo tin grounds audio from your phone’s built-in mic which DJI will automatically overlay onto your recorded video without immoderate swarming-bee propeller sounds. Neo tin besides grounds audio done DJI’s Mic 2 erstwhile paired complete Bluetooth. 4K video files, ranging from 80MB to 200MB, transportation quickly to phones complete nonstop Wi-Fi relationship aliases to laptops complete USB-C cable. 

DJI’s Neo looks for illustration a nonstop consequence to nan HoverAir X1 that’s overtaken societal media complete nan past twelvemonth — astatine slightest according to my ain proposal algorithms. Let’s spot if Zero Zero Robotics lowers its HoverAir prices successful response. Regardless, astatine $199 successful nan US, nan Neo stands a very bully chance astatine turning selfie-drones into a mainstream gadget — for amended aliases worse.

In Europe, DJI’s Neo is priced astatine a tax-inclusive £169 / €199. There’s besides a £299 / €349 Neo Fly More Combo that bundles nan Neo drone together pinch DJI’s RC-N3 Remote Controller, 3 batteries and charging hub, and spare parts. 

DJI is not bundling immoderate controllers successful nan US, and nan Neo is unluckily not compatible pinch DJI’s older sets of goggles aliases mobility controllers for FPV flight, only nan latest ones. For FPV flight, that intends DJI’s Avata Explorer Combo is presently a amended deal; successful Sean’s early tests, it besides offers a much unchangeable first-person flying acquisition than nan Neo.