The smallest and lightest drone I’ve ever flown is a ton of fun, but don’t forget its limitations

ZDNET’s key takeaways

• The DJI Neo is available from DJI and Amazon<!–> for $199 for the basic kit, and $289 for the Combo kit. 
• This 135 gram drone is both incredibly portable and highly capable, making it perfect for bloggers, YouTubers, and social media types.
• The Neo’s wind resistance is lower than for other DJI drones, and real-world battery life is significantly lower than advertised.

Drone operators generally fall into two categories: those who use drones as tools for tasks like inspections, real estate photography, or creative projects, and those who fly for the thrill of flying.

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I fall into that first category — someone who takes a drone out of the case to do a job, and sometimes that job is reviewing a drone. That said, the perspective of a recreational flyer is particularly important when evaluating DJI’s latest drone, the Neo<!–>.

Also: The best drones you can buy: Expert tested

DJI Neo tech specs

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First impressions

The Neo is a compact, almost palm-sized drone, making it one of the most portable drones available. Palm-sized might be a bit of an exaggeration unless you have giant paws, but at first glance, the Neo looks more like a toy than a serious drone.

Weighing just 135 grams, it is significantly lighter than DJI’s Mini series and even lighter than the Mavic 3 Pro. For context, it weighs 90 grams less than an iPhone 15 Pro Max.

The Neo resembles an FPV drone with its integrated propeller guards and a camera mounted on a single-axis gimbal. This design not only enhances safety during flights around people but also provides durability against minor bumps. The drone’s battery life offers up to 17 minutes of flight time in optimal conditions.

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The Neo comes bundled with an RC-N3 controller, which is a cost-reduced variant of the earlier RC-N2 controller and is designed to suit the spec of the Neo drone. It offers a reduced flying time of 3.5 hours compared to the N2’s runtime of six hours, and reduced max transmission range, down from 20 kilometers offered by the Mini 4 Pro to 10 kilometers. 

While few people are – or for that matter, should be – flying their drone kilometers away, this does raise questions about how the drone operates in areas with obstructions and interference, specifically urban environments.

This new controller has a problem carried forward from the older versions, in that the clamp on the controller is too small for bigger smartphones. 

The Neo can perform various preprogrammed QuickShot maneuvers without a controller, including Follow, Dronie, Circle, Rocket, and Spotlight. It also features a Custom mode with DirectionTrack, Helix, and Boomerang, allowing for creative aerial shots.

With 22GB of built-in storage, the Neo reduces the need for a microSD card, simplifying the user experience. This is helpful if you prefer hassle-free operation and don’t want to faff about with microSD cards.

Flying the Neo

During my testing, the Neo demonstrated agility and ease of use, even in light winds. It can take off from your palm, making it ideal for launches in challenging environments like beaches or wet areas.

Palm landings are easier than ever too — just hover it over your open palm, pull the stick down, and the Neo lands and shuts off.

DJI states the Neo is OK to fly in wind speeds up to 8 m/s (17.9 mph), compared to 10.7 m/s (23.9 mph) for drones such as the Mini 4 Pro. I could feel this difference. It felt like the Neo was fighting much harder to stay still in light winds than any other DJI drone I’ve flown.

During periods of low winds, the drone was much more stable, allowing me to do things like fly it in, around, and under a train (a real train, but not an operational one). So, the wind was causing the issues. 

All of a sudden, I’m doing stuff with the Neo that I wouldn’t dream of doing with the Mini 4 Pro or Mavic 3 Pro, and it’s all rather impressive!

Battery life

In real-world conditions, the Neo’s batteries provide about 12 minutes of flight time. I especially appreciate its upgraded charging hub, capable of charging three batteries simultaneously in just an hour with a 65W USB-C charger.

Also: The best portable power stations you can buy: Expert tested

The hub’s simultaneous charging capability is a significant advantage, allowing for flying with minimal downtime.

Camera quality

The Neo’s camera supports 4K video at 30FPS and 12-megapixel JPEG photos, suitable for general use and social media. While it lacks RAW photo options, its output is comparable to mid-tier smartphones, making it ideal for non-professional applications.

The Neo’s support for Wi-Fi transfer of photos and video to your smartphone is fast and easy to set up.

Despite the drone battling the wind on many occasions, image stability was almost always exceptional, a testament to the quality of DJI’s cameras and gimbals.

Unless you expect to capture a cinematic short, or you want to make huge prints from your photos for framing on your walls, the Neo is more than enough.

ZDNET’s buying advice

Pre-release drones often receive significant software and firmware updates post-launch. I’ll likely revisit the Neo in a few weeks to note any improvements.

As mentioned, there are two types of drone users: those focused on capturing high-quality content and those who fly for fun. The more I fly the DJI Neo, the more it seems designed for the latter. It’s an enjoyable piece of equipment, and while I rarely use autonomous flight modes, many do, and the Neo excels in this area. You can capture stunning footage without a controller, making it perfect for the Instagram/TikTok crowd. The Neo is unique too in that its size allows it to venture into areas inaccessible to other drones, offering unique angles and shots. 

Its pricing is also a game-changer: a 4K drone from a top manufacturer starting at just $199 for the basic kit, and $289 for the Combo pack with extra batteries and charger. This is exceptional value.

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