As someone casually curious about drones, I have shied away from them due to how intimidating it can be to use them. This is why I’m happy that DJI announced the DJI Neo! It is the company’s lightest and most compact drone at 135g. You can fully control the Neo without a remote control, with launching and landing possible with just your palm! This drone features AI subject tracking, QuickShots, and offers 4K 30fps ultra-stabilized video with up to 18 minutes of flight time. Its full-coverage propeller guards give users the safest experience possible whether flying the drone indoors or outdoors.
“At DJI we are always studying everyday camera use so that we can help people capture their videos and photos in the most convenient way possible. The DJI Neo strives to give people the latest tech in the smallest form factor so that they can capture their daily lives, saved as treasured memories, safely and with ease.”
Ferdinand Wolf, Creative Director at DJI
Control the Neo Your Way
Simply press the drone’s mode button and select your desired shooting mode, and Neo automatically does the rest without a remote control. Its 1/2-inch image sensor allows you to snap 12MP stills or produce stabilized videos in 4K resolution at 30 fps with the help of DJI’s powerful stabilization algorithms. Once you’re done using it, the drone will return to your palm.
Tell Your Story with AI Subject Tracking
DJI made the Neo’s AI algorithms to follow the subject within the frame. Thanks to those algorithms, you can easily create those captivating follow shots! You can also take advantage of the Neo’s QuickShots which has six intelligent shooting modes that provide various recording angles.
Here are those shooting modes:
- Dronie: The drone flies backward and ascends, with the camera locked on the subject, and records a video.
- Circle: The drone circles around the subject.
- Rocket: The drone ascends with the camera pointing downward.
- Spotlight: The drone rotates while keeping the object of interest within the frame
- Helix: The drone ascends and spirals around the subject.
- Boomerang: The drone flies around the subject in an oval path, ascending as it flies away from its starting point and descending as it flies back. The aircraft’s starting point forms one end of the oval’s long axis, while the other end is at the subject’s opposite side from the starting point.
Even More Ways to Control the DJI Neo
While the Neo can be used without any remote control, you can be more flexible with how you control the drone. You can pair it with the DJI Fly app, remote controllers, RC Motion, DJI Goggles, and even your voice for increased flight and camera control.
When connecting to a smartphone with the DJI Fly app via Wi-Fi, you can control the Neo using the virtual joysticks with a control range of 50 meters. You can also set the tracking angle and distance via the app. That gives you more freedom to shoot from afar or up close.
Use the Neo with the DJI RC-N3 to achieve a maximum video transmission distance of 10 kilometers. It also allows you to operate the camera using traditional RC control sticks to capture professional-level shots.
If you want a more immersive drone experience, you can pair the DJI Neo with DJI Goggles 3, RC Motion 3, or FPV Remote Controller 3. When using the RC Motion 3, DJI Neo masters the art of one-press aerobatics and seamless indoor navigation. You can easily maneuver the Neo through tight spaces.
Stabilization is the Norm, Not an Add-on
DJI equipped the Neo with a single-axis mechanical gimbal capable of handling high-speed flights with lots of maneuvers. It can even handle up to Level-4 wind conditions. Combined with RockSteady or HorizonBalancing stabilization, there is a significant reduction of overall image shake, and the correction of horizon tilt is within ±45°. This means you can capture smooth and stable footage that maintains clarity in highlights and shadows.
Thanks to an infrared and monocular vision positioning system, DJI Neo can hover steadily in the air which maintains stability even in wind conditions up to Level 4. There’s also support for automatic Return to Home (RTH) for convenient, worry-free operation.
Capturing Everyday Moments Made Easy
With the Neo’s 22GB internal storage, you can save up to 40 minutes of 4K/30fps video or 55 minutes of 1080p/60fps video. You don’t need extra cables once the footage is saved; connect the drone to your phone via Wi-Fi to transfer the footage to the DJI Fly app. This enables smooth post-production and social media sharing.
You don’t need to do a song and dance to record audio with the Neo. Connect the drone to a smartphone and tap the audio record button on the DJI Fly app. The app will start recording through the phone’s built-in microphone. You can also connect the DJI Mic 2 to the phone for better audio quality. The app automatically eliminates propeller noise and merges the audio track with the footage. This ensures clear sound even when shooting low-angle vlogs.
Beyond all that capability, the DJI Fly app offers a vast selection of templates, sound and image effects, for quick and easy editing. You don’t need to download footage from the drone to create and share videos, saving you time and storage space on the phone.
You can charge the DJI Neo via USB-C and its Two-Way Charging Hub lets you charge three batteries simultaneously! This lets you spend less time charging and more time flying and capturing moments.
Pricing and Availability
The DJI Neo is available starting September 5 in two variants: the unit only retails for P10,799, while the Fly More Combo retails for P18,999. Here are the things included for each variant:
- Unit Only inclusions
- Neo Aircraft, Neo Intelligent Flight Battery, Neo Propeller Guard (Pair)
- Accessories: Neo Spare Propeller Screw (x4), Neo Spare Propellers (Pair), Screwdriver, Neo Gimbal Protector, Type-C to Type-C PD Cable
- Fly More Combo inclusions
- Neo Aircraft, DJI RC-N3 Remote Controller, Neo Intelligent Flight Battery (x3), DJI Neo Two-Way Charging Hub, Neo Propeller Guard (Pair)
- Accessories: Neo Spare Propeller Screw (x4), Neo Spare Propellers (Pair), Screwdriver, Neo Gimbal Protector, DJI RC-N3 Cable (USB-C Connector), Type-C to Type-C PD Cable
You can buy the Neo at all DJI authorized retail stores and DJI Experience Stores. The latter can be found in key locations including SM Aura, SM Mall of Asia, SM Megamall, SM North EDSA, SM Seaside Cebu, SM Palawan, One Ayala, and Abreeza Davao (opening soon).
You can also purchase the Neo online via TikTok Shop, Shopee, and Lazada.