- DJI Neo 2 takes 4K selfies from the air at up to 100 frames per second and weighs only 151 grams
- Magnify the original with omnidirectional object detection
- Prices start at £209/$409, but will not be available in the US at launch.
With the Neo 2, the lightest and most affordable omnidirectional object detection drone (with forward-facing LiDAR for good measure) and a solid evolution of the original Neo, DJI just took selfie drones to a new level.
I never thought such an advanced safety feature could come in such an affordable drone (believe me, it’s a brilliant feature for beginners) with prices starting at €209 / AU$409. If you live in the US, though, bad news: The Neo 2 is another DJI product that won’t be available at launch.
We’ve already published a detailed review of the Neo 2, and it’s clearly a much-improved model, even if it’s slightly heavier and more expensive than the Neo. For me, though, there’s no doubt which of the two is more compelling: the Neo 2’s improvements are worth the negligible extra cost and weight.
If you’re not familiar with selfie drones, the idea is that anyone can take off in seconds by lifting the drone with the palm of their hand, in this case using gesture and voice controls and DJI’s enhanced ActiveTrack smart features.
Like the HoverAir, it’s honestly that simple.
The controller-less experience is now even easier because there is a screen next to the camera that shows the selected shooting mode.
The Neo 2 also works with a DJI remote control such as the NC-3, which offers a longer flight range (up to 10 km), or even with goggles for immersive FPV flight, although costs increase if these accessories are included. Below I list the prices of the various Neo 2 packages.
Again, users can shoot 4K videos at up to 100 frames per second, 2.7K vertical videos, and 12MP photos via a relatively small 1/2-inch sensor. However, it is undoubtedly the introduction of object detection that sets the latest model apart.
The new selfie drone?
For me, the added object detection is reason enough to upgrade, while the Neo 2 is now one of the best entry-level drones for absolute beginners.
Integrated propeller guards, a lightweight body of 151 grams and new object detection make it easy to fly safely at close range, with these tracking features optimized for running and cycling. In addition, for dynamic video recording, there is another plugin for automated flight movements, which is common to most DJI drones.
Flight times have increased to 19 minutes – although you’d expect less in the real world – as has wind resistance, which is now rated at Level 5, making the Neo 2 slightly more stable in flight than the Neo.
There’s now up to 49GB of internal storage, enough to record 105 minutes of 4K video at 60fps, or 175 minutes if you drop the frame rate to 30fps.
With such an impressive feature set and low cost, DJI may have outbid its HoverAir competitor on price, unless you’re in the US, where the Neo 2 isn’t available yet.
The DJI Neo 2 is available in one of the following packages: Drone only for £209 / AU$409, Fly More Combo (drone only) for £289 / AU$549, Fly More Combo (with NC-3 controller) for £349 / AU$709 or Motion Fly Combo (with glasses) for £509.
We’ve already singled out the DJI Mini 4K as a better entry-level drone than the Neo, but the Neo 2, with its improved dual-axis camera and object detection, is definitely tempting.
